Can You Survive?

Let's combine a few fun things!  Zombicide, Reaper BONES minis, and some Secret Weapon barriers.

Do you think you can survive the Zombiepocalypse?

Disco Stu leads the way, jumpin' the Police Cruiser and "mowing the lawn"... cutting down zombies left and right!

For good measure, he would pop a cap in a zombie that managed to elude Stu's new ride.

This was the most zombie kills I have ever gotten in a game that didn't involve tossing a cocktail into a very crowded building!

It's very fun to have some of the painted minis out there, and a few of Mr. Justin's fabulous construction cones and jersey barriers really adds to the experience.

You might think it's looking bleak for Stu, but not to fear.  He can electric slide his way out of a bummer situation, and get that funky disco workin'!!!

Studies in Alchemy

This set of images should give you a decent idea of the concept which I have mentioned a number of times here.  Most recently, you saw me use a technique like this on the Reapercon glazing figure.

There are three glazing colors on the palette.  They just happen to be a red, a blue, and a yellow.

However, each one has very different chemical properties.  As they interact with each other, things get very interesting!

The blueish color is placed first... it's Secret Weapon Storm cloud.  In some places, it is mixed with Vallejo Fleshtone shade.  That would be the pink color on the armor plates.

When a dot of the Vallejo sepia wash is placed in the still wet color, it reacts to those other colors, being mostly 'repelled', which prevents it from mixing completely with those previous washes.

It creates a sort of corrosion or barnacle effect, just perfect for a mostly under water creature!!

I worked my way around the armor plates, careful not to do too many at once.  As with any watercolor style technique, timing is everything.  This view shows the difference between the plates that have been glazed and the original form.

The palette reveals a bit of this chemical reaction.  If you look at the blue color, see how there are all sorts of interesting ripples and cracks in the wet paint.

The idea is to put down just enough of the blue and red paint to 'suspend' the dots of sepia wash.  This will be enhanced later with other semi-opaque layers of color.

Once those initial layers dried, I was able to add a few more dark spots... dabbing at the edges with a damp brush to feather them out.

Here are the colors in person!

The view from above displays the unusual patterns than are created.  Just like with watercolors, you never quite know what's going to happen.

I was also trying to play these warmer colors against the more saturated teals and blues of the scales.

Here's a much closer view of the "sedimentation effect", as it is known in the watercolor world.  The various glazes from companies such as Secret Weapon and Vallejo interact with each other in very interesting ways like this.

Obviously, this takes a lot of experimentation to figure out.  However, it's definitely worth it in the end!!

I hope this made some sense to you all. :-)

The Holy Roller

Something new for my Holy Order of Man posse.  This light support from Wild West Exodus combines some serious speed and firepower.

Since it can also drop mines in its path, it can also serve as an area denial platform, which is even more crucial to this posse.

Holy Orders tend to be massively outnumbered, so those additional mines can either equate to some extra bodies on the field, or channel those lighter enemy units into killing zones.

It also has a decent amount of hit points, making it more likely to survive those RJ rifle shots.  Not much you can do about big templates.

The lack of influence will hurt quite a bit.  We shall see how all this plays out once more of the faction is ready to go.  It won't take much painting to get a Holy Order posse on the field, since even the hired hands cost as much as minor characters.

This posse is all about buffing provided by the highest ranking figures.  I definitely hope that the portal character comes out soon!!!

Turning over a new leaf!!

While I was at Reapercon, I headed over to the Hangar 18 booth with the few minutes I had to spare.

Lo and behold, I discovered a host of new basing and terrain supplies!

I have been told that this is more of an 'original' source for such things, as the company that produces these in the true large packaging format.

There were a number of ivy packs to choose from, but I felt these three would do.  It's possible that I will paint at least 30% of the leaves once they are placed on a given base or miniature to better match the colors.

We shall see how well the paint adheres to them.

These two packages really expands my flower palette.  I even have dried foliage trees that are a fantastic tie in with the white and purple flowers!

This is more vines than leaves.  I will see how easy or difficult it is to manipulate the wires around which all the foliage is attached.

Potentially this might be used alongside the other Ivy style as well.

Again, there was a lot more to choose from, but this is what I could get back home with me.  I see many wonderful experiments in my hobby future!!

Of course you will see them all play out on these pages, so stay tuned!

On our way!!!

Now I can finally put together those fun group shots!

This is the Mechanicum Triaros Armored Conveyor.

As you can see, it can "convey" a whole lot of Thralls at once!

Lots of leg room in that spacious interior! :-)

I knew how big this transport was before I put the little Thralls around it, but seeing these images now really emphasizes the point.

Next, some size comparison shots with the Krios Heavy Support!

More Christmas Cavalry

Only 2 more Dragoons remain...

Then it will be time for some more group shots, hopefully with terrain.

Next up, a batch of new tufts that I brought home from Reapercon!

Bending nature to your will

Thanks to the resourceful mind and generosity of Mr. Harber, there is a new building material in Wappelville.

He had a smorgasbord of mosses and bark.  Each one more unique and curious than the next!

I have no idea what I will do with most of these, or how I might have to treat them, etc.  As you know however, the fun is in the experimentation!

The moment I set eyes on this, I thought of placing an entire adventuring party marching across it.  I have been looking through my Reaper minis, as well as my collection of bark and tree branches.  

I might also paint a backdrop for this as well.  Leaving it as close to this original form is my goal, but one never knows how these things will turn out!

I may have to seal these somehow.  That might be through some form of spray sealer.  Again, I will try out a few things, and let you know how that works.

It is possible for natural things such as these to disintegrate over time.  At te very least, they may discolor, or even fade.

That will be a challenge to prevent, but I am not even sure that is so important.  I would only use this material early on for my own terrain pieces, or for my own miniature projects.

I'm still amazed that each of these moss mats could be pried from whatever surface they had been growing on without completely destroying them.

I can say that each of these items suffered some very rough treatment, and survived very much intact.

They had been shoved in plastic bags, into boxes, and shipped across the country and yet they stand before you.

So, go check out some rocks and such by you house, and see what's growing there!