Golden Demon 2012

So I mentioned Golden Demon below.  This was my first ever visit to Games Day, and whilst I had considered the possibility of entering "at some point" in the future, it was my brother who talked me round to entering this year.  The logic went, if I painted something I already had, what was the worst that could happen?

 After 7 weeks or so of building and painting (the first two and a half were spent getting the Forge World kit into some sort of semi respectable shape) I had a model that I was pretty happy with the paint job on.  Don't get me wrong, there is plenty that can be improved on it - but I was satisfied enough to pack my suitcase, jump on a plane and visit the NIA via my cousins wedding...

Having never been to Games Day / Golden Demon and not really knowing what to expect as I dropped my entry off amongst the dozens of other display cabinets and hundreds of other entries.  Overall, at this point, I was satisfied that what I'd entered wasn't a total embarrassment (my biggest fear was to show up with something that was totally out of place and make a monumental pratt of myself) and left it there.
I was rather happy to find that three or four hours later (when it was time to collect those models that hadn't made the cut) my model was still on the judging table...

The end result was I made the "cut" and was one of the final dozen or so models.  I didn't "place", but considering I wasn't planning on entering until quite late in the day I was overjoyed with the result.
I already have plans for the Salute painting competition in April and the 2013 Golden Demon...
Anyway - enough words :-) to the pictures...

As usual, comments and criticism welcome.

2K Orks Vs Nids

Okay, so I managed to complete 2k worth of Orks (aprt from Ghazghkull - used a counts as Warboss instead) to play a trio of games over the weekend (1K,2K,2K).  Final official tally was 1 draw, 1 win and 1 loss.  Both the draw and the loss were pretty tight (the draw was down to 1/8th of an inch) and the victory was pretty crushing, so overall I'm happy.  Something both my brother and I commented on was how much cooler painted minis look on modelled terrain, and we were both chuffed with the way that everything looked.  As I've not kept up to date posting minis as they have been completed, I plan to post shots of each unit over the next few days.

Ork army painting tracker

As I may have mentioned (and may have been observed) I'm not the greatest at getting models finished and on the table.  

To try and spur me into finishing my long term 40k Ork army, I've scheduled a game early next year against my brothers Tyranids.  The rules are quite simple - 2000 points, but anything not painted can't be played.  If that means either of us can't field 2k, then tough - you go short and the opponent can field their full 2k (assuming it's all painted).

In order to spur me further (and try and keep me on track), I've come up with a little paint tracking poster.  Showing everything I have to get painted, the models start off grey, progress to coloured when started and gain a tick when completed.  

Consequently the un-started army looks like this...

And the finished army will look like this...

Currently my progress is somewhere around here... 39 minis started (I've not included primed minis - there's another fifty or so of those)

So you (and more importantly I) can see that there is quite a way to go yet....

Ork boyz under way

Another quick update tonight - a single image of the first of my Ork boyz coming along.  Primed, airbrushed undercoat for the skin then a couple of washes to build up the skin tone.  Whilst they won't be as "speed painted" as the 'Nids below, I won't be spending forever on each mini as I've 2000 points to paint for a game in January and what doesn't get painted isn't allowed to play!

Long time no post - Work in progress Orks.

Okay - forever since an update.  Quick change of direction and a couple of snaps of my (very) WIP looted Ork Rhino with Forgeworld Kil Kannon, for my WIP Ork army.  

The top deck (the piece that has the Kil Kannon on it) will be interchangeable with an orky hatch so that the rhino can be played without the Kannon.

I'm currently unsure of which clan to go for - I've got an Ultrasmurf marine army in the pipeline so deathskulls are out (too much blue on the table), I like Bad moonz but my boyz are all geared up for stompin' in close so I might have to plump for Goffs... up in the air at the minute.

I also have a Big Zappa armed looted rhino in the works too - you never know I might get some pictures up before Christmas...

Until next time (hopefully not six months...!)

Group hug!

As promised a quick photo of my Girlfriends 'Nid army.  

I'm afraid it's not the best of pictures being it was a struggle to get them all in. Not sure of the points value, but it's quite a few.

I still have to paint a Hive Tyrant (to go with the Tryrant guard already finished), 2x Biovores and 2x Hive guards all of which I've assembled.  Also in the pipe line are a box of Gaunts and a pair of 'fexs which she has yet to assemble.

Death from the deep!

One of the reinforcements for my other halves 'Nid invasion is this Trygon / Mawloc.  Don't ask me which one I built - I just used the coolest combination of parts in the box!  Not very "fluffy" I know but I like the final result.  As per my earlier post, I completed a few more of the details on this model by painting the eyes, mouth and teeth.  Still speed painted in the same general scheme.  

Speedy 'Nids

Here is a sample of the Tyranid army that a recently speed painted for my girlfriend.  Looking at them now I think I would have been better to spend a little more time on some of the details - picking out eyes, mouths, teeth etc. but at the time I was quite pleased to get a large number of minis (over 100 of various sizes) painted in a short period of time (less than two weeks).  

Overall as my first stab at speed painting I'm pretty happy with the result, and on the board they look an imposing sight.

Hopefully I can have a group photo up shortly!