31.1.2017

Snotling Pump Wagon

Have had this paintjob underway for some time, the snotlings were attached to bases before to act as unit fillers. Overall this model was quite fun to paint and the snotling sculpts have really lot of character to them.

For the rust effects i decided to have a go at a tip that i got some time ago. It was to dilute Typhus Corrosion technical paint with vodka and it works quite well. For the price of a GW paint pot i got a bottle that i estimate will at least triple the amount of the rust effect i can use. I'm planning on giving a coat of it on the weapons of Orc Boyz im still working on.

Speaking of which I got some more orcs, mostly from the 6th edition starter box which should add some variety to the units. That being said, the number of orcs i have is now nearing 100, so i think i will build a third command group.

Snotling Pump Wagon

25.1.2017

A Small Council of Grey Seers and thoughts on Boxed Set hate

Im throwing my two cents on this matter since it seems to pop up every so often in different wargaming communities. The main argument is that the boxed sets are pieces of crap and have no value.

Ssculpting quality of starter sets in the industry has gone up considerably so the only real difference is the fact that the models come in a limited set of poses without customisation. If you mix them up in a same unit you actually get more variety. For instance, Island of Blood/Spire of Dawn clanrats have unique command group models and some unique head and body combinations. Not to mention that the same set has those newer rat ogres and weapon teams you can't get otherwise.

As a new hobbyist you probably want to invest small amounts at first and then expand if you start to feel the hobby is to your liking. Boxed sets are an effective solution to this, they offer the possibility for you to start playing your first games and also a solid foundation for expanding your army later, If not, then congratulations, you have just proved that wealth does not equal intelligence. Who has the bragging rights? A guy who finishes his first marathon at a local event versus a guy who pays for an airplane ticket to go run his first marathon on a different continent but then fails it? Sure, he spended more money but in the end did not achieve his goal.

Indeed these models are not meant to be more valuable than their boxed set counterparts. But they are more valuable as being a more efficient mean of creating large armies. If you were commissioned to be the head of a project aiming to create the largest tabletop display of skaven in the world, would you, with a limited budget choose to purchase boxed sets of clanrats or IoB/SoD clanrats, assuming both are as readily available? Guinness World Records officials won't care if every single one of them is not originated from the clanrat box, given that other criterias such as a painting standard for each model is met. The same applies to building armies. Acquiring the bulk of your rank-and-file models by the benefit of boxed sets is a smart option.

The critics of boxed sets and those who buy them would probably claw their eyes out if they saw a first time hobbyist get a boxed set and then inadvertedly butcher up the builds due to their inexperience. Boxed sets offer a reasonable starting point to the hobby for beginners. Certainly, they do not possess the same resell value as boxed set counterparts, but well-kept Iob/SoD Clanrats are a lot more valuable than boxed set clanrats that are wonkily glued and might not even rank up.

Since the entry barrier to this hobby has always been high, right now we do not need these guys to start pouring hot tar over beginners trying to climb that barrier. Most of the time the different communities i visit have a civil atmosphere, but ruthless flaming on buyers of boxed sets, especially if they are beginners, is detrimental for the spirit of being part of an active community, which is an integral aspect of the hobby.

Since the last update i took a break from FB/T9A to focus on finishing my 1250p DA army for a tournament which is coming up in a few weeks. You can see them here.

I also painted a fourth grey seer, it is the one mounted on a rock in this picture. The model is from the old Screaming Bell.

Grey Seers, Council Guards and Screaming Bell