Tohaa Kamael Light Infantry: Painted!

Probably the last model I do for a couple of days is this Kamael Light Infantry model. I use him as a forward observer although I noticed he has what appears to be a medics injector pistol in his holster? Anyway, I really enjoyed painting a model I wasn't that enthusiastic about painting as he's quite.. standard? I especially enjoyed doing the fleshy bit of his head and it's just the colour I wanted which was nice.

Now to do some more terrain!

Gao-Rael Unit: Painted!

Another of my newly painted Tohaa. This time it's the Gao-Rael with spitfire - another personal favourite, the sculpt and the pose are spot on. Strangely I don't think the sniper Gao-Rael is half as good a model...

And of course the obligatory group shot with the Gorgos.

One last model to go from my current batch, which is a bog standard Kamael model - I'll post that one tomorrow.

Tohaa Sakiel Regiment: Painted!

My first non-Gorgos Tohaa model painted is this one, the Sakiel with viral combi rifle and swarm grenade. This model is one of my favourite Tohaa, I just love the pose and the mohawk of symbiont armour! Love it.

Not my greatest paintjob, but I see the Tohaa as a WIP in general - I'll no doubt go back and redo bits as I get better at certain colours or features.

Tohaa Ectros Regiment: Painted!

After much procrastination (I'm an expert) and almost throwing all my Tohaa in the paint stripper this week, I grew a pair and simply cracked on with getting some models completed.

Here's my Ectros Regiment dude with viral combi rifle and spear (why just list it as a CCW when it's a huge spear?!).

Bandua Cargo Containers: Painted!

I'm on a bit of a kick to get my terrain painted. Some of the stuff I have has been in primer since last Summer so I need to get my finger out and get it done basically. I've already highlighted the MAS buildings I own, and shaded some new MAS pavement sets. But that's all grey. So on a spur of the moment I decided to quickly airbrush the two Bandua containers I'd reviewed in a previous post.

Including the original assembly time, I think you're looking at maybe two hours in total to build and paint? Maybe I should get a couple more...

First Painted Tohaa Model: Gorgos

Ariadna Tournament Preparation: Cordelia

I've had the Scarface and Cordelia set for a good few months now, and Scarface got painted up fairly early on. Poor Cordelia however has been sat in primer the whole time... so I decided to end my Infinity painting block and get her done.

I think she came out alright for an impromptu four-hour painting session last night. Still need to base it but aside from a slightly derpy facial expression I'm pretty happy with her.

No prizes for guessing what Ariadna have hired to accompany them to the tournament on Saturday? Scarface and Cordelia, or an Irmandinho and Vet Kazak HMG?

Phalanx On Hold. Hallo Tohaa!

To comfort myself in the aftermath of the previously mentioned Steel Phalanx debacle, I've taken the plunge into Faction #3. And I've chosen Tohaa.

I've been holding off on a third faction as I don't like using unpainted armies, and the Phalanx were a painting roadblock I couldn't get round. So they're going into suspended animation whilst I work out how to paint them in a way I actually like. In the meantime, the Paradiso newcomers will be a gradually developing third faction I'm going to endeavor to paint as I get the models rather than end up with 300pts of unpainted minions.

With that in mind I've simply begun with the basic Starter Box. Once that's done I'll keep adding bits in. I'm hoping to pick up a Gorgos at the event (with a bit of discount) but until all of that is painted nothing more will be added. Gives me the incentive to get them done and on the table.

Steel Phalanx Painting Challenge: FAILURE

Well last night I admitted defeat. With a completed Ajax, Thrasymedes and a couple of Myrmidons well on the way to completion, the full awfulness of the colour scheme hit me hard. 5mins later the whole army was sitting in an inch of Fairy Power Spray.

There is a good reason people don't paint their ALEPH models bright purple or turquoise.

Also I have a comfort zone when it comes to painting, and this was well outside of what I am capable of. I always, ALWAYS prime with black and go from there. This time I primed grey and tried to pull off a super lurid colour scheme I didn't have the skills to do justice - at least not to the standard I expect of myself.

So it's now confirmed, Ariadna for the tournament next Saturday. Which is a shame as I utterly love the Phalanx.

Steel Phalanx Painting Challenge: Day Eight

I think I've broken tha back of this one. Two full days of painting ahead of me this weekend, with a couple of games on Sunday night. Should make a big inroad into it by Monday. Seven days remaining...

Steel Phalanx Painting Challenge: Day Five - A New Colour?

Update on my stupid Steel Phalanx painting challenge! Well the purple didn't last long. I played a game with the basecoated/shaded models on Sunday and didn't like how they looked. So, came home and grey primered them immediately and went for my Plan B colour: turquoise.

I would say my crappy phone camera makes them look grey in this photo. Believe me, it's a lurid turquoise!

At this point I've rationed myself to just the models I'll be taking to the tournament, so dropped six models - the Rebot is still not included in the photo as the bases arrived yesterday so is still bare metal.

Nine days to go. Crap.

Steel Phalanx Painting Challenge: Day Two - I've Given Myself 'Airbrush-Thumb'

Well day two of the challenge, and it's been pretty productive. Still no sign of the base for the Rebot, but aside from that I think I stand a good chance of finishing! Famous last words...

Today has been all about the purple (more like lilac).

Suffice to say, I've given myself a newly invented condition of Airbrush-Thumb. Painters RSI.

Here's the frankly ridiculous sequence of layers you can (or can't...) see in the photo above:

Full coat of GW Naggaroth Night
Generous highlight of GW Xereus Purple
Highlight of 2:1 mix of GW Xereus Purple and GW Genestealer Purple
Highlight of GW Genestealer Purple
Highlight of 1:1 mix of GW Genestealer Purple and GW Slaanesh Grey
Final highlight of GW Slaanesh Grey
Post-shade touch up of GW Naggaroth Night to re-emphasise the darkest shadows

Eighteen models done in a day.

Next: Final shading with pin washes and blocking in other colours

Steel Phalanx Painting Challenge: Day One

I've set myself the insane challenge of painting a full army of the Steel Phalanx to compete in a small tournament in Sheffield, on March the 8th. That gives me exactly 14 days (possibly 13...) to complete all of the models required for my two lists. At this moment, I have absolutely no complete models for this army so it's going to be a bit crazy to try and meet the deadline... but I'll certainly try.

Today's progress? Not great. Sorted out a few basing issues, and some minor reassebly which took an annoying amount of my time up. Then a simple light grey airbrushed primer coat to cover over most of them having the original grey scheme and the bare metal new comers.

There are seventeen 25mm based models plus Ajax and Penthesilea, and the unbased Zayin Rebot (still waiting for bases to arrive!) is still bare metal. Out of that lot, I'm using probably between twelve and fourteen models but I still haven't settled on a list yet!

My plan is to do all the airbrush work on all the models initially, then finish off the tournament models by hand/brush. This at least means I can go back to the rest later without having a different colour scheme on them.

Next: basecoat and shading.

Operation: Steel Phalanx In 15 Days Or Bust

Bit of a gap in posts, but I'm pleased to say this post will show I've managed to progress towards two of my Infinity resolutions for 2014.

Tuesday was 'No Shirt Or Slacks Day' in the Lhost training camp

Myself and a pair of friends (Starmonkee aka James, and Nate) are driving down to play in a small tournament in Sheffield in March, Paradiso Lost, hosted by The Outpost.

Suffice to say I'm really excited to be going as this will be my first proper tournament. I've been spending a lot of time with different lists, tweaking here and there to try and get the best out of the Steel Phalanx as far as ITS is concerned (a lot easier said than done).

Three games, 300pts, objectives with classifieds slightly modified from stock ITS. You must provide two lists and use them both over the three matches so lots of scope for list building fun, which I absolutely love. Honestly someone could create a tabletop wargame that involved just writing army lists and I'd be set for life!

It promises to be a really friendly day. Interested? Head over to the Facebook page for 'Infinity The Game: Northern Alliance' and have a look for yourself!

My second goal was for a painted Steel Phalanx. In an earlier blog post I'd mentioned batch painting them in a warm grey scheme reminiscent of Splinter Cell or Deus Ex. Well that stalled pretty suddenly as I really wasn't feeling the grey... partly as I realised I was effectively colour matching my army with my buildings. And partly as grey just isn't fun to paint. I've just added the Myrmidon box, Spitfire Myrmidon, Machaon, and a box of Rebots to my Phalanx collection and so I'm taking the opportunity for a wholesale repaint.

Small issue... it needs to be done in under 15 days to be ready for the Sheffield tournament. It's going to be extremely tough to do this, but I feel with my airbrush I have a chance at meeting this goal. Emphasis on the word 'chance'. If by March 3rd (army list deadline) I fear missing the March 8th final deadline, then I'll fall back on Ariadna instead as my army. I really don't want to have to do as I've been loving using the Phalanx of late!

Expect a progress report over the next two weeks.

Batch Painting The Steel Phalanx

As the title suggests, I have indeed lost my marbles. I tried to do this a few weeks ago, and one airbrushed highlight too many and they were back in black primer within minutes. For me however, unpainted models are an unacceptable feature of wargaming (tongue firmly planted, dear reader) and so with two weeks of holiday having commenced today, I have decided that I will have a fully painted Assault Subsection by the end of it. Family and festivities, be damned.

The question is, will they be the same colour at the end of it?

James' Jurisdictional Command Of Corregidor Army - Now on eBay

James hasn't posted this for some reason so I thought I would. He is selling his awesome  Jurisdictional Command Of Corregidor army on eBay, mere weeks after completing their painting. The madman.

 

He's offering world wide/international postage so have a look at his eBay auction by going here, and snap up a beautifully painted, 300pt Nomad army. Contact him or ask questions here or via eBay and he'll be sure to answer! He's also selling a huge amount of unpainted Nomad models on MAS bases too, loads more Corregidor and Bakunin too.

More images below.

Sounds To Paint To

I'm trying to make a sow's ear into a silk purse tonight... a.k.a paint the Assault Pack Antipode models (just dire, dire models but such a good battlefield unit!). The only thing keeping me going is listening to the soundtrack to Deux Ex: Human Revolution. I've just started playing it again after nabbing the game for £5 in the Blockbuster Fire Sale. I never killed the final boss last time I played through it, so thought I'd give it another go.

Anyway. I'd not appreciated how epic the soundtrack was. The 'Main Theme' in particular conjures up all sorts of fantastic Infinity related visions!

The World Is Yours: Scarface

With a week off work, I decided to dedicate my time to finishing off some Infinity models. Unfortunately I actually only managed to get one done in that whole time. But at least it's TAG sized! Scarface (minus Cordelia).

The green is airbrushed for a gradient effect, same with the grey on the legs and knife and guns. Everything else is by hand. I used oil washes for the first time on this model and they worked really well, so much so I'm going to paint my Steel Phalanx using this technique.

Progress On My First TAG: Scarface

My reward for getting through the first 200pts worth of models, was buying myself Scarface and Cordelia. Once I'd completed 300pts then I got to paint it as a treat! Oh how a modern day wargamer needs weird motivational goals to keep painting!

Anyway here he is so far:

Green done (not that you can tell), masked off with Silly Putty ready for the grey bits. As they're quite large and flat areas (relatively) I decided to airbrush them to give them a gradient rather than just edge highlight.

More soon.

Last Post For Today I Promise! The Missing Tankhunter

I realised I'd not posted up my Autocannon Tankhunter model yet, a bit slack of me I know.

 

I'd wanted to use the studio camo scheme, but I couldn't work out exactly what they'd used colour wise. I'd seen a pair of Tankhunters painted with a green camo scheme with red elements but wasn't brave enough to try it, so he ended up more straightforward than that.