Khador Caster Challenge: January, Zerkova.

After a Christmas break where I was pretty busy painting, What motivation I had to get on with my self inflicted Khador Caster Challenge went by the wayside after completing MacBeth. However, I forced through it, and with a couple of false starts, this evening I put the finishing touches to the first of my 'casters for the year of 2015.

With that, I present to you, Koldun Commander Aleksandra Zerkova.

 
The picture quality is down due to the batteries running out on my camera, so these are taken with my phone, hence the strange stripy effect in the background.

Her wand and sword have also had a coat of luminescent paint, as I did with the Old Witch. Again, there is no way this will ever be seen in regular play, but I know it's there.

I'm happy with some parts of the mini, but I feel I rushed things a little at the end, so her boots and hat are a little scrappy, but I am very happy with her face and cloak. My technique is on the up, if not all the way there yet. The glowing effect on her sword need a lot of work though, I think I need more contrast in the shadows to bring out the lighter parts. Maybe with a touch of white here and there to really make it pop. I tried to use the same ink effects as on the wand, but it is a completely different surface, so requires some modification to the mix.

I'll maybe make those little adjustments whilst working on another caster next month. I think Irusk has made his way to the front of the queue, as he's quite a simple miniature really. Poor Sorscha keeps getting bumped down the list, despite being my first.

Casters Painted: 2
The Old Witch and ScrapJack
Zerkova  

Casters to Paint: 9
pButcher (to be based)
eButcher
pIrusk
eIrusk
pSorscha
eSorscha
Strakov
pVlad (variant)
eVlad

This brings me one step closer to allowing myself to by The Butcher Unleashed.

Colore ton Monde: MacBeth

This month's Colore ton Monde challenge done and dusted. What better representation of a chief or leader than the Rex Pictorium King of Alba and Mormaer of Moray, MacBeth. This version of him is for the Scots faction for Saga, as produced by North Star.

This guy is certainly imposing enough, he's huge. He is much more in line with my Dystopian Legion 32mm minis than any heroic 28mm figs I have. As can be seen by the fact he doesn't look out of place on a 40mm base. I don't know if this is the way the rest of this range are, or just the leaders.

 

 

I'm very happy with the face. I think the Masterclass has meant that I have levelled up in that regard. The shield was copied from one here. I'm not 100% pleased with the freehand, but it'll look okay at arms length. Lets face it, free hand is not my forte, never mind trying to replicate Celtic knot-work.

There's a great post on MacBeth to be found on the Saga Tapestry Blog. I'm not sure that I'll be buying into Saga in the immediate future, as I'm getting very much into Lion Rampant, but more on that in an upcoming post.

Onwards to my own challenge with the time remaining in January.

TOR Gaming: Mystery Relics Box Giveaway

There are a couple of gamers in the Oldies group I play with that are heavily into Relics by TOR gaming. I have been resisting, basically because I don't want to spread myself even thinner with games I don't have time to play, however, I am tempted.

There is one way I could be tempted to get into the game, and that is by winning a box with 150 pounds (sterling) worth of minis and rules for the game. And who wouldn't. So go along here and enter the prize draw. Or don't, you know, as the fewer people who enter, the better chance I have to win! You need to log on to the page that is linked above to see the entry details. It took me a little time to figure that out, but then, I'm sure my discerning readership is quicker on the uptake than myself.

Even if you don't win, you could always go and download the rules for free and see if something you'd like to get into!

Colore ton Monde: January 2015

The results of the December Colore ton Monde challenge have now been posted on the Facebook group for all to marvel at, so with last month's offering now packed away ready to play, it's on with a new challenge for a new year! This month's Colore ton Monde challenge is as follows:





-----
* Macdonald, et pas le resto ! *
Le 11 janvier est l'anniversaire du père fondateur du Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald. Pour l'occasion, nous vous invitons à peindre un "fondateur", un chef, un leader. Quelqu'un qui dirige, pas un sous-fifre !
-----
* MacDonald, and not the restaurant! *
The 11th of January is birthday of the founding father of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald. To mark the occasion, we invite you to paint a 'founder', a chief, a leader. Someone who leads, not an underling!
-----

Well, as themes go, I really couldn't ask for more to help me off with my Khador 'Caster Challenge. I was also inspired to pull out MacBeth, as, as leaders go, you can't go much higher than a king! When I went to get him out of my bits box and build him up, who else should I find in there in need of some TLC, but eSorscha. The evening was spent carrying out the pinning required to fix both models, I'm now all ready and primed for this month.

Here's hoping I get as much time to devote to the hobby as I have had over the last two long weeks of Christmas break. Okay maybe not, but I should realistically manage two minis, one of whom is 75% chain-mail!

Maximus

I have not played Warmahordes for a while, as I have really been using my limited gaming time to play Dystopian Legions, however, there has been a recent release that is drawing me back into the game. That release? Maximus.

I do like the idea of the Farrow in general, but not enough to get a  whole army of them. I have enough factions, but the idea of kitting out a Farrow like a Doomreaver? That is both insane and genius at the same time.

So as a little present to myself, I went out and bought him. Them in three consecutive evenings, built, based and painted him, Somewhat of a record for me.

Thankfully, he can be fielded with my Legion army, he can see play immediately. The sculpt is both simple enough to be fast to paint, but elegant and dynamic at the same time. What is not to love?

Here piggy piggy...

 

 

Now he's done and out of the way, I can start on my challenge for 2015. At least he started me off with some red armour and Khador stylings.

Painting Challenge 2015: Khador Casters

I have been playing Warmachine on and off, pretty much since it was first released, when I bought a Khador battle box, Eiryss, and a Manhunter at Claymore, back in the mists of time. Of those minis, I have fully painted the two jacks, and the Manhunter. Eiryss languishes with a base coat, painted way back then, and Sorscha? well, least said the better.

Khador has always been my faction. But, in saying that, I think I have only painted two of the Khador casters to completion, one being pButcher* and the other being the Old Witch, painted very very recently. I intend to remedy this failing, and to this end, I have challenged myself to paint one caster a month for the duration of 2015.

I own:
The Old Witch and ScrapJack (completed)
pButcher (to be based)
eButcher
pIrusk
eIrusk

pSorscha
eSorscha
Strakov
pVlad (variant)
eVlad
Zerkova

That equals eleven casters, and of those, I have finished one and the eButcher needs only to be based, so 10 models to finish in twelve months. I think I can handle that. I will add in the Warcaster attachment of the War Dog if it looks like I am running ahead of myself (unlikely).

My reward, if I should complete my challenge, is that I will buy myself either 3Butcher or 3Vlad. Both of whom are stunning models, who I do want to buy, but cannot justify due to my lack of funds, and time actually playing my Khador. Also, but the time I have finished this lot, I'll be a demon at painting red.

A secondary challenge to myself, is to play more games with my Khador. They are the largest army I possess (with maybe Legion of Everblight coming close, close second) but I rarely play them. That is something else that must be remedied.

I don't see myself going about this in any specific order, mainly be seeing what takes my fancy, so who knows what we'll see painted first. All that with the usual Colore ton Monde challenges being thrown about, and normal painting of other troops for Dystopian Legions, 2015 is going to be a busy year!

Wish me luck!

*For those not up in the Warmahordes parlance, p before the caster name indicates prime, as in first iteration, e means Epic, as in a second version of the caster, and 3 before the name indicates the third iteration of the caster.