Not So Peachy

The boys in blue and gold came up a bit short tonight in the Peach Bowl.  They had their moments, but it wasn't to be.  Thanks to all the players and coaches for a fantastically enjoyable season.  Pitt Football is back!

This will be the last post of 2021.  I hope 2022 will be a better year for all of us.  Take care out there and stay safe.  Peace.

The Lone Ranger

I watched a video on converting the Final Faction A.C.R.M. Figure into a combat droid/walker.  Here's the link to the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8OCjZQhYA

After watching it, I went to the Dollar Tree and picked one up.  For the most part, I stuck to what I saw in the video, modifying the paint scheme somewhat.  I did add a few items from the Final Faction accessory packs. I also glued the head, arms, and legs so that couldn't move. For a few hours of time and a little over $4, I'm stoked at how cool this figure turned out.

Take a look at the Ranger Class Combat Droid Series TX-281.  It's know by the Grunts it supports simply as "Walker".

I Have The Power

 

Well, I may not have the power but I do have these two pretty cool miniatures which I bought at the Dollar Tree.  They are from the Mattel Micro Masters of the Universe collection.  The store did have several more figures in the set (Man-At-Arms, Mer-Man, and Orko) but I decided to just get these two.   Each figure is roughly 2 inches tall.  He-Man and Skeletor can now battle for all Eternia (LOL) on my (still yet to be finished) wargaming table.

Crazy for Cryptids

 I want to thank Jon, Len, and B.C. for sending me a copy of a book that they have a new story in.  The book is called A World Unseen.  It's got a bunch of creepy stories about cryptids and such.  The guys (the Writers 3) have a story titled The Devil and Cleopatra in it.  It's awesome!!!!  I really enjoy reading their stuff but this story might be my favorite.  I included a link to the book.  Check it out!  Happy reading!

A World Unseen

I'll Take You Out

In the event that a little dirty work needs to take place (on the gaming table that is), I just ordered these assassins from Spikey Bits.  As you can see the deal is great and the models look fantastic.  Can't wait to get them painted up and ready for play.  Check out the pic.

Death From Above

 With a ton of parts left over from the tank project, I decided to see what else I could come up with.  In one of the Final Faction accessory packs there is something that looks like a drone.  After 10 minutes of searching the internet, I found this picture.  It is a Chinese attack drone called a Blowfish.  With it in mind, I set out to see if I could mimic it.

I modified a machine gun from the Heavy Weapons accessory pack and removed the night vision goggles from the helmet in the Covert Ops. pack.  I cut down part of an old plastic hair curler for landing gear.  I found a plastic cap to cover the top.  I made some rocket launcher tubes.  I glued everything together and when I was done I had one very cool attack drone.

I painted it a light gray so that it would blend in better when in the sky and gave it a matte clear coat.  I ordered some clear plastic stands on eBay to mount it on.  For some reason, it reminds me of a mosquito.  I call it a DT-250 AD.  It stands for Dollar Tree, a little over 2 bucks, attack drone.  I plan to have four of them when all is said and done.  Check out the pictures below.

Today is the 20th Anniversary of 9/11.  Let us not forget all the lives lost that day.

Sci Fi Tank on the Cheap

 I found a pretty cool looking U.S. Abrams style tank at the Dollar Tree.  I started to wonder what could I do to modify it into something more futuristic that I could use in WH40K, Weird War, or other Sci Fi  battles.  

The answer to my question was also in the Dollar Tree.  The had some action figures that had separate sets of accessories that they also sold.  I could use these to turn the tank into something a little more menacing for the dark wars of tomorrow.

A can of gray primer/paint, a tube of Super Glue, a few odds and ends from the workbench, and some leftovers from the bits box and presto:  One Amazing Futuristic Battle Tank.

I called it a Kriegshund (War Dog or Hound of War).  It's a lightly armored, heavily weaponized, and
highly mobile tank.  It has 1 main battle cannon, 1 assault cannon mounted on the right side of the turret, one set of twin missile launchers mounted to the left side of the turret, and 3 twin assault guns ( 1 on top and 1 on each side of the main body).  This canine has both bark and bite. I plan on making 2 more so I have a complete litter.  Check out the pics below.  I hope you like my new puppy!

Two Scoops Please!

I got into this over the summer while I was on vacation.  It's too delicious for words.  I can't get enough of it.  I'm a self confessed addict and make no apologies for it.  Trust me on this one.  Go get some for yourself.  TOO GOOD!!!!

Now You See Me...

 ...And now you don't.  Check out my new Chaos Malice Shadow Lord.  The body is a Reaper Bones Hell Knight.  (I have no idea why I had two of them, but since I did, I decided to modify this one. The other one is in a picture in an earlier post.)

 I removed the head, right hand, and shield and replaced them with some bits left over from my Warhammer Chaos Warriors.  The black and white color scheme is based on the Sons of Malice chapter of Chaos Space Marines in WH40K.  I added a few skulls to the base for mood.

I'm going to use this bad boy as the leader of my Warhammer Chaos Army when it is finished.  I'm super happy with the way this guy turned out.  I put a couple of pics below.  As always thank you for checking out my blog.  I greatly appreciate it.  Stay safe out there.

Winged Victory

 I started painting these two miniatures back in May and then got a little sidetracked.  I finished them yesterday and am happy with how they turned out.  The miniatures are from the D&D Nolzurs line.  On the left is a Harpy and the one on the right is an Arakocra.  I used this picture of a Harpy I found online for the color scheme I used on the figure.  

Still working on my Warhammer Chaos army. I'm getting there.  I've decided to add a Chaos Lord to the mix which has set me back a few days.

Some New All Stars

 

Starlink Battle for Atlas by Ubisoft has put out some pretty cool miniatures for their game. The miniatures break down into two categories: Ships and Pilots. I saw some of the miniatures at Dollar Tree while in Florida.  For a buck, I said why not and bought the Razor Lemay pilot figure.  She is cool looking.  She has that post-apocalyptical feel and sort of a Storm from the X-Men punk look.  I like the guitar she has strapped to her back as well.

I liked the Razor figure so much that I turned around and bought the Eli Arborwood pilot.  Eli is a cross between a plant-man and a gunslinger.  He doesn't sound very cool, but in his case, seeing is believing.

I've attached pictures of each.

As far as progress on my Warhammer Chaos Army.  The Khorne figures are finished.  I'm more than halfway done with the Chaos Warriors. I hope to start the Nurgle Cavalry next week.  All in all, things are going fairly smoothly.  Can't wait to see the entire set completed.  

While working on the army, I've been enjoying Voo Doo Potato Chips from Zapp's.  I've been washing them down with some Kona Big Wave Golden Ale.  Great stuff!!!  Go get some!

Nothing But Chaos

I have decided for my summer project to build a Warhammer Chaos Army.  It will be made up of four units; each unit committed to one of the four Chaos Gods.  For Nurgle, a unit of Hexwraith Cavalry.  A unit of  Blood Warriors and Reavers for Khorne.  I'm splitting a box of Chaos Warriors between Slaanesh and Tzeentch.  Each unit will have 8 figures that comprise it.  Totaling 32 figures in all, this will be a bit of a challenge.

As usual, pictures will follow when completed.  Wish me luck.

Yo Ho Ho

and some Rum and Bones miniatures.  These three are from the Wellsport Brotherhood expansion set.  Left to right:  Theo, the Terror of Nova, Grace O'Malley, and Captain 'Bloody' Anne Bonny.  The miniatures are well sculpted and very easy to paint.  I love the look of these miniatures.  It's different, yet not too comical.  Got a great deal on them over at Miniature Market.  Take a peak....lift your eyepatch first.

Now You're Messin' With....

You know the lyrics.  You know the band.  You know the album and it's amazing cover art.  In case you don't, I've included  a pic for ya.  

When I first saw this Cuth Wolfson, Barbarian figure from Reaper Miniatures, the title song from the album (yes, I wrote album) was pounding through my head.

This figure screams Bad A$$.  It is the final piece for my Barbarian Army.  Over the past few years I've been painting and assembling it (see earlier posts).  I'm mega pleased with this one.  Check out the pic.

On to other things.  Not sure what.  I haven't done any sci fi figs for a spell.  Some pirates sound good.  I got a ton of Egyptian themed minis waiting around.  What about some cowboys????  

?

Dr. Jones, I Presume

Not exactly,  This is the Frank Buck figure from Reaper Miniatures.  He is from their Bones Chronoscope line.  I painted him up to look like our favorite film archeologist.  No doom here.  This was a smooth, quick and easy, paint job.  It went well from beginning to end.  I have to say, this little guy turned out super.  To quote the esteemed doctor, "That belongs in a museum!"
 

Troll Slaying Demonic Succubus...

 ...in other words...the typical girl next door.  This figure is from the Reaper Bones Miniatures Line.  It is one of the many versions of their mascot Sophie.  I picked it up a couple of years back, started to paint it, and then abandoned the model.  I couldn't come up with a paint scheme that I liked.

While I was hunting for some barbarians for a another project (see earlier blog entry), I came across Sophie in a container with other unpainted/unfinished Reaper minis.  Better late than never, Sophie.  Sorry it took so long. Overall, I think she turned out pretty decently.

Well, here she is, ladies and gentlemen, making her debut on this very blog: Sophie, the Troll Slayer!!!

Ogres are like Onions

Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. This Ogre Chieftain from Reaper Miniatures Bones Line surely does.  The skin on this bad boy alone is six layers of color and probably just as many on the club.  All the leathers and wraps were painted pure black.  The furs were painted gray and the metals all painted pewter.  A wash of black all around, some dry brushing, and then the details and highlights.  When everything dried, I gave the figure a coat of satin finish and then went back in later to gave the metals a coat of high gloss.

I feel this guy may be one of the best miniatures that I have painted to date.  I am quite pleased with myself.  Take a gander and see what you think.  Enjoy the holiday and stay safe out there!

The Lucky 13

I've been at this for awhile.  I got the itch to do paint up some barbarians.  I had several from Reaper Bones.  While looking for them, I came across a set of Pathfinder Human Male Fighters.  I also had some figures from Banner Saga that I hadn't gotten round to. Many days and hours later..viola...my finished lot of lovely ladies and malicious men.  Check out the pics.

Reminiscing

I was doing a little work on the computer tonight (which I didn't feel like doing) and my mind started to wander.  As most of you know if you've followed my blog over the years, I am a miniature wargamer.  It's a wonderful hobby that I have enjoyed for quite some time.  My thoughts drifted tonight to a few years back when I played a ton of Heroscape with my sons and with friends.  It was always a great time with a few "friendly" arguments over rules along the way.  

My kids grew up, friends moved away, life became more complicated, I got busier.  Heroscape stopped being manufactured.  Tile, terrain, dice, and figures got boxed and put away.  For whatever reason, I thought about the game tonight and really missed it.  I sat here for awhile wondering what was it about the game that made it so much fun to play.

I found this gem of an article that summed up the greatness of the game far better than I could have hoped to do.  I would like to share it with you.  If you were a player back in the day or maybe even still rolling shields and skulls, take a minute or two to read it.  I'm sure you'll be nodding your head as you do and getting a wee bit nostalgic as well. Long live Heroscape!!!  

Heroscape Article

Monster Mash (Up)

I've grabbed a few new beasties to add to my miniatures collection.  They will be used as giants in my tiny 28mm world.   These creepy creatures were all acquired from Happy Hen Toys.  I purchased from them in the past and it's always a smooth easy transaction.  The Yeti is from Safari.  Great looking figure.  The creature is about 4" tall.  The Kraken is by Papo.  I have several of their figures and this one is one of their best.  Its well sculpted and pretty decently painted.  The Ice Spider figure is by Schleich.  Awesome pose.  The idea of an Ice Spider just struck me as bad a$$. The Kraken and Ice Spider are about 2.5 " tall.  I'll get some stats together for them and try to work them into a game soon.  Until next time...

Kid No More

Sidney Crosby played his 1,000 game last night in a Pittsburgh Penguin uniform.  He was the number 1 draft pick for the team back in 2005.  It has been a true privilege to watch this amazing hockey player for the past 16 years.  True to form, the Penguin's captain led the team to two straight wins over the New York Islanders during their recent series.

Last night he was honored for his achievements at PPG Paints Arena.  Family, friends and teammates paid tribute to one of hockey's all time greats.  Former teammates and hockey rivals chimed in via video their praise of number 87.  The only disappointment was that the fans could not be there to honor their hero in person.  Such is today's world unfortunately.  

Thank you, Sidney, for all that you've done for the Pens, the league, and hockey overall.  You will always be a legend in the sport, not just for the goals and trophies, but for your humbleness, leadership, example, hustle, and love of the game. I look forward to watching you and the Penguins for many more seasons to come!

Crosby with Malkin and Letang

Blizzard Conditions

Here are two of the most fierce looking Frost Giants you will ever see.  On the left - The Everlasting One and on the right is a Frost Giant Jarl.  Both figures are from WizKids.  They are pretty decently sculpted and have very active poses.  The paint jobs are adequate.  Both are bigger than the majority of Frost Giants in my collection.  I think they'll make some pretty COOL additions.

Her Majesty

I started off this crazy new year painting Svetlana, Frost Giant Princess, from the Reaper Bones Miniature Line.  For whatever reason, I've been on a Frost Giant kick as of late.  This is a great model.  The detail is nice and the figure reflects a sense of royalty in its pose.

I went with light blue skin and white hair.  The leathers got a dark brown with tan edging.  The cloak was painted a charcoal-grey and the fur boots were painted white.  Her spear tip was painted metallic white and then washed with blue and purple metallic washes.  The eyes were painted a yellow-green metallic color.  After everything dried, dark washes were applied to various areas and then the model was dry brushed to bring up the highlights.

I clear-coated the figure.  After it dried, I went back in and gave the leather areas a coat of semi-gloss.  The spear tip and any metals were given a coat of high-gloss.  Lastly, the spear tip was coated with iridescent glitter.

This one of the best overall paint jobs I've done to date. It's not perfect, but nothing ever is. The first figure of 2021 is done.  Not sure what I'll paint next.  I'm thinking something a little more Sci Fi.