Magnetizing infantry bases

Imperial Armour 13 made me keen on my Chaos Space Marines again. Given an opportunity, I grabbed some Guardsmen and vehicles. For me the first step is squaring the models away for my storage scheme, so I got out the magnet foil.

Recently, I started putting weights into the bases. Initially, because I had some soaring Shadow Specters that I considered likely candidates for spillage, but then just because in addition to the lower centre of gravity, this gives more adhesion surface for the magnet foil. Since the result is very convincing, I thought I'd write it down. :)

1. Squeeze a circle of gel glue into the base and place a appropriately sized coin or washer on the glue.
2. Using a flat object, push the coin/washer into the glue so that it is level with the base edge. Let the glue dry.
3. Sand the edges of the bases and any potential glue flat.
4. Cut the magnetic foil into stripes wider than the base, pull off the covers and place the models/bases on the self adhesive surface, leaving a gap between bases for the scissors.
5. Cut the strips between bases and cut out the foil around the base, leaving a narrow rim of approx 1-2 mm.
6. Trim the rim using a sharp hobby knife by resting the blade on the base edge and turning the base into the blade - just like a pencil sharpener.
7. Enjoy!

Spartan progress

The news about Imperial Armour 13 pushed me not only to order it and some other stuff from Forge World,  but also to grab my Spartan conversion box again.

I've now got the weapons and their mounts built. I've oriented myself a bit on the Sicaran's mounts. I've also attached the heavy bolter and the pea-shooter gunner with magnets. I put the dirge casters on the quad laser where the target optics would usually go.

Next step: paint :)

I also built the Sicaran and can hardly wait to try it out in a game!

Avatar WIP

Just a quick picture post.

MC Eldar

For a while now, I had a Forgeworld Avatar and a Wraithseer queued for some love. Paranoia about resin part preparation kept me from this for a while. Last weekend I put the bits together and got them ready for priming and a base coat of paint.

I magnetized the Wraithseer's head, gun and torso to hip joint. I haven't decided on how I'll keep the spear from breaking when it's bumped. The wrist is very narrow and the elbow isn't much wider. Either try to magnetize and risk a part breaking when drilling or pin the wrist and fix potential damage when it occurs. Decisions, decisions.

Anyway, once these HQ-MC models are sorted, I can fit four monsters into a single combined arms detachment, or five into a double-CAD 2000 points force. The Wraithseer requires a wraithguard or wraithblade unit in the army, which is better taken in the troops rather than the elite section, which again requires a spiritseer as HQ choice.

Update:

Now for the Avatar, that is a whole different challenge!

Spartan on-track update

After dithering for a while, I bit the bullet tonight and just glued on the tracks. To get an idea of how the model looks with the tacks, I blue-tacked the weapons and bits'n bobs on as well.

Shuriken cannon & co

After recently being asked to mix my army list up a bit for replay entertainment value, I dug into my unbuilt Eldar bits for options. Since I had done some eBay fishing, there is quite some stuff there.
On my hook I found a Fire Prism spure minus the crystal from the warp hunter kit. I've put that together with magnets and transparent plastic cut into the facets of the prism.
I also collected all the heavy weapon platforms for the guardians.  I have two different metal platforms. I suspect that the bigger ones might be an old version of the Vaul support battery. I'll magnetise the weapon bits so that I can swap between warwalkers, lords and the platforms.
I also found three old metal war walkers. That gives me the option to field two sets! :)

 

Edit: now assembled with magnets and base colours.  

To do: details, varnish, oil shade and basing. 

Jetbikes as model accessories

I'm currently looking at all non-wraith non-Serpent Eldar models which I have available. That includes a bunch of Eldar psychers. A key feature of farseers and warlocks is that they can buy jetbikes as upgrade.

So far I've only played spiritseers who don't have that option and a single farseer whom I stuck on a support weapon antigrav platform in lieu of the usual jetbike-farseer conversion.

With the option of a jetcouncil in mind, I started wondering if I cannot come up with a way to equip a regular farseer or warlock model with a jetbike. My idea is to make something like a scenic base in which the actual mini with its regular base is placed.

I've recently taken the first steps in casting resin in silicone molds. That gives me the option of scratch building a count-as jetbike base/model and then make as many casts of this as I need. Obviously, that idea prohibits the use of GW bits, but that shouldn't be a problem.

On the plus side, each psyker will be an official GW miniature and as such ok for playing in stores. Not a crucial aspect for me personally, but a nice bonus.

I've made a sketch and a play-doh mockup to visualize the proportions.

Eldar vs Orks 2950 Points

Yesterday I played a game at the local tabletop club. Agreed was 2950 points, no super-heavies, battle-forged, no special characters, no allies.

Army line-up.

 Sorry, I don't have the ork list.

Jetseer, mantle, warp-charge stone, two spiritseers.
4x 5 wraithguard with holo, ghost-walk serpents, 3 jetbikes. 6 Swooping hawks.
Knight w/suncannon, Knight w/wraithcannons, Lord w/ lances,
Warwalkers w/Scatterlaser+Shuriken. Fire Prism, Warp Hunter.

Mission Maelstrom of War: Spoils of War (pg 151). No night fighting. Mysterious Objectives (all turned out sabotaged on my side), Forests treated as dangerous terain according to terrain datasheets. Eldar win initiative and deploy, Orks seize initiative.

Turn 1.1 Orks

Orks rush forward with bikes, stormboys, boys and vehicles. One Truck fails it's terrain check and is immobilized. 

Turn 1.2 Eldar

Wraithguard get out of transports. War-walkers, serpents and wraithguard kill bikers. Fire Prism and Lance-Lord blow up Panza. Serpents cull the boys mob on the flank. Warphunter, Sunknight and jetbikes kill all but one stormboy. The second knight kills the last one to keep the objective clean.

Turn 2.1 Orks

Turn 2.2 Eldar

Turn 3.1 Orks

Turn 4 brought the centre-table knight down, the two groups then charged the Eldar line. Ork Commandos and the Dakka-Jet appeared from reserve. The commandos flanked in on the right behind the wraithguard, the Jet was positioned on the and wiped out the walkers.

We called the game at that point due to time. Eldar won by points (see counter dice on the ruin front left in the pictures).

Say Mon-keigh!

After finishing my guardians, I decided that it was time for a new group shot showing the painted models of my Eldar army.

Mind you, painted doesn't equal totally finished. ;-]

I'm very happy with the overall 'someone did that on purpose' impression. The combination of the harsh yellow and the amber oil shade yields a vibrant look with a lot of depth and definition.

Next up on the painting bench: warp spiders.

Swooping Hawks

My jump troops were unpainted and I picked them as small lot of minis to paint up. These are metal minis, assembled, primed and then hit with liquid mask. The liquid mask is brushed on and catches the yellow base coat on the bits that I want to be white or blue, since the yellow would be an issue there.

Base coat on, liquid mask off! Oops, I should have covered all hands, weapon parts and ornaments with liquid mask as well... Improvisation time!

Painted dark grey on wing struts, weapon barrels and pipes. Red on ankle ornaments. Blue hats. Metal on beaks and blue wash on the yellow ribbed part of the guns to turn those green. Tank brown and sand paint to prep the gems for Tamiya Clear Red. Then I applied a clear coat of varnish.

A day later I applied brown oil wash on the yellow parts and black oil wash on the white parts. I'm quite happy with the result.

Now another coat of varnish, Tamiya Red on the gems plus my alibi-basing and I'll dare count these as painted.