The Frustration of Arthritis

A bit of a random post today, but one that has been on my mind at times over the last few weeks.

Ive been painting for a few years and I enjoy it immensely I would say from putting some Napoleonic miniatures out on the table and having my Austrians thrash some French there is nothing more I enjoy, it takes me away from the stress of the world and I can lose my self in the process.

Of late my hands have not been up to the task,  be it either change in weather or a change in diet it has been a stretch to get some painting in without some arthritic pain.

Space Wolf 13th Company Update

Bit of an update today, lots of painting to do and much time to do it in.

So I have been working on some wolf guard - these guys will also then form part of my seeker squad (Heresy Sternguard basically) and then ive been also working on the 1st of 3 Long Fang squads.

Cancon 2013 List

So with the Christmas meal slowly settling in my stomach and a cup of tea as I get home from festivities with the family I decided to throw up my planned list im going to take to Cancon this year.

I doubt its overly competitive I fully expect to be tabled a few times but meh I just hope to have 8 fun games :)

6th Edition 40k: a perspective

Of late Drakin and I have begun our usual process of thrashing out the rules for 6th edition- this involves allot of cursing, gnashing of teeth and general insults across the table as we learn and relearn the rules.  Getting our heads around some of the new nuances as well as remembering the old tricks we had learned in 5th ed.

Logan Grimnar Work in Progress Update

So here he is so far- there is work to be done on the Bolter and the axe. I'm not happy with the definition of the metallic paint so a bit more to do there and some of the blue from the axe has found its way to the haft.

Logan Grimnar, My Way !

1st Up we are now on Facebook - early start so far but if you want to keep track of our progress there here is the link- The 5thColumn WargamingBlog  - check it out and "like" us :)

Anyway .......

So part of the build for Cancon is my Logan Grimnar Counts as model for the 13th company - I thought about this long and hard - how do i want him to look -  is going to have the standard wolf in terminator armor with big flowing cloak? or should I go for more of a barbarian look - no cloak poised to fight and not wanting something like a cloak getting in the way?  

Ultra Marines - A beginning!

So everybody loves to hate the boys in blue, or hates to love them. I myself swore once upon a time that I would never do Smurfs and proceeded to build a small Chaos Space Marine contingent.

courtesy of http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Ultramarines_2nd_Company

And yet here I am some time later, admiring pictures of Cato Sicarius, drooling over the artwork I find on the net, Hate me all you like but not only am I doing the Smurfs but im doing the smurfiest chapter of the smurfin lot!

Painting Update

So I got Harley to take a few shots of my models so far -  a few better pictures are always better I say!

We then went out and got stupidly drunk as he is getting married in eleven days ! Also got another model completed so we are near to completion of the 1st squad :)

Storm Talons, Ultra Marines and bears oh my!

So Its been a while and what have I been doing? Study. Long story short is that my current curriculum took some 60 to 70 hours of my time each week if not more, which left me mentally drained for whatever time I had left over. But all that is past me now and to appease my fellow blogger Jon Paul (OMG its a Blog post!) I have decided to share with you all the fruits of my latest project, The ultramarines 2nd company!

Over the course of the next few weeks I will unveil the progress I have made thus far, Take you through each of the tactical squads so far and the vehicles, if which Im going to start with my Storm Talon (or to be precise the base more so)

 So here is the finished piece ready for painting, What is not evident due to the lack of contrast is the individual detailing each and every tile (placed one by one) has received. Needless to say there is a lot!

Power Armor Mark of the Wulfen

So working away getting a figure done about once every 2 days or so- and tonight its my Mark of the Wulfen model for the 1st squad. 

Wolf Guard Terminator

Small update today- been working on a wolf guard model that will lead the grey hunters- bit more work to go but very happy with the evenings work-  what has dawned on me is that it may be unlikely that i will meet the commitment given how much time im putting into each model- but I happy as i have allot of drive to paint again :)

A thought for the week.

So I saw this article on a Facebook post and think it made a very good point.

The thread is here : Link to Thread 

Here is the article for a read. 

If you're reading this, it's because of one of two reasons. The first is that you saw a thread started by a red name and you're curious to see what I have to say. The other is that you're interested in finding out how to win. I'll do my best to make it worth your while either way.

Dueling Paintbrushes Update

Modeling update today.  Worked on my rune Priest as well some the 1st terminators - yes i got allot of forgeworld in and have plans to order more! I may be addicted :P

Squad Update

Dueling Paint Brush Update !

So I have been working away at my Painting Commitment and I have to say I feel at ease with the brush and I am enjoying myself once again painting models!

Dueling Paintbrushes

So after a massive break of not doing much - well some stuff but really not enough to post, well truth is more Ive been lazy....... anyway lets just say I haven't posted for a while.

Space Wolf Theme Research

The key thing I want to work on with the new space wolf project is try and get a real sense of the space wolves as described in the Black Library Books.

For the 13th Company my favorite description comes from the short story "wolf at the door" by
Mike Lee in the short story compendium Tales of Heresy.

Thunder Wolf Build Complete

So with a annual leave day up my sleeve  I pushed on and completed the build stage for the thunderwolves.  I really like the models they are well designed and with some modifications I feel I have been able to add a really great sense of movement and action into the models.

Wolf Lord WIP

So this week Ive been busy with My wolf lord and thunderwolves.  I have to say that this last few days working with harley on the thunderwolf lord has been really enjoyable - we pooled our respective skills to put this guy together.

6th ed Time for a new army !

Well another gap in posting and it seems like it really is coming down to a few posts a month rather than being really constant, but we will see if that changes.


So as you would all know 6th edition 40k landed a few weeks back and the frenzy for net listing has begun on the net, the podcasts a flush with rules discussion etc.

If I look at my painting/hobby desk i have heaps on the go. Vikings, 1815 British, Infinity PanO but 40k had for the most part been finished as far a grey knights go.  The army i have is not OP buts its solid and i really have no interest in expanding it.

6th Ed It's here! Now what.........

So as seems to be the case right now Ive been away from the keyboard and the digital camera again for a while.

Vikings !

So of late Ive been going back to my roots so to speak of wargaming - which is historical gaming- if your trawl through all the posts from a few years back you'll see the allot of posts for Napoleonic gaming.

Infinity - Magister Knight

I was finally inspired to paint tonight as work as has been a tad full in this week.

So small update a few shots of the Magister knight i worked on today. I really like the model- infact all the Magister Knight models are awesome.

6th Ed Rumors

I was going to sit down tonight and write a deep thought about all the rumors and I got so far as starting to break down each element.  I scrapped it in the end.

I did this for a few reasons - most importantly being I hope they just do something that changes the game mechanics and or brings back some of the intricacy of previous editions.

I really liked the leaked rules earlier on but truth be told I'm not sold that they are the actual draft rules, that being said I think they address allot of the inequities that a certain codex has caused.

Military Orders Progress Shots

So It been a week of painting, a disaster that tonight I was able to rectify and I have to say I've enjoyed the painting so much that I'm really looking forward to this weekends game.

Knight Of Santiago WIP Shot

So Ive been painting for a few knights now the new infinity figures - I had a disaster with the 1st figure when I accidentally sprayed white primer instead of Flat Matt sealer.

Infinity Review (sort of)

So Saturday I got the chance to play 2 games of infinity with my new PanOceania Military Orders Sectorial.

My first game was against Noakes and his Yu Ying - this was an intro game so he went lightly on me.  He had also given me feedback on the list I had built so we played open lists.

The game ended in me winning but i think by luck more than anything - what i did take from it was really how elegant the game system is.   In principle at all times both players are actively involved in the game- unlike 40k where there are periods where you will sit and watch you opponent just move models and roll dice.

Comon Forgeworld Really?

So today I got my Tartaros Pattern Terminator armor and Asteron Moloc models- to be honest I was excited, looking forward to the models and the conversions i have planned, but that will have to wait.

Musing on Infinity

Well the last few days Ive been reading up and talking to people about the game Infinity- even going so far as buy some models and I'm contemplating playing a game this Saturday.

It's not that 40k is no longer grabbing me, I love the game and love playing my grey knights and space wolves. Its more the grind of finding players who dont complain about the power level of grey knights - the seeming lack of tournaments right and well Ive finished in principle painting my Grey Knight army so I'm looking for a new painting and gaming  challenge.

Grey Knights, Infinity and Hampton Games Club

So its been a while again,

Trying to be consistent and posting allot when your back to doing this on your own can be a little hard with a heap of commitments.

If you under a rock you would not be aware but Realm of Legends closed down- which was a huge shock. Totally unexpected and in allot of ways hurt my regular gaming a little.

The loss of a supplier of all those extra 3rd party parts hurts but I'm sure one the online retailers will pick up the slack.

That forced me to start to look for other places to play and in the end I found Hampton Games club.

A great bunch of people with a really great set up, reminds of of WSWA from a few years back and the great bonus only about 15 min away from me.  So Ive been down two weeks now and I'm starting to get into Infinity-  seen it played a few times, really like the sculpts so I'm going to go out tomorrow and pick up a starter pack.

So.... about all those posts I promised !

So earlier this year I started with full of promise to post on a regular basis, then stuff happened....... namely work,  or the more precisely work screwing me over, thankfully most of that is now passed, one hopes that it all settled down down and I can get back to working on this blog a little more consistently.

That aside I have been working on the upgrade to the grey knights as well continuing to play the buggers and practice with them.

Purifer Unit Updated

So yesterday I mentioned I was hoping to see the Armorcast bits arrive so I can move the progress along with the army upgrade.

Well I checked the post box today and there they where!

Weekly WIP

So as I mentioned in the last blog post part of the plan after Arcanacon is to take on board some feedback- even though the guy in my opinion could really go to the school of "dealing with other humans" he is a master painter, and he did point out something I could do to improve the overall effect of the army.

Taking the army to the next step

Wanted to put an update on the Grey Knight army progress today.

The saying goes that good things come to those that wait, and in truth that is where I am right now.

Since Arcanacon, I have been looking back on the Grey Knights Ive painted so far. The Terminators the interceptors and the purifiers etc.

Arc 2012 Pictures

So Adam was able to get a heap of great photo's from the tournament from the weekend.

There where some really great armies there and these photo's are a testament to it.

Enjoy!

Weathering the Grey Knights Test

So tonight in my effort to post on a regular occasion as I work on my Grey Knights I sat down to start weathering the models.


I'm working the back story as I go and that's starting to inform the state in which the Armour will be.

These guys haven't just stepped of the strike cruiser. Oh no they are currently marooned on a temple world fighting off hordes of daemons and renegade space marines.

Weekly WIP

Well Arc has come and gone,

Ive been playing Grey Knights for a few months now and focusing solely on foot lists with only walkers in the list.

Im going to look to pull together my 1st Tactica based on what ive seen and played in the coming days.

In the meantime the work continues- Ive sat back and look at the collection (which i really haven't put up good enough photo's) and looked at where I can improve the current work or add to continue to make this army distinctive.

Grey Knight Tactica

So something to read and consider this week as well-

Last year when I was building the intial list for my Grey Knight Army I did a heap of hunting on the web and visiting my favorite forum 40k Forums came across a great series of articles by edmundblack

the link is here www.40kforums.com/vb/content.php/257-Grey-Knight-Tactica edmund has graciously allowed me to re-post the articles here but I do recommend you head over and read through the articles they put up there are allot of good thinking pieces!

Anyway enjoy and post up your thoughts and comments!

Grey Knight Tactica



In this Article I shall be looking at each unit entry according to their place in the Force Organisation Chart and offering a little piece of advice with regards to each one. I shall also rate each entry where I can according to my own scale:

Arcannacon 2012

Well so much for the posting hey!

Yeah Ive been lazy on the posting front but I have a legitimate excuse! Promise!

The reason of course is the Biggest Tournament in the Southern Hemisphere Arc 40k- 150 players crowd into the collingwood college and over two days battle it out following these simple princples:

Don't be a Prick !
Paint your Damn Armies !
Play for Fun !

So how did it go?  well I really didn't bother to record all the games Suffice to say 2 losses 3 wins and a Draw and I nearly Passed out in the 5th round due to heat exhaustion.  It was that damn hot in those halls!

Aside from that I came 6th overall- which to be honest I was not expecting.  Having finished 12th last year I was hoping to finish in a similar postion of at least closer to the top 10 not be just outside the top 5.

I think I generally underestimate myself at this event every year and expect very little for my efforts, and Ill probably take the same attitude again and just go to have fun and play with and against some really great painted armies.

That and you get to meet a whole bunch of really great people and maybe even walk away with a new friend or two.

On that the below photo's where not taken by me (i could dream to be this good with a camera) but by Adam Dorney and his photographer partner in crime Zoe on the day-  Ill link his flicker stream for you all to see all the great photo's when I get the info in the meantime here are shots of my guys on the day.

Anyway enjoy and then hopefully ill kick start 2012 blogging with some WIP's and planned projects for the coming year.

Cheers JP