Drumroll Please; Backlog Update for the Stormboyz

Things are looking up, I am getting mobile again and a fruitful day at the painting table.

The final stages of the Stormboyz has been recorded for posterior (?)!

Niff-naff painting:

Clothing was kept simple, that is .... I just about bothered with the trooosers. A coat of Calthan brown followed by a drybrush with Kommando Khaki. A few of the glyphs were picked out in red, blue or white, with hats/ helmets given a basecoat of red or as per the trousers.

Whilst patterns were painted onto the jump packs. I always find this stage to be the most daunting (as I am pretty rubbish at it, especially check patterns).
I managed, to varying success; to do a selection of patterns, with the spirals turning out to be my best effort.




Once I had revisted the faces and blacked out the mouths, I picked the teeth out with Bleached Bone (pure white just does not fit with me) and Mechrite Red for the tongues and eyes. I don't do all of the figures eyes as most don't make a difference with deep shade of the headgear or heads down.

Then a liberal wash of Devlan Mud to slightly stain the teeth, tidy up the eyes (it reshapes the DT (trembling) splodge I can manage) and provide a better contrast.

Zagstrukk got a further wash of mud to his skin, to darken him down a bit more, for that "Nob hue".

Now for basing. I have a standard method for all my armies, which I shall now impart to you (for anyone starting out).
I really like to see armies that are extravagantly based, but.............................
Keeping it simple, because I can really get bogged down at this stage (as with just about every other one).
Note: I use larger, cheap artist acrylics for these bulk uses, eg from "The Works" or the such, Forest Green is painted on the top of the base; Burnt Umber around the edge. These do need a slight dilution out of the tube.

Next is dilute PVA glue dotted and spread onto the green base, in various patterns.
This is still fairly viscous, to hold the heavier material of Talus (modelling rocks). Into which the bases are plunged into and left for a short while.

I use a mix of different grades obtained from the local hobby shop (a railway model shop). All in my advanced basing applicator system *Pat Pending, or commonly known as .... a margarine tub!!

After drying a short while, to secure the Talus further, the PVA is diluted right down to a watery consistency and dropped on top to coat the gravel portion.

Leave to dry, then onto the flocking.

The same as the first two parts for the Talus basing: The flock is GW Static Grass and does not need the final "sealing" stage.

Et Voila! 19 Stormboyz and Zagsrukk are completed .......... "A round of applause please"

Just to finish off; they do need a coat of Purity Seal (GW Matt Varnish spray), but I will wait for some better weather.

Note: Spray outside or a very well ventilated place, and not when cold or wet as it really screws up the varnish coat; sending it cloudy, dull and a "milky" appearance.

Absolutely finally;

To prove that "I didn't skimp on the pate!", the cabling on Zagstrukk was picked out, to finish him off.

Right ...... Next!

Backlog update: Stormboyz Part 2

The painting has started, so a little progress.

The ork skin has settled to this format with me;

Dry brushing the metal areas, which at the moment starts with a Tin Bitz: Brazen Brass: Gunmetal Silver mix, keeping it fairly dark (I will highlight with silver later).

Orkhide Shade as the base, building up to highlights with Orkhide: Knarloc Green as the main skin; lightening it upwards with additions of Gretchin Green etc.

Pretty roughly in most cases, I admit.

But with hordes, it does get very tiring, very quickly.

For the Bosses I usually stop at the second gragual highlight (to leave them darker overall). Where the grots are concerned, I usually just start from Knarloc and cover them with light tones.

This is not as labour intensive as it sounds. Using an overbrushing technique (like drybrushing, but don't overload the brush and drag across the area with the flat of the bristles), lifting the pressure with each coat and selecting the prominent areas to catch.

The next Phase is nice and simple; a 1:1:1 mix of water, Asurmen Blue, Yellow ink. Washed over the skin areas it gives a varied green tone (hue) that also does a good job of blending the highlights.

This does give a general yellowy tone that I like. Thanks go out to the person who converted me over to this. Previously I would just do a light drybrush and let the Matt Varnish spray blend it.

As you see, I didn't stick to just the Stormboyz, I cleared another couple of things in line.

There we have  that stage complete;

Now for the really fiddly bits, faces, clothing, basing etc.

Clearing the Lines - A backlog update

True to my word I have done something to alleviate the M25 style jam with some progress on the first in the queue - The Stormboyz.
I decided to start with the Orks because of a Weekend Campaign that was being planned by one of our local GW staffers:

The Battle for Rynns World.

Of course, I couldn't miss the opportunity to field lots of the green Menace, and wanted to field some of the units that had been stagnating in my boxes. Unfortunately (for me, not for him as he has good things to occupy himself in the meantime), the event has a rain-check until March 'ish .
This shall not deter me though; "Nay, nay & thrice nay, I say!" I shall stick to Da Plan!

For the Update (not exciting pictures):

The Stormboyz were dug out, rebuit or repaired, pinned where necessary and stuck together. Although many have said that the Zagstruk model fits together securely on its own; a force of habit ... I pinned it anyway.

The rest needed the old style rokkit packs pinning to the spare figures I had assigned as new recruits (mainly old Tankbustas).

As another habit, anything that needs supergluing (including plastic to metal) such as the arms, and rokkit packs, I go through the fiddly process of scoring the surfaces with a blade (crosshatching #). This gives a stronger bond by increasing the available surface area.

So, stage 1 - assembly complete :), 19 Stormboyz and Zagstrukk assembled, with 1 botch-job of a scratchbuilt rokkit pack to boot.

Stage 2 - Priming

A basic Chaos Black spray for most of them, with topping the rest off with a brush.

Done!

The next job is Stage 3 - painting ..... Oh my favourite bit (was that convincing enough?)

I would have got started on it today, but was distracted by "Shiny stuff", some more Adeptus Sororitas (Sisters of Battle A.K.A. "Nuns with guns") arrived, so I had to de-flash, drill out gun barrels and assemble them. They are next on the backlog list because I want to field a new combination of units for a small local Tournament (at the GCN - The Immortals) in February (1750 points).

Painting will have to wait for tomorrow then; "Oh dear. What a shame, never mind"

"Please form an orderly queue, a gamer will be with you shortly"

Backlogs!
We all have them (unless you are superhuman or organised).

As a small break from the Stompa, I thought that I would dig out the mob of Stormboyz & Zagstruk that has been sitting in my "To Do Box".

Now, I haven't fielded Stormboyz since 3rd Edition 40K, and I had got rid of the originals a long time ago. Then came the last Codex;  Zagstruk and  a larger mob size.

So I started picked odds 'n ends of e-bay as cheaply as possibly (hence the mixture and conditions). I picked up Zagstruk a few months ago but still not done anything with them.

Well; No longer! Ahhh Haah!

Unfortunately I also came across a couple more "To Do" items for the Orks (note: I am not mentioning the other races at the moment).

In order to kickstart myself, I'm going to post up here to remind me and hopefully embarass myself to get them done (I have the time at the moment).

For "Cashier Number One":  The Stormboyz & Zagstruk

"Cashier Number Two": The Nobz Biker Mob Painboy

An Eldar Warwalker build konversion that is still at the basecoated and drybrushed stage (If I stall..... then this is where it usually happens).

Doh! I forgot ... no photo yet, but there is also Wazdakka Gutzmek (the Mk VI version), to finish off. I have just upgraded him with the Warboss from AoBR and a little work on "the bike of the Aporkalypse".

"Cashier Number Three": Da Lawnmowa

This has been stalled for about 3 months now; I had the Battlewagon upgrade sprue, but no battlewagon at the time (Hey .... it was shiny!). A rummage around the bitz box and I found almost enough bits for a Deffdredd, providing that I "count as" the Deffrolla as 2x DCCW.

The idea of the clanking monstrosity pushing the rolla like a lawn mower was too much to resist. Although I did have to do some playing around with fitting it. The brackets were extended with Styrene Rods that allow it to be removed (careful sizing and a little "play" in the roller arms), as well as vertical rotation.

Heh heh .... Bam, bam!

Cashier Number Four: Battlewagon

A straightforward one this, it just needs painting (red of course!).

Cashier Number Five: A Meganobz Mob

I managed to pick 3 up for only £10 ........ the others were included in other bundles I got; so with one other that I already had, here is my bodyguard for Ghazkhul Mag Uruk Thraka in an Apocalypse game.

Well that is just a small blather of what is on my mind at the moment, and it seems to be all Green.

Time to get on with the first in the queue; "Deff from Above!!"