Ulkans and Magnets, oh my!

So today I got two surprises in the mail today.

Ulkan with CrushHammer

The Ulkans that I ordered from Pega Minidesign arrived today, the models themselves are gorgeous, the casting is excellent. The only thing I can comment on thusfar is that they are a bit taller than my Squat troops but this means they are going to be tall Squats (they are still shorter than regular models) and will most likely function as sergeants in whichever unit I stick them in. 

Ulkan with Magmagun

Their body build is as dense as the pictures suggest they are quite squat Squats (now theres a sentence you dont read often) and have feet which seem to be a bit too short for their bodies. For someone starting out with making their own models these three are amazing. I do hope he will manage something a bit more dynamic as all the models seem to have been constructed from the same basic posture.

Ulkan, Magmagun is a seperate piece

I asked one of my friends if he is willing to paint one of them. Or well am trying to sucker him into doing so. If he accepts I will most likely give him the model with the Crushhammer to serve as the lead model for my Penal Legion models. The Penal Legion is going to be constructed from the Avatar of Wars Bezerkers that still have not arrived. Their site mentions their pre-order shipping of the Bezerker kits as being completed on the 7th of July...if so it has taken them almost a month already to get to me (Their Support actually admits they hadn't shipped my models yet, so I am still waiting on a confirmation that it has been dispatched yet).

What also arrived today were the magnets I ordered from Bitspudlo finally completing the order I placed on the 27th of May. It only took them two months. I am not sure I will be using their services again in the future, not when there are so many good bit stores out there on eBay and the rest of the Internet. This does mean that I can finally finish assembling my Leman Russ Executioners as well as my actual Sentinels.

Slow-Motion

As you most likely have noticed my posting regularity has dropped significantly lately. This has motly to do with my Real Life situation at the moment. To make a long story short; I am losing my job and need to go through the hassle of navigating the labyrinthine maze of bureacracy in order to get signed up for unemployment.
I also need to start looking around for a new job. Of course being unemployed (soon) you would think I actually have more time on my hands. Although true enough in a relative short amount of time, it has also seriously done a number on my motivation to do anything related to the hobby at this time.

I am sure I will get back to working on it soon enough but until I do, I hope you're patient with me and cut me some slack whereas a lack of regular updates are concerned.

Thanks.

Heroes of Armageddon, no more.

So yesterday the Heroes of Armageddon drive for Doctors Without Borders ended. Part of me is sad to see it end and part of me is already looking forward towards the next possible one. After all Heroes of Armageddon was their second drive after the Storm Wardens.

I am kinda hoping we can reach the 40k mark with the next one if only to match our hobby there.



"We are very proud to announce that these armies have raised $31,057 for Doctors without Borders"

Friends,

the wait is over. The Heroes of Armageddon project started in April and now, almost 4 months later, we have accomplished what we set out to do: 4 armies modeled and painted to the highest standards. We have here the true Heroes of Armageddon: the Steel Legion and Blood Angels opposite Ghazghkull Thraka's Horde and the Wazdakka Gutsmek's Speed Freaks.

From the start of this project, we have tried to stay close to the 3000 point goal, but as you will see, some armies are bigger, some are smaller. All in all, it has been a tremendous effort, having models come from all over the American continent, from Hawaii to Canada to Virginia. 

For the rest of the post along with images of the armies, extras and a list of the winners I direct you towards the Heroes of Armageddon site. 

I can say that I am glad to have been a part of this and that I have sent in my donation weekly, partly as support for the worthy cause and partly for a chance at one of their weekly prizes. Of course in the latter regard I was emboldened because of winning a weekly prize right after my first donation (the Stormlord mentioned before in my blog).

Still no arrival on my Avatar of War Dwarf Bezerkers so I am going to send out a mail again about it soon. As for my other developments they have been toned down somewhat as RL is being a pain in the ass. Need to deal with losing my job soon as well as getting back on the market to find a new one.

I hope to be able to get back to painting and such soon without feeling guilty for doing so.

Cheers.

Build me an army worthy of....

...Squats!

Alright so here is my request: I would like to see what you could come up with in regards to a playable army using the models I have at my disposal. The army size I leave up to everyone to choose for themselves (if I get any takers that is).

I am aware there is a chronic shortage of Troop Transports amongst my owned models, but is mostly due to a chronic shortage of money in my wallet.

I am also still conflicted whether or not I will use alternative models instead of actual Chimeras. Especially seeing there are kits out now to convert official GW Chimera’s into wheeled versions which I like a lot more than their tracked cousins. This also goes for my use of AT-43’s Red Blok Dotch Yaga stand ins for my Basilisk.

Even though I have quite a number of Kolossus from AT-43’s Red Blok, I have already semi-abandoned them as viable stand ins for Hellhounds due to their smaller than expected size.

The reason I listed all of the models grouped as I did was in order to provide as many possible links to images of my army so you can get an idea of what you are working with (although most of you have seen these pictures before anyways).

Like most forums and such I would ask that you do not list the cost of every component in an army regiment, just list them with the total cost of the unit. For an Infantry Platoon for example the costs for a Command Squad, Regiment and Regiment.

Even though I have lost my faith in some of the models for my Squat army, I will list them anyways because one of you might have a good idea.

Classic
- 2 Living Ancestors (Pictures  One and Two)
- 5 Officers (Picture)
- 3 Sergeants (Picture)
- 3 Officers, Vox Caster and Standard Bearer (Picture)
- 9 Squat Troopers (Picture)
- 4,5 Exo Squats (Picture)
- 4 Heavy Weapon Teams (Pictures: One and Two)
- 10 Squat Bikers (Pictures: One and Two)

GW(ish)
- 1 Techpriest / Enginseer (White Dwarf Model) (Picture)
- Colonel ‘Iron Hand’ Straken (Picture)
- 5 Model, Platoon Command Squad (Commander, Vox Caster, Standard Bearer, two Plasma Gunners) (Picture)
- 30 Infantry (3 Infantry Squads, 1 Veteran Squad) (Pictures: One, Two, Three, Four)
- 3 Heavy Weapon Mortar Teams (Picture)
- 2 Leman Russ Executioners (Picture)
- 1 Basilisk (Picture)
- 1 Stormlord (Picture)

Other
- 10 Servitors (Converted Epic Landraiders, 4 Plasma, Pictures: One, Two, Three)
- 12 Guardsmen (B’Dass Troopers, No Picture)
- 2 Commissars (B’Dass Commanders, Picture)
- 10 Ogryns (Grizzly Exosuits / Holocaust Judge, Picture)
- 20 Penal Legionaires (Avatar of War, Dwarf Bezerkers)
- 10 Stormtroopers / Veterans with Carapace Armour (Hammerfall High Shield Gun Corps, Picture)
- 4 Sentinels (Robogear Werewolves, Picture, the model on the right)
- 3 Basilisks? (AT-43 Red Blok Dotch Yaga, Picture)
- 9 ??? (AT-43 Red Blok Kolossus, Picture)
- 3 Valkyrie / Vendetta (Robogear Condors, Picture)


* Most of the images are mine....but not all of them. So credit goes to the owners of each image.

Of course if you do not want to bother don't worry about it, at least you can take a look at the models I have collected so far. Thank you all for reading, appreciate it, you are what keeps me motivated.

Midas VI - Squat Homeworld

So here is what I came up with as a backstory for my Squats as well as reasoning how they are still around when the Squat Homeworlds got hit by GW's Banhammer the Tyranid Hivefleet Behemoth.


Midas VI

Discovered by the Squats during their golden age when they were a part of the Imperium of Man. From their homeworld they supplied the Emperor’s armies with their advanced plasma based technology. In order to continue their expansion and advances in technology the Squat Homeworlds continuously searched for possible worlds to colonize in order to continue their supply of resources.

Midas VI was one such planet, rich in minerals but with a strong magnetic core. It’s heavy gravitational pull made it uninhabitable by humanity at large but to the Squat the gravity was only slightly above what they were used to. Located on the fringes of the galaxy outside what was the Imperium the Homeworlds sent off a small colonization fleet along with the troops to protect them against the unknowns of the fringe.

The Squats landed and colonized Midas VI and for a small time things went according to plan, their new colony prospered and the Squat Homeworlds were close to revealing their success to the Imperium as the Hive Fleet descended on them. Midas VI has been cut off from the Imperium ever since. Unsure of what occurred to the Homeworlds they have been reluctant to seek out contact with the Imperium, fearing they had chosen to continue the war that initially consumed their two races.

As far as they were aware they were the only remnants of the Squat race and thus strive to protect and preserve it at any cost. Having to fend for themselves they adhered to the rules and dogma they had been grown accustomed too. Their foundries and factories crafting new tanks and weapons for their own armies, converting industrial machines where needed.

Once again the Squat had become a race apart from the Imperium, isolated and yet enduring. The Tau emissaries were tolerated by the stoic Squats, they neither joined nor opposed their Greater Good and found in them occasional allies and the two races formed their own trade routes.

In the long years they have been on their new planet they started to reach back to the traditions of their forefathers. As their community grew they expanded downwards into the ground, almost all of the Imperial Architecture above left to the harsh elements of Midas VI. From orbit the planet looks all but abandoned and is mostly ignored by the sentient races.

Slow week

So an entire week actually went by without me posting here. So what has been going on lately, well I've been sick for starters and have been in a poor mood related to my ongoing trouble at work and soon lack thereof entirely. So what I did do is the following, I did finish off my first infantry squad (without the Heavy Weapon Team's weapon). The reason the metal is a bronze color has two reasons, one it suits the dwarf/squat models really well and two a friend of mine is into Steampunk and the bronze just helps bring that out.

The Regiment

When basecoating and painting these I did make some mistakes but hopefully the next group will come out better. Some of the models basecoat is way too thick but in the end they turned out okayish.... After all I am nowhere near a paint expert. Im just happy to get something painted for a change ;)

Vox Caster

Plasma Gunner

I am still waiting for my Penal Legion soldiers....as in the Dwarf Bezerkers from Avatar of War. I actually had to order some more paint in order to have colors for the beards on the Squats. For a Squat without a beard is like an army without beer.... Or something.

So besides painting I have been doing a whole lot of nothing really. I am still waiting for my Dwarf Beserkers to get here from Avatar of War, as well as my spare parts for my broken down Landraider. I did put in an order for several Holocaust Judges (thanks Inso) who I will assemble with parts from the Grizzly Exosuits (mix and match) in order to build my Ogryns. All of the models will be assembled with the drill part from my Hardsuit model in order to give it a more mining related appearance.

The only thing I have been tinkering with a little bit has been one of the Servitors to belong to my Enginseer. Based off of Wall-E somewhat this is what I ended up with.

Front

and Side

The model actually ended up being taller than the Enginseer himself and is about as tall as an Imperial Guardsman even without this model being based. The figure ended up being too big for me to use binoculars as its head so I used a targetting system from my broken down Landraider.