Northeast Wars X

Previously Inside the Hobbyist’s Studio, I showed how I approach magnetizing my bases.  Today’s article will continue in this theme and I will show how I currently am producing magnetic movement trays.

Magnetic bases and movement trays are very useful to keep “unit cohesion” when moving a unit across the battlefield.  Not having to constantly stand models back up that have tipped over is great.  And let’s not forget those situation when your unit of beautifully painted but metal minis stops on the slope of a hill and they all want to slide into a pile of bent lances and chipped paint.  Also, if the minis are stuck tight to their trays, the trays themselves can be part of how to store them for transit.  Instead of plucking each mini out of a foam nook before each game and then having to place them back in, wouldn’t it be a great time saver — as well as way cool — to be able to just lift movement tray full of already ranked troops out of your movement case? Continue reading

This is the first in a series of articles I intend to write regarding various projects I am working on while waiting for next year’s Northeast Wars.

Today’s article will be about how I am currently magnetizing my bases.  I make no claim that this is the best way, it is simply the method that is working for me now until I start tinkering with a different method.

But before I get into technical details, some of you maybe asking what I am talking about in the first place.  Magnetizing bases and or movement trays  is a process where magnets are used to make the base of a miniature and a movement tray stick to each other.  This is useful for two reasons.  The first is that movement trays are much easier to use if the miniatures resist tipping over as you move the movement tray.  This is especially true with heavy and/or tall miniatures.  The second reason is that transport is easier (and safer for the mini’s) since the mini’s are stuck tightly their trays and not bouncing around.

Now with the “Why” covered, I will move onto the “How.”  The aspiring magnet master must first decide if they want to have the base of the mini, the movement tray, or both to be magnetic.  I have gravitated to a solution where I glue neodynium magnets inside the base and either attach a piece of steel to a movement tray or (more recently) simply use a piece of steel ( a tie plate to be exact) as the movement tray.  This article will cover how I do the first part.  A future article will discuss how I make movement trays out of hardware for building a house that blends nicely onto the table top. Continue reading

As was twittered at the time, but not reported here, several new players were introduced to Warhammer Fantasy and a rousing Megabattle was waged (though why the ‘Good’ side would be made up of Skaven and Dark Elves in addition to Wood Elves will not be covered in this post).

When the dust settled, it was decided to give the painted Battle for Skull Pass set to the father and son pair of Steve and Ben Tyler.

Here is a picture of event organizer Brian giving the prize to a Warhammer Warlord of the future!

WAAAAGGHHH!!!!

The goblin contingent of the Battle for Skull Pass has arrived ready for battle in all their painted glory. And in case you cannot make it to Quarterstaff Games in Burlington to check them out in person, here is a picture.

If you are curious about Warhammer Fantasy and have never played before or have only played a few games, you should definitely sign up for MINI312: Warhammer Skirmish Battles on Saturday morning, where you will be provided with an army as well as a patient person to teach you the rules. More experienced players can also sign up, as they can either use their own armies or borrow one at the con to play some great skirmish games.

Any and all interested parties should stay for MINI316: Warhammer Megabattle: The Battle for Papelotte, which finishes off Saturday in a wild conflict of several armies clashing across the board.

During the course of the day, we will award these painted goblins, the painted dwarves, and some gift certificates or other prizes as well in such a way that experts and new players alike can have a chance to walk away with something cool.

Goblins rule!  Dwarves drool!

Turn your back for a moment and suddenly the place is infested with dwarves. Somebody really should do something about that, somebody like a huge horde of goblins! Muahahahaaha! *foams at mouth*

The goblins have not lazed about quaffing beer and bothering mountain goats in the past few days. Their forces near completion with the spiders already jumping off the sprue in search of dwarves to inject toxin/digestive juices into and then suck dry, leaving nothing but a dry husk twisting in the breeze.

Cry “Eeeek!” And let slip the spiders of extreme creepiness!

Can you smell the delicious Bugman’s brew of beer, and fine odor of beard? That’s right, have no fear, the dwarfs are here!

As everyone knows, it’s not how fast you start something, but how well you do something! The filthy gobbos may think they are faster, but dwarf determination shall prevail in the end.

The beard, being most important to the Warhammer dwarf, of course has taken precedence, and are all complete. Each dwarf warrior is proud to appear in his luxurious new beard. The goblins, shamefully beardless, have already lost!

Next will come the steely glint (of boltgun metal and mithril highlights) on each axe, handgun, and pickaxe; then truly the goblins shall quake and run! I will be painting the gloves, belts, and weapons next; then the highlights on the edge of the armor, the cloth, and finally the extra details. I hope to have time to add some details to the cloak of the Thane; it deserves the extra attention.  Overall, although the Skull Pass models are single-piece, I have found them to largely have great detail.  The Cannon Master and the Thane, particularly, are excellent models and a joy to paint.

I am very unhappy with the Dragonslayer model; it is simply not well molded. The metal model that is available (but is not in the Skull Pass boxset) is so much better that there is no comparison. (Okay, so dwarfs have a tendency to grumble . . . )

We see that the goblins’ green skin is already fully painted; and how much green there is!  It is obvious that the goblins do not understand how to make armor, and so instead show so much foul green skin to the world. Sensible Dwarfs know better, and wear heavy steel armor instead!

We raise a pint to all our fine dwarf ladies; the goblins appear jealous that we get to share those ladies’ company, seeing how much the goblins prattle on about them!  Since they like them so much, perhaps only the dwarf ladies shall come out to fight; they would trounce the whole lot of goblins easily!

Over a week has passed and one might almost be excused for thinking that perhaps the SheepLord has been distracted by shiny things and had forgotten about his goblin horde. But one would be WRONG!

This weekend I got the green on about half of the troops and went wild with the red and not only added some color to fletching and straps, but did their beady little eyes! Now they will glare menacingly across the field of battle at any dwarf force that is so fool hardy as to to stand against them!

I have also been working on the giant spiders that are ridden by the goblins into battle. I have played around with some of the new Games Workshop washes as well as some GW inks that I have had kicking around for over a decade (oh wait, make that almost two decades) to try to give them a bit more pop.

The dwarves are rumored to have had two colors applied to them so far. I would have expected more, but I suspect the painter gets distracted by trying to figure out which of the dwarf warriors might be lady dwarf warriors.  e can expect that the Master of Stunties to make an appearance on this page in the near future. Look for a post as soon as you smell stale beer and unwashed beard.

The trimming and priming is done. I have moved onto applying the base coats. First off, we have a picture of the sprue that has most of the spiders on it. They look rather bright and I am not positive that I like the colors, but I will likely use some washes on them to deepen the colors.

Here are some of the goblins with the start of the base coating. I’ve been blocking off the robes with various shades of gray. With irregular troops, like goblins, I like to use different colors throughout the unit to make them look a rag tag mob rather than a soldiers wearing a uniform.

They look a bit drab now, but after the skin tones go in they should start to pop and come together.

The scraping of mold lines continues on the mighty gobbo forces. I hope to be done with this in the next few days. While a tedious process, removing the mold lines is essential. They may appear hardly noticeable initially, but dry brushing and staining will make them really pop out. Then you will be faced with the choice of dealing with a miniature that will always have a very obvious flaw, or spending time to remove the mold lines and then repainting the scraped patch.

Also, this time around I controlled my urge to pop out all the goblins from the sprue immediately, but have instead left them connected to the sprue while I do my work in order to make it easier to manage. I will likely prime them on the sprue as well, but I have not decided if I want to paint them that way or not.

It has been pointed out to me that I should explain what exactly a ‘gobbo’ is.  In the Warhammer world, all the orcs, goblins, snotlings, etc . . . have green skin and are collectively called greenskins — shocking, I know! Goblins are also called gobbos. As for ’stunties,’ that is term for those squat, bearded beer guzzlers also known as dwarves.

Speaking of which, Antonin is currently working on painting the other half of the Battle for Skull Pass box. To make things interesting, I have challenged him to a race to see who can complete their army first. He has the advantage of having fewer troops, but I have the advantage of being way cooler than him. And I think he fancies hobbits . . . but I digress.

We shall see who is the speediest painter!

P.S. I also have it on good authority that he dresses in dwarf women’s clothing.

For your viewing pleasure, I present: a whole heap of gobos!

This is the pile of gobos and spiders that make up the greenskin half of the Battle for Skull Pass boxed set that I will paint for use at the Warhammer Fantasy events this spring. And if we get enough people in this event, it will be given away!

It’s day number one of painting. I am at the step of carefully scraping off the mold lines. And just let me say that removing the mold lines from all eight legs of the spiders is proving to be a real pain. I suffer so that you don’t have to.

More to come in future days!