The BADAB WAR A Dark Stars Campaign/SISTERS OF BATTLE Progress part 2

With 6th Edition WARHAMMER 40K coming in a few weeks, and the emergence or revamping of several  newer Sci-Fi, and alternative miniature game systems and scales, it is a good time to evaluate the direction of my gaming. As I’ve invested a few dollars in WARPATH, I think it is a good, simple alternative. I just wanted to evaluate the game with a few armies. I’m not going to continue to buy new rules/codex/army books every few years. I have plenty of games and resources for years of fun miniature gaming. Getting those games up and playable takes some time, but as I add less and less new products and projects, I do slowly but surely get things finished, like the SISTERS OF BATTLE, I finally made some serious progress on. What I’m getting at here is that I might not immediately get the 6th edition rules, and accessories you’ll need to play the new 40K rules. I’ve mainly been playing at home for the last 3 years anyway, we could just continue with 5th here with the current rules, expansions and codexes for our own fun games. I will focus on getting another BADAB army or two, and find some local players into building a BADAB force or who have an appropriately painted force, or accepted army for themed games, missions and scenarios for an ongoing campaign, opened ended, bouncing from one planet or timeline is convenient. I’d like to combine various elements of the BADAB WAR material that has existed, such as the DARK STARS CAMPAIGN weekend, held in Nottingham England, by Games Workshop in 2005. There is a Rules and Information document, that has some great CAMPAIGN ideas, with espionage, planetary struggles, Battle Fleet Gothic side games, and some interesting planet information, that was expanded by the fan created Bell of Lost souls campaign PDF. Both documents have interesting ideas, including the paint scheme I adopted for my STAR PHANTOMS. Ultimately I was thrilled when Imperial Armor 9-10 came out, and I’d like to add a couple more themed armies, and find some like-minded players, or have them use on of my armies, but gradually there will be some themed interconnected battles, utilising some rules, ideas and even some special battle zones and terrain to fight out small campaigns on various planets. In the 2005 weekend campaign DARK STARS, they allowed, Orks, Dark Eldar, Witch Hunters, Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines,Daemonhunters. The armies were 1500 points divided into a legal 1000 point list with 500 point add-on.  What I have in mind is like the STAR WARS CLONE WARS series. Playing out various battles and scenarios in a specific historic time period, in and around the main events of the narrative. Eventually I liked to have several battle field and terrain collections for themed battles. There are several companies making affordable battle mats and very cool terrain. I’m thinking of turning my REALM OF BATTLE board into an ICE WORLD table, and creating, acquiring, buying some hills, mountains, rocks and trees. I’d also like a city zone, and a desert like zone, with appropriate terrain. And my friend is bringing his nicely built and quite functional games table to my game hall for us to use indefinitely. Once I have things going I’m sure I can convince some people to build a small force to participate in the games.

I’ll probably add some scenarios in the BADAB WAR CAMPAIGNS to use my SISTERS OF BATTLE army. I got a good start on the 8 tanks I’m painting for the army. There are 4 rhinos(one completed as a test model), 2 Immolators and 2 Exorcists. First I base coated the white primed models with bleached bone with my airbrush. I then glossed the tanks with some Future Floor Polish, with the airbrush. When completely dried(of course) I started the washes. First I hit it with some thinned brown ink with my airbrush, I basically saturated the models, leaving the base coats darker but still visible. I am now working on inking the metal parts and major recesses with some thinned down black ink. When that stage is done and fully dried, I’ll hit the tanks with some matte varnish before I start building the highlights. The main colors are bleached bone, codex gray, burnished gold, and chain mail. I’m feeling pretty motivated, so hopefully I can finish the washes tomorrow

SOB tanks WIP

STAR PHANTOMS 2000 point army shot, and hobby musings of the day

Here are some quick shots of the army in my little display case. Below are my Angels of Retribution painted collection. I’m playing some 40K tomorrow so I’ll take some closer  shots of the STAR PHANTOMS on the table during the battle. With 6th edition of 40K rumoured to be on the way in a month or two, I’m really thinking about how I’ll proceed with the game. On option is to remain frozen in time, using only the Codexes out now, and focus on the CAMPAIGNS and EXPANSIONS I own, that I could spend many years, playing, and building and collecting a few more and finishing a couple of current projects, nothing major, maybe just add the Blood Angels army I’ve wanted for a couple of years that would be my army to go against the STAR PHANTOMS.

Investing in 6th edition is going to cost some money, right!?! At least a hundred bucks. I’m already going to have upgrade my paints, now this, and a price increase to boot. Should I rush to buy the vehicles I need now!? Or will the new rules make the army list I wrote obsolete? Or should I just the build the core I want and adjust in the future if I chose? What elese will be need if anything to play the new version?

On another note, I get a lot of wacky ideas and inspirations. I’m trying to reign this in a little, but I will often aquire pieces for a project years before I ever complete it. And many times I will complete the project, and play with the force I’ve collected and painted. But I’m quickly lured into other directions, and constantly seek inspirations, and ideas. I’m almost halfway through this hobby year, and have started and aquired a few more small projects, but have produced less than I’d hoped so far. It’s not to bad, but I’m hoping to turn it around a little. Finishing the STAR PHANTOMS in February was great, but quite a bit behind schedule. And my progress with painting the SISTERS OF BATTLE army has been slow, and slightly influenced by the WHITE DWARF CODEX update, it seems may have weakened the quality of the list I have collected.

Ultimately, I need to really think before I purchase anything at this time, despite price increases, etc. These models will still be available if I need them in the next year or two. I need to get some terrain done, add or finish units for  the other SPACE MARINE type armies I’ve got, and do some quicker paint jobs on some of my projects, for playing fun. I would like to develop the BADAB WAR theme, here maybe develop the whole game room into a BADAB inspired room. I’ve got the cool posters from the IMPERIAL ARMOR books,and especially 9 and 10. Ultimately it would be amazing to have small detachments of a number of the armies involved with the BADAB WAR. One way would be to just add units from other Chapters into a core Loyalist/Seperatist list, especially in fun APOCALYPSE and PLANETSTRIKE battles. The more I think about it, the more I want to start that LAMENTERS force, arghhhhhhh! But I’ll take it one day at a time like most other addicts! I need to start a Seattle area Campaign group, of people to play BADAB WAR themed games. More on that later!

Back to BADAB! And how to help finance/justify that next big purchase!

I’m supposed to be painting SISTERS OF BATTLE, but took a break and started thinking about the BLOOD ANGELS(LAMENTERS) I have wanted for a few years. My STAR PHANTOMS need someone to fight! This blog is supposed to be about a BADAB WAR CAMPAIGN I’d like to do someday(famous last words, right?). I’d like to add some more forces from the WAR, starting with the LAMENTERS, who use the BLOOD ANGELS CODEX as they are descended from the gene seed of said chapter of SPACE MARINES, of course. Time and money to start the project br damned, I thought at least see what a reasonable, unique and fun to collect and build army would be for me, effective, not to similar to my other forces, utilising some cool models I’ve been wanting to collect for a while now. With discounts and some free shipping and some cool FORGEWORLD armor marks, and some GW accessories 2 PREDATORS, 3 BAAL PREDATORS, FORGEWORLD SPACE MARINE ARMOR MARKS 2,3,4, and 5 an APOTHECARY set, 2 DEATH COMPANY boxes, 5 RAZORBACKS, a Chaplain, a Sanguinary priest and using a Librarian I have, it comes to at least 623$, before some taxes and some shipping! Killer army but expensive, and may need a few things more, not including glue, paint and brushes. I was inspired that day by some armies I’d seen completed. And I wanted to build something, so I’m taking all of my bits and extras to build a small 1500  point SPACE WOLVES army. It is an experiment on how fast I can paint a force for tabletop, and to sell om EBAY. The models were cheap, free, and are extra. They are just sitting in boxes and bins, and I wont miss them. I’ll paint it like my army, and if it didn’t sell, but it probably will, as any thing would be a profit, and I’ll speed paint through it with paid for models, and set a time limit to the paint job at least! I figure about $300 is what I want to get. Here is the beginnings of a Grey Hunters squad using old parts and new heads.

turning trash into cash

CORPORATION RANGERS

I built up a squad of MANTIC CORPORATION RANGERS. I ordered some heads for the rest of the squads, hope fully they’re not to big. I’m going with kind of a STAR WARS:The Clone Wars theme for this army. I’ll have 1000 pts to fight against some ORX I’m building with my 6 year old grandaughter.

I built my first WARPATH squad.

Ideas for WARPATH COPORATION army theme, and building my IMPERIAL GUARD VALHALLAN AIR CAVALRY

It’s my day off, and instead of painting my SISTERS OF BATTLE ARMY here I am, thinking about some of my future projects. I’ll paint a little today I’m sure, but I like to relax and plan and research some of my projects I have in the ‘bullpen’. My current main projects for the year are the SISTERS 2000 point force, and my SPACE HULK set. But during some spare time I started thinking about my human armies. I have a collection of IG models, and a small force of CORPORATION models that just came out.  IMPERIAL GUARD is my next ‘big’rmy for 40K, maybe my last for a while. I have a ton of Cadians, and a couple of vehicles. That army could be ground pounders with CHIMERA, and some tanks and Heavy support. I also have a small collection of models I’d like to turn into a VALLHALLAN themed AIR CAV army. I have aquired over three squads of VALHALLANS over the years and added a few more recently to beef up model options for an army list. I have three VALKYRIE models to build, I might need an HQ model or two. I considered a combined force, but I’m not so sure. I think I’ll just build a 1000 point AIR CAV list for now, and squeeze that into this years schedule, at least writing a list and building/modelling it. Then I’ll have to time to decide upon a color scheme, usually a challenge for me. 1000 points is a fun level for some little missions I could set up here at home, and show some friends how to play a little. VALHALLAN fluff might not support such a force, so they might just be some IG AIR CAV with long coats on.

I saw some CORPORATION RANGERS painted up reminiscent of CLONE TROOPERS. I have the MANTIC ELITE subscription, and the first part of three shipments is the CORPORATION army with Hero. There are two MARINE SQUADS squads, a VETERAN squad with heavy weapon team, a RANGER squad, three additonal heavy weapon teams, and the HERO(and a cool handwritten note of thanks from Ronnie Renton himself!), There are various head choices. I did some research and ordered some alternatives from PIG IRON, so I could have a more CLONE TROOPER look. STAR WARS:The Clone Wars is my favorite show, so this idea works great for me. I could come up with a cool way to denote squads with color/markings, also the RANGERS could represent REPBUBLIC COMMANDOS. The mantic models are a little smaller than the modern GW IMPERIAL GUARD, I’m hoping the PIG IRON HEADS aren’t to big, but might still work/STORM TROOPERS style. The Mantic models are pretty cool, not to expensive, limited poses, and I want to play WARPATH. The army list includes some vehicles, and I could try and track down some transports, tanks and flyers that might work with the STAR WARS influenced theme. Painting and blending up to white is fun, and I’ll only have about 47 guys plus another ten from PROJECT PANDORA. The weapons and gear will be black, shouldn’t be too tough. Having a concrete theme really helps me with a project, being able to visualize the end result helps make it a reality.

 

Sisters of Battle 2000 point army PART 1

'test' Rhino

I got some paint on the SISTERS OF BATTLE vehicles. There is a ‘test’ Rhino painted previously. I did a quick Bleached Bone  basecoat on the rest of the tanks. There are a total of 4 Rhinos, 2 Immolators, and 2 Exorcists for this army.

Basecoats on the SOB vehicles

Taming the Hobby Hoard!

In recent years the term ‘Hoarder’ has become very familiar with a series of television shows documenting some peoples struggles with sometimes life threatening accumulations of clutter and garbage. Todays post is much less dramatic, but is a common theme among veteran gamers and hobbyists-Taming the Hobby Hoard! What I’m really writing about is organizing, evaluating and setting some goals for my hobby collection. I just moved. My previous hobby/game areas were fairly well organized, but moving has forced me to touch and see everything in my collection. This is a great way to catalog, and remember what you have, some of the projects you have on the back burner and some fun, future projects and games to plan and work on. Over the last several years I have re-evaluated some models, projects armies and games, and made a tidy profit from selling some books and models. At this point I’m feeling good about what I’ve got, that I can and will find some use and play and work on most of these items in the next few years. Due to my slow output, and other obligations, and commitments, I’m becoming more realistic about how much, the quality, and actual use I’ll get out of an item. The fact is, I’m a collector. I enjoy aquiring new things. But I don’t buy all of the awesome new models constantly coming out, just to have them. I limit my self to the ones I really want, and that I’ll actually use to play with. I almost never buy cool models just to have. Other than the occasional anniversary model(25th anniversary 40K Space Marine). Finally my collection goes back to the late 80′s. I had a very modest collection until about 10 years ago, and have steadily aquired models and games.

My first love was Fantasy RPGs and Warhammer Fantasy Battle. almost half of my collection is fantasy based, mostly for WHFB. Over the years I’ve aquired several armies, Rules Editions, expansions and accessories. Despite having armies of painted Orcs and Dwarfs, I haven’t played that many games of WHFB. I’ve played a few games a of a couple of editions, have mostly kept up with Army Books, and Rules. I’ve decided I just can’t keep up anymore, and haven’t been interested in playing any fantasy games in the last couple of years. Obviously I’m not out buying any new armies. But I’ve got Three sizable WHFB battle projectss I’d like to keep, start/finish, and a modest collection of Warhammer, Confrontation and other models for alternative games and rulesets, such as HOTT, Fantasy Warriors,Mighty Armies, amongst about half a dozen. I’ve always wanted a couple of the ICONIC Fantasy armies, painted up for some epic battles or skirmishes. Since that is not my number one passion and interest at this moment, all of these projects are on the shelf for now. The army I will put on the schedule for the next two years will be the HIGH ELVES, which will be one of my main army projects for next year. I doubt I’ll find time to really get much going, but If I did it will be orgaizing, repairing models, and writing a current core list to paint up. WHFB lists are like 3000 points these days, and I’ve got well beyond that in my collection I’m sure, so this will be a major project, regardless of the initial core list I choose to write, maybe 2000 or something. I also have sizable collections of DWARFS, and WOOD ELVES. There is also a modest ORC and GOBLINS army half painted. Then there are some smaller collections of mostly older models. I’d have to say that my Fantasy collection is pretty solid at this point, I’ve got many of the classic models and units that I have always wanted. Now I’ve got to say that over the last few years there have been some amazing new armies, and models released. The amount of really cool terrain, monsters and wizards out recently are outstanding, but for now, I can say that I’ll not be buying anything Fantasy related for quite some time, even the new Hobbit/LOTR products coming out this year. Actually I recently found a cute little game called SUPER DUNGEON EXPLORE!, that should satisfy my interest for playing, collecting, and painting Fantasy and RPG type games for now. It is like a video game as a miniature board game, that my friends and family could learn and play.

Currently I’ve only been playing Warhammer 40K, so the focus of my next project and one of next years main projects(ones that I’d like to actually complete) will be related to that system.  My main interest lately has be sci-fi games, so SPACE HULK, WARPATH and HEAVY GEAR BLITZ are tops on my to-do list of hobby projects for the rest of this year and next. I’ve got a 2000 point SISTERS OF BATTLE army, which I have built and ready to start painting, as well as my SPACE HULK 3rd edition set, to finish building and paint. These two projects are for games I will definitely be able to play this year, so I’d really like to have them done and start playing. WARPATH and HEAVY GEAR BLITZ are some new games I don’t play yet. I’ve been colecting some WARPATH armies and would like to speed paint a couple of forces to try out the rules, not much diiferent from 40K, and I could use the same terrain(and models for that matter) for either game. HEAVY GEAR BLITZ is a game I’d like to find time to learn. I’ve got one army and will stick to that, and try to learn it well enough to start meeting and playing with some others I’ve been in contact with. I”l just stick with the one army for this, and maybe eventually will be one of the games I can take a little trip and play in a tournament once a year or so. I wanted to have a couple of Sci-Fi alternatives. I tried to avoid WARPATH, but got sucked in. I’m hoping to cap the collection to what I’ve got purchased at this point, luckily they haven’t released vehicles and such yet! Something about what they are doing, brings back some of the fun of the hobby for me, especially being a bit more affordable. I’d been very tempted to start new armies from the last 4-5 40K CODEXES, and have resisted, other than the CODEX books themselves, I like to have and refer to. Other projects include some EPIC models, and several possible rule-sets I own. My next 40K army will be a 2000 point VALHALLAN IMPERIAL GUARD army. Of course I’ll need to add two Leman Russ tanks and a Commisar Yarrick to the roughed out list I came up with the other night. I already have all the other models, I started collecting some IG about 3 years ago, and won a BANEBLADE around that time as well. I used some gift money for some VALKYRIES. I’ll aquire those models I need for that army project, around December, that is around my Birthday, and X-Mas I ususally have some disposable money, at least a little. Otherwise I’ll need not buy anything but supplies for the rest of the year. I’ve already spent my hobby budget till July anyway. And having moved recently, I’ve a much bigger need for some furniture and a TV/video game system(SPACE MARINE! finally).Ultimately, I’d love to have some more armies of various types, and some of the latest XENOS releases have been amazing. I’ve got models and vehicles that could be used for current or even new armies(SPACE MARINES and TYRANIDS), for now I’ll stick to the main projects, and for a diversion, could add a unit to existing armies a a later time.

Summing it all up. I’ve broken the Hoard into two main categories. Fantasy and Sci-Fi.  I’ve got many possible projects, additions and improvements, re-paints that could be dobne with a collection of this size. And I’ve already set my hobby goals for the rest of this year and a couple that will be featured next year. Based on ,my current out-put and commitments I’m going to set a goal of Five projects per year for the next five years, to really tame my collection. These are all things I want to do and projects I’ve spent time researching and collecting for, and mostly just need to be completed, so larger some smaller, mostly with quick painting methods in mind. I’d like to increase production, and will strive to find techniques and products to help achieve that. my 25 main projects in roughly and in no particular order:

1)Build and paint the EPIC models I have and play some version.

2)Purchase a Tervigon, for a legal TRYANID army, I’ve got plenty of Termaguants and Genestealers and some Broodlords to make a fun Nemesis army for themed battles at home.

3)Paint Terminators and build/paint Genestealers  for SPACE HULK

4)Paint some models for my ORCS and GOBLINS army(Giant, Spider Riding Goblin Hero, Orcs) for WHFB or fantasy system.

5)Fix, strip. repaint, build old metal ORCS and GOBLINS for some game system, include painted models from old army.

6)Finish painting WOODELF army as demo army for FANTASY WARRIORS.

7)Complete at least core army for HIGH ELVES for WHFB, and finish entire collection to good standard.

8)Paint CONFRONTATION models and play some skirmishes with the 3rd edition rules. Evaluate the RAGANAROK mass battle system, as possible fantasy system, to use.

9) Pull out play and learn one of the MAKGE KNIGHT sysytems, maybe adding models for fun. Could be a fun skirmish game for friends and family, could be a fun massed battle system and modles could be found cheap in the future.

10)Paint MIGHTY ARMIES dwarfs, maybe add a Nemesis army, or find a player. Very simple project.

11)Paint the RPG models, I’ve aquired mostly free some really random, mostlty metal D&D type models, that could be used for Roleplaying game should I need such a thing, I haven’t played one of those in many years, but woud like to have one or two around and get into some occasional games.

12)IMPERIAL GUARD army/ies. There are many ways to go with this project. I’ve mapped out a 2000 point Valhallan themed force with some VALKYRIES and some tanks that could be fun!

13)SISTERS OF BATTLE-up next on the painting cue!

14)SPACE MARINES, I have extra models built and bits and units for current armies or future projects.

15) I need to finish painting the REALM OF BATTLE Board in more detail, pick a theme. I need to paint some of the buildings ruins with more detail, and maybe add some bits, create some cool objective and terrain pices. Also I have battle field objectives kit to utilise.

16)Paint, detail, and create objective markers for PLANETSTRIKE, I still want to play more of.

17)I’ve got a medium sized box of UNDEAD models from over the years that could be used for various projects, games and rule systems. Zombies, Skeletons, Chariots,Wizards,Creatures.

18)WOOD ELVES starter army.

19)DWARFS starter army+.

20)HEAVY GEAR BLITZ! army!

21)WARPATH armies, PROJECT PANDORA, FORGEFATHERS, ORX, CORPORATION, VEERMYN. Paint small forces to try out rules/game/alternative to expenxsive GW shenanigans.

22)Prepare and Learn INCURSION game, perhaps assemble force for SOTTR some day.

23)Build, paint and base two armies for HOTT based on the LOTR I already have.

24)Play a BADAB WAR campaign, or have an ongoing regular campaign, with various associated projects.

25)Play MAGIG THE GATHERING with decks I own, be able to play in tournaments.

So, these are the projects I have to think about. They are not all huge armies to build and paint. I’d like to limit that to about one a year and less in the future,and enjoy doing some more current and smaller projects. It is easy to get overwhelmed and lose interest. I have been known to return to and complete and utilize a project, so I feel pretty good about my goals. Some require a lot of work and resources, others just need to be finished, and some are just gaming goals, requiring some time and frame of mind for such pursuits. The overarching goal is to create a games room, and collection of games and painted models to host a variety of themed games for friends and family, and to also be able to travel and play a few games abroad once in a while.  Well, time to get cracking on that SISTERS OF BATTLE paint job!