The elves have kept me busy.....

       Hey guys. We are back at this magical time of the year. There is so much stuff going on and my mind races in so many different directions at the same time. Tonight, though, is different. I am done with all my holiday tasks. My shoulders and back are even sore from wrapping presents. Any free time I have had lately has been dedicated to painting my Eldar. I have finished a twenty man Guardian squad, which could easily be cut in half. I also started a ten man seer council (not on jetbikes). I love the idea, and the rules definitely are in favor of the jetbike but I could never settle on a model that I could really appreciate the way it looked.  Though I had a lot of drive to finish them, it just didn't happen. The allure of bigger models called to me. So as I was working on my warlocks, my four year old son picked up a wraith lord and asked me in an innocent way only a four year could, "are you ever gonna paint this big guy?" So I did and was then inspired to paint my wraith knight. When I assembled my wraith knight I took the time to magnetize everything that I could for options. I must remember to put pictures up of what I did. Hopefully it can help someone else to do it the same way. The model is turning out wonderfully. Again, pictures will be coming. Painting my wraith knight has been such a breeze with so many pieces removable. All I need to work on is the weapons. Then there will be pics.
   There is one other thing I wanted to mention tonight before I close here. I wanted to mention that if you are interested in painting models, or if you just want to see some different models painted. My brother paints custom Skylanders and Disney Infinity game pieces. You can search for remixed Skylanders on Facebook or follow this link to Remixed Custom Skylanders . I am very proud of the work he is doing. I think I'm going to see if he can come up with a skylander space marine. That would be a great blend of both our hobbies.
       Have a great night. Happy Holidays to you and all of your families.

Army list building today

      Hi guys! In the last few weeks inspiration has eluded me. Halloween in my house is a big deal. In fact, at this point, it is arguable if we have more decorations for Halloween or Christmas. My painting, playing, and even my reading dips low in October. Needless to say, I did not get the fight in for the next part of the story. It will be coming within the next few weeks. Please hang in there.  If you have more recently started following the story, it is all based off the battlefield, with some personal embellishments.
     
       Since I have not gotten to progress the story, I have been reading rules and writing army lists. Army lists are my contact to the game when I can't play. Lists are the topic tonight. I have been playing with army lists since the second edition of 40k. Most of my lists, like so many out there are theoretical. They never see the outside of the tablet. Though I must say, the faceless people of the internet make up so many lists. You could google lists for any army you would like to play and for any game you might be interested.
   
     The weakness came to me one day. I decided instead of building the list the way I normally do,  I reached for my tablet and searched for army lists. The choices I found were innumerable. I was simply looking for inspiration for my Imperial Guard, Astra Militarium, or some combination with the other models I own. For the first 20 minutes I was enthralled with the possibilities. My original thought was to keep it simple and see what worked. As always when online,  my search expanded. Easily enough, Guard with Space Marines, Dark Angels, Chaos Marines lists were sought and found. Then, it unexpectedly turned to a dark place. And suddenly I am looking at lists I would have never thought possible throughout the last few editions. I found Marine/ Chaos demon lists and Tyranid allied lists. Before this, I was having a hard time figuring out whether my army was going to be battle forged or unbound. Now the whole world opened up before me. I have now been inspired to do and find more. I am officially back "in the game." I have been list building since then. The world of 40k is reopened to me.

   Don't forget that this is your hobby. Have fun with it, and get inspired.

Fighting in the depths.

  The dark hallway slowly comes into view as Hagar claws his way back to consciousness. Suddenly he realizes where he is. His upper body inside the Fortress of the Fallen Blade. His feet visible to the rest of the world. The hydraulics are holding the blast door firmly against the greaves of his armor. Only then did he realize that his feet were bare as a cold needle was forcibly inserted into the arch of his foot.
    "Get this door off of me!" Hagar growls at the wolf priest.
   "Brynjar is on his way, " the Wolf Priest states while applying healing balms to the injured legs that he can reach through the jammed door.
   Hagar fights to release himself from the door, but the the hydraulics of the door hold tight against his powered armor plates. Only the armor keeps the door from separating him from his feet. As he twists his body to assess the situation, he sees two large jawed clamps enter through the opening and rend the door completely off the building. As the daylight washes in the hallway, he sees the tell tale signs of an Iron Priest looming over him and three smaller figures coming in around to assist Hagar with replacement leg armor.
    "Hurry!" Hagar growls. "They need to pay for my wolves."
    Brynjar subtly reminds Hagar he can't take down the whole fortress. "Ragnar needs the be sure the holding chambers have not been disturbed."
    The lone wolf grumbles incoherently about tearing the limbs off of everyone that crosses his path. As the servitor installs the last piece of the borrowed armor, Hagar runs into the building, gabbing his weapons as he goes.
   The emergency alarms flash red lights on the walls. The servitors, fighting the compulsions to answer the silent Imperial distress code that is sent out with the flashing light. Brynjar tightens the control he has on the cyborg minions that he brought with to deal with the blast doors inside the structure. They, of course, heed their master.
   The Space Wolves separate into two  teams. Brynjar takes his servitors to the control room, dispatching the two Dark Angels on the way.
     Hagar leads the others deeper in the complex. As they drop down to the next level, they are met with bolter fire. Unfortunately for the Dark Angels, they seem to be meeting the Wolves individually. The Space wolves simply over power the guardians that were left. Hagar senses something amiss, a scent of something old. He sends  a team to one of the holding cells and he follows the scent toward the other. The two Grey Hunters make it to the hallway that leads to their objective. The blast doors are sealed tightly. Attempts to blow the door fails, time and again.
    Hagar, on his way to the other, catches sight of the origin of the smell that led him further  and further in.  Then he catches sight of veterans left to dispatch the intruders. Hagar growls and charges the green armor soldiers, He quickly dispatches the first with a cleave of his frost weapon. The second puts up a fight and cuts through the armor on his right leg with his empowered claws and destroying the plates a second time today. The gravity of such an offense again infuriates the lone wolf. He picks up the marine and forcibly inserts him into the blast doors until he stops moving. Then the blast doors open.
     Brynjar makes his way to the control. One of the servitors move up and remove the door from the tracks in one clean swipe of his power fist. The cybernetic enhanced human is no match for the two veterans that wait on the other side, Brynjar watches the cyber eye pulse out as he charges into the warriors guarding the control room. His armor holds up to all the onslaught of attacks that batter at him. Then, slowly, calculatingly, he grabs both veterans with power fists from his servo harness and toss them limply into the corners of the room.
      The Iron Priest walks into the room and take control of the facility. Servitors assisting at the console. A third marine lays on the floor of the control room. His blue armor battle worn but not seriously damaged. The headset showing strange green arcs jumping from node to node and back to the librarian's skull.
    Brynjar scans the complex, opens the doors for Hagar. Then he notices two remaining Dark Angels heading toward one of the underground escape hatches. He realizes the fight here is over. He leads them to the exit and redirects his own Grey Hunters away. No one else needs to die today.
    Hagar scans the room. The holding cell is empty. The scent leads from the room. The scent is from a Space Wolf. The Lone Wolf immediately takes up the hunt for the occupant of the cell. The trail leads down some corridors and out an open hatch. Hagar is back outside.

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

        Hey guys. Yes, yes. I know I have been gone too long for some of my avid readers. For that, I, oh so humbly, apologize. I could tell you a story of too much stuff to do or how crazy my personal life has been or that seventh edition has got me in a confused on what to play or so on, blah... blah .... blah. I know that know one wants to read about that, so let's move on.

       I have been getting some painting done. First off, my pretty purple warp spiders. Deadly, fast and durable, They will make a great addition into my Eldar army. I did an awful lot of color testing on these guys. They were black, red, light green, I think they were even a burnt orange color. I just couldn't come up with colors that fit the theme and still have them correspond to the Samm-Haim theme of my Eldar army. This is what I finally came up with and I couldn't be happier. I plan to do my harlequins in similar colors, just a bit brighter.

   Then came the Dire Avengers. They just cried to get finished. I think these minis have been blue in my Eldar drawer for more years than I can remember. I'm still not thrilled with the shuriken catapults, which is the big reason I haven't painted them or the forty-some guardians I own. I decided to go with a dark blue and then just edge  the guns to make the lines look more sharp. Instead they came out a little weathered looking, which isn't bad either. The red in the plumes and hoses bring them back to the craft world. My Eldar drawer still has ten of these to cheer up from their blue state.

   The next part to the story will be coming soon. I have been putting some work into this part because it is a major turning point in how the story progresses from here. So, please stay tuned for the next segment.

    The last thing I wanted to mention is my good friend, Steve, has his store back to full working order, if that's possible for a hobby store. And I got to say he is actually my local neighborhood game store. The store is only a few blocks from where I am currently writing. Anybody in the Allentown, Pa area that needs a place to rolls some dice or get your hobby supplies come over and check it out and tell him I sent you.
 Dragonhead Hobby and Games
2905 W Emaus Ave Allentown, PA 18103

Plan B!

    The sounds of battle echo from just beyond the fortress. Bolter fire and plasma crashing into steel and sounds of the wounded fills the air. This is not just a scuffle over territory from two rival clans. Something in this tussle was deeper. A grievance that runs deeper than any other in the Imperium. No two enemies have studied their foes as have these two. No greater separation of edicts come from the worlds of man than these two. The Space Wolves, with their impetuous spirit, and the stubborn and dedicated Dark Angels are equally honored in the eyes of the Emperor. Yet, this fray is not about the Emperor's graces or how many trophies sit in their great halls. This is a story that must not be seen by the Emperor's agents. Either side, or both, could be branded heretics. The blood on this battlefield is that of brothers. Ragnar knows that this chess match cannot continue. It must be finished as quickly and thoroughly as possible. The secrets contained in this vault should not be released and, definitely not in the hands of a Dark Angel.

    While the Wolf Lord leads the charge to the front gates. His loyal Wolves taking the full onslaught of what the Dark Angels can muster. The Wolf Lord noticed one thing that may sway this all in his favor, one minor flaw in the defenders. There is no sign of a company master or even a chaplain. the only commander on the field is a librarian. That little fact gives Ragnar the confidence he needs to turn the tide to his favor. For a librarian is versed in all rites of war, but they are not the diligent commanders that win wars. So as the the battle rages on, a lone wolf with a squad of Grey Hunters and his personal wolves sneak around the back door of the fortress. Their only goal is to get in that building. Unfortunately, just as they make their way of of the cover of woods, a shot is fired from the wall of the citadel, hitting a Grey Hunter square in the chest. The plasma blast melts armor and flesh. The Lone Wolf, Hagar, counts out the enemies and quickly assess target priority. Three soldiers of the ten stand out as high priority. The first is that blasted plasma gunner, next, the heavy bolter hiding behind cover, and the last is the Sergeant, only notable by his sword writhed with electricity. Hagar issues commands to each of the men and heads directly for his target, the door.

      The Space Wolves moved forward with their normal version of tactical aggression, trading shots with the defenders of the citadel. They need to eliminate those few defenders. Hagar takes advantage of the sergeant's boldness and sends his wolves to take care of the him. With one word, "Play!" the wolves charge away from their master and barrel into the sergeant, adeptly knocking his sword wide. Hagar, himself, charges at the Dark Angel raining round after round from his heavy bolter. At that same moment, another Grey Hunter falls to the deadly accuracy of a plasma gun in the hands of a Dark Angel. 

    The remaining Wolves howl as they charge the defender's line. Even as the stalwart marines fire their final rounds before receiving the charge, the plasma gun flashes back, incapacitating the firer. The field evens out again. With only half the marines that met here moments ago, things seem grim for both sides. The wolves are still pinning down the sergeant. If only he could get his weapon to bear on one of these creatures, things would be different. Just then, the opening he was looking for appeared. He brought his fist down on the first wolf and fired one bolt pistol shell into the front leg of the wolf, putting it of the fight. The other went down soon after. But it was too late. With only two other of his fellow marines on the field, he sees the only thing that means failure in his eyes. 

    

       The heavy weapon armed Dark Angel could not hold back the fury of a Lone Wolf in close combat. He is easily knocked aside and stunned long enough for Hagar to make a break for the door. As soon as he starts his sprint to enter the building, the door starts closing. Hagar throws his body into the doorway. The last thing he hears before losing consciousness is the sound of the hydraulics of the door straining to shut and the crunch of armor and bone under the intense pressure. He  is in!

A different veiw on things

        Well, there has been a lot of interesting things that have come out of Games Workshop since I put up a regular post. With Orks and psychers running amok over everyone's table top. The interesting part for me is simply the changes for 7th edition. As an old school 40k player, I love the changes that were made. I can now play with all the wonderful models that I bought and loving assembled and painted. I know for myself and many others out there, I can not count the hours I have spent on this hobby (not to mention the dollars). Thank you to the designers for the 7th edition rules set, not to mention the new books.

    Anyway.... Now that I have rambled on like a fan boy in the proverbial candy shop. I can get to the story I really wanted to write about tonight.

    I was at work the other day. For those who don't know, I am an auto technician by day. The job I was working at the time was a trailer hitch installation. Easy enough, one would think. There was one part of the job that spark my creative juices. The rear fascia needs to be cut out for the hitch to fit properly. So, like anyone in my field, I pulled out my pneumatic saw and cut out the fascia. Then, I look at it. I guess for the first time. I see this jagged line that the air saw caused. This cracked, marred piece of plastic is a representation of the best laid plans that the manufacturer thought was "good enough" for the owner of this brand new $30,000 car. Then, I looked at it through the eyes of a modeler and painter. This was unacceptable. So, I went to work as if it were one of the models I care about so much, not just following the directions given to me. I break out a Xacto knife and files and clean this rugged line to the point that no will notice that it was ever cut. Next, touch up paint turned that black plastic to the crystal white that the rest of the car was. As I was standing there looking at my work of art, at least in my eyes, I realized that when this car is on the ground and the customer is hooking up their trailer that they will probably never know what extra attention that their car received from my "artistic" hands.

     The morale of this story for me is, if I had not been a modeler and painter of little army men, I may have never looked at this cut/ mold line as something that warranted extra attention. I hope that all you modelers out there noticed the things you do different just because you are a modeler.

Thanks for reading this. I thought it warranted some space on the internet. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Old grudges never die.

      Ragnar Blackmane stands on the fourth planet of Avignor. Two of the planets three moons are in the sky over the wolf lord. After the two week journey to the star system, he still has not heard from whoever opened one of "his" vaults. No one was ever supposed to find this one. Yet here he was. The drone on the generator is heard just under the natural sounds of the night. Only the keen senses of the Space Wolves would notice the hum of a plasma generator on the far side of the compound. He could see the occasional light of sentries walking the battlements.
     "We might need our blades after all." Ragnar says to the Blood Claws that are crouched around him. One of less restrained jumped at the words as if to charge the structure all by himself. The warriors of Fenris could hardly contain their excitement. Not only do the they get to blood their chainswords, but they get to do it with the lord.
     "Voggr, get your squad in your Land Raider," the wolf lord orders to the Wolf Guard just on the other side of the hill, "Keep out of sight. Wait for my command."
        "Yes, Lord Blackmane." come the response.
       Then, just as Ragnar goes to issue the rest of his orders another voice cuts in. "Leave, Lord Blackmane!" the derision over the comm is palpable. "You need not interfere here. This is our fortress. Leave now or we will be forced to drive you away."
      Even as Ragnar starts to respond the signal goes down. A roar of frustration leaps from the lungs of the wolf lord and is echoed by all his wolves. The howls pierce the darkness and the rest of the wilds go deathly silent. The howls did not get the reaction that the Wolf Lord had hoped for. Even as he and his warriors come out of their position, shots from the fortress rang out. Despite the woodland cover and the darkness of predawn light, a few of the shots still fall some of his men. " These are not some rabble, boys, prepare for a fight!" yells Ragnar.  Just as he orders his Wolf Guard forward, a shot flashes the sight on the front of the land raider, causing the crew to hesitate enough to stall their advance. Bolter fire and missiles are launched from every position of the battlements. These intruders are organized. They certainly are military. Only the Long Fangs got a hit on the defenders of the building.
    The worst of all fears are noticed as the wolves close nearer to the structure. These are Astartes! The Wolf lord once again howls, but this is to signal a charge towards the structure. This base cannot fall to dark forces. It is far to powerful to be turned to Chaos. "We must take that building and this time we will raze it to the ground! For the All Father! Charge them!" Blackmane bellows for all the wolves to hear. "They must not have it." he states plainly, mostly to himself.
     The Land Raider starts to roll again just as a blinding light flashes just off to one side of it and six hulking figures the color of dried bone materialize in the light. As these figures unleash their fury on the Grey Hunters, the return fire puts them all on the ground. The Long fangs continue trading blows with the defenders of the tower and the Blood Claws charge directly towards the battlements. The defenders of the fortress rain shells and laser fire from their perches. The krakstorm missiles taking marines out of the fight with every volley fired.
    As the Space Wolves advance across the field, a Grey Hunter named Rud notices the markings on the bone armor hulks. Everyone, especially the Wolves, know this symbol. It is the marking of the Deathwing, veterans of the Dark Angels chapter. This is not good. Astartes should not be killing each other. As Rud is disturbed at the thought, so he noticed the Dark Angels are as well. All save one. The Librarian on the battlements is fighting with the righteous zeal that any of the Emperor's finest should. Still the Sons of Russ push on. The Wolf Lord deems it. He must know.
     Rud watches as Wolves fall to the bolters of the Dark Angels, but still they press further. Blood Claws are lost with every volley of fire. But still they advance. When the Blood Claws reach the building there is only one and Ragnar and a wolf Guard. Even the prowess of the Dark Angels' boltguns could not keep the Sons of Russ from their objective. But as tactical marines are cut down by frost blades, the only blue clad marine in sight enters the building. The door into the structure becoming super heated then cooled fusing door and wall together. They will need some powerful plasma cutters to open the door now. The outside of the fortress falls to the Wolf Lord. The secrets are still locked inside with the Dark Angels Librarian. This is the very thing that Ragnar did not want to occur. This is not a proud day for anyone on this field today. Good thing there is always a back up plan.
       

Liebster Awards!

I just found out a few days ago I was given a Liebster Award. I really want to thank Green Stuff Industries for listing me as a recipient and recommending my blog to others in the community. 

We have had a meager 6k hits in the year and a half that I have been writing. Though I can't believe it is that many.

So here's the deal with the Liebster Awards.

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog linking it to the blogger who has given it you.
2. Pass the award to your top 5 blogs with less than 200 followers by leaving a comment on one of their posts to notify them that they have won the award and listing them on your own blog.
3. Sit back and bask in the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you have made someone's day!
4. There is no obligation to pass this onto someone else but it is nice if you take the time to do so.

Ok, the 5 blogs under 200 followers is:

1. Berks gaming Club

2. Turn-8 podcast (they may have more than 200, but not according to the forums)

3. Green Stuff Industries

4. There is only war

5. Rusty Robot

Now for the questions:

 

1. Why did you start blogging? I started to write mostly because I thought no was listening, and I had stuff to           say. 

2. If you could change one thing about the wargaming hobby, what would it be? I would love to make it more approachable and understandable to people outside of the community

3. What is best in life? Children, from their complete innocence to their lack of oral filters

4. Do you want to live forever? No, I would like to live long enough to see my boys find the happiness in their lives, then die quietly in my sleep

5. Fame or fortune? Fortune, I don't need people watching in my windows to see what I am wearing today

6.What miniature are you most proud you have painted? That's easy.... All of them.

7. How do you deal with burn out? Play games and write army lists. Aside from that, I take short breaks when needed

8. Why is a raven like a writing desk? I dunno

9. Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars, all the way. I just don't get Star Trek.

10.If you could only buy from one miniature company from now on, who would it be? I would have to say GW but there are so many beautiful models out there. I would hate to ever make that decision.

11. Favorite Take out? It would have to be pizza. 

Thanks again to Green Stuff Industries. It means a lot to me that I made your list. Good luck to you.

Catching the scent

        Among the sensors, dials and readouts on the instrument panel, nothing ever changes. Jovald sits and waits for something, anything to happen. What wonderful pride he had when he was selected to be part of the crew of the Valdr Kappi. His life before being recruited was hard. He was a mortal born on a super human world. His family were miners. His father and his father before him and his father before him were all miners. He could not live and work below the mountains of Fenris. He needed to be with the stars. He wanted to be a Space Wolf. Unfortunately, he was not much of a fighter, let alone, not athletic in the least. So when the opportunity to be part of the Space Wolf's imperial navy, he jumped at the chance. So now here Jovald sits. Ten hour shifts of waiting for something to happen wears thin on the exultation he had when he first signed up. "Something is happening, " he says to himself as three Astares open the door to the bridge and confront the captain. Though the Valdr Kappi is part of Ragnar Blackmane's entourage, there is never space marines on this ship. This is a sensor ship. There isn't even enough guns on this ship to defend against a single ork boy.
      Jovald can't remember the last time he had even seen one the defenders of Fenris. Now, there were three, only five feet from where he sat. There is no need to eavesdrop. The gray armored warriors are clearly upset over the recent events. Suddenly, one of the Space Wolves, Ormgar claps the leader of the group and points in the direction of Jovald. Jovald quickly turns back to his screen and notices an unusual blip on his screen.
    "What is that?" Ormgar asks the mortal.
    "It's a signal from Avignor. It looks like a f-f-fortress has been opened." Jovald stammers.
    "Captain, we need to go there." says the hairiest and eldest of the three.
    " Only the Lord can tell me where to go," barks the captain at the 8 foot tall super soldier.
     Romund looks down at the captain of the ship like a father looks down at a three year who just talked back to them, "I am trying to save your position, Captain! Blackmane will want to go there. He closed that door himself!"
       The captain, with a stark look on his face, orders plainly. " Contact Wolf Lord Blackmane. Plot our  course to Avignor. And get the Admiral on the vox."

Need more painted models!

    A thought came to me just yesterday. There has been a serious lack of painted models on this page. I have been working an a number of projects lately. Unfortunately, I don't remember specifically which models I finished so I figured I would put pics of the ones I mentioned on here. First one will be the too tall farseer.

 I always loved this model and I can't figure out why I never painted him. Finally, I have a second farseer finished for my army. Hmm. Just a thought. Maybe I should start working on my troops before I paint any more characters. Well, before I get to painting troops, I should probably finish these tanks that I start. I sat down and had a big air brushing night. It was a serious boost to my painting morale. There is a serious lack of hours in a day for everything I would like to do.

The final one I wanted to put up here is my favorite anti hero, Cypher. Another models that I have own for so long I hate to admit it, He is painted and ready for the battlefield. The inclusion of new rules for this miniature was wonderful incentive. The plan for the near future is to finish these two tanks. When they are done, I will move on to guardians, dire avengers, and warp spiders. 

Oh! By the way, the story I have been writing is the prologue to a narrative campaign that we are playing in. Stay tuned for what happens next. Thanks for following and please leave comments. I would love to here from you.

The story so far....

    The noise of battle wakens me. The deafening sound of bolter fire pierces my skull. My head aches with every blast. I am slow to rise. The dream is still alive in my thoughts. The crossroads..... Which path did I choose? Who am I leading away from the darkness? My head is still swimming with recollections from the dream. Then, the realization... "Where am I?" The words come back to my ears almost as someone else said them. The room is quaint. A bed, chest of drawers and a small chair are the only contents. Nothing adorns the walls. The bed shifts slightly as I climb out and onto my feet. At this point I realize the shots heard outside my door are real. I quickly gather my belongings and head out into the hallway.
    The corridor is bustling with activity. The movements in the hallway are almost orchestrated. There is a pattern in the seemingly chaotic surroundings around me. Military personnel  hurrying to their designated positions. One of the soldiers stop before and states what seems to be obvious and yet so much more confusing to my current state. "They are here to take it back."
       "Take what back?" is the only response I can muster.
     The soldier states " the relic."
      That simple response brings light to everything that happened  since the crossroads. The dream. Or was it a dream. I walked the road from the crossing. It led again into the woods. The whole time, I am being followed. Ghosts walk with me on this path. These are not spirits of the dead to bring dread into my soul. These are the shadows of events past and some of yet to come. I turn to see some which reflect friends who have gone from my life, only to look on others to see people I have not met yet. There is one that haunts me more than the others, the alien. The one who sees through everything. The one that seemingly guides my steps.
    The ancient diviner speaks to me yet again. He tells me of a place down the path, an ancient stronghold of my people. It has been since taken over by others like me and abandon as my people have a century ago. The specter suddenly race ahead of where I am to make a new path off the road. It is no bigger than an animal trail and probably not even used by anything larger than a wolf. I cut my way through the brush for what seems to be hours.
     Then as the undergrowth starts to clear. I can see an angel in the distance. It is huge, three stories tall, on the side an immense fortification. I want to see more, but I am stopped by the spirit of the seer. "If you enter, you my find who you seek, but you will draw the wolves to your doorstep."
     "Who am I looking for?" I ask. I know the answer, but I need the confirmation.
     "He who is the the greatest hope... or the greatest threat, the bearer of the sword. I fear to speak the name lest he manifest here to slay me."
       "If that is true, I must go in." I state as I brush through the spirit. I need to find the entrance.
     "When those doors are opened, they cannot be resealed. You will bring the wolves down upon us all!" the spectral voice now coming from inside my mind warns.
       "Then so be it! What can a mere wolf do to the likes of me!" The determination rises in my very soul. "I will not be swayed from this course. If I find him it will change everything." With all the strength from the very pit of my soul, I open the door to the fortress. The lights flicker on as the building comes to life. Before I close the the door behind me, I look out into the countryside. The spirits are all gone. The only break in the stillness of twilight is the baying of a single wolf at the newly risen moon. "Let the wolves come! This is my home now!"
            SLAM!!

       

What up, Shorty!

 


     Happy Friday evening! First off, I want to wish good luck and good games to everyone playing at Adepticon this weekend. It doesn't matter what game you play, I hope the dice gods bless every roll. For those who have already won, Congratulations! For those who didn't, don't forget to register for next year.
Ok. Enough about a convention that I am no where near.

         Then, I see on the GW website that the Codex: Astra Militarium is on preorder along with a Hydra tank variant. That made me think of something. There are a number of conversions that I wanted to post on here. My hydra, which is actually an easy make with the right bits. Though I must admit, I wasn't prepared for this when I sat down to write. So I don't upset the balance in my house, I will post pictures over the weekend. I will also put up some pictures of my current projects.

          About a week ago I sat down to paint a farseer for my Eldar project. As I was working, the lure of things unknown pulled on me. It brought me to one of the most mysterious characters in Warhammer 40k galaxy....... Cypher. Since then, I have been working diligently on one character that reads the fates and makes corrections and one that makes fate happen. Both of these individuals' bios are so deep and immersive and all that I see when I look at these figures is...... Cypher is SHORT!!!!

Out of the Darkness!

    As I climb from the depths that my recent journey has taken me, I come up to a cross roads. "Which way will bring back to the pathways of light?" I say only for myself to hear. Both appear to be the same, dark and seldom traveled paths. I check for tracks in the dirt. Though my woodland skills are not the best, I find faint foot prints leading to the left. So off to the left I go. I walk nearly a mile before I notice it. The shadows draw near. Before I can even start to run, that awful noise assaults my senses. My mind echoes the shriek that my ears are deaf to. The cacophony brings me to my knees instantly, holding my ears to block it out. My vision starts to blur. The pain is unbearable, then instantly gone. As my vision clears, I look up to see what at first I think to be ghosts.

 Suddenly, I wish it were specters to torture my soul. What I found was much worse, they were Howling Banshees. These warriors are trained for the quick, silent death. The leader was wielding a staff with blades on either end. The blades crackle with some ancient power that only the Eldar understand. She motions me to my feet and leads me further down the path. My thoughts leading me in all directions. Should I run? Should I try to overtake them? All I need is one of those swords. Unfortunately, they seem to be one step ahead of me at all times. So on I walk.

They lead me down the path further and further. It seems to go on for days. The seemingly simple animal trail widens to streets then to avenues with flowing gardens. They march me straight up to a large building. It seems like the road was only meant to go to this particular building.The banshees stop as if some invisible force would not let them cross. So, I climb the steps leading to the grand entryway of the structure. The building is old, but very well kept. The steps are flanked by large statues holding their alien weapons as if they were still at war. As I reach the top step, all of the statues come to life to block my egress. I'm not sure which is worse: the living warriors moving like ghosts or long dead Eldar trapped in a machine just to make further war. Well, no where to go but in.
     Before I can walk into this manor that time seems to have forgotten, a figure emerges from the depths. The being is wrapped in loosely flowing robes. He says nothing, just puts his left hand on my forehead. Suddenly, colors and visions jump and dance in my mind. When everything comes together, I see before me more of these automatons and walkers much larger than them. I see heavily armored beings teleporting around and unleashing their own brand of death. I see warriors with shuriken launching guns. Finally, I see this figure and I know what I see. I see the future. The Eldar will soon go to war. It is my job to get them there. Then everything goes dark on me.
   When next I open my eyes, I am at the crossroads. Instead of the dark pathways that I have been traveling, the sun is shining. My way is clear. "Follow me!" I announce, only suspecting someone was listening.

From even darker places

            Good Evening. While my thoughts are in dark places, I wanted to touch on a grim subject. Truly darker than the grim dark of 40k. Darker than the eternal struggles of Warhammer fantasy. What do you do when the games goes to a bad spot? Let's say you are playing a game with one of your buddies. This is your typical t, beer ( or soda for you under age gamers ) and pretzels, Friday night game. Your dice turn to a bad place, or one perfectly placed ordinance shot wipes out your "killer" unit. What do you do? Your options could include to rage quit. We all have seen this at one point or another. The yelling, red faced, miniature or dice throwing that rears his ugly head when things go terribly wrong. You can laugh about it, but we have, all of us, have seen this creature. Nobody wants to, but this abomination has more sightings than  U.F.O.s  in Nevada. This situation is BAD! This is a horrible situation. The worst part of this is when you are in a tournament of 60 or 100 or even more people. In a room full of people, where everyone has their eye on the first place prize. There is a lot of tension and it is easier to lose your cool.

   How do we diffuse this situation? Here are a couple ways to stop a bad time before it starts. There, of course, is two sides to this story. The first is the carrier's side. This spawn is usually seeded days before the game. Whether your job sucks or your better half didn't want you to to be out or a host of other problems gnawing at you. Put it away, when you get your army on the table. Next is "Bad Dice." Everyone has been a victim. Remember, if it was for the randomness of the dice, we would be able to put the models on the table & declare a winner. That's no fun. Then there is the tragic deployment, or worse yet, the "I forgot to move/ shoot that unit" otherwise known as the "Dumb Ass Move." The only thing to do is get past it. Find a new way to use that unit for the rest of the match, because the worst part of this is you will most likely lose the game over beating yourself up. Not the bad move.

     Now for the awkward side of this. The opponent. Your part in this equation could be absolutely nothing. I don't need to say this, but just be friendly. If the person across from you is starting to have the tell tale tremors, slow down, make sure they understand what is going on. Make sure you are not, purposely or subconsciously, gloating. Ask them what is bothering them. If it is a friendly game, maybe, start over. Offer them a drink. Remember, soda for those underage. That might be just enough for them to collect themselves, or make you seem like less of an ass. Always, I mean always, if things get tough. take a break. Engage them on something other than the game.

     I hope these tips help. Remember this is a social game. If we are not all having fun, Is it really worth putting all the money into it that we do. Let's all have fun. Good night for now.

From a Dark Place

      Hi guys and girls. Today, I come back from that very dark hole I have been hiding in to bring you my latest creations. Today, at least on my dining room table, the dead rise again.... Through the darkest parts of my ambitions, and a push from my local store owner. My zombie project has come to fruition. Thirty corpses come to feed on your souls, eat your brains, and deny you kill points.

   These will be a great addition to any Nurgle themed Chaos Space Marines army. I need to get one of the Death Warden miniatures or Typhon for a Typhus stand in.

  With these done, I have decided to keep the Book of the Dead open just a little while longer. With that ancient tome in one hand and some spirit stones in the other. I plan to raise the dead one more time. We shall see what the runes foretell.....

Tyranids are dead!

    We have heard it everywhere. Almost every podcast, forum, blog and Google search will tell you how terrible the new codex is. So, I guess we should pack up all your models for the next update.

If only one guardsman could kill a bug that big!

That just seems absurd to me. I'm willing to help out with that. If you think that there is no need to keep those hungry little buggers in the closet for the next three to five years, send them to me. I will give you credit for the models you send to me in exchange for painting services. Just give me an idea of you have to get rid of and what you want painted. Any army, any game system, any models. Even if you just want assembly and base coating.  I will give you a reasonable credit. Just e-mail me or message me with the information. You can also hit me on Facebook.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Ways to break a slump

       Hello. Tonight, I wanted to talk about something that happens to all of us, not just in our hobby but in anything that takes as much time and devotion. It goes by many names and comes about almost anytime. I have heard called too many things to list here. Sometimes called the blahs, case of the Mondays, new game release or just need a break, the "Slump" hits all of us. You know that time when you are uninspired or overwhelmed or even just uninterested in painting or modeling. I have been putting some thought into this lately.

     This is usually my time of year for the slump to creep up on me. Especially years like this one. If you live in the north east like I do, It feels like we haven't seen the sun in months. You go to work, it is dark. You come home, it is dark. Then on top of that is the winter wonderland around me. Don't get me wrong! The snow is a beautiful sight falling so serenely outside your window while you are inside sipping your warming beverage of choice. I like to mix it up, cocoa, coffee, scotch, in no set pattern. Then there is the slipping and sliding and shoveling and the snow blowing and a couple "S" words I don't really want to put in here. And there it is creeping up on me again.

   Today is different. Today, I want to talk about beating the slump away. First thing I do to beat away the dread of winter is to read. Whether it is "Blood of Asaheim" to inspire your Wolf Lord project or the new James Patterson book, a novel or audio book can  put you in a completely different world. Either way, get immersed into a world than your own.

    If you don't read much, you can also play a game. Video games, either console or PC, tend to be very story oriented. Even some of the more basic point & click games have some great back story. Or the very opposite end of the spectrum, is the hack and slash, "Do I really need a reason to behead my 754th orc other than to see the blood hit the TV screen?" game. While it has little depth, it is a wonderful distraction.
 
    The last, and the one that I employ a great deal is to start a new project. Usually, the idea of new models hitting the table is always inspiring. I use this even when I just can't come up with a new scheme or when I am overwhelmed by the enormity of a project. If you don't have a different set of models, you can also break your project into smaller sections. Painting a 2000 point army of Tyranids or Orks can be a scary endeavor, but if you break it down to one unit at a time. Things won't look so bleak. When I painted my fortress of redemption. I painted the tower then move onto to the lower sections. that made it so much easier to realize when I was just painting the tower section.

    So, in closing, Don't  get discouraged with your slump. That only leads to the dark side. If your slump gets to be too much for you, just make it orc #755. Thanks and keep inspired.

Imperial Fist scouts

      My first customer demand project came out good. These scout models would be a great addition to an army looking for a cheap Space Marine ally.
I ended up finishing them with a brown static grass base.
   My next few projects are interesting ones. Keep an eye out here for what is next to come.

Autarch finished!

   Empires have risen and fell in the time it took for him to follow just one path. And almost the same amount of time from when this model was purchased to this day. Today,  He is ready to fight!

The Plague comes agan.

       The sun rose over the tree line. Following the sun from the east came a lone skimmer. Over the comm came one statement. "Here they come." Chapter Master Uriel starts barking commands. "The Plague has come, but it will not take this shrine." This shrine was damaged during a recent civilian uprising. Uriel brought a detachment of the 5th company and some Ravenwing to scout for a leader to this uprising. They found much more than they ever expected. They found the enemy of all Space Marines. They found Lord Blight. A lord and worshiper of the dark forces. A follower of Nurgle. Unfortunately, they were spotted and followed back to this shrine. Now, not only that rabble, but worse, much worse, came to take this shrine. Plague Marines were spotted across the river from here.
     The Dark Angels prepare for this assault from the dark forces that come this way. "Hold your ground! We will not fail." Leaving only a squad in the shrine, the rest of the marines setup in the woods nearby. The roaring engines of the Ravenwing echoed off the far side of the shrine. The first shots are fired from the auto cannons on the hill to the south.  Then, the cultists' guns blaring away in random directions and strangely taking down two marines in the process. Then, the bolters of the Dark Angels let loose, mowing down about half of the cultists. The devastators fired on the Havocs, taking down two of the infected.
        The bloated armored bodies of the Plague Marines crossed the river onto the consecrated land, tainting the very water at its source. The black riders prepared to stop these infernal abominations from this holy land. Launching a drive by, only to be caught by three diseased knives. Only by the skills of the riders did they escape certain death. Havoks continued to trade shots with the devastators creating a bridge of bullets and laser fire between the two hills. And the pestilence marches forward.
       The squad leaves the shrine to take cover near a fallen aquilla, seizing the opportunity to destroy one of the last plague marines. While the Ravenwing finish off the other squad, Holy bolter fire work on whittling down the heretics. The sorcerer of the dark lord fled before being slain. Finally, seeing the defense of the shrine more than he could handle even the dark lord, himself, teleported back to his cruiser. The shrine was save for today. A new honor guard will be left at the shrine. Uriel has a new fiend to hunt this day.

Open Spaces

      Well, It has been an interesting week to say the least. Last week I announced that I am starting some commission painting. I did not expect much feedback or serious inquiries. I did expect some "how much for this?" or "what do you do ?" Though I did not get much inquiries, I did get an incredibly positive response. I think making this announcement made me a few online friends.
   Then when things were started to calm down. I went to my local friendly game store. I had a nice chat with the owner. He offered me a display case in the store to show off my skills. So, now I am getting some minis together for the case. I would like to thank Steve from Dragon's Head Games for giving some space in his store.
    Other than that, I finished my Autarch made some progress on the howling banshees. And, for anyone that saw my miniatures that I put up on facebook. I drybrushed those terribly flat Swooping Hawks that we had so much trouble trying to photograph. What an incredible improvement a little detail work does to those old models. Now, I want to paint the newer ones I have (which I probably had those for 5 years.) Time to get busy.

Any advice?

I have to admit, since having my 2 children, I have gotten somewhat out of the loop when it comes to the best forums and places to find other people's blogs. Does anyone out there have some good sources for me to check out to find sources for me to get more involved in the online gaming community? I am looking for all kinds of tabletop gaming including 40K, historical, LOTR. Thank you in advance for your help.

A change of procedure.

     Today is a new day. After some recent developments and a small push from my friends and a huge push from my wife! ( Thanks, Sweetheart!) Today is the day I announce that Table Ready Painting is progressing into a commission based painting service. Hooray! I have been helping some friends of mine with their painting and conversions for years. Even to this day I have scenery and models to paint for other people, from the Protectorate of Menoth to Nurgle plague marines to a chapel for city terrain.
     The last few weeks I have been preparing for this announcement. The last thing I did was getting professional pictures done of some of my miniatures. I will be adding them onto my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/TableReadyPainting I wanted to thank Karen for all her help. Before today she had never seen a Warhammer miniature. So if you like the pics, you can look at more of her pictures on her Etsy page. PictureYourMemories
 So, as of today, I am looking for anyone that wants models assembled, painted, and/ or converted. I'm looking for any miniatures, any game systems. Please message me on Facebook or e-mail me at tablereadypainting@Gmail.com for pricing and availability. Thank you in advance.

Battle Report: Stop the crusade!

        I know this is a little bit late. (Sorry Chris) But here is the battle report from our last Imperial Guard vs. Chaos Marine throw down. I'm gonna apologize for the lack of pictures once again. I need to be a little smarter when I start to play and attach the camera to my right hand. I decide to break out my guardsmen roll a little tumble. 1500 points was our limit. I got close. Chris, of course, got right on the money. I set up the terrain in NOVA Open style with a Tzeentch theme of a large sorcerer's tower in the middle amid woods and swamps. That choice was more for aesthetics and theme. What a beautiful table layout. I knew Chris would be proud to put his Thousand Sons on this board. Then, he showed up with Abbadon and a mostly unmarked Chaos marine army. We'll see if I theme a table for him anytime soon...

     The game went from there. We played the Scouring again with the diagonal deployment zones . For some reason, that is our most common fight lately. I got First turn and ran with it. I was playing 2 Leman Russes and a Manticore with a platoon and 2 vet squads, 1 in a chimera and the other in a Valkyrie. And with no night fighting, I began to shower his side of the board with long range fire. His army consisted of Abbadon with some slaneesh terminators, some chosen, a forge fiend, and chaos marine squads. I commend him for a very different list than usual. Unfortunately for him, nothing he had was very fast or long ranged. So I got 2 good turns of shooting on his troops before he dropped his terminators right in front of my firing line. And in case you don't know. Lasguns do NOT kill terminators. Especially with Abbadon divvying up the wounds when necessary.

   We decided to call the game on turn 4. Why, you wonder? Well..... We had very few troops and only a Valkyrie on the table. They were all going to die or be absurdly overwhelmed on a contested objective. In other words, on turn 5, there would have, decisively,  been no scoring units to hold objectives. I got first blood. Both of us had line breaker and neither had a chance at killing the warlord. Though it was a victory for me, I'm sure Abbadon and his terminators would have been chasing my command squad right after they killed everyone else in range. I'm looking forward for the next game and a camera in my hand at that time.

The state of the game

      Good morning and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine was fine. Thank you. I have had little time to myself & hobby time over this period, between preparations, visits, and the day to day stuff that goes on in my regular life. Though, there is one thing that keeps bugging me terribly. When I did get to forums and podcasts in the past couple week, I was incredibly surprised and disappointed about the amount of negativity and immediate denial of all the new material we got for 40 k in this past month. With 2 new books and data slates from the advent calendar, isn't this what all the old timers loved about this game? Wasn't this the way rogue trader and 2nd edition like? I started playing Warhammer 40000 in 2nd edition. I remember when I bought my first Eldar squads. Those units I bought all those years ago wouldn't even make a feasible list now, even with how "out of control" these expansions are claimed to be. When planet strike came out, there was not this kind of hatred towards a new way to play the game. The people that didn't like it didn't play. Period. Why is it so much different today? The community has been asking for more content. Well, you got it. If you don't like the way Escalation plays, Don't include it in your group. To me, It is Apocalypse light and that is it. We won't be playing here unless we agree to, just like Planet Strike, or Cities of Death or Kill Team or 1250 points games or Battle Fleet Gothic. Sometimes that's what we want to play and sometimes we don't. It's a game. It's our game. I even heard it called a gentleman's game. Let's play the game we want to play it. If it's not fun where you are playing, you can always come visit me for a game. Please feel free to comment on this. I would be interested in hearing other people's opinions.