*Best Hugo Weaving impression* Hail, lizards and friends of old, and welcome to this blog. I'm posting this a few days early from the turn of the year, as is tradition. Any further 2024 painting prep will be posted here, although models finished before end of year will be added to the 2023 thread. As you may well know, I log my painting progress each year and this main post becomes a list of everything I've painted. I assign points values based on size and complexity as a form of inspiration to continue to paint. My goal is normally 365 miniatures or equivalents per year. I am adding a secondary goal of 1000 miniatures or equivalents painted this year, as I need to clear some of my pile of opportunity. To stand testament to my progress, my tracker and self imposed rules are below, to be edited as necessary. Wargamers Challenge 2024 = 354 main scales Rules: Main scales are 1/72 and 28mm Smalls encompasses anything smaller than 20mm (1/72) plus starships Standard infantry count as one for painting Cavalry count as two for painting ogre sized models count as two for painting. This includes arguably ogre sized infantry models such as primaris and stormcast. Monsters count as anywhere between 3-10, depending on size (see below) Chariots count as 5 for painting Transports count as 5 Battle Tanks count as 5 Behemoths for AoS start out at 5, more if justified. Fliers/aircraft count as 5-10 depending on size. Larger models determined on a case by case basis RECORD OF MINIATURES PAINTED: Grand Alliance Death: 1 blood knight (counts as 3 - complexity) 1 wight king battle standard bearer 1 abhorrent archregent on throne (counts as 1) 1 abhorrent Gorewarden (counts as 3) 1 varghulf courtier (counts as 2) 3 Crypt Horrors (ogre-sized) 50 crypt ghouls 20 Crypt Guard 3 Morbheg Knights (count as 2 each) 1 chalice of Ushoran Endless spell (counts as 2) Grand Alliance Destruction: Grand Alliance Order: 5 Saurus Warriors Yndrasta, prime huntress of Sigmar (counts as 4) 5 Stormcast Vindictors (Count as 2 each) Grand Alliance Chaos: 40k: Warhammer, The Old World: 39 skeleton warriors with spears - army of Ka-Sabar 30 skeleton warriors with swords - Army of Ka-Sabar 10 skeleton archers - army of Ka-Sabar 1 siamese bone giant - army of ka-Sabar (counts at 10, difficulty and size) 2 skeleton chariots ( counts as 5 each) 10 skeleton spear cavalry (counts as 2 each) 10 skeleton heavy sword cavalry (counts as 2 each) 10 skeleton Archer cavalry (count as 2 each) Gheb'nekepf, Tomb of the Betrayer (bone giant, counts as 5) 3 tomb swarms 10 chaos dwarf blunderbuss Infantry Kings of War: 1 chief engineer Leonardo da Miragliano miniature, Guild Myrmidian 1 Jeff, supposed destroyer of Airships, Guild Myrmidian 5 swordsmen, Guild Myrmidian 10 elven Greatswords, used for the Guild Myrmidian 5 exotic fusiliers - Guild Myrmidian 1 swordsmen - Guild Myrmidian 5 knights/heavy cavalry - guild Myrmidian (1/2 - horses in progress, 1 horse complete) 4 crab-men heavy infantry Historical: 1 x 3 man Aztec command stand 2 Aztec shorn ones 1 samurai general on foot 4 Ashigaru with Yari Misc: 1 female dwarf engineer for an acquaintance. 2 figures for experimentation with rattle can varnish 1 Gurney from Dune 1 test Fremen with projectile weapon Commission pieces: 10 savage orcs for kevin 15 kruleboyz gutrippaz for kevin
Those skeletons above plus a bunch more have been primed. I've received notice that my order of shields has been shipped. So I will have shields for the skeletons soon. Other small amounts of prep have been done. I'm hoping we will have confirmation on base sizes for WH:TOW in January.
Thoughts regarding plans for January: personal matter away from paint desk Jan 3rd-6th Which means I have to paint on Monday the first to get a head start on things. last 3 weeks of january calendar idea 1: Monday = Build night Tuesdays = Undead projects Wednesday = Historical projects Thursday = Guild Myrmidian night Friday thru sunday = whatever I feel like.
Lizards, It's time of rev the painting engines. Update as of 6:00 p.m.: my painting desk is completely cleaned and reorganized. I have a selection of partially painted miniatures ready to go for midnight. Mainly I just didn't get the dregs and final pieces I was working on finished before New years. They will cement my start of painting for 2024. Brush cleaning tubs are soaking in paint stripper to clean them. I need to get more Shields primed for models in need, but I also have some prior engagement preparations to do tonight. What I'm basically saying is that I am going to be busy all night and into the morning painting.
First 5 models of the year: Vintage Saurus. And 10 kruleboyz for my commission client. I have 2 stages + touch ups left on these.
5 human swordsmen for the guild Myrmidian 1 Warhammer Leonardo da vinci 1 Jeff, supposed destroyer of airships
Conversion idea for later use: Combine the upcoming Xerxes model from Atlantic digital combined with the Egyptian skeleton set from same to make a tomb king/litch in robes being carried on a palanquin of some type.
Regarding the recent Flesh Eater courts special edition box set. I asked two local hobby stores that carry GW (I don't) and had the limited box in stock to price match the set to $170. Which is roughly 15% off. I brought screenshots of 6 different stores with that price. Neither would price match. I try to support my locals when I want items I don't carry in my store, but I'm not giving them $30 I don't need to, just to get the set today. Amazon it is. And it will be here Sunday. At least the court will get its reinforcements.
20 skeleton warriors. 3d printed shields. They are not finished, and are awaiting bases from my usual MDF supplier. Other than that though, they are complete.
The FEC boxed set arrived. sprues are interesting, although as per usual with GW each kit is a jigsaw puzzle. The battletome is great. They've nailed the "Deluded knightly realms" aspect. The new lore snippet that the delusion has caused the underworlds of these courts to resist the pull of the Shyish Nadir is hilarious. Despite this, I found the length of the lore section to be short. They could have fit another story or two. New concept for my court though: King chosen by Ushoran, whose herald guided him to a pool of shimmering water (congealed blood) from which a necrotized arm bearing a sword emerged. This new set will be March-Warden Tendonchew, the knightly captain of my yet unamed kings household "cavalry" who believes himself to be born aloft by a noble pegasus, when in actual fact he has grown wings.
And, after reading the battle tome, I cleared sprues of regular ghouls and not the new stuff. Also 2 more eagle warriors.
Tiachcahuan, "leader" of a Calpulli ("large houses" - an administrative locale based on "families". In the Nahuatl language family means those you live with, not blood relations. Basically, a leader of the warrior levy of an administrative locale. He wears a carved wooden helmet, and based upon the sculpture of this one it is likely he is a minor Noble who has previously served the empire in the Jaguar warriors order. As a symbol of rank or deeds, it is likely that a man of his status would be gifted armbands made from gold by the king. He also wears Ichcahuīpīlli padded armor, and a Ehuatl. The latter is a close sewn garment covered in feathers. Sometimes this would extend upwards over the cotton armor, similarly to a tunic. For this attempt, I just kept to The kilt / skirt. The Tiachcahuan wields a Macahuitil sword with embedded obsidian blades, and has a chimali shield for defense. Chimali were made from leather, plant material and feathers. The symbol on the shield is a xicalcoliuhqui. To quote a fusion of 3 sources, " The motif is associated with many ideas, and is variously thought to depict water, waves, clouds, lightning, a serpent or serpent-deity like the mythological fire or feathered serpents, as well as more philosophical ideas like cyclical movement, or the life-giving connection between the light of the sun and the earth, and it may have been a protection against death, but no single meaning is universally accepted." Drums, here manned by commoners from the same Calpul, were an integral part of battlefield communication in Aztec warfare. They were often used in concert with smoke signals to direct troop movements.
I'll fix that image momentarily. Primed 20 ghouls, 5 other infantry and a single eagle warrior. started painting 10 skeleton spearmen, from the oathmark range.