Quarantine Kitchen Sink Update

Hello to everyone and I hope all are doing as well as possible during this pandemic.  It's been a while since I last updated the blog and initially I hoped that the extra time would lead to increased hobby progress.  Unfortunately, that hasn't panned out and the only project I've accomplished is growing my first beard.  :)

I haven't been totally comatose though so I decided to post a kitchen sink update instead of boring folks with multiple smaller ones.  My most recent project, my digital Winged Hussar (link here) was unfortunately C&D'ed by GW as apparently they claim ownership of all future grimdark space Poles.  Shortly after uploading, it disappeared from my account and it took me over a month to get a response from Thingiverse letting me know that GW had claimed my model and forced its removal.  Strangely, many of the component parts are still there as are thousands of other 40k models so I have no idea why they targeted it (along with a couple dozen others for DMCA takedown) as they included no justification.  I have to say that it put a damper on me continuing that project.  I had initially wanted to convert one of the new official Master Lazarus models to a Winged Hussar but the idea of giving them $40 plus shipping/tax is much less likely now.  I completed another conversion parts set that will likely never be uploaded and Lt. Googely Eyes will have to do for now if I ever need an RPG figure.

CBS All Access offered everyone a free month so I was able to catch up on two seasons of nuTrek.   I'd previously written up a very lengthy review of Season One of Discovery (linked here) so I wasn't particularly optimistic given that the same folks were still involved in running the show(s) and that reviews written since weren't particularly flattering.  I will neither be verbose nor include any spoilers so no worries if you haven't watched either of the recent seasons.

Picard was, as expected, a major disappointment.  Admittedly, like with the movie JJverse, they did set the expectations early on with the star stating that it would NOT be like TNG and that it would, more recently, focus on real world hot button issues like President Trump's election and the Brexit vote.  Sadly, those descriptions of the direction of the show were spot on and it was a complete mess except for one (possibly overly nostalgic) episode.  If you're a long time fan who pines for an optimistic view of the future that Star Trek used to be known for, look elsewhere.  Heck, the TNG Mirror Universe comics are probably a more optimistic and hopeful depiction of Star Trek than this show.   As for Discovery Season 2, it was a definite improvement and approaches "OK" with some actual exploration and an ensemble cast doing trekky things before it devolves yet again into a CGI schlockfest of action you can't make out while Michael Burnham saves the universe.  While I don't have any hope for Season 3 of Discovery, the Pike/Spock/Number One dynamic was a definite improvement (albeit still flawed) and the recent announcement of another spinoff show focused on them might prove the adage correct about the third time being the charm.
 

On the home 3d modelling and printing front, I've mainly focused on random RPG characters for the Starfinder campaign that I'm playing in.  I've done up multiple versions of the Krogan that I'm playing as well as a flying space monkey in armor (based on Overwatch's Winston), a small round alien mechanic/gunner (based a Mass Effect Volus with 40k bits), and a skittercommando (a Starfinder iconic race).  I haven't actually painted up any models yet as my campaign has gone virtual (and intermittent) but I do hope to at least finish a Krogan this month.

And, finally, I did finish cutting up and printing out the various parts for my 3d Heavy Gear models with some mixed results.  I resized and reproportioned both the Hunter and the Grizzly but I can't help but disagree with my initial assessment that something closer to the official models would be an improvement.  Judging them on their individual merits, I think the "chunkier" versions are better.  Overall, I also think that the Hunter XMG is better suited to home 3d printing than the Grizzly and will likely at some point paint that one up to match my army colors.

Well, that's my bimonthly update for now!  Thanks for reading and I hope to have some more progress to post at the end of the month.

The Winged Hussars arrive... in 3D!

It's been a while since I worked on my custom Winged Hussars chapter but I finally got around to the project but this time on the virtual hobby desk with a 3d model for the chapter.  I practiced first with both samurai and Ultramarine 3d models I've already posted here and now I've made a Winged Hussar variant using the same pose inspired by the Amulius model.

I made a custom shouder pad using the hussar symbol of the Polish 1st Armoured Division that served with the British in World War 2 (link here) as well as a Polish eagle converted into a double headed 40k style Imperial Aquila for his shin.  Hopefully that along with the actual wings on the back and a suitably slavic moustache will give the model enough visual flare on the tabletop.  If you're interested in downloading the model for free and printing it out yourself, feel free to check it on thingiverse here: 

3d model download link

The eyes... the eyes! Aging in the hobby...

After posting my latest Winged Hussar pics online, I got an unprecedented amount of feedback on the model and unfortunately alot of it was negative specifically regarding the eyes.  From replies entirely consisting of the first part of the title of this post to multiple animated gifs of googley eyes and melting faces, the response took me back a bit as I actually made a concerted effort to paint them with this final model.  In the past, I basically just applied a flesh was to the eye sockets and just left it as is.

I did something similar initially with this model but later decided to add in some pupils.  The results were not pretty so I decided that for the first time in over 15 years that I'd try to paint the eyes completely.

It's been a while since I last tried and I had to admit that those intervening decades have taken their toll.  Whereas things like first receding then greying hair and increasing weight with decreasing muscle mass are impossible signs of aging for me to ignore, it hadn't really affected my hobby directly (or at least I hadn't admitted it yet).  Unfortunately, I've noticed that over the past year or two that my vision has been steadily worsening (I don't need glasses just yet but likely will eventually) and I was having trouble making out smaller details on the models.  I'd think that my paint job was good and then cringe at mistakes evident in the mega-zoomed in pics that I'd post here.  Since I was putting in the extra effort, I decided to get myself some granny magnifying reading glasses to better see the details as well as finally improve the lighting in the basement where I typically paint as well as buying the smallest technical pens in both white and black that I could find to help with the painting.  While far from perfect (too much whites and the asymmetric left iris), I was happy with the results at least at arms length.  The general response though was vastly different though.

The above was probalby the best result that I got after repainting the area a half dozen times.  After getting feedback on the above, I've done another couple of attempts to fix it with only slightly better results but I'm worried about obliterating the detail on the face if I try again.  I toyed with the idea of ripping the head off, stripping it, and restarting from scratch but the results really aren't noticeable at arms length (or even 12" away with my granny glasses) and I think I'll just take the advice given on how to improve it and use it on the next model (likely the upcoming Sister of Battle recently previewed by GW).   Regardless, since I was working on it again, I decided to fix the eagle decal that slid up a bit on the shin as well as a few other paint splotches that I missed previously.

For better or worse, that's probably the best that I'll be able to accomplish going forward with the hobby.  Looking at the pic, I swear that the dark recess wash goes all the way around the shoulder pad in person but I'll have to double check (and correct that if need be) when I get home tonight.

Lt. Amulius Completed (Primaris WInged Hussar Conversion)

Well, I've completely finished my first Winged Hussar Primaris marine!  I've been working on various marines over the past year as part of that extended project but I never decided on a basing scheme so they were never technically 100% finished on their naked black bases.  The Lieutenant Amulius model comes with a texted base as part of the model so I couldn't procrastinate my way past this model like I did with the others.

I tried to consciously do a better job with this model as I don't currently have plans to make any further Winged Hussars at the moment since I'm running short of bits as well as sculpts that inspire me (although I reserve the right to add more in the future!).  I was frankly embarrased at some of my efforts in the past year (especially the faces) so I tried to better catch mistakes before it was too late.  I'll expand on that in the next post as I don't want to add a mini rant on aging in the hobby with this post.  With this model, I took close up pictures after my initial painting and first wash steps to improve on tiny spill over painting mistakes.  Just looking at the animated gif above, I missed a few of them (one that I can correct at least on the backpack) but I think the model shows some moderate improvement compared with my previous efforts.  I resized the image above for animation but here are the full static views below.

There are things that looking at the images after the fact could have been improved upon though.  I'm not entirely happy with the Polish eagle decal placement on the leg but it was a last minute and fiddly change as it initially was placed on the knee instead.  Unfortunately due to the curvature, I couldn't get it to sit right even with a strategic cut and some decal softener so had to remove (and ruin) that decal with a second one placed below.  It looks like it rode up a bit (or perhaps I just didn't see the placement correctly with my vision... more on that in my next blog post) higher than I would have liked but whats done is done.  There are a few other paint missteps that are visible zoomed in (one or two of which I can correct but not all) as well.  As always, feel free to comment/criticize below.

Winged Hussar Lieutenant Amulius Conversion

It took a while but I finally got my hands via an online trade on a Lieutenant Amulius figure to convert into a Winged Hussar.  For those following the blog, I did a digital mockup earlier this year (link here) as I couldn't wait to get the actual model.  I'm a big fan of the pose of the sculpt and the detail they put on it and I was quite excited to put my Winged Hussar spin on it.

It took some conversion efforts, regluing, and clipping after a few false starts and revisions but I'm happy with the overall look of the final model.  I had to repose and reglue the wings and backback several times both due to clumsiness on my part as well as parts simply not fitting (namely with the shoulder pads) but in the end it all works (and hopefully the excess glue isn't too visible).  I added a fur cloak to the back as I said in my digital test but it wasn't enough so I also added a fur limb strip to the front.  Afterwards, I was trying to (unsuccessfully) add the axillary shield that I've typically done but then I realized that the fur bit I used actually has a crescent shaped metal disc down near the paw which was enough for the effect IMO.

I initially planned on a custom head from Puppets War but I couldn't justify the price of an international purchase and shipping for a single tiny bit that I'd end up using as I didn't have any plans for the others.  Instead, I used an ebay coupon and opted for a slightly more feral scarred head than the standard one that comes with the model.  Afterwards I hemmed and hawed a bunch as to whether I was busying up the model too much by making him practical with a modelled scabbard for the sword and a bolter stowed somewhere.  After blue-tacking it all in place and taking a few close up pics (which revealed some mould lines and gaps that needed filling, I was glad to see that he looked both practical without reaching a cluttered state like a previous model I did (link here).   I hope to have this model painted up sometime in the next week or so. 

Winged Hussar Digital Conversion Test

I didn't have any concrete plans for more Winged Hussars when I finished my last fig but I've got a few more conversion ready bits to go and one upcoming model really attracted my attention, the convention exclusive primaris lieutenant.  I've traditionally converted ultracheap starter set figs bought as singles on ebay but I may have to splurge on this one as I really like the sculpt.  I'd love to covert him into yet another Winged Hussar and did some purely digital tweaking and color swaps to test out how he might look.

I'm not sure about the head as it's not exactly the look I'm going for but it's the closest in the GW line for the facial hair slightly wild look that I want.  I wish he wasn't screaming but the next closest one I found was either a no-facial hair scarred head or a bald full beard.  Ideally, I'd love to use some of the heads I initially wanted way back at the beginning of this meandering miniproject, the Puppets War Cossack heads, but I can't find a single pic of them on a space marine figure let alone a larger primaris one.  The only one I found was a genestealer cultist and I'm afraid that they'll end up looking too small.  The key ones I'd want to use would be the top right and bottom left heads. 

Puppets War Cossack Heads

Technically, yes... they're cossack heads which would make them one of the traditional enemies of the Winged Hussars historically but they also remind me of the Polish king Jan III Sobieski from the Day of the Siege movie that featured the Winged Hussars in one of their most famous battles.  It's not exact but it's close enough I think to be a younger version of him.  It's supposed to start at the 2:00 mark so skip forward to there if it doesn't.

Also not pictured is the leopard skin fur that I traditionally put onto the models.  My usual method of adding a claw/leg strip under the axillary shield won't work on this model due to the tight space constraints.  Instead, I plan to put a Space Wolf pelt on his back under the backpack but adding that digitally is beyond my simple cut/paste/recolor abilities.  Same thing applies to removing the Lt helmet markings and adding a traditional dorsal helmet fin.  Usually I'd want to add a boltgun of some sort to make him a functional marine in his equipment but I think I'll skip that this time for the same space constraints.  I can't fit it chained under either arm and it'll be too tight likely in back to put it on the butt plate with the pelt there.

State of the Blog Address (2018 in review)

Well, another year has gone by and so it's time for another year in review post.  I'll start with what amounted to the majority of progress on my blog... digital hobby publishing.  Starting with Star Trek tabletop gaming, I worked on over a dozen sheets under my SHIELDS UP! house rules (link here) divided up between the current Star Trek Adventures RPG by Modiphius and the classic FASA Starship Combat games.  This is where the bulk of my updates are for 2018 and, while I myself haven't tried any of them out in actual games, some other players have reported using my fan ship designs in their own campaigns.

Additionally, I tried my hand at some very basic programming and developed some custom ships (link here) for the fan made computer game version of the classic FASA game along with a tutorial for getting it all working (link here).  All in all, I'd say that I was significantly more productive in that virtual realm compared with typical tabletop hobby work albeit with almost no difference in the "games played" metric described above (excluding single player missions).

When it comes to actual hands on traditional hobby work, I frankly didn't accomplish much.  In 2018, the only miniatures that I worked on were the painted Winged Hussar pictured in the center below and another converted/built yet to be painted.  I had hoped to finish off a half painted Tau broadside suit conversion I worked on a few years ago but never got around to it. 

I hope to do better next year but realistically I said the same thing last year in my previous review so I won't hold my breath.  While I did visit the local games store a bit more in 2018 for RPG reasons, I only ended up playing a single miniatures game after an RPG session.  That definitely puts a damper on any larger hobby plans leaving me with the occasional conversion project (like my RAFM minis or Winged Hussars).  In the next month, I do plan on painting some of my 3D printed figures as part of the last phase of my review of them.

Next we have a mix of the two categories above in my Shapeways miniatures printing.  I relearned by brute force trial and error how to pose and modify existing models (although actual modelling is still far beyond my grasp) and mostly successfully printed out physical miniatures.  I did hear back from Shapeways about the misprint in my order and am awaiting my reorder of tweaked figures.  I do plan on covering the reprints as well as painting up several of the figures for use as well.  If time and budget allows, I also hope to place another later on in the year for my first ever custom starship miniatures including hopefully a ship or two featured in my SHIELDS UP! house rules.

Finally we have the miscellaneous updates.  In between the above, I've recounted my truthful experience in backing the failed Robotech Tactics miniatures kickstarter (link here), reviewed Artel W's series of boutique 40k themed miniatures (link here) as well as the Star Trek Discovery Season 1 (link here), reviewed the Starfinder RPG and my unsuccessful attempt at starting a local group (link here), and even covered the history of my blog's title (link here).

All in all that makes 26 updates for 2018 or roughly one every two weeks or so on average.  In reality, they came more in fits and spurts with May being a month without any update.  In addition to hopefully doing a bit more hands on painting in 2019, I do also hope to post a bit more regularly or, at a minimum, not completely miss any months on the blog.  As stated above, I do hope to finish off some existing miniatures on my painting table (like my 40k Tau broadside linked here as well as my recent 3D printed figs).  On the digital front, I don't see myself coming out with too many ships but I am considering publishing an updated 2019 edition of my TOS Recognition Manual (link here) if I can come up with a suitable Romulan ship to add to the roster.

I don't know if this type of review is informative to any potential readers but I do feel that it (at least temporarily) helps to focus my efforts for the upcoming months.  Regardless, see you all in a few weeks with my next 3D printing update and thanks again for reading!

And another Winged Hussar arrived... fashionably late! :)

It's been a long while since I did a hobby update but I finally put some time into finishing off of one of the half done 2018 bucket list figs on my painting table.  I did a quick build post a while back for this guy back when I was trying to set up a local 40k RPG group at my local FLGS.  My RPG efforts unfortunately didn't garner interest in enough players and it frankly took the wind out of my sails for finishing those two figures.  In the months in between, I purchased some very sparkly silver primer (didn't realize just how sparkly until AFTER priming this fig!) and primed him but only recently finished him up.

In the linked post above, you can see some progressive Goldilocks variations on my Winged Hussar style.  This fig is still purposefully more ornate than a standard primaris model as well as a bit more "practical" (if you can use that term in an over the top universe like 40k!) in the sense that I added visible grenade and ammo bits.  I chose that loadout that visually would allow me to use him as both a tactical marine or an intercessor in RPGs.  That's probably more than enough text for what amounts to just a single figs worth of hobby effort.  Here is a 360 view of the fig as well as a comparison with some other previous ones using the same core starter set Lieutenant fig.  I suppose that it could show a progression of the same character across different ranks (L to R: Captain, Veteran Sergeant, Lieutenant).

And finally, for those of you who made it this far down, my next article will revisit something that I covered a few years ago... 3D printing and wargaming.  Thanks for reading and, as always, let me know what you think in the comments.

This weekend's attempt at a Winged Hussar Tactical

I worked on a second marine based on my thoughts after seeing my first model close up after finishing it.  I used the other Dark Imperium body but changed up the arms and added other bits as needed to make him a veteran Winged Hussar tactical marine.

I borrowed the head from my spare Ancient as it was the only normal head that I had that wasn't specifically a Lieutenant one with the skull on the forehead.  It was my first attempt at adding the ribbing/fin to the top so, upon extreme close up view, it's a bit crooked.  The right arm and armpit shield/fur were a PITA to pose and I'm not entirely happy with the results as I would have preferred to see the fur more flat on from the front angle.  I also need to relearn the lesson of letting plastic glue dry fully before tinkering with further bits on the same area as I had alot of errors/reposing that I had to do when working on the right arm area because of a lack of patience on my part.  I skipped adding the chest grenades due to the busy marine looking a bit too busy and instead just added a pack on to the hip.  Finally, I wanted to add a chain to the gun as with the other but my test bit looked worse with it due to the stiff angle in front because of the foregrip on the autoboltgun. 

As always, let me know if there is something that I can improve on with this or alternately future figs.  I'm happy with the results of the single wing on these veteran (tactical and sergeant) figs as well as the overall look but there are, as always, definitely things that can improve.

Winged Hussar may be a hoarder! :)

I worked some more on my RPG model Winged Hussar sergeant this week after blutac testing out some configurations above.  I chose to go with the more "closed" stance Lieutenenant that typically comes with a bolt pistol and autoboltgun.  While I love the pose on the other one, I had already used it twice and wanted to do something a little bit different for this sergeant instead.   Here he is side by side with my previous infantry attempt.

 



The body and head are from the autoboltgun Lt but the left arm is from the other Lt whereas the right arm is from the Ancient (cut and reposed to angle away from the torso).  I cut away the moulded on shoulder pads and replaced them with a Deathwatch and Ravenwing pad instead so as not to use decals this time.  Since this is an RPG character, I figured he has to carry more with him typically on missions since he won't have the logistical resources of an entire Astartes company to resupply him with so I intended to use alot of extra bits on him.  About halfway through the build I started calling him "the busy marine" due to all the extra bits and bobs but I wanted him to have primary and secondary ranged and close combat weapons as a backup.  I liked the Reiver and Deathwatch style grenades on the torso so decided to do that here but chickened out on filling off the aquilla.  I had hoped that it would be more visible but it's pretty busy there on the chest and in retrospect I probably should have left those off.

As a sergeant, I wanted him to be less ornate than the Lieutenants so only gave him a single "wing" on his back (drilled into the top of the pack instead of glued in between it and the torso).  I initially planned on skipping the armpit shields and animal fur strip but had second thoughts about it because they're so iconic to so many historical Winged Hussar displays and art. It made the chest a bit busy (see the grenade thoughts above) but I decided to go with it anyways.  I changed up the short Ultramarine style loincloth to a longer Black Templar style tabard as well.  Finally, I previously used a small chain shoulder strap on the holstered bolters and decided to continue that with this model as well. 

Let me know what if any thoughts potential readers may have about the changes compared with the previous design.  I'm still undecided whether I'll paint him up in the traditional Winged Hussar colors shown earlier or if I'll put him in Deathwatch colors instead given that I added in the shoulder pad.  I intend the Deathwatch shoulder pads to be a permanent addition going forward with my custom chapter so they don't necessarily indicate service in that order.  The intended use for him though as an RPG character figure means though that service in the Deathwatch is an easy way to explain why this sergeant is away from his company/chapter of Space Marines.

Tweaking the Winged Hussars

So this weekend I finally properly restarted work on my Winged Hussars Primaris project.  As I mentioned before, the next fig will probably be focused not on the wargame but rather for use as an RPG figure.  I previously made various Lieutenant rank primaris figures (linked here) but this will be a more standard marine theoretically.  I say theoretically because I'm finding it difficult to make him less ornate as befitting a standard intercessor sergeant.

The top left row of three are from one Lieutenant base type fig whereas the bottom one is from another (please excuse the missing tabard on the bottom left).  I've incorporated the longer tabard instead of the shorter loincloth and also added a Deathwatch style shoulder pad on the left shoulder on the various examples.  The main difference is the body and rifle type.  The top one is more "open" and feels IMO more heroic but the bottom one has the helmet off allowing the figs face to be shown (not easily possible with the above figure due to the left arm).  Similarly, I think I prefer the bolt rifle (with the scope) but I also like the shoulder strap on the larger bolt carbine... but the reiver SMG style carbine (with the front handle) also looks cool and is a bit better proportioned IMO.  One option possible might be to cut the strap away and add it to the scoped bolt rifle instead.  Alternately, I previously used a small chain as a strap and could do so again instead.

All of the variants though with the combat blade left arm preclude the addition of the armpit shields and hanging fur strip that I think added alot to the design previously and linked it further back with the historical hussars.  On the right column, I tested out the pistol arm (and back mounted chainsword) as another alternative along with some chest grenades.  The more open left arm would still allow the shield and fur strip even with the grenades although I'll have to check for sure one I finalize the other details.  I like the addition of the extra grenades on the chest on various Deathwatch faction and Reiver figures and I think it fits well with the intended RPG nature of the figure which wouldn't have the full logistical support of an entire company of space marines and therefore need to be outfitted with more gear. 

At the moment I'm leaning towards the bottom far right pose and combination but I'm open to other suggestions.  Obviously I have yet to clean off the sprue connections and mould lines on some parts but they will be done before assembly. 

Summer Hobby Update

It's been a while since I did a full hobby update but I finally have enough to report in.  Over on the tabletop hobby side, I've got a few pots slow cooking on the stove at the moment.  The release of Kill Team for 40k got me a bit excited about the tabletop game universe again.  It's a skirmish level ruleset that you can simply plug and play your existing 40k army figures into.  I've started to parcel out a dozen or two figs from each of my main 40k armies into a separate carrying case to use with Kill Team (and also double as RPG figs as well potentially).   Additionally, I've started to collect some more bits and figures to build a few more of my Winged Hussars custom chapter.  My goal is to have a combat squad of five primaris marines for Kill Team as well as an RPG character model.  While the overall look will remain the same for the Winged Hussars, I will be testing out a few variant bits like shoulder pads and tabards to fine tune the look with the next few figs.

At a recent game store swap meet, I also managed to trade for a two dozen figures (mainly 40k Kill Team figs) that included a few Rafm HG minis.  The big draw for me was a broken mostly complete (no head antenna) Kodiak gear.  I still haven't painted any of my previous HG Rafm conversions from last year but I just couldn't resist getting the original version of the Kodiak to complement the Destroyer Kodiak I built last time.

A while back, I mentioned that I was joining a Starfinder RPG campaign but that fizzled out after two games.  We didn't have a dedicated GM and no one else was interested so I volunteered on a strictly temporary basis.  Unfortunately, the "space fantasy" feel of Starfinder's setting and mechanics wasn't for me.  I wanted a full scifi rpg and it instead felt more like D&D in space.   My offer to transition the group to Star Trek Adventures were unsuccessful as the non-traditional nature of the setting (i.e. not-a-murder-hobo simulator) wasn't as popular as I'd have hoped.

The Wrath and Glory Warhammer 40,000 RPG is coming out soon and I picked up the free introductory adventure.  I'm a bit concerned about the depth of the rules/options in the core book due to the ambitious breadth they're attempting to include.  I can't help but feel the ruleset would have been better served by focusing strictly on Imperial campaigns instead of also adding in barebones chaos and xenos options but I'm leaving final judgement to after actually trying out a session as GM.

State of the Blog Address for 2017

It's that time of the (new) year so I'll recap the past year's progress on the blog moreso for myself but hopefully might be useful entertaining or informative for any readers as well.  Looking over the past year, it was more productive than 2016 largely due to digital hobby work as opposed to physical models painted.

I caught the Star Trek bug again back in 2016 and started doing a few FASA style sheets for some of my favorite fanships.  I continued that in 2017 with many more ships as well as some house rules and even counters to use them on the tabletop.  This culminated with my publication of a fan ship pdf collection under my SHIELDS UP! label.  While I definitely needlessly reinvented the wheel by using MSPaint for interior and cover art and Open Office for publishing, I was quite happy with the end result linked below.  I can't thank enough the various artists who let me use their fan created ship art on my sheets as without them I'd have some pretty bland stat lines and nothing else!

After putting out the above supplement for a long dead game from the 1980's, I decided to focus on the exact opposite and publish a few ship stat sheets for the then upcoming Star Trek Adventures RPG from Modiphius games.  Just like with the above FASA sheets, the company and fan artists were kind enough to use their art yet again.  I eventually decided on releasing two four packs of ships that likely would never otherwise see themselves officially written up for the RPG, one set of fan ships and the other of FASA classics.

 With the release of Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition this past summer along with the Primaris marine models, a tiny bit of my 40k interest resurfaced.  Largely due to the horribly unbalanced army construction rules of the previous 6th/7th editions, my interest in the property (models, novels, game rules, etc) dropped down to almost zero during those years.  While I don't have any definitive opinions on the new edition, my first impression is that, while they did address my biggest complaint in returning some semblance of sanity/balance to the construction rules, they also made the game more bland with bucket'o'dice mechanics at the expense of some common sense and variety in the ruleset.  Similarly mixed is my reception to the new Primaris style marines.  Whereas I really like the actual basic intercessor models themselves, I wasn't a fan of their introduction into the backstory of 40k and the likely replacement of "normal" marines both figuratively and literally (in terms of models) down the line.  I'd have strongly preferred introducing them just like every other model kit and fluff development for the past 30 years but there was no doubt that I preferred the more truescaled proportions and poses.  I picked up a few models here and there on ebay and decided to finally start my long awaited Winged Hussar chapter of Space Marines.  With some trial and error, I decided on the paint and modelling scheme on the left below.

 

Yup... my entire 2017 completed physical hobby effort amounted to the two models above along with a third prototype marine.  I do hope to continue to paint a few more with the same scheme (including a larger 54mm Inquisitor scale variant) but it was always meant to be a small project of a few models largely for potential future wargaming or RPG characters rather than a full army.

Additionally, I posted a few other one off updates about topics such as finishing my Heavy Gear Rafm scale force with some head swaps thanks to Ashley from Paint it Pink, tweaking some images to make a bucket filling version of the Primaris Coloring Book from GW, and commenting at length about the closure of several gaming companies (most notably Spartan Games whose line of Halo Fleet Battles miniatures I covered here extensively).

Looking forward to what I hope to accomplish in 2018, I hope that I'll strike a more even balance between virtual hobby work (like house rules) and phsyical ones (painted models).  While I've got several other house rule ideas at various stages (like advanced rules for Star Trek Attack Wing, rules lite intro Shadowrun, and mass battle LRB HG Blitz modifications), I don't have any concrete plans to publish them at this time.  With my slow return to physical painting, I'd like to instead finish a few more models from previous years such as my last remaining Tau Broadside battlesuit, the Logan Grimnar conversion from the Primarch Horus model, as well as a single Deathwatch model which happens to be my first hobby purchase of the new year.  There are some more substantial hobby projects dancing around my head as well (like a small force of Adeptus Custodes for 40k or finishing up my Rafm scale Heavy Gear force) but, in the interest of keeping myself honest, I won't be counting those chickens before they hatch and instead keep my sights a bit lower/more realistic.

Thanks again to my readers for sticking with me for another year and I hope to post some interesting things in the 12 months to come!

Winged Hussar Jump Lt done! 54mm Inquisitor scale preview

Sorry about the long break but I've been away from the blogosphere over the holidays and have some catching up to do!  With the extended weekend, I finished my second attempt at this particular primaris (jump) lieutenant.  I prefer the gold accents/aquilla moreso than the white as long as there is some white on the torso to balance it all out (like with the purity seals).   I won't be repainting the infantry version of him though.  I also managed to acquire some old bits on the secondary market that get me one step closer to my initial idea for this project, the 54mm Inquisitor Scale Hussar.  Now I just need to acquire a 54mm sabre!  It'll probably be a while before I start working on this next model both because of the bits as well as having a space wolf on the way that I'd like to paint up first.
 

I commented elsewhere that my preference for the paint schemes in person if quite different than in the flash macro photography.  I got some advice that the white balance might be the issue so I took some additional pictures with different backgrounds to see if that changed how I view the models side by side.  I'm not sure if changing the background affected the visualization of details on one model more than the others although it did reduce the glare somewhat. 

Minor Update on Winged Hussar Captain

Just a minor update with an animated gif and group shots of the primed/painted models. I tweaked the new captain model of the Lt character by adding a second skin under the other armpit shield as that side was looking a bit bare along with a few other minor things (like repositioning the model on the base for better balance). I'm hoping to use this model in both poses as my RPG character if I ever restart 40k roleplaying. Next step should be painting!

To bling.. or not to bling... Winged Hussar Assault Lieutenant

I worked on correcting the ugly gap filling job on the Honor Guard Lancer this weekend along with assembling another primaris Lieutenant model (this time with a jump pack).  For the former, I just corrected/filled down the flag wrap around that I did when connecting the pennant to the spear.  The latter was a bit more work.  With my previous just finished Lt from the same pose, I was worried about how the whole thing would come together when assembling my first two models and didn't want to overdo the Hussar theme.  When it turned out well thanks to help here, I was a bit emboldened to try again and go full hussar this time.  I decided to try and incoporate armor details that I skipped the first time around like the pennant on a spear (instead of the sabre), the crest on the top of the helmet, and the leopard skin pelt. 

The pennant went easily enough with some test fitting as I was using the much less troublesome right arm spear this time around.  I temporarily entertained the idea of wrapping the flag around the spear but my troubles with the other model dissuaded me from doing so.  For the crest, I tested the method out first on my remaining Ancient head and I think it worked out well in the end.  The leopard skin was definitely the biggest issue this time around.  While the glue was drying (and redrying as I changed course mid assembly and had to reglue several things), I decided to try out a homemade painted pelt out of a tiny bit of fabric.  I'm not sure of the results though and would definitely like some advice about whether adding the fabric (from the left armpit down to the right waist) to the model would constitute "too much" crap and whether the plastic paw bit I glued on is enough to convey that aspect of the model.

I decided to go with a Sanguinary Guard style Mk IV jump pack as it allowed me to attach the wings much better than a traditional modern jump pack would.  I realize the typical go to choice for the model should theoretically be on a bike as it's supposed to be heavy cavalry but I didn't actually have a bike handy and, more importantly, I wanted to keep the rest of the model primaris style intact and wouldn't have been able to do so with cutting the legs off to fit onto a bike.

Winged Hussar Lieutenant Update and Honor Guard Test

I went back and forth trying to run ideas past folks about how to improve the model specifically with regards to the aquilla.  I vacillated back and forth between keeping the white one on this model or switching back to the gold/brass version but that latter option would necessitate some other change to not overload the torso with gold.  I made some digital swaps to better illustrate the options both to myself as well as others.

John Prins at dakka suggested that I changed the gorget to red and brighten/vary up the wings a bit among other things and I decided on just that after testing it out virtually.  I tried to bright up and differentiate the white a bit as it looked dull after the appropriately named dull coat varnish as well as changed the gorget to red. 

Over the past week, I've also slowly been working on converting my first power lance armed honor guard.  These guys should be a midway point between the standard marines and the more ornate officers.  I wanted to keep the tabard for officers (and somehow incorporate a leopard print sash for a future captain) but veterans will still get a single wing on their back.  I'm still mulling over the paint job for these as well regarding the aquilla.  I'll definitely add the red gorget though to chapter standard paint scheme especially as they'll be missing the red previously on the tabard.  I'm not happy with my multiple cut/pin/glue/gap fill job on the Grey Knight power lance when incorporating the pennant but it's hard to tell how it'll look prior to the primer.  I basically had to mangle the power lance to get the pennant as well as have it on the left hand.  It's a converted two handed spear where I got rid of the second hand (filling the gap) as well as had to cut and reposition the blade's edge at a different angle as well as extend the gap to fit the pennant.

edit: I have primed the honor guard and it doesn't look too bad on the staff after some filing down prior to priming. After seeing the pennant, I'm debating though whether to continue with that model immediately or do a second pose of the same lieutenant I just finished but with a different loadout. I really like the model (it's probably my favorite 40k sculpt since the release of the 3rd edition Space Hulk board game in 2008ish) and I'm curious how a jet pack and lance with pennant variant would look. I have both regular jet packs, original Rogue Trader ones, and a Sanguinary Guard pack to choose from. I wasn't entirely confident how my conversion would go so I actually got two of my favorite pose just in case.