Storytime - Mordheim - So Long Old Friends

Brat Khresti enters the great room with a somber look.  No one died in the battle.  We didn't gain ground but we didn't lose any either, what could it be?  There were empty seats at the table.  Vtrara and Palomnyk were not there, nor was Kihot.

Kihot entered the room.  "Vtrara and Palomnyk have served this city well and faithfully for many years, but they have decided to leave the order.  They have been called back to their homes and feel they will serve their purpose there.  Our numbers are weakened and our rank grows small, but we have been granted a great gift.  Those of us who remain are steadfast in our mission and our scope.  More than ever, we need to form an unshakeable bond for the good folk of this city.  We all need to get better, be better.  Orden Molotka will rid this city of the plague that ails it."

Update 1/14/15 - Random Thoughts

So, I've been thinking... this blog has become a bit more than a paint log for me.  I used to be huge into playing sports.  I even planned my life to include being a golf professional (not a professional golfer, see the difference).  Things happen in life and the best laid plans don't always pan out.

Anyway for the past 5 years or so I've turned the attention playing sports used to get toward gaming, Blood Bowl specifically.  Some friends asked me if I wanted to play in a local league with them and I decided, reluctantly, to give it a shot.   I started out borrowing a team and playing.  The next thing I know, I'm listening to podcasts about it, reading up on it, and even going to tournaments.  Then I decided I wanted to give painting a shot and bought my first team.  Since then I've painted those Dark Elves (2x), a Slann team (2x), a Khemri team (since stripped), an Undead/Necro team for a friend, a Norse team for a friend, my Dwarfs of Anarchy, and a bunch of sideline figures.  All for BB use.

Because of the fun I've had with Blood Bowl I've met a lot of great people that I wouldn't have met without it.  One of those people has become my go-to whenever I have painting questions and he's the one who asked me to give Mordheim a try.   We played one measly practice game and now I'm super interested.  So much so that I converted up and painted a warband (well... it's almost done) and now I'm hooked on building up some terrain for the game.

I still follow my A's, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and Spartans.  I still enjoy watching golf, boxing, MMA, and occasionally soccer.  But those are things I have to watch now.  I get to actually play, paint, and build with these new hobbies and that has given me a new area to put that attention.

I haven't had much time for building, painting, converting or playing lately but I'm still getting some stuff done and I intend to get that posting done soon too.  I think I"m going to shoot for one update a week but I'll do more if I can.

The New Year!

It's funny how the calendar changing from 12/31 to 1/1 brings the feeling of renewal.  It's a totally subjective thing but the psychology of it works for me.  Anyhow, what will 2015 bring?  I feel as though I got a lot accomplished yet so much is undone.  I've tried to be a list maker but that hasn't worked so well... so what do I try now?

Instead of giving myself to-do lists I think I'll try the broad goal approach.  I'm going to list the tasks I have for myself as of now and that'll be a sort of guideline for me.

1.  Build enough terrain for a Mordheim and a WHFB table.  I have been building a lot of city-esque terrain lately and I'm having a blast doing it.  I getting faster and planning better and therefore this shouldn't be difficult.

2.  Finish my Witch Hunters.  I'm so close just finish them.

3.  Make a Skaven Warband.  Pieces acquired, now to convert them and paint them. 

4.  Assemble and paint one Blood Bowl team for me and one for a friend.

That is all I'm going to list, I'm sure other things will pop up but this is a good start.

Here are some more images for my Mordheim Foam-core work.

Three Story Inside

Three Story Outside

Three Story with Ladders

The Ruins

Two Story Inside

 

 

 

Random Filler Ruins

Before any of these ruins see paint they'll receive texture and some more damage.  They're close.  I have plans drawn up for wall towers, a saloon, a long house, and a cathedral.   I think this will be the approximate order also.  The cathedral will be quite an under taking so I plan to paint up the rest of the ruins before I build that.

Update 12/22/14: Mordheim

My motivations jump around like crazy.  I haven't been in a painting mood for awhile now and I don't want to force it.  But it's not as if I don't want to do anything.  For whatever reason the terrain bug has hit me.  I showed the start of a two story ruin last week and I've started a multitude of other buildings since then.  I want to do at least one more two story ruin and on three story before I start the finishing touches and start painting. 

In the meantime I've been working on a few elevation change sections made from some extruded poly my friend gave me.  I decided one section would look like stone and the other brick.  Here is what I have so far:

I only have a few sides done to this point.  I like the distress look on the brick tile and that is much easier and faster to do.  The "stone" tile takes a long time.  I see from the photo I need to do more depth differences to make the stones look real.  I am happy with the overall look.  I just hope it looks good painted up.  I took a quick scale picture too.  The elevations are high enough to make the players climb or find stairs.

The plan is to have multiple elevation section.  With the brick pattern being so much easier to make, it will likely show up much more often. 

I hope to have a lot more to show you soon.

Update 12/17/14 - Mordheim

Over three weeks and no post to show for it.  I really haven't taken much time to hobby.  This time of year is difficult to find any time away for hobby-ing.  I salute those who have the motivation to take what little time they have to do posting, painting, whatever they can.

I'm starting to get more excited about doing a Mordheim campaign.  I've played 1.5 practice games and think it will be fun.  I've been watching/listening to some YouTube channels lately also.  One is LongIslandWarGaming and the other is TheTerrainTutor.  I've learned rules from LIW and tips for terrain and inspiration from both.  The only problem with that is I keep adding things to my docket and not finishing other things.

Oddly enough I had some sick little ones starting this weekend and caring for them allowed me some time.  After playing, what little I have, I noticed the importance of having terrain for Mordheim.  Terrain cost money, no surprise in that statement.  I don't have much discretionary money and there in lies one of my problems.  In steps The Terrain Tutor with a solution of sorts.  He has a playlist entitled "How to make foamboard buildings and ruins for urban wargaming."  Foamboard is foamcore as I know it and so far, I've found, it can be obtained rather inexpensively.  If you watch any of his stuff my building will look very familiar to his; minus good looking cuts.

Foamcore Ruins

This start took me about two hours only because the windows took about 1.5 of those.  (I need to come up with a better cutting method... or be a better cutter)  I altered his measurements slightly to make the windows slightly larger but with the minis from my Witch Hunters in there the scale looks pretty good.  I know it looks quite rough now but as I go along it should look better.  If it looks anything like his finished building I'll be very happy.  The idea behind this type of building, for me, is that I can use it for play as I finish more steps.  It doesn't look good at this point but it's functional.

I would like to get three or four ruins done to this level before I go on.  Now I just need to figure out a ladder system.  I'll probably use some balsa wood or something.  So far I've spent $3.71 on foamcore board and used 1/3rd of the sheet I bought.  I figure that one sheet (30" x 20") should make me two ruins with some scraps leftover for odds and ends.

Update 11/25/14 - Mordheim

Its been an incredibly long time since I have posted anything.  That could mean a few different things.  In some cases it would mean I haven't done anything, but I actually have... well, some.  Whatever time I've actually had was used mostly for assembly.  I've assembled and cleaned about 30 miniature that I'll paint someday.  Assembly is not my favorite thing to do.

I did break out my new Games & Gears brushes for some painting.  I've never used nice brushes before so I didn't want to wreck them.  I used them for a very small job and so far I like them.

As for the Mordheim work, I added some highlights to some pieces.  Its not much.  I may have found a new player though and soon I may be adding more to my assembly and painting workload.

Start of giving the Capes texture and color

 I've also done more on the gaming table front and I will start photographing some of the progress on that front shortly.

Update 11/3/14 - Mordheim and Nurgle

This is what has been done over the weekend.  I did minimal work on the Nurgle team and my Mordheim warband.

Purple wash over a beige flesh

From the back

Red wash, green wash, and bone on the horns

Some Mordheim stuff.  I almost finished the Warrior Priest and one of the Witch Hunters.

I doubt it but I would like finish my warband this week.