The New Year: A Time for Resolutions and Whatnot.

For those of you still keeping score at home, I made a list of hobby resolutions last year.

The idea was, by giving myself a something of a hobby to-do list, I'd actually get some hobbying done.

Or, at least, that I'd manage to accomplish more than I'd done the year before when I hadn't made a list.

Unfortunately, that list didn't do much to help me. In fact, that list was pretty much exactly this list. I'm sure that one can use the excuse that life got in the way, as life tends to find ways to do, but nonetheless it left me with quite a pile of stuff to sort, glue and paint and not a single bit of hobbying actually accomplished.

This year, however, I'd like to actually start completing some of the various hobby projects I've got laying around. I've got, literally, a room full of little plastic men (and women, beasts and armament if we want to be entirely inclusive) from various armies that I'd thought were good ideas at some point in time and they deserve to be assembled, converted, painted and see the field of battle.

In fact, I've also got some fields of battle that need to be painted and played on lest they feel neglected and unwanted and unloved, but I digress. 

Therefore, be it resolved that I will complete all of the following armies -- in their entirety -- before I buy anything else.*

1. The Iron Men of the Mechanicum (1000pts.)
   Yes, this army is Iron Man themed. No, I don't care if you don't like me mixing geek genres.
   
   1x Magos Dominus (a 'Tony Stark-flavored' Ferrus Manus conversion)
   6x Thallax
   3x Castellax Battle Automata
   3x Castellax Battle Automata
   
   Additional units I've already purchased which can be used to expand this force: 3x Thallax, 5x Myrmidon Destructors (a unit of converted Iron Hands Gorgon Terminators), 1x Thanatar Siege Automata, and 1x Questoris Knight Magaera.
    
2. The Tau (500pts. / 750pts.)
   I have a paint scheme in mind for this army, but no fluff because, well, I haven't dug that far into their background or whatnot. I've just always thought they looked cool.
   
   1x Cadre Fireblade
   { 6x Fire Warriors}
   3x XV8 Crisis Battlesuits
   3x Stealth Shas'ui Battlesuits
   1x Pirahna
   2x Tetra
   1x XV104 Broadside
   
   Additional units I've already purchased which can be used to expand this force: 1x Pirahna (Forgeworld variant).
    
3. The Night Lords (750pts.)
   This is a Vampire Counts-flavored version of the Night Lords. Think something along the lines of the Night Lords fleeing into the Warp, a chapter settling a dark, sunless planet and thereupon discovering that there are scarier things in the night than they themselves.
   
   Before you protest, in W40K lore, there are such things as Vampires. Imagine what they could do if they managed to infiltrate a (fallen) legion of the Astartes ...
   
   1x Chaos Lord with Jump Pack
   20x Chaos Cultists
   20x Chaos Cultists
   5x Raptors / Warp Talons
   6x Raptors / Warp Talons
   1x Heldrake
   
   Additional units I've already purchased which can be used to expand this force: 1x Knight Titan.
    
4. The Carcharadons Astra (1,500pts.)
   This army is intended to be more fluffy than uber-competitive. That said, I'd still like it to kill things.
   
   1x Tyberos the Red Wake
   5x Assault Terminators
   5x Assault Terminators
   { 5x Assault Terminators }
   { 5x Assault Terminators }
   7x Scout Squad (Snipers)
   5x Scout Squad (in transport with Shotguns)
   5x Scout Squad (in transport with Shotguns)
   
   Additional units I've already purchased which can be used to expand this force: 1x Contemptor Dreadnought, and 1x Leviathan Dreadnought.

Those are my first set of milestones.

Doing the math, there really aren't a large number of models there to paint though, obviously, some a larger significantly larger than others. With any sort of efficiency, I should easily be able to complete this in a matter of months. Not later than the end of April, I'm sure.

To get it to the standard I'd like them to be, however, and taking into account the fact that there will never be the sort of time I imagine there to be to actually complete this list, I'll double that estimate and say that I hope to have this done by the beginning of August.

So, what will I ever do to fill the rest of my year ... ?

Oh, there are things. But, I'll have to write about those more later.


(* - This 'no more buying' ban, obviously, does not include the units or individual bits necessary to complete those armies. As it is, for example, I'm actually about three units short of filling out those lists as they stand so the ban would not apply to those units. And, if inspiration strikes, I may throw the ban out entirely ... )

Wednesday Workbench: Things to Come.

Yes, I know the photo isn't particularly well lit. I'm going to pretend I did it that way on purpose to add an aire of mystery. Just go with it.

Regardless, here's a bit of a preview of a few things to come ...

Wednesday Workbench: Crocotaurs.

The past couple of days, I've begun the long process of changing River Trolls into the Crocs that I'll be using to stand in for Minotaurs in my Beast Kings army.

Originally, I'd intended to simply use the Beloved of Sobek minis from Crocodile Games' Wargods of Aegyptus line but ran into several issues shortly in:

First, they're metal which makes modifying them nearly impossible and I'm dead set on not having 'duplicate' figures in my army. This would mean either much Dremeling or much recasting and I'm not a big fan of either of those options.

Second, they're expensive. Collecting them in the number I'd need would quickly get cost-prohibitive.

How to Build a (Male) Centigor, Part One: The Bits Required

So, you want to build yourself some centigor?  Well, you've come to the right place.

While there are a lot of tutorials out there for building a Centigor, I've decided that, rather than simply showing you pictures of what I'm building, it might be beneficial for those of you out there who might be trying to do something similar yourselves to walk you through the steps I undertake in the process.

Let's start at the beginning with assembling the necessary bits.

Works in Progress: Centigors (Unit #1).

With the completion of the Beast King and the Celestial Dragon Monk, I began work on the conversion of my Centigor units. As with all of my units, the Centigor are going to be subject to some heavy conversion work and sculpting.

The difference between these units and the others, however, are that there only five figures in each of these units while some of my others -- the Temple Monk P'nthors (Ungors) and the Ti'Gors of the Golden Fang clan (Gors), most notably -- have as many as 40 figures per unit.

There are currently two units of five centigors in production, and three other units of five centigors. The first (pictured here) features a Standard Bearer (which the other centigor units won't have) and the requisite Ghorros Warhoof.

As always, comments and (constructive) criticisms are appreciated!

Beast Kings Character: Dragon Monk (Part One)

Because I'm easily distracted ...

From the Beast Kings bestiary:

Among the Beast King’s harem, one can also find human female mates. These young human women, often members of the Tcho tribes, are the most beautiful virgins given (or sometimes sold) by their fathers to the Beast Kings. Those who aren’t killed in the furor of the mating process are held in high regard; only these humans can birth a Gray-Shaman.

These Gray-Shamans, unique white-furred and gray-striped female Ti’Gors, reside in the innermost sanctums of the Ti’Gors’ jungle temples. Because of the rarity of their births and their unique markings, they are believed to be predestined by Yag’ganesh for positions of power and respect. As soon as they’ve been weaned, young Grays are taken to a temple high in the mountains of the distant northern reaches of Ind and are taught to harness their natural gifts, learning enlightenment from the traditions of the Celestial Dragon Monks while also mastering the darkest arts of Chaos itself. When their training is complete, they are allowed to return to their tribes where they become revered advisors of the Beast King.

Preview of the mysterious Dragon Monk (who'll be that particular temple's Wargor Battle Standard Bearer):

Beast Kings Character: Beast Lord (Part One)

And so it begins ...

Shere Khan.

It was a title Janesh had not aspired to.  He was a warrior, not a king.

Janesh had followed the previous Khan through everything and his Khan had rewarded him well.

For his resourcefulness, he had been tasked with helping find food for his people through the dry months of the drought, when the Peace Rock had broken the water's surface and left them all so hungry that their joints ached and their bones shown through their hides.

For that, he was loved -- not only by the ti'gors of their pack of clan-families, but also by the p'nthors and the other beasts of the jungles.

For his ferocity, he was chosen to lead the Khan's army into battle when the Ogres invaded from the mountains in the north.  He had faced the tyrant alone, tearing out the tyrant leader's throat with his teeth even after the tyrant's blade had taken his right eye.

For that, he was respected and, some may say, even feared.

When the Khan had died sonless, and despite not having a clan-family of his own, Janesh was chosen to fight for the crown.  His opponent was to be Darshan, elder-father of the largest clan-family in the pack.

For Janesh, it was a fight he didn't want for a title he didn't want.

For Darshan, it was the final step toward a crown he had schemed and manipulated and fought for since his youth.  Darshan was powerful, indeed, but he was mistrusted by the other clan-families.

There were rumors swirling that, when crowned, Darshan meant to break the treaties with the human kings that his Khan had forged.  Rumors that, even now, Darshan's ti'gors were preparing for war; that, once Darshan held the Khan's crown, they would set upon the humans -- humans thinking themselves safe behind their wood and clay walls, guarded by their axes and their dogs and their treaties -- and wash themselves in human blood.

Janesh had faith, though.  Faith that Darshan would surely not be so foolish.

They were, after all, a people of honor. Their treating with the humans of Ind had meant prosperity and peace for generations. It meant that the children of the clan-families could grow strong and, if they were lucky, grow old.

When Janesh knelt, the pack that had encircled them jeered.

Darshan would simply draw blood, Janesh knew, as was required by the rite and take the Khan's crown and, with it, the pack. He would lead them as he saw fit, just as the previous Khan had.

When one of Darshan's sons threw him a sword, the crowd shouted.  The only weapons were not permitted in these fights were fangs and claws and strength.  And, to violate those sacred rules when one of the combatants had already ceded the battle ... ?

Darshan spoke. He spoke of power. He spoke like one already drunk with power. He spoke of a new kingdom; a new reign that would be grown in the soils of war and watered with blood.

"Blood for the blood god," he whispered.

The words were heresy, stinging Janesh's ears.

Darshan lifted the sword in a brutal arc, like a woodsman readying to split a log.  Not simply attempting to draw blood as was required to claim his crown, but a killing stroke.

There were many gods worshipped in Ind but, for followers of Yag-ganesh, worship of the dark gods was forbidden. Darshan was a fool. And worse, his foolishness would bring death to the pack.

As the blade was plunging downward, Janesh's instincts took over.  His hand jabbed forward; long black claws biting deep into the fur and flesh just above Darshan's groin.  Scraping against bone, cutting through gristle and then, almost before either realized what had happened, there was a sudden spill of entrails over his hand and wrist and forearm.

And, in that instant, the fight was over.

Darshan stumbled backward, the blade falling from one hand even as the other attempted to keep his life from spilling out onto the jungle soil.  But it was already too late.  The spark of life was already gone from his eyes.

Janesh held his bloodied hand high for everyone to see.  The pack roared its approval, and then chanted his new name.

Shere Khan.

Sculpting notes and progress pictures after the jump ...