MAXSTAR'S CLOUD - A World of Warhammer 40K

Hobby Tip: Add Weight and Feel To Your Miniatures

2011-12-21T16:06:00.000+11:00

Today's tip will be on how to add weight and 'feel' to your miniature gaming models. Very easy and simple to do. Having played and modeled Necrons for a while, I found that they keep getting knocked and pushed over by the gentlest of nudges. Some minis do have a problem of being overbalanced (it happens when you wield awesome and huge weapons! Talk to the Orks too!) If you've had any decent game time with your Necrons or minis, I'm sure you know what I mean. Besides being immensely annoying, having to place your minis upright, you also need to keep track what which Necrons have been incapacitated and waiting for reanimation. The new codex has solved this to a degree.

I remembered seeing somewhere that some hobbyist and gamers have placed magnets on the underside of bases to enable their minis to stay on their metal base display boards. Some of these are the mini stud magnets or the thin strip magnets used on backs of fridge brochures. They don't weigh much. I can't recall anyone weighing their models down and not just for sticking them to metal surfaces.

Materials:

Some Flat washers (zinc plated) - about 18mm diameter and 2mm thick (3/4" diameter and 1/16" thick). Each washer weighs about 2-3 grams.
Super glue.
Your miniature models with 20mm (or larger base) - slot bases are not suitable and need to be weighted using a different method.

I decided to weight my Necrons, inherently light due to their lanky robotic bodies and limbs, with flat metal washers. The flat washers I used were about 18 millimetres diameter, 2 millimetres thick and zinc plated (to prevent rust) or 3/4" diameter and about 1/16" thick (with 1/4" hole).

The flat washers can be easily found and bought from hardware stores. Get the largest pack that suits your budget. This ensures that per washer price is the lowest you can afford. I got a 100 washer pack and used about 2/3 of it already to weigh down all my Necron minis with 20mm bases. The hole in the washer can be used for future magnetisation with button/stud magnets if needed.

Method:

Using your Exacto or penknife, try to cut or scrap the bottom surface of the base to remove any raised lettering or plastic. This helps ensure as much surface area contact between the washer and the base.
Apply a line of super glue to the flat washer.

Apply a line of glue.

Carefully stick this onto the underside of the base. Only gentle pressure is required to make the washer stick to the base. Ensure you don't get any glue onto your fingers - you know what that'll do.
Prop your mini upside down (as close to the vertical as possible) to allow the glue to dry. The weight of the washer (and gravity) will also help the adhesion process. Super glue takes only seconds to stick two surfaces together, however, allow several hours for it to fully dry and achieve maximum adhesion strength.

The hole in the washer if perfect for stud magnet if desired.

Weighted minis in drying mode.

You will notice a very distinct difference when comparing a weighted mini with a non-weighted mini. The weighted mini (obviously heavier) has a more 'meaty' feel to it and stands better. It doesn't fall over as easily when bumped or nudged compared to a non-weighted mini.

The photos below show two Necron Warriors in almost the exact poses (hence nearly exact center of gravity and balance characteristics). The non-weighted mini falls over quite easily, with very little effort, whilst the weighed Necron Warrior can withstand some robust nudging without toppling, like a roly-poly toy.

Almost like twins.

Slight pose difference.

To fall over or not to fall over? Weighting is the answer.

There you have it. The miniature models are now more stable and can stand more steadily with the washer weighing it down - just like concrete shoes!

Revisited: How To Remove Paint From Plastic Models

2011-12-01T00:48:00.001+11:00

Plastic Necron Warriors stripped bare (almost) of paint and basing with Dettol.

We now know stripping paint is as easy as soaking the models in Dettol for 12 hours or more and then putting in some elbow grease to scrub the paint away.

Having tested the paint stripping on my three Necron models (one was sadly sacrificed in the mineral turps - see How To Remove Paint From Plastic Models), I proceeded to remove the rest of the paint by soaking in Dettol (undiluted) for 24 hours or more.

The three plastic models I used for this were the Control model (nothing was done to it), the model that was soaked in the generic antiseptic solution and the model soaked in the Dettol.

All three models were soaked in the undiluted Dettol for just a little more than 24 hours.

Upon removing them, I had to scrub them with an old toothbrush, whilst wearing disposable gloves. I removed as much as I could by scrubbing and then using cotton tips/buds I cleaned the head to ensure I regain the details on the Necron eyes and mouth (and general head details).

The three models actually scrubbed up pretty good. Then I washed them with liquid handwash and scrubbed them a little with the old toothbrush (until they foam up). Once scrubbed with the handwash, I washed and rinsed them under some warm water.

Control Model After 24+ Hours
The following photos are the original Control Necron model after paint removal. The Dettol had no effect on the green rod, which was a bonus. After soaking for more than 24 hours and scrubbing, the original grey plastic surfaces re-emerged. Due to the thick basing, not all of the base sand material was removed. This model used a slot base but had Green Stuff to plug the slot - read further below on how Dettol has affected the Green Stuff. The result was quite good and achieved the purpose of removing (nearly all) the paint to be ready for re-painting. All the details had re-emerged and undamaged.

Model From Earlier Generic Antiseptic Solution Test, After 24+ Hours
Despite a lot of the paint had been removed from earlier test stripping using a generic antiseptic solution (it was down to most of the Chaos Black basecoat), the model still had a fair amount of residual paint remaining on its surfaces. It was not 'cleaner' than the Control model. I guessed that the prior soaking/stripping may have affected the effectiveness of a second soak and strip.

Model From Earlier Dettol Test, After 24+ Hours
Being the most successful in the prior paint removal experiment, this Necron model still had a fair amount of basecoat paint. Another 24 hours of soaking in undiluted Dettol had a continuing effect on the paint. However, after cleaning, it was evident that the model is not cleaner (or 'brighter') than the Control model. This was strange despite being soaked in Dettol for a second time. I suspect the first soaking/stripping had affected the overall efficiency of paint removal.

In Conclusion
It would seem that the most effective method is to soak plastic models in Dettol for 24+ hours for paint removal (rather than for less than 24 hours).

Tutorial: How To Remove Paint From Plastic Models

2011-11-28T16:07:00.001+11:00

I decided to repaint some Necron Warrior models procured via eBay on the cheap. Only one problem, the paint had been slapped on haphazardly and too thick in places that details on the plastic models were lost. I can't repaint over this. Does this sound like you?

How do I remove paint from the plastic models? I googled and read a few articles and forum posts on how to remove paint from plastic models of course! Here is a picture of my results below, from left to right, Control model, treated with mineral turps, treated with generic antiseptic solution and treated with Dettol antiseptic solution. You can see the varying degrees of success that I had.

Anyway, having armed myself with some knowledge and zilch experience, I decided to try out the different 'solutions' (pun intended) that were recommended by others. This will be an experiment of sorts for me and for many of you as beginners to paint removal. I will be as empirical as possible so you get the full benefit of what I went through.

Some Test Assumptions:

Paint used on the plastic models are the Acrylic type available from Games Workshop;
The basing adhesive used for the models was PVA glue;
Room temperature test - not during Winter cold or placed in hot location;
Adhesive used to glue the plastic model was plastic glue - available at Games Workshop or hobby stores, specifically for adhering plastic models.

Solutions tested:

Mineral Turpentine (or Mineral Turps)
Generic Antiseptic Solution
Dettol Antiseptic Liquid

Solutions considered but not tested:

Brake Fluid
Engine Degreaser
Nail Polish Remover

Method
I used 4 Necron Warrior models, one with the green rod removed. The other green rods were not removed as they were stuck on very tight with adhesive. Each of the Necron Warrior had the moulding lines cleaned with a hobby knife, therefore exposing the original plastic surface where the paint was scraped off.

One Necron was used as a Control without any procedure performed on it for comparison purposes. I used enough of the three solutions in three separate glass jars to cover and immerse one Necron Warrior in each jar.

Desired time of immersion of each model in the solutions: 12 hours

Control Model
You can see from the pictures below the colour scheme of the Necron bought from eBay. Passable but need to be repainted to my desired army's colours.

1. Mineral Turpentine
Mineral turpentine ("turps") or turpentine substitute is 100% liquid hydrocarbon UN1300. It is an inexpensive petroleum distillate and substituted for vegetable based turpentine. It is generally used as a paint thinner and cleaner, degreasing metal and wax remover. For our test, we used it as it is, without dilution. Caution: mineral turpentine is flammable.

The plastic model was immersed in the turps for only 30 minutes and I already saw some 'melting' occurring to the poor Necron. I kept it there for a total of 40 minutes for good measure before I felt any pity for the Warrior and promptly removed him from the solution using a pair of tweezers and had a quick wash with handwash detergent.

The turps had literally softened the plastic. The green rod was clouded. At this stage, the plastic was still very soft and if I pressed harder, I could get my fingerprints onto the plastic surfaces. Due to the 'melting' of the plastic, many details on the model were unrecoverable and the paint remained on the model. Surprisingly, the basing material was unaffected by the turps. I'd assume that the acrylic paint (and PVA glue) remained unaffected by the turps.

The turps solutions remained clear at the end.

2. Generic Antiseptic Solution
The generic antiseptic solution ("antiseptic") used for testing was bought from Woolworths (Australia) with the Home Brand label. The exact product was, 'Home Brand Antiseptic Solution', in a 500 mL bottle. The active ingredient in this solution was Benzalkonium Chloride (38mg/g). This solution was recommended to be used as a general antiseptic for cleansing of minor cuts, wounds and abrasions on our skins - dilution of 1:10 if used this way. However, for our test, we used it UNDILUTED.

I also checked on the model after immersion for 30 minutes. Nothing seemed to have happened. Another hour, still nothing. I agitated and swirled the model around in the jar and still nothing. I decided to leave it for 12 hours (unlike the test with the turps).

After 12 hours, I removed the Necron Warrior and vigorously scrubbed it with an old toothbrush. The paint started to come off in some small flakes and also as a solution. Unfortunately in my eagerness, I forgot to use any disposable rubber gloves and got a thin solution of black (and some silver) paint over my fingers. Note: Must use gloves. I was able to remove most of the top layer of paint on the Necron but not much of the base coat (presumed Chaos Black). The basing material was also removed quite easily to reveal a grey paint undercoat on the model's base. I washed the model (and my hands) with soft liquid handwash and managed to get more of the paint off the model and black smears off my fingers.

If I'd have left it in the jar for 24 hours or longer, I could probably get the paint removed down to the plastic. An alternative method is to repeat the process again by soaking it again (for 12 hours or more) after removing the top paint layer.

The solution remained as original, no visible paint flecks or sediments.

3. Dettol Antiseptic Liquid
The Dettol antiseptic liquid ("Dettol") used for testing was a widely available and store-bought branded solution. This product was to be used diluted at 1:20 for antiseptic purposes for cleaning of wounds, cuts and insect bites on our skins. The active ingredient was Chloroxylenol (48mg/mL or 4.8% W/V). For our test, we used it UNDILUTED.

After immersion of the model in Dettol for 30 minutes, nothing seemed to have happened. The one hour mark came and went, still nothing. I felt confident to leave the model in the solution for 12 hours.

After 12 hours of soaking, I agitated and swirled the Necron model around in the jar. I observed that there were bits and flecks of paint coming off the model. The basing material seemed to be coming off as well. The model was removed using a pair of tweezers. Then used an old toothbrush to vigorously scrub the model and base. The paint and the basing material came off more easily than with the generic antiseptic solution. I could almost get all the paint off the model. The model still looked quite dark as the Chaos Black base coat have not all been removed and it has a kind of 'washed' effect.

After washing with soft liquid handwash and rinsing with water, I could see the grey plastic surfaces of the model. This model still had the green rod attached and it was unaffected, although some paint had smeared onto some areas of the rod. All the basing material was removed.

There some bits and flecks of paint and basing material left in the liquid. The liquid is otherwise unaltered.

In Conclusion
I can safely advise you to remove paint from your plastic models with Dettol. Immerse the models for 12 hours or more and then give them a scrub with an old toothbrush and wash with some gentle handwash and a final rinse with water. I suppose that any solution that contained the active ingredient, Chloroxylenol, should do the trick in removing acrylic paint and basing material stuck using PVA glue.

I believe all the models remained intact as the three liquids do not have any affect on the plastic glue (or Superglue?).

If you have time to kill, which I don't think you will have, you could also use a generic antiseptic solution. This should be considerable cheaper to use if you're on a budget and want to spend more on your models instead of on some throw-away paint removal solution. The generic antiseptic solution had Benzalkonium Chloride as the active ingredient. I believe if it had Chloroxyenol, it would work similarly as well as Dettol (depending on the concentration of this ingredient).

Do not use mineral turpentine to remove paint from your plastic models. Unless you think they have a death wish and/or deserve to be punished. The turps should not affect metal models - you can use turps to 'melt' away the paint but would probably have a tough time cleaning it afterwards as turps are oil based - the paint may turn to some oily, gunky mess in your hands (hopefully you would be wearing disposable rubber gloves for this).

There you have it. STRIP AWAY! Remove paint on your plastic models with Dettol!

Note:

One Necron Warrior was harmed in the making of this article.
Disposable rubber gloves recommended when handling any chemicals.
Scrubbing of plastic models with OLD toothbrush is advisable - don't use your mum or dad's (or your sister's). Too vigorous scrubbing may damage your models.
I do not get paid for endorsing Dettol - wish I was!
Dispose of all used liquids responsibly as directed by the instructions on the packaging.

Terrain Tutorial Idea: Pillar Rock Formation

2010-05-23T19:32:00.000+10:00

I will be posting my terrain tutorial on the creation of Pillar Rock Formations in a later post as part of my series on building terrain for the W40K universe.

I've been busy with everyday life and also building some terrain pieces that I plain forgot to post on my blog! Silly me!

Anyway, I will write up the tutorial on my Pillar Rock Formations soon. This was inspired from the pictures that I saw whilst reading the White Dwarf magazines. I saw that the guys at W40K central had used the same terrain pieces for their photo dioramas and these strange pillar-like rock formations were featured. I thought to myself, 'Hey, I could do those!' Thus began my terrain building project.

In the meantime, I also found someone with the same idea. Excellent! Great minds think alike. Similar rock formation pieces were also created and could be found at this blog:
Wargame Terrain - Corner Rock Formation. Well, you can enjoy this one for now whilst I'm off again to continue my project. Let's hope this time I'll remember to post the terrain pieces that I create.

Terrain Making Idea

2009-10-15T09:35:00.014+11:00

Need a W40K terrain making idea? I've got one for you right here. I came across this real life location, Goblin Valley State Park in Utah (USA).

Image credit: geotripper

In my opinion, it looks excellent as a model for a W40K terrain. It is quite surreal. Rocks that stand out like sentinels. Some pillars of rocks have an almost phallic symbolism - but for family-friendly reasons, I think we avoid that in building our terrain pieces or terrain boards. There are rocks with faces that can be perceptible as quite alien. This can be the terrain backdrop for an alien desert world.

See the photos for yourself and go to Google search - Goblin Valley State Park

Image credit: Extreme Fun

GW Vulkan He'stan

2009-05-28T13:55:00.007+10:00

Wow! It seems so long ago that Dragonboy has done a conversion of Vulkan. Now GW is finally introducing this model to their range.

It looks impressive as you can see. Image is taken from Sons of Twilight blog, which has a more in-depth exploration of why it is still good value to convert your own Space Marine models.

Read our earlier posts on Vulkan:
Vulkan He'stan Revisited;
Vulkan He'stan - Space Marine Champion

Converting your own models, especially the champions and non-GW production models, provides an added dimension to your games and hobbying. It is highly satisfying when one is able to pose the model as one desires. The downside is probably having to scrounge up those bits and pieces to make your conversion work. It takes careful planning and thought on what you need and from where you can get the bits. Converting your own is more difficult if you're a beginner due to the limited number of bits you have and also lack of experience. Nonetheless, conversion of models is a special niche of gaming and hobbying. We want to do more of it!

Stand by Me

2009-05-05T13:56:00.003+10:00

"Stand by Me!" could be just what the Space Marine captain yells out as the squad charges into battle.

But today, it's the song and not the usual W40K blog. It's one of my all time favorite songs. It just had to be included. The creative people here have compiled the songs from various artists singing the same song. Well worth the 5 minutes to watch and listen to.

Maybe it'll be an inspiration to all you gamers prior to an important game or tournament where you've just got to summon all your mettle to victory.

Have been busy with work and will return with an upcoming tutorial soon.

Building Army Lists

2009-04-27T13:28:00.002+10:00

Just a short blog to point everyone to a free army building resource called The Forge. This is a free software that you can download at: The Forge. Some of you may have already heard of this as it has been around since about 2000.

I will try this out in the coming weeks and write a review on it - feel free to comment on The Forge in the meantime and put in any tips or comments you have on this software.

I first read about this software from a blog by ForPhoenix (blog here) - thanks for this share. Some of ForPhoenix's comments:

The program is easy to use, and has no limitations on army lists. Meaning: it will not validate your lists and tell you if it is legal. This requires you to have your codex, and know how many of what can go where, but it does do the math for you. It has some rudimentary stats for each model in an army, but it does not include stats for standard equipment they come with.

Terrain Tutorial: Making a Rock Wall

2009-04-11T22:30:00.017+10:00

I was building up my supply of terrain sand when I sifted out some small gravel. The gravel seems a bit big to use on bases but they would be perfect for rock wall terrain pieces for W40K games. The idea is not original as I'm sure there are others whom have made rock walls for their terrains. I didn't have any barricades and decided to go for a couple of modular rock walls. I could line them up end to end and make a fairly long wall or arrange them at 90 degree angles and however I need them. So here is the tutorial showing the steps for you to make your own rock walls.

You will need:

2 rectangular bases approximately 15cm long by 3cm wide (I cut mine from a larger thin sheet of MDF board about 3mm thickness, available from your local hardware/timber supply store)
About a couple of handfuls of gravel - about 5mm pieces, flatter ones work best. Don't choose round gravel but opt for chipped off pieces such as from slate.
PVA glue
Super Glue
Terrain sand
Some flock or modelling grass
Scrap cardboard - enough to cut 2 continuous pieces of just under 15cm long by 2.5cm wide
Various tools (pincers, paint brushes, etc)
Games Workshop paints (or your choice of acrylics):
Chaos Black (basecoat)
Calthan Brown
Adeptus Battlegrey
Snakebite Leather
Bleached Bone
Sunburst Yellow
Snot Green
Skull Whilte

Method:
1. Cut your bases to size. You need 2 rectangular bases measuring 15cm long by 3cm wide. You can make 1 but it's not going to be very interesting. Make four or more if you intend to use the rock walls to form an enclosure such as a paddock.

2. With a pen or pencil, mark a center line lengthwise on the two bases. Then mark a 45 degree angle off each corner so that the rectangular bases has a sort of point at each end. Then cut each of the four corners of your rectangular bases at 45 degree angles. The reason for this is so you can put the bases against each other to form 90 degree angles (or L formation) to construct a corner of a rock wall when placing the terrain pieces.

3. Cut two pieces of cardboard to 15cm by 2.5 cm dimension. These will be used as the formwork structure for your wall. Optional: Cut two (or more) smaller pieces, approximately 1.5cm by 2.5cm for a supposed right angle corner of the wall.

4. Then put Super Glue along one of the long edge of the cardboard and stick it vertically onto the base. Do this for the other base as well.

5. Using the Super Glue, glue one of the smaller pieces of cardboard (1.5cm x 2.5cm) about 3cm along the base and between the long cardboard and the base, so that it is actually supporting the longer cardboard. What you'll have now is a couple of bases with a length of cardboard standing upright. Wait for the glue to dry before commencing the next step.

6. Apply PVA Glue to one side of the cardboard formwork.

7. Using similar technique as sticking terrain sand to bases, you will now put the gravel onto the cardboard (with the glue side). You should spread a fairly even layer of gravel. Make sure the gravel covers the entire surface of the cardboard in a jigsaw fashion so that no cardboard will show through.

8. Repeat the previous step until all surfaces of the cardboard formwork are covered with gravel. Allow time for the PVA glue to dry thoroughly before proceeding to cover the next surface. Apply patience while each surface layer of gravel dries.

9. You will notice that at this stage the edge of the wall still reveals the cardboard formwork. Here is were a bit of tedious work begins. Start by getting enough flat pieces of gravel to cover the edges. You can do this by lining them up on your desk, enough to cover the length of the wall.

10. With the flat gravel sorted, Squeeze PVA glue along a small length of the top wall edge - don't put glue all the way along or you'll have glue running down the walls. Using a pair of tweezers, put the gravel on the top edge on the glue to form the capping of the wall. Repeat this until the entire length is covered with gravel. Do this for the other wall.

11. When the glue is dry, repeat above with the vertical edges of the wall. Be careful not to apply too much or it will run down the edge. Apply enough so that you could 'attach' more flat gravel to the edge. Do this for all walls and leave to dry.

12. Apply PVA glue to the base/ground for the terrain sand. Cover the surface with a layer of the sand and then knock away excess. Leave to dry.

13. When the walls are completely dry, use a slightly thinned solution PVA glue and apply it only the entire rock wall. Leave to dry.

14. When you are sure that the rock walls are completely dry, you may commence painting.

15. Base coat the rock walls with Chaos Black spray from GW. When dry proceed to paint the walls. Here is my painting order (apply similar painting scheme to the ground/terrain sand):
- using Calthan Brown foundation paint, apply a generous coat over the wall surfaces;
- use Adeptus Battlegrey for initial rough highlighting of the wall - apply a generous layer but not covering over all prior Calthan Brown paintwork;
- drybrush a rough coating of Snakebite Leather to bring out the protruding edges of the gravel/rocks;
- final highlight of the topmost edges of the rock wall (and ground) by dry brushing a layer of Bleached Bone - remember less is more at this stage. Apply more on the top of the wall;
- for the moss effect on the walls, first dry brush a small number of areas with Sunburst Yellow, followed by a very sparing dry brushing of Snot Green;
- lastly, using Skull White, proceed to highlight the top edge of the walls and the edges of the rock wall. Paint sparingly.

16. When the paint has dried, apply a few spots/dabs of PVA glue to the ground/base of the rock walls. Sprinkle modelling grass over the dabs of PVA glue. Shake off any excess or take your rock wall outside the house and blow off excess. Leave to dry.

You should now have (at least) 2 rock walls to use on your tabletop and enjoy your game that little bit more.

These rockwalls are quite 'solid' for your games and slightly heavy, so they won't get bumped out of place on your terrain table.

Games Workshop / Citadel Washes Kit

2009-03-17T15:39:00.008+11:00

This week we review GW/Citadel Washes Kit. This currently retails at AUD$33. In this box of washes, you get 8 different washes:

Leviathan Purple
Baal Red
Asurmen Blue
Devlan Mud
Gryphonne Sepia
Thraka Green
Badab Black
Orgyn Flesh

The individual wash pots themselves are retailing at AUD$6. That means if we were to buy the eight washes separately, they would have cost us AUD$48 in total.

The washes boxed kit represents good value with over 31% savings over the total price separately. That's AUD$15 savings to those who prefer dollar figures. Great! Money that we can put towards some other kit.

Arbitrary Scoring:
Number of wash pots: 8 = 2 pts
$ Savings: $15 -> 0.5 pt
Feelgood Factor / Kit completeness -> 1 pt

Maxstar's Value Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (5 being unbeatable value).

++ From the Warp ++: The FTW Blogger Group, for what?

2009-03-16T15:13:00.001+11:00

Recently caught up with some news on the W40K scene and seems there were some pretty acid words and remarks directed to FtW, a blog by Ron Saikowski ++ From the Warp ++: The FTW Blogger Group, for what?

I share this message to all the W40K bloggers and newbies:
"You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period." (from 'The Pursuit of Happyness', movie starring Will Smith).

I also had negative remark from a user in Miniwargamingfor posting an animated Space Hulk movie from Youtube. He (she?) claimed that I stole and took the video as my own work. I did no such thing and if he/she bothered to watch the entire video, the credits are intact. I'm re-posting on my channel for the benefit of other gamers/hobbyists though the link is added to my channel. It's one of my favorites W40K movies.

Some people are too quick to shoot others down and judge others without justification and that reflects on the quality of their thought processes.

Imperial Guard Stormlord

2009-03-09T16:34:00.006+11:00

All this talk of Orks have eclipsed an equally awesome release from the good guys at Games Workshop, the Imperial Guard Stormlord model. Well, the GW guys certainly had their Orky ideas hatched to perfection judging also from the March edition of White Dwarf being dominated by the write-up on the Ork Stompa in the W40K realm.

Again, BeastsOfWar has posted a totally awesome series of Imperial Guard Stormlord Tutorial Videos. Learn how to build this kit from a pro.

Ork Stompa has arrived!

2009-03-09T16:15:00.005+11:00

We picked up our hefty box kit of the Ork Stompa late yesterday afternoon - only a day after the release. After a few more Games Workshop items were bagged, we came home really happy. Tons of ideas were floating around about how we could make some modifications and really make this model our own. I wonder if we have enough paint to finish the model without going back for more. We were forewarned that we also needed a whole heap of plastic glue.

In the meantime, BeastsOfWar has posted totally awesome Ork Stompa Tutorial Videos. You can follow the steps to building this really "Ork-some" kit.

Ork Stompa!

2009-03-01T20:40:00.003+11:00

Just a short post to capture our excitement of the release of the new Ork Stompa kit. It retails for AUD$160. We've put in our pre-order and it should be available to us in about a week!

Based on the unpainted Stompa at our local Games Workshop store, the model has huge potential for further conversions. We already toyed with the idea of lighting up our model using LEDs.

Here's a video from 'Games Workshop Studio':

Will update on this little project on future posts.

Hobby Tip: Holding Your Mini Models

2009-02-15T22:22:00.006+11:00

My tip builds upon a quick tip posted initially by Ron on From The Warp. One of my first frustrations was during the painting of my slender Necron model. As I was holding on to the slender Necron, my fingers would get in the way of the painting.

I would use yellow tac (that gummy substance that you find at stationery stores to hold posters to walls) to attach the model to a larger object for ease of handling. No more fingers in the way (or painted fingers). I would stick a few of my models at a time when painting the same colour or sticking bits together with glue.

I highly recommend this method of holding your mini models.

Larger objects that I use to attach my models to include spray can or just the cap, small jam jars, plastic tube with lid, prescription medicine bottles, to name a few. Try a few yourself to find the best grip size to your preference or circumstance.

GW Hobby Starter Kit

2009-02-15T21:50:00.005+11:00

Recently bought the Games Workshop Hobby Starter Kit for $75 (Australian dollars). It contains the following:

9 Citadel foundation paint pots (Calthan Brown, Iyanden Darksun, Knarloc Green, Tallarn Flesh, Mordian Blue, Undercoat Black, White, Gunmetal & Mechrite Red);
1 Starter paintbrush;
1 Plastic cutters;
1 Bottle Plastic Glue;
1 Small tube of PVA glue;
1 Tub of static grass; and
1 Tub of modelling sand.

This kit represented about a 13% discount from the full retail prices of the items separately. Here's what I figured:

- Plastic Cutter $25
- Starter Brush $9
- Each foundation paint pot $6 each ($54 total)
- Plastic Glue $? (Normal size, 20g $12)
- Small tub of static grass approx 25g $? (Normal tub, $15)
- Small tub of modeling sand approx 25g $? (Normal tub, $15)

TOTAL in starter kit value approx $86 (Savings of at least $11).

There are substantial savings in buying kits - savings you could channel towards your next mini! I'm not sure if you would be looking for more than 13% savings but anything over 10% is good in my books. Make sure you consider outlaying for a kit before getting several of the items separately (that are including in the kit anyway). You would save in the long run.

DIY DireAvenger Eldar Helmet - presented by Eldar Girl

2009-02-08T12:18:00.008+11:00

Gee, I became an Eldar-obsessed girl in how many weeks? I forgot but anyway, my family and I were cleaning through our rooms, and I came across a fluoro yellow IKEA 'Blimp' storage 'thingamajigg'. My older brother, also known as Dragonboy, snatched it out of my hands and wrapped it around his head. Instantly, I thought "Eldar helmet!"

This 'Eldar helmet' is made of the 'Blimp' (IKEA) and pegs of the colours: red, white, pink and blue.

I modelled it on myself, my brothers and my bear.

"What a joke" you'll think.

Wazdakka Gutsmek and his Dakkaladz

2009-02-08T11:06:00.009+11:00

As the mighty WAAAGH rises to its highest, Wazdakka Gutsmek and his Dakkaladz come into the scene and destroys the enemy!

Dragonboy and I (Waaagh_dude) have been working on Wazdakka in December 2008. It took us a while but we got used to it.

We used:

cotton buds
a paper clip
green stuff(modeling putty)
lotz of paint
lotz of bitz from the Ork battleforce
pen springs
big base
space marine helmet
plastic and super glue

This January we worked on the bikers.

Vulkan He'stan - Space Marine Champion (revisited)

2009-02-08T01:45:00.003+11:00

Since Dragonboy's Vulkan conversion (our earlier post), we've found some other great write-ups and tips on converting Vulkan.
1. 'Grandmaster' version - showing attention to detail;
2. 'nullnvoid' version with some easy to follow steps;
3. 'laundryhamper' version - great scalework even if it drives one insane;
4. 'Zoidberg' version - love the Salamander heads on the backpack;
5. 'Bluegnoll' unpainted version and painted - one of the few that does not use metal bits.

Well done people - excellent work! The absence of commercial minis create ample opportunities for creative gamers to convert their version of special characters and to share that with the wider gaming community.

Ork Trukk Conversion Idea

2009-02-07T21:09:00.010+11:00

The boys (Dragonboy and WaaghDude nee Agent Chaos) had a great idea one day as we were browsing at a dollar store for containers. They strolled along the toy aisle as boys do and saw a bag of plastic toy soldiers with army truck and tank.

They immediately had the idea of a conversion for the truck and here is an Ork Trukk with a squad of Burna Boys, dubbed 'Da Tow Trukk', equivalent in points, firepower and durability as a normal Ork Trukk (35pts).

But here's what our Ork Trukk from GW looks like.

The pack also contained a mound for the flag pole - great! That's just gonna be an objective marker. Of all things - A pile of sh#@! Squiggoth Poo! Note the Space Marine helmet in the background.

It's amazing what ideas you'd pick up browsing the aisle of a dollar store. BTW, the toy soldier pack cost just TWO DOLLARS!

Sad Space Marines News

2009-01-16T12:34:00.005+11:00

We have recently experienced the sad loss of the Imperial Dragons Space Marines chapter (originally created by Dragonboy). They are sadly lost to the Void. Our only memories of them have been captured on photos here in this blog and elsewhere.

On a brighter note, Dragonboy has built a 1000+ points Salamanders army over the past 2 weeks. It all started with the return of Vulkan Hestan (and a mad repainting of the short lived Imperial Dragons). The Salamander army now boast a Redeemer, a Librarian, Vulkan, 2 Tactical Squads and a squad of Terminators. A Techmarine is being added as I write.

Tribute to our 'lost' chapter:

Happy 2009 W40K!

2009-01-12T10:58:00.006+11:00

The years roll by very quickly. This year marks the 26th Year of W40K and we're enjoying it as much as ever.

The Mad Doc Orky Klaw's Butcha Kompetishun! in December 2008 was judged and a Wazdakka Gutzmek conversion won the competition - unfortunately Vulkan missed out. This Wazdakka had Ultramarine Blue war buggy with additional armour. There were flame trims.

We had another conversion entered into the competition - also conversion of Wazdakka. Our conversion was more true to the illustration in the current Ork Codex. Keep an eye out for photos here!

Just wanted to share this pic of an Ork Stompa posted on Bells of Lost Souls. It is way cool! Agent Chaos is currently amassing a large Ork army and this would make a good additional. Timing is another matter...

Vulkan He'stan - Space Marine Champion

2008-12-15T14:33:00.014+11:00

We've been away for a while busy doing conversion to our Warhammer 40K models. The Vulkan He'stan mini has been completed! It is now proudly sitting in the display case at Games Workshop (Bankstown) for all to see! The current conversion competition (Mad Doc Orky Klaw's Butcha Kompetishun!) is due to be judged on 27 December 2008. Let's hope Orky Klaw's vote goes our way and we would win what's in his Christmas sack.

Feel free to comment on this conversion and maybe suggest something of your own.

If you want to do a similar conversion, you will need:
1. Grey Knights for the spear/halberd;
2. Black Templars to get the power fist with flamer, body, legs, cape;
3. A suitable sized base - we used a normal small round base;
4. Green stuff;
5. Lots of time and patience.

This is a modest but great looking conversion. His chapter colors are basically Salamanders.

Meanwhile, Agent Chaos and Dragonboy have been busy converting an Ork Warboss, Wazdakka Gutzmech...will be on upcoming posts.

Games Workshop - Bankstown, NSW

2008-11-19T12:23:00.003+11:00

We regularly visit the Games Workshop store at Bankstown (NSW, Australia). It's probably about 4 months old now. One must give credit to the guys running the shop (Jim, Tim, Franz, Todd, Mike and indeed guys in all GW stores too) for perpetuating and encouraging everyone on the GW games (W40K, Warhammer, LOTR). They greet everyone with equal enthusiasm and talk passionately about everything in the GW gaming landscape. On a busy Saturday or Sunday, you'd think that the store was a crèche! With so many kids in there (and also some adults), there's hardly any room to manoeuver.

Jim looks the most senior by far in the shop. Don't let that fool you; he is just as into his Space Marines as any 10 year old! He entices gamers with future events at the shop – thrusting the monthly calendar at you, encourages entry to competitions and most of all tells you about all the special deals or offers they have running at the time. He likes it when the Dads get involved with the kids. I believe he leads a Space Marines army.

I can imagine Tim being asked the same question several hundred times by a newbie about how to paint this, or how to move their Orks, what's the dice roll, etc. However, I don't see any difference in enthusiasm or energy from talking to the first kid to the last customer of the day. It's just great to see how engrossed he is in his 'job' and passionately encourages everyone in the gaming hobby. Tim recently taught and showed Dragonboy how to 'pin' a mini - a Vulkan H'estan conversion that Dragonboy is doing. With a lot of patience and calm chatter, Tim went through the steps and some tips on pinning.

Franz has been a great help and encouragement to Dragonboy and Agent Chaos. He consistently updates us about all things W40K. We’ve played a couple of short games with Franz being the guide. He is frequently seen giving a lot of painting tips to younglings at the paint table. Unfortunately, he’s gone to the GW in Miranda – look out for that Goth looking slim guy with dark hair.

Sad to say we haven’t had much interaction with Todd as our visits did not coincide with him being in store. When he’s around, he passionately plays out scenes from the Assault on Black Reach with several kids on the terrain table. I just love all those dice rolls for the Orks (who doesn’t!) He is also frequently seen at the paint table helping mold young hands into expert artisans. We believe he’s now at GW Liverpool.

We’ve had limited interaction with Mike but we know he’s a full on gamer. When playing out a battle scene, he commands the attention of all those kids. Their imaginations are stoked and they all play enthusiastically. If he’s not doing that he’ll see what you’re looking at and give you valuable insight into the various packs in the store. Haven’t seen him around lately.

W40K, Warhammer or LOTR is nothing without these guys behind it. We certainly wouldn’t have gone into the hobby without them, so when you think how you got into this form of wargaming, thank these sorts of guys who always make it fun.

I’ll write about the other GW stores if/when I get to visit them. Here's a handy GW Storefinder tool. I haven't come across any specific posts about Games Workshop team members so far. If you have, feel free to comment.

IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE THERE IS ONLY WAR.

Space Marine Champion: Vulkan He'stan

2008-11-19T10:06:00.007+11:00

Dragonboy is well on his way to complete his very first W40K conversion. After some initial research on the internet and much thought, the Space Marine Champion, Vulkan He'stan was selected as the subject.

Getting the various parts together was probably the hardest task. They had to be sourced from different packs of Space Marine minis.

More on his conversion in future posts with more photos. In the meantime, we are busy with making Vulkan He'stan, whilst Chaos Agent is busy building his squad of Burna Boys... yeah!

This hobby is coming along just great.

Below is a sample conversion from Doctor Thunder posted at Librarium Online. Er..um..it's a female champion - is that in the Codex?!