Wargaming Tradecraft

Holding open new GW paint pots

2012-03-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

Games Workshop's had a checkered past when it comes to their paints. Even though I'm mostly buying P3 paints now, I still have a lot of GW ones, and P3 doesn't get too bright.

That's why I have some colours like this red one. I love the fact that the new pots are clear, so I can see what colour's inside. Win. Less awesome, is the lack of a tab to hold the tops open wide enough to easily fit a paint brush in.

And now, I present you with the tool of your salvations...

Yes, this is a tooth pick... does it bother me I need to take these steps? Yes. But it works.

Weekly Update

2012-03-05T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

I completed a nice little tutorial on stippling with sponges. Also, it was Old Stuff Day! Time to highlight some older posts.

Also, just about finished my Impaler...

Last Week in the Community

Charity

Gaming

WIP: Impaler 10, nearly done

2012-03-04T03:41:00.000-05:00

The Impaler is just about finished... all that's left are the spear heads.

I tried grinding stones, but they were too hard. Much harder than the blue stone I used on Madrak.

Then, I tried smashing and chiselling stones... which also didn't work.

Now I have some fossilized sharks teeth on order.

While we wait for that, here are some of the finishing touches...

I had some fun painting up the chickens on his hip. I googled up "raw chicken" and found some example photos on how to paint them.

From black, I painted a thin layer of pink.

Followed by a khaki.

After that, I red-washed them. In the recesses, I went thick, but on the raised areas, I used a thin wash.

Finally, I did some highlighting with a yellow-white.

Below, are the close up photos... loving my digital micro cam.

At first I used the nail jewels on his bandoleer, but they just didn't look right.

So, I found some larger and more realistic jewels on sale..

Now, here are the final-ish shots, minus the spear tips....

Take a look at my Step by Step page for the entire Hordebloods project.

Here you will find each model broken down into links showing each step:
Concept, Works in Progress, (for both modelling and painting) and Final Shots

Old Stuff Day!

2012-03-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

Image created by Tamara "FirstKeeper"

Once again, we've come to the day where our local section of the blogosphere revisits some of our old posts in order to shine a light on things we don't want people to miss out on.

You should also be able to find some other blogs celebrating Old Stuff Day, like Warhammer 39,999 , Creative Twilight and possibly even House of Paincakes. (from the people who've mentioned it's coming up)

Last year, I mostly linked posts where I mused over various aspects of the hobby and a little blog-fu.

My Postapocalyptibuggy was a very fun project, and you can see all the build steps.

To paint my Mauler, I even had to reference my airbrush thinner post to remind myself how I made my mixture.

There were a couple neat posts where I featured a few comparisons between the first models an artist has painted, and where we're at now. I was hoping to get more examples and thoughts to share, so if you haven't already, feel free to send me your own. I've also got steps for newer painters on quickly making tabletop quality minis.

Previously, my post on Bringing a New Style to the Hobby was my most read post here at Wargaming Tradecraft. Lots of great theories on painting styles in the hobby... and y'know what? Part of old stuff day is also for us writers to look back at what we've done in the past... I never made good on my intent to explore some of the styles I discuss here. That's going to change.

I actually only mentioned it because now, thanks to a contest at Blood of Kittens, I seem to have a collection of Warhammer 40k Memes that in the last year have rocketed to most read. Clearly this is an under-serviced niche of the wargaming hobby.

Then there's also a few practical posts we can all learn from - tips on Lighting Your Hobby Area to ensure your colours look as correct as they can be, and Preventing Super Glue from Drying Out to... well, you get the idea.

Stippling with Sponges

2012-02-28T02:00:00.000-05:00

Stippling, (or sponging) is a simple technique that allows you to apply a mix of colour to a surface.

There are multiple reasons you might want to do this. It can create the appearance of texture, or create detail in a large empty surface, it can look like wear, scratching, peeling, and is a great way to add environmental effects like mud, rust, camouflage and so on.

The best way to do this is use a sponge, though a rough brush with stiff bristles can also work... Any sponge will do, though it's easier if you tear them to be smaller or different textures, you can also buy fancy sponges at art or bath and body stores.

Lucky for us, virtually every miniature we buy comes with a sponge.

Start by dipping your sponge in paint, and blotch off the excess with a few strong presses against a cloth or some paper. Kind of like getting the extra paint off a dry-brush, but not removing quite as much.

Once the excess is off, you can stipple to your hearts content. Use a light amount of pressure... notice the blotch in the bottom right of the following picture, how rough it is - even after all those small stipples, enough pressure still applies too much paint.

Because this effect is random, feel free to overlap, turn and rotate your sponge. This'll eliminate a uniform look.

It's ok if you get some larger spots too - again, this is all random.

This technique will also work with watery or thinned paint. Like normal, the first few spots will be too strong, but quickly becomes usable.

Using this technique to layer similar colours is an excellent way to quickly add some high quality texturing to any larger area.

Also, a contrasting colour still looks natural when applied this way.

And here's a close up with my digital microscope of a couple places I used this technique on my Impaler's leather armour. As always, a light wash afterwards is a great way to tone down and blend together paint that stands out from techniques like this and dry brushing.

Weekly Update

2012-02-27T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

Busy week this week, but I've fit some painting in here and there on my Impaler. I'll try to get some pics up here soon.

Last Week in the Community

News

This is just awesome... a company that does video game memorabilia got the license for Worms, and hired the Massive Voodoo team.
http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2012/02/shotgun-tschik-tschik.html

Tutorials

Making flat chains http://masteroftheforge.com/2012/02/21/mini-tutorial-flat-chains/

Some NMM steps http://chestofcolors.com/fast-easy-nmm-gold-tutorial/

Gallery

An absolutely fantastic display of freehanding on a Brass Scorpion http://gardenninjastudios.blogspot.com/2012/02/brass-scorpion-with-as-much-freehand-as.html

With the imminent release of new Nids, Old School looks at the conversions that filled the void for the last few years: http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/02/salute-to-tervigon-gallery-of-amazing.html

Old School Termi Librarian http://taleofpainters.blogspot.com/2012/02/showcase-ultramarine-terminator.html

Weekly Update

2012-02-20T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

Painted up my Mauler this week. You can see the details here, here and here.

Last Week in the Community

It's the 25th anniversary of Warhammer 40k... and I was going to put embed this video in its own post, until I watched it... now I'm just going to give you a link if you feel like seeing it. It's reasons like this that GW doesn't advertise... this is the best they could come up with to celebrate 25 years of their game... a lame slideshow and a sales pitch for a "limited" model.
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/wnt/blog.jsp?pid=1400064-gws

Charity

News

Tutorials

A very nice tutorial on texturing and green stuff http://miniaturewargameconversions.blogspot.com/2012/02/ramblings-of-rictus-blessings-of-papa.html

Scratchbuilt tower build, detailed http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://warhammermaniaco.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutorial-torre-de-filtracion-parte-2.html

Greenstuff banner making http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/02/making-greenstuff-banners-with-surface.html

Tips

Lighting effects http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/02/hobby-focus-object-source-lighting.html

Tribal scar tattoos http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutorial-tribal-scarification.html

Gallery

Great looking nids http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/02/hive-fleet-behemoth-hive-guard-and.html

Greater Demon http://creativetwilight.com/2012/02/painting-greater-daemon-of-slaanesh-complete/

Boba Fett Marine? Win. http://jeffyp.deviantart.com/art/Worlds-Collide-Boba-Fett-40K-Space-Marine-285544689

Nice Marine missionary http://corbella.deviantart.com/art/Ascelinite-Missionary-285008835

Awesome looking 'fexes http://solav.deviantart.com/art/Siege-Carnifex-284802523

Who'll win? http://axcido.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-of-menkind-vs-Optimus-283110910

Musing

Sin discusses Honour in Gaming http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/02/sinsynn-honor-in-gaming.html

Vent talks about why we hobby http://schola-progenium.blogspot.com/2012/02/that-crazy-thing-you-do.html

Loq looks at our emotional attachment http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/02/musings-of-game-store-owner-intelligent_19.html

Gaming

Hordebloods: Mauler Final

2012-02-19T03:06:00.001-05:00

It's been a long couple days, but finally the Mauler is complete!

More airbrushing last night to finish off his skin and hair.

Followed that up today with lots of brush work.

I used a black wash to paint (not wash) details in his muscles and skin, accentuating things.

His wrist bands have jewels you'd normally see salons gluing to fingernails...

And I decided to paint the stones on his back after all, and I'm glad I did. Took me a while to figure out how I painted them, and TheWife suggested I go with a similar style to his fingernails.

Hordebloods: Mauler WIP 3

2012-02-17T18:26:00.001-05:00

More airbrushing... meant to post this up earlier, but here's where he's at. There's more colour all around, and I filled in some details with a red wash. Hoping to finish it up tomorrow.

I highlighted with a little pink, which actually brought the purple out more. Also brought his softer skin to more of a white shade.

The tusks were made by roughly dry-brushing on many layers of different brown to give them a natural "streaked" look, before washing to blend the drybrush. I touched that up with a little airbrushing to add a "flow" of colour.

His teeth and nails I also airbrushed... the teeth were too small an area though and are going to need some manual brushing. His finger nails turned out excellent though.

The hair is still a little rough... I manually painted it first, then airbrushed a few layers, using a piece of paper as a backdrop to avoid overspray. The orange and yellow I used was too thin though, so they didn't really show up. I'm going to have to spray on a layer of lighter (thicker) orange and white before going back over with the brighter (thinner) colours.

Hordebloods WIP: Mauler 2: Airbrushing

2012-02-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

MMmm, yes, after a long laundromat filled evening, I broke out the airbrush, and did I have fun!

There was a somewhat anti-climactic start, as it turned out I had to give it a good clean first, but that was fine, because once I did, this is what happened...

As with all priming of complicated models, there are places you miss... so I cover them up with Gesso, then paint over them with black paint... maybe I need to find some black gesso. (Which I know exists.

After that, I set my airbrush around 15-20 psi, (something another blog suggested) and started practising with some darker colours I knew I'd be painting over. As I practised, I worked up to 40 psi and used more thinner... which did the charm... lower PSI's, you'll remember, create more splatter and less of an even pattern. In the end, I was almost filling my reservoir with thinner, and only adding a few brushes of paint.

Then it's just a matter of layering lots of thin layers of very thin paint, tinting the surface over and over again to strengthen the colours. It actually goes a lot way... But I used up half my jar of thinner, so now I'm going to have to dig back in my posts to see what my actual mix was.... here

Here's where he stands... and I'm incredibly happy with how he's turning out. I might highlight his back a little more, going softer instead of brighter. I'll also probably freehand some shadows into his muscles. Goal? Kinda hoping to finish him up by the end of Saturday, but we'll see. I have lofty plans of tattooing his arms. (Then again, as I look at him, I worry tattoos would detract)

Total time airbrushing, roughly 4 - 4.5 hrs... (unfortunately the pics don't do it justice)

Oh, and, uh...

Hordebloods are red,
Trolls are blue,
This Mauler is purple,
A mix like me and you.

Happy Valentines Day, all!

Weekly Update

2012-02-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

Great work on my Runeshapers this week, also put together my Champions and those pics will come this week. I've also primed my Mauler... so it's time to start airbrushing :)

Also, Lost Hemisphere Radio interviewed Norbert of the Orange Crush Foodmachine charity drive. It also included a mention of my contribution, which was kinda cool. I'm not actually sure who won... the draw's past, but there wasn't an announcement. If you want to jump to the interview about the project, hop to 1:57:30.
http://lhradio.blogspot.com/2012/01/lhrep46-whole-new-year.html

Last Week in the Community

Tutorials

Ron does some basing work http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/02/rebasing-models-with-new-materials.html
and looks at applying the Grim Dark style to Eldar http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-paint-eldar-dire-avengers-grim.html

Building a small ladder http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutorial-scratchbuilding-little-ladder.html

A tutorial on a rather fantastic Necron http://paintingmum.blogspot.com/2012/02/imotekh-stormlord-tutorial-and-short.html

Tips

Garden Ninja shows using mud splatters http://gardenninjastudios.blogspot.com/2012/02/mud-splatter.html

MV uses some tobacco on their bases http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutorial-creating-wood-and-tree-fungi.html

Gallery

Some great shots of Demon winners like this one: http://chestofcolors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/golden-demons-2011-slayer-swords-08.jpg
http://chestofcolors.com/golden-demons-2011-slayer-sword-winners/

Just love the look of this conversion http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/tervigon-arachnarock-conversion-reborn.html

Some nice dynamic looking troop conversions http://excommunicatetratoris.blogspot.com/2012/02/wolf-scout-conversions.html

A spider that looks real enough it freaks me out... http://taleofpainters.blogspot.com/2012/02/wip-arachnarok-spider-4.html

Musing

Von looks at the gaming hobby http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/02/von-show-intermission.html

and Loq talks about the Tone http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/02/musings-of-game-store-owner-intelligent.html

MWC's been looking at counterfeit models... obviously a questionable practice, and while the quality's not perfect, it's amusing to note that they seem to turn out better than Finecast.
http://miniaturewargameconversions.blogspot.com/2012/01/redscorps-counterfeit-forgeworld-models.html
http://miniaturewargameconversions.blogspot.com/2012/02/adept-zero-counterfeit-miniatures.html

Now sized for 1200 width

2012-02-11T11:34:00.002-05:00

I've resized the site, giving more room to blog posts... it means the sites width is 1200 instead of 1000 now. People with monitor resolutions of 1280+ will be fine - are there people out there still using 1024x768? Speak up please, and I'll probably set things back.

Hordebloods WIP: Runeshaper Tauren 3

2012-02-11T02:00:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a lot of work to finish up the Runeshapers and it's really paying off.

I toned and smoothed out the horns. Basically, once I had the rough shape, I carved them to create more definition. Finally, they just need to be smoothed out. I did that by scraping and filing.

As I mentioned in my last post on the Runeshapers, the heads ended up looking a little big. My solution to this was to bulk up their shoulders and the backs of their heads / necks. This ended up giving them the shape, size and muscle structure that makes the Tauren look tough.

I gave them hairy knuckles... just to balance out the look.

Their horns are faced and curved in different ways, adds some variety. By applying hair to the faces differently, it also makes each of them look unique, even though I cloned the same base head for all three.

Man, I need a new camera... would you believe these are 14MP at the highest res?

Weekly Update

2012-02-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

More Hordebloods work on Runeshapers and the Mauler this week... and a Guide to Makeshift Terrain.

FatherGeek has written a brief intro and very positive review of my Parents Guide to Tabletop Miniature Wargaming. It's a very "geek family" oriented site and an interesting source for information when it comes to relating kids to geekness, tech, gaming and so on.

And Aiomi Game Cultures Daily featured my Beginners Guide to Makeshift Terrain on their top stories today. I'm torn on this one, as they seem to just pull articles from lots of other people.. they make authors seem like writers for their site, which I'm not... but at least they're only posting the intro to the article and then direct linking back to me, so I think I'm alright with this.

Last Week in the Community

via

Even though the designers of White Dwarf's covers forgot that it was the 25th anniversary of Rogue Trader, (aside from fine print at the top) Fawcett Avenue Conscripts didn't. Here's a little talk they've done as a reminder of the game system that has really laid the foundation for tabletop wargaming.
http://wpggamegeeks.blogspot.com/2012/02/rogue-trader-anniversary-project.html

Man, I actually have those beakies.

Tutorials

GW Paint Mixing guide http://volomir.blogspot.com/2012/01/citadel-colour-get-them-all-in-5-pots.html

Tips

Lantz shows off a really cool ruler design http://miniaturewargameconversions.blogspot.com/2012/01/lantzs-corner-corsec-engineering-omni.html

Gallery

A clean Chaos style http://creativetwilight.com/2012/02/hobby-chaos-terminator-complete-pics/

I just love his Eldar Tron style of highlighting http://pathoftheexodite.blogspot.com/2012/02/fire-prism.html

Musing

A little about what goes into a store going to a convention http://aychplace.blogspot.com/2012/02/adventures-of-boss-lady-convention.html

Hordebloods WIP: Mauler (Dire Troll)

2012-02-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

I've also completed the Mauler this week. Lots of green stuffing on this guy. Mostly to modify him, but also a lot to fix the mould fittings... if there's a negative thing to say about Privateer Press, it's that they seem to have issues getting larger models to fit properly.

Most of the model is pinned... that's a lot of pewter, so a lot of weight. I didn't want to chance anything falling apart after it's painted.

I debated changing his spiky mohawk to a realistic haired one... but I just like how he looks with it. I did tilt the head, which meant making him a new neck, so I had some fun with that. I'm also thinking I might put gems on his bracers like I did on Madrak.

Here's a few different shots of him.

The plan is airbrushing... can not wait to see how that turns out.

ahhhh, girllookitthatbody

Beginners Guide to Makeshift Terrain

2012-02-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

vias: ork and trooper

So you've chosen a game system, picked your army and developed a few army lists, but now you're eager to try out some tactics and need somewhere to hold this battle.

Well, general rule of thumb is that a 4 foot by 4 foot table makes for a good gaming area - desks, dining room tables, folding tables or even hard floors (though it's hard on the back) or large pieces of cardboard on a bed.

This article's going to look at cheap ways to fill your battlefield with objects that block line of sight and force troops to move around them in various patterns. Mastercraft terrain in the form of detailed forests and rivers or abandoned buildings can come later - right now you want to play and the plan is to grab anything you've got sitting around the house.

I'm not going to cover the best way to set up terrain - generally you just take turns placing it around the battlefield without cluttering things up. If you get in the habit of placing it "too well" for your army, or too poorly for your opponent, they'll start doing the same to you. Alternatively, a friend and I created Rules for Random Terrain Placement that works quite well.

Using a binder as a hill...

If you've setup your battlefield without any terrain, that makes for a pretty empty space. Yes, many of histories battles were held in open fields... but many battles also took place in areas where the terrain plays a major factor on the battlefield.

Hills get troops out of sight or provide better firing lines. Towns allow hiding in or slow the enemy down, forests provide cover and slow troops down. Rivers drive the enemy through tight bridges, and so on.

While terrain that's too dense can cause problems for large armies, it can be pretty exciting to weave smaller armies in skirmishes through areas with lots of cover.

Kids, this is called a record...
it's like a big CD...
Y'know, the things that used to fit in MP3 players?
Point being, makes for great area terrain, like a forest.

This whole process is actually pretty simple, and just involves using your imaginations.

Construction paper turns quickly in to rivers and forests.
Books, binders, cases and such make for great hills and mountains.
Toys can make for all sorts of terrain. Not really the figures, but any playsets - forts, houses, bases, etc.
Lego... well, the sky's the limit there. You can literally create any sort of terrain for your army that you might want to.
I remember using old computer parts that I had laying around.

Here are a few more pictures to get the creative juices flowing:

A lot of you probably have DVD cases around, which stack into hills and valleys well.

Just to show that if it fits on your battlefield and blocks line of sight, it can be turned into terrain.

Styrofoam is one of THE BEST ways to make terrain. Just plunk it down on the battlefield and you're ready to go.

Yup, just about anything makes for great terrain...

Hordebloods WIP: Runeshapers 2

2012-02-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

Work on the Runeshapers continues, as I expand on the heads.

They're coming along quite nicely - I've got all the heads on bodies now. Next I'm adding hair to the heads and bulking up their shoulders / backs.

To add the hair, I start with blobs of green stuff, which I push and prod until they form the rough shape of the hair. Once that's done, I add the actual detail of the strands.

Here are the two mostly done. The one on the right still needs his shoulders beefed up, and detailing on the beard.

Weekly Update

2012-01-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

Getting a lot of great work done at the moment, and another successful weekend of hobbying.

I've reviewed using Blu-Stuff to mould my tauren faces. There was the Parents Guide to Wargaming, and a first look at my Krielstone Warlocks.

Last Week in the Community

THIS Thursday will be your last chance to win a Warmachine army by donating to the Orange Crush project.
http://www.razoo.com/story/Foodmachine2011/

Tutorials

Magnetizing an Ark http://twin-linked-awesome.blogspot.com/2012/01/conversion-magnetizing-ark.html

Cleaning models http://volomir.blogspot.com/2012/01/wip-swordmasters-of-hoeth-part-1.html

Tips

Ron talks about fixing gun barrels http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/01/3-steps-to-fixing-damaged-boltgun.html
and
Mark 6 Armour Conversion http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/01/mk6-space-marine-armour-conversion.html

Gallery

Super Dungeon Explore http://boardgamegeek.com/image/1178540/super-dungeon-explore?size=large

Some beautiful models http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/wolfsons-huge-hobby-update.html

Amazing Nids http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/it-came-from-forums-bobos-tyranid-swarm.html

Nice Eldar airbrushing http://eyeoferror.blogspot.com/2012/01/airbrushing-deux-razorwings-tutorial.html

Art
~
Eldar Warlock http://fallstrider.deviantart.com/art/Eldar-Warlock-Thirianna-281539942
Fallen Librarian http://arkeeva.deviantart.com/art/Asklepos-281490576
Blood Angel Terminator http://lsdrake.deviantart.com/art/BA-Terminator-Warhammer-40k-Fan-Art-280583291

Musing

Creative Twilight is looking for authors http://creativetwilight.com/2012/01/site-news-were-seeking-interested-authors/

Gaming

Thor talks about Master / Apprentice gaming http://creativetwilight.com/2012/01/master-apprentice-fun-idea/

Hordebloods: Krielstone Warlocks WIP 1

2012-01-28T02:00:00.000-05:00

So my Krielstone Bearer squad is going to be a Warlock squad with some orcs, an undead orc, and even a female undead using an Iron Kingdoms model TheWife won at the tourney she beat me in.

But by default, these are just a bunch of guys wielding axes, and we can't have that... oh no, we can't have that...

First up, is making one of their faces undead. To accomplish this, I used a mini saw to cleanly cut away the bottom of his jaw, and cleaned it up with my hobby knife.

Green Stuff finishes off the job, with some better defined teeth, a tongue hanging limply, and a rougher larger cowl.

To replace one of the axes, I make a scythe out of some miniature packing cardboard. I covered the cardboard in super glue, which solidified. This allowed me to sculpt it some, by basically sharpening the blade edge.

So I've got this Silicon Carbide, which I found at Green Earth. (note: I've been in a few times and their pricing tends to be wrong, something they don't seem to correct, so you may find it more expensive than advertised, around $8 a tiny bottle)

It's a whole bunch of very small shards of a black rock-like substance... but it's not just black. Depending on how the light hits it, it reflects different colours. I decided to glue all these to his staff.

And here's how his staff ended up:

(how fantastically awesome does that look, eh?)

Parents Guide to Tabletop Miniature Wargaming

2012-01-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

Many of us have fond memories of beginning this hobby as young kids. Back then our imaginations were fuelled by the excitement of controlling armies of small figures... these same armies that were themselves fuelled by loving parents and allowances. I'm sure some parents might look on these type of games with concern, since they can be harder to relate to, which is what I'd like to address in this post.

Overall, the hobby is a very positive one. The negative things discussed here isn't meant as a critique of what it is wargames are about, even though people close to the hobby may think that's what I'm doing. Keep in mind, people outside less popular hobbies tend to have no idea what they're about and parents have every right to raise their children different ways. They deserve to know what it is their kids could be subjected to and probably have a bunch of concerns.

The introduction to wargaming usually happens through a friend or while browsing a hobby store, comic shop, etc. The figures themselves are eye-catching and either line walls in unopened boxes or sit finely painted within a glass display cabinet. They'd be small, usually no taller than a few inches, surrounded by larger things like tanks or beasts. (However, models come UNpainted - painting is part of the hobby) As a kid, I was quickly attracted to how they looked and wanted to know more - something the people working at the shop were more than happy to demonstrate.

There are many genres of miniature wargaming, science fiction or fantasy being the most common, but there's also companies creating other games with steam punk, horror, victorian or historical (Civil or World War times) themes. These are all produced by different companies, with different rule systems.

Essentially, wargaming is:

a larger scale board game
you battle opponents to complete a mission
with a small army of miniature figures
using tape measures and dice
on a field about the size of a dining room table

Each army tends to look and work a little differently than the other, some are easier to learn than others, and all tend to have enough options that people playing the same army will have different forces.

No doubt, parents will have some questions and concerns about whether a game is age-appropriate for their children. I'm going to answer some questions, but ultimately it's up to you if you think this is an appropriate hobby.

All things in moderation
What age is a reasonable time to start the hobby?
How does the complexity compare to games I'm used to?
Can girls play?
Are many kids wargaming? Will this affect them socially?
How much is this going to cost?
How big are these models and armies?
Do the rules change and do I have to buy the updates?
Can we buy used models?
What if they lose interest in the game?
How much time and/or effort will I have to spend?
How long do games take?
How much space will this take up?
How many people can play at once?
Do they have to buy all the models or paint them?
Are there cooperative wargames?
Are there easier wargames available?
What skills can be learned from this hobby?
What kind of language and imagery are there in these games?
Are there any other negative themes within wargames?
Are there any games with child-friendly themes?
Am I being too sensitive to these issues?
How competitive are these games?
How will my kids handle losing?
Where are hobby stores located?
Should I leave my kids at these stores?
Who are the people that play at these stores?
How are disagreements over rules resolved?
Are there places for me to learn more about these games?
Can the hobby side be dangerous or messy? What are their alternatives?

While looking into some of these topics, I asked around to get feedback from different gaming communities. My "thank yous" are at the end of the article, but I was glad to see that for the most part people from multiple groups had similar opinions about these questions.

Once I get feedback, I'm going to write a "revised" version to this, incorporating what a larger portion of the community thinks, so please share.

All things in moderation

Please keep in mind that as with all things, too much can always be bad. If they're spending too much wargaming or painting and it's impacting their homework, it's not wargamings fault. Any hobby like watching TV, playing video games, card games, board games and even too much sports can distract kids from their responsibilities

What age is a reasonable time to start the hobby?

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Feedback from a number of circles suggests that the beginning of their teen years or just before is about as young as is reasonable, but that's going to depend on the maturity of your children.

A lot of people tend to start in their mid-teens... At this age, they shouldn't have a problem understanding the rules, should be able to handle assembling their armies themselves and will have an easier time finding people to play against. If your child is in high school, most of the following questions may not be applicable since they're at the age where they're starting to find their independence.

I was about 11 or 12 when I started playing, my brother being two years younger. He didn't really get into it, but I recall him having a rough grasp of the rules.

How does the complexity compare to games I'm used to?

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These games can be a little complicated. Even adults end up having disagreements over the rules. There are certainly more rules than Monopoly. Tactics can also be tricky to grasp, as there's much more to watch out for than in a game of Chess.

Most hobby stores will show people how the games are played, and this is a good way to see if your kids can understand the system before spending money.

Can girls play?

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The short answer is: Absolutely!

There are plenty of girls and women getting involved these days and they're not limited to playing "girly" armies. There are game systems like the ones from Privateer Press (Hordes / Warmachine) that make more of a point to include heroines and female troops mixed in as well.

However, like many "geek" hobbies, wargaming used to be considered a "boy" hobby, and the player base is still primarily male. The chances of finding a girl at the local gaming store are slim and many players are guys in their 20's and older. Some parents may not be comfortable with their girl in that situation. That said, kids don't have to play at the store - you can set them up on a table at home and let them game with friends.

Are many kids wargaming?
Will this affect them socially?

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When I was growing up, no, not many were. Even now that there are some video games being made about these games, they're not generally pulling people over to tabletop. With this in mind, it's definitely a hobby that's less popular and kids could have a harder time finding friends who'd be interested or could be open to teasing.

Odds are that they're not going to find players their age at the hobby store either, and instead it'll be late teens to adults. Kids may be better off building friends their own age, as they're not going to make the same connection to these older people. They might get along well enough at the store, but they probably won't be inviting kids along to other social events outside of the wargaming.

But, for many kids who are into "geek" hobbies, this is an excellent one that requires a bunch of social interaction. Whether playing kids their own age, or people at a store, this can be the game that encourages your child to put down the video games and make friends who are into similar things as they are.

How much is this going to cost?

To start off, this is no more expensive than buying a game console or computer and a bunch of video games. Or equipment for a kid who plays sports, especially if that sport involves travelling and over nighters. Or buying them an instrument and music lessons. Or just about any other hobby these days.

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I've got a larger break-down on my post about Choosing a Game System, but the short of it is that it's not a cheap hobby. Starter boxes run in the area of $50 - $100, but will typically include all the rules and two small armies to get started. This makes a great birthday or holiday gift, or something two families can split. This is enough to get your kids started and see if they like the game.

There's a little more setup beyond just the models.. You might be looking at $50 - $100 in hobby expenses like glue, snips, paint and brushes. These are necessary to assemble and paint the figures, but it's also an extremely positive part of the hobby.

After playing the basic game, your kids will probably want to increase the size of their army, something that IS affordable on an allowance or a part-time job. Adding models and units can be picked up in the area of $10-20 or they can save up for larger items like tanks, machines and beasts at around $50 each. They can also buy more paint and replace brushes as required. This is trickier as a gift, because you might not know exactly what models they want - gift cards are a good option here.

(Yes, larger armies can end up costing $300-500 plus all the time and paint, but for kids who really only need smaller armies, this is spread out over years.)

How big are these models and armies?

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The models themselves are usually a few inches tall on a round base 1" in diameter. There are smaller and larger ones too. Bigger models are usually robots, beasts and vehicles ranging in size from a those half size pop cans to a couple computer mice.

Depending on the game system, an army might have anywhere from 5-20 models (small) to 20-40 models (medium) or even up to 100 models or more. Some armies are designed to as a small group of very powerful soldiers, while others are large swarms of weaker troops.

Can we buy used models?

That you can! eBay is a great place to start or local sites like Kijiji or Craigs List. Hobby shops may even sell used miniatures, or the players there might have some. Miniatures tend to sell used MUCH cheaper than you originally bought them for. The down side of buying used is that they're usually already glued together and painted. This means that for your kids to paint them, they'll have to be stripped first. (If they were painted well, you won't find them cheaper than new models) Disassembling miniatures already glued together may need parental involvement.

Do the rules change and do I have to buy the updates?

Yes, game devs are constantly revising the rules to try and improve the game system and sell more models. Every 3 years or so, you can expect a new rulebook to be released, as well as new rule books for each of the armies. Sometimes there will be expansion packs released before that time.

None of these extras need to be bought, but if your kids are really into the hobby or playing with people at the local gaming shop, then they'll probably want to.

Note that there are usually free updates available for download when rules need to be clarified.

What if they lose interest in the game?

Kids do that. Considering the long-term cost of this hobby, ask yourself how many interests have your kids picked up and then chosen something else? If you hold off on buying it right away and they keep asking about it instead of forgetting, then maybe it's something they are interested in.

My suggestion is if they're interested, get them the basic set and let them play for a while before investing much more. If they lose interest, then it's as if you bought an expensive board game. Or let them spend their own money on it, and if they change their minds, that's part of growing up and learning to spend money.

Try to find out why it is their want to quit. Perhaps it's a moral support issue because they're losing a lot.

If they get out of the game, you won't get anywhere near what you spent on them.. figures might sell used for 10% of what you spent on them.

How much time and/or effort will I have to put in?

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Depending on their age, they may need help assembling their minis. (gluing together) You might also find they'd like your help painting and playing too. This could mean hours and days you spend reading rules, or playing games that might not interest you a whole lot. Wargaming is certainly trickier to relate to your kids over than with something like baseball, but if that's their hobby, parents tend to want to get involved.

Sometimes you might have to read rules to help in cases where there's a rule that doesn't make sense. You might also find yourself killing hours at hobby stores while they play a game or two, if you're not comfortable leaving them alone or don't have somewhere for them to play at home.

How long do games take?

Depending on the game system, small battles can take a few hours, while larger ones could take a portion of the day. Comparable certainly to a sports game.

If they're using your dining room table, this can get in the way or cause some teary eyes when it's time to finish the game and clean up for dinner. Begging to leave a battle setup overnight and finish it off another day isn't unheard of.

How much space will this take up?

An army usually fits comfortably in a toolbox or a tackle (fishing) box. All the paints and tools could be packed away in a desk with cabinets or drawers or in a small to medium sized plastic container. They can work on their models at a desk or table just fine. (Naturally, this can grow as one collects tools and bits over the years)

A dining room table can be used to play on, or folding tables can be bought from office supply stores. A four foot square table is a good size to play on, or twice as long for larger games. If they start building terrain like forests and buildings, a couple medium sized boxes might be needed so there's somewhere to put everything. Books, pots, lego, old computer parts and anything else from around the house (that isn't breakable) can be used instead of terrain.

The benefit to giving them somewhere to hobby, is the activities are at least somewhat supervised even if you're not actually playing the game with them. If you or their friends don't have somewhere to play, hobby stores often make tables available for customers to use.

How many people can play at once?

Usually these are games for 1 vs 1. We usually played games of 2 vs 2 and that always worked out fine. Larger games could mean a larger table and mean more room for everyone playing though. A large table can also be split in half to allow multiple games at once.

Do they have to buy all the models or paint them?

Some people will use stand-in models like army men or Lego while they figure out which ones they want to buy. This is acceptable for short periods of time, but can be confusing and in the long run the real models should be bought. (Though I've heard of people printing off pictures to scale and using paper men) Sometimes developers make rules for models that aren't being sold yet - in this case, it's acceptable to represent models or create your own using parts from multiple ones.

Painting is optional, but models really look better with. Aside from some tournaments which might require a minimum amount (usually 3 colours), there's nothing saying they have to be painted to be played with.

Are there cooperative wargames?

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Yes and No.

Yes, people can play in teams. They can plan their strategies together, use armies that compensate for the weaknesses of each others armies and possibly even find doubles tournaments. However, they've still got to have human opponents to play against. There really aren't any totally co-op wargames out there.

Are there easier wargames available?

Yes, there are.

A few games bridge the gap between what you're used to in a "board game" and what might excite your kids in a "wargame." The rules are typically MUCH easier to learn and some still include hobby options like painting figures. These also might be something you can relate to easier.

Lego Heroica

A great start would be with something like LEGO Heroica, or fan-made free Lego RPG rules like BrickQuest or BrikWars.

If you talk to employees of a hobby store, they'll be able to point you in the direction of current options. In the past there was Warhammer Quest or Space Hulk, while today there are games like Super Dungeon Explore or "Clix". These tend to have tiles that fit together with a grid to play on - just like a board game. Warhammer Quest and Super Dungeon Explore are basically a group of players controlling adventurers through a dungeon, with 1 player controlling the monsters. Space Hulk is about two very small armies fighting in tight quarters on a ship drifting through space. The Clix games are usually based on super heroes or video games and don't require painting.

They're usually still competitive games, so you might have to go easy on your kids if you're playing them too. What's neat about some of these is that you could take over the role of the monsters, and the kids could play the adventurers.

If you're familiar with the rules, you could even remove some of the more complicated rules and perhaps create a "diet" version.

What skills can be learned from this hobby?

There's plenty of positive things that kids can learn from wargaming. Painting, critical thinking, socializing and even budgeting only touch on the intricacies that players learn.

Painting leads to creativity, fine motor skills, concentration, etc. Most stores don't have classes, but there are instructional books / DVDs and plenty of online resources.

Minds can become more analytical as they figure out what minis they want to use in the game and how to use them to complete each mission's objective. During games, they'll begin to get good at estimating distances, math, chance and odds.

If they're buying figures with their own money, prioritizing miniatures vs their cost and saving up for the larger models becomes important. Maybe it'll even be a reason for them to get a part-time job.

For the record, my parents had this to say:
"In all the 20-odd years of your war gaming hobby we were never concerned...just curious as to the intricacy of the game. It allowed you to develop fine motor skills, patience, an ability to interact with people of various ages ( those store employees who were helpful and who welcomed newbies) The hobby was put on the backburner during a few of those years, but as you've proved, can be picked up again. Like any hobby the skill level can increase to the time spent."

What kind of language and imagery are there in these games?

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If tabletop wargaming were a movie, it'd probably be PG-13. It's about war, so of course there are mild to medium violent themes. This can include pictures and descriptions of battles, shooting, fighting and death. (usually not very graphic) There's virtually no nudity in the miniature hobby - BUT, Games Workshop, while marketing their games to younger audiences, has released semi-nude sculpts in the past. The miniature painting hobby extends past gaming however, and some professional sculptures occasionally release nude or semi-nude figures - not something you run across in stores (I never did) but could be found online if they're looking for other miniatures they could paint.

Language is usually safe, avoiding cursing, slurs and other offensive words. That doesn't mean that other players won't cross those lines - playing at a hobby store will quite probably mean at least a little foul language even when gamers recognize kids are around and tone back. Searching the internet can also turn up articles or fan art with stronger language or graphic images.

Are there any other negative themes within wargames?

War, and war-heroes are often celebrated topics, as can be the glorification of long campaigns against the enemy in order to solve conflicts. But there is a mix, as all the systems also tend to portray the devastation war brings to people or locations involved. There are rarely stories about diplomatic missions going well in these games. Some people think any games about war trivialize what real people are living every day, while others defend them, saying that it makes kids aware of impact war has of civilization.

Some armies have been stylized as extreme parodies or parallels taken from our history - brutal Mongolian ogres, heavily armoured communists, righteous orders of paladins, rebellious troll Scotsmen, and even fascist and/or xenophobic regimes. Other armies have been created in the image of "evil" monsters such as ghosts, goblins, orcs, dragons and other beasts and yes, cultists or demons. Obviously the game doesn't involve devil worship, but some parents might not be comfortable if their child came home eager to command an army of demons. The same goes for the depiction of religion-based armies, who are often portrayed as crazed zealots, instead of a positive light.

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Along the same vein, manufacturers such as Games Workshop may include heroes named after people from our real life. These are sometimes comical, such as Sly Marbo, a play on words for Sly Stallone and Rambo. Other times this can be much more controversial, like the Necromancer Heinrich Kemmler, named very similarly to Heinrich Himmler. (Overseer of Hitler's concentration camps) Some would suggest this isn't a big deal, or that it brings topics to light in ways the kids won't forget important times in our history. Many others feel that it's just not necessary and shows an insensitivity to the people whose lives were destroyed. Games Workshop certainly isn't saying the acts committed by these people are OK, but they've never spoken out to justify their reasoning about including such characters in their fiction, and continue to reprint them in newer versions.

Miniatures do tend to be lacking in gender and racial diversity in their sculpting and painting. Women aren't too common, though some developers are beginning to include more mixed in beyond "women only" armies. Even then, women are usually still portrayed as both busty and scantily clad, which could include artwork within the books. Human figures also don't tend to get painted with skin tones other than white or tan, except for stereotypical theme armys such as african jungle fighters or middle-eastern desert fighters - which some find quite offensive. Of course, nothing stops you from modifying or painting your troops however you'd like.

Children can often misinterpret some of these topics. It's always a good idea to sit down and talk to your kids about any issues that you're concerned about or that they seem to not understand. Some kids are sensitive to these issues - If they watch an action movie and lose some control, these same games might not be appropriate for them.

It's also worth noting that some of the game systems have grown large enough that they have publishing houses for large series of novels based on their games. These novels tend to be more descriptive and detailed than the fluff contained in rule books. The above questionable themes could therefor be glorified and exaggerated to higher levels, and kids could become even more engrossed and influenced by the setting as they read.

Are there any game systems with child-friendly themes?

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Remember that either way, we're talking about WARgames. They are fiction, and no matter how based on real life they are, they're still imaginary. Would you let your kids watch action movies with violence? What about read books about murder mystery, horror or certain science fiction and fantasy adventure novels?

There are systems that approach the topic from different angles though. Super Dungeon Explore, mentioned earlier, has a very cartoonish (japanese animation) style... rather cute actually. Wyrd Miniatures has a series of Puppet Wars, where possessed puppets battle each other, which means practically no blood and more disconnected from reality. There are also games like Battletech, where miniatures are giant robots driven by human pilots.

The two most common brands today are Hordes or Warmachine from Privateer Press and Warhammer Fantasy or Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop. GW's one of the longest running miniature companies with possibly the biggest player group - they're also the darkest. (Known as "grim-dark") Their settings are intensely violent and dark and often based off the worst parts of our real life history. Privateer Press' lines are still about war-torn lands and include some dark armies too, but their fiction doesn't go out of it's way to be so violent, and they do include a fair amount of strong female characters and infantry.

Am I being too sensitive to these issues?

This is a pretty subjective topic and depends on how mature and/or sheltered your kids are. It's a parents right to control what their kids are subjected to, which is why it's important they're aware of the hobbies they're interested in. Recognizing the difference between fantasy and reality is important. This is a game after all, and if your kids recognize it, then what's the harm of pretending?

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Do you honestly think that if your kid controls and paints an army of demons on the tabletop, that he's going to start worshipping Satan? And while it'd be nice if women were depicted more equally, many generations have grown up now watching movies and playing video games lacking a conservatively dressed action heroine.

In reality, the stereotypes that these game developers play on are often quite similar to what we see in the mainstream media. Lets be fair - between news, movies, tv, video games, comics and even schools, our own countries do a pretty good job of suggesting that war is a necessary and patriotic duty. Some of the topics mentioned are questionable though, especially for younger kids who have trouble understanding the difference between real and make belief, which is why you're asking these questions. But your kids will probably be better off learning about these topics and having you around to help them understand, rather than ending up sheltered from an unforgiving world.

If you want some more information, pick up the rulebooks and read the "fluff" areas - the sections (usually at the beginning of the books) that tell stories about the background of the armies and worlds, instead of rules. That, or talk to the employees at the hobby shop.

How competitive are these games?

In most situations, these are games about fun. It's a way for friends to spend a few hours, gaming, joking, snacking, and enjoying themselves. They can do the same thing while painting their figures, as a group, sharing ideas and tips.

Gaming stores do have contests though. Usually between armies, but sometimes painting contests. Tournaments are settings more for people who have a firm grasp of the rules, not necessarily kids. Also, while many gamers at local shops are primarily interested in fun, others can get very competitive, even getting overbearing or cheating. (even if it's not a tournament)

Will my kids get discouraged?

Moral support may be required. Whether they start playing at the same time as their friends or not, kids tend to have a weaker grasp on the idea that losing and trying again is part of the learning process. If they're playing against seasoned players at hobby stores, this could be compounded by particularly brutal losses.

The same goes with their painting ability

When kids lose a bunch, their first reaction can be to quit. They may need help looking at what went wrong in a game, or creating tactics and lists or figuring out other aspects of the game. There's also no reason you can't get involved and play the game too.

You're the one who'll know best how your kids will react.

Where are hobby stores located?

Sometimes you'll find them in malls, but typically niche hobby stores can be found in lower rent areas or downtown. Not to say the "bad parts of town" but also usually not the nicest places either. While they're usually not a far drive for you to take them their, it could factor in to your decision of whether you're comfortable leaving them there by themselves.

Should I leave my kids at these stores?

This is completely up to you, the age of your kids, their maturity, and the store in question. Some are perfectly willing to show kids how to play the games and let them play their armies on decorated tabletops full of beautiful scenery. The idea is you'll start spending money at their store, and your kids will end up bringing their own models.

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Ask yourself if you leave your kids at home by themselves. What about with strangers? Talk to the people working at the store and see what their feelings are about leaving kids of certain ages alone. Many of these stores are run by a small group of people - so the person behind the counter is often an owner or part-owner (but not always) and therefor usually more mature. (again, not always)

DON'T use a gaming store as a baby-sitter. If you're going to leave kids there for an afternoon or evening, they should be old enough to get involved in the games and well enough behaved to not cause any disturbances. You can't expect people working at a store to keep an eye on your kids the whole time, so they should be mature enough to turn down offers of rides home and to stay at the store until you come to pick them up. You should talk to whoever is working at the store and see if they're comfortable with you leaving your kids there and leave contact information - also be understanding if they're not ok with you leaving your children unsupervised.

If your kids have any special care needs, it might not be reasonable to leave them alone with a bunch of strangers. The employees aren't going to be trained how to deal with medical emergencies or even non-emergency medical conditions that can be scary to people unfamiliar with them.

If you're not comfortable leaving them alone, then stay. Either get involved with their games or bring a book or other distraction and see if the store has a chair available to you. They're a business like any other, and if giving you a space where you can keep yourself busy for a few hours means you'll bring your kids and their friends back to spend money, then they'll try and help you.

Who are the people that play at these stores?

This REALLY varies from place to place. They don't tend to be jocks or cheerleader types, and yes are often "geeks" or "nerds". But these are generally good people just like you'd find in any other social circle. You really do find a wide range of people who play these games - most of them have jobs, (often in respectable careers) many have families and friends of their own and are perfectly fine for your kids to be around. They're generally friendly people, who are quite accepting of people from any background.

However, like any social circle, there may be people who aren't the greatest of role models. If you feel like leaving your kids at these stores, you might want to spend some time with them there first.

How are disagreements over rules resolved?

Even adults get into arguments over a rule that's unclear. Kids can have trouble with these sorts of disagreements even more, both believing the rules clearly state something.

A game store can help to mediate rule issues, so a phone call can be a quick solution. Most game systems suggest that if you have a disagreement about the rules during a game, roll a dice, and for the rest of the game, use it that way. Game devs are often releasing "Frequency Asked Questions" updates and "Errata" documents on their websites, which clear up many of the questions they receive - but you can also email them, and they usually get around to answering.

Other times it might become your responsibility as an adult to read the rules and help interpret them.

Are there places for me to learn more about these games?

You can find a lot of resources online to learn about these games, their backgrounds and the people who play them. There are videos on YouTube, websites full of news, and plenty of bloggers discussion different aspects like list building, tactics and painting.

Can the hobby side be dangerous or messy?
What are their alternatives?

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A pair of pliers or wire cutters are used to remove minis from their frames - this should be safe for most kids.

A hobby knife is required to clean the mould lines from miniatures - not very safe for a lot of kids. This is a purely aesthetic step, and can be skipped. Or, a small hobby file is an excellent alternative. It won't be as smooth, or get in to all the nooks and crannies, but a hobby knife can cut reallll deep.

Two types of glue are required for models - plastic and super. Plastic glue, while a chemical, won't hurt or stick skin together. Super glue CAN stick fingers together, or models to fingers. As long as your kid doesn't panic and do something like try to use a knife or pry it off, they'll be fine and it'll come apart. Clean it, rub it, gently pull the fingers apart.. maybe gently file it... or take them to a doctor. Obviously, sniffing or drinking glue would be bad.

Hobby paint for these systems are usually acrylic, meaning water based, and in small containers. You don't need paint thinner, water is fine, and spills won't make too large a mess. Some warm water and soap will be needed if it gets on the carpet, but you can buy one of those plastic office mats to go on the floor where they'll be painting. Laying down paper towels or newspaper on the table they're painting at isn't a terrible idea either.

Spray paint is recommended to prime the figures, so paint will stick to them. You might need to help them do this. It should be done outside to avoid fumes and over-spraying the floor. Newspaper or garbage bags should be put down to protect the driveway / lawn / patio. Primer isn't water based, but will wash off with soap and water - a little right away, the rest in a day or two.

If you need to strip paint from miniatures, paint thinner isn't the only option. (And remember that paint thinner will destroy plastic models) There are environmentally friendly options like Simple Green that strip paint excellently.

I also want to thank the people who helped me compile this list:
TheWife, my parents and friends Jim and Dan.
Loquacious from the blogosphere.
Moe, SirKently, Rockwater, Agent Purple from The Chosen Realms and Windsor Gaming Resource, my local gaming buddies.
Khornate, Kris Knives, Ashran, Korsarro-Khan, IGFanatic, Fneuch, BunkhouseBuster, stickmaster97 at the always awesome MiniWarGaming Forum.

Moulding with Blu-Stuff

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-05:00

Having done some work now with Green Stuff, sculpting some rather tricky designs and scales, I wanted a way to easily recreate bits. So, I decided to try my hand at moulding. There've been a few sites that talked about using " Blu-Stuff " and the price was right, so I picked some up. It only cost about $10 + $2 shipping for 100g, pictured to the left. (Two small containers, maybe a cell phone sized amount)

Blu-Stuff is like Green Stuff, in that it's an epoxy - they're two putties that begin to harden once you mix them together. Unlike Green Stuff, Blu hardens very fast.

As recommended by their website, it takes 30 seconds to mix, and you should have it in place a minute later, then it cures (hardens) in 3 minutes. The instructions that came with it say it takes 24 hours to fully harden.

Each time I tried it, I gave it the 24 hours before I started messing with it.

The white part was a little oily, so I'd suggest washing your hands after using this stuff, especially before going back to hobbying.

I took a basic head, and covered it in Blu-Stuff, firmly pressing everything together.

Don't waste any time between mixing the Blu-Stuff and pressing it over your object. Once it starts to harden, you won't be able to capture much detail.

Once it fully cured (24 hours later) I used a hobby knife to trim the edges so the head would come out easier, then used the same knife to pry it out.

Then, I mixed up some Green Stuff, and firmly pushed and worked it in.

* TIP: Normally, you mix Green Stuff 1 part blue to 1 part yellow. When working with moulds, use more yellow. I did about 3 yellow : 1 blue. This makes the Green Stuff softer once it's mixed, and will let it pick up the details of the mould better.

Once the Green Stuff fully hardens, you can use a knife or other flat tool to carefully pry the faces from the mould. I was very pleased that the Green Stuff didn't stick to the Blu-Stuff at all.

Here are the two faces I made from that one mould:

Better than Failcast

You'll notice they're not perfect. Both had bits of Blu-Stuff stuck to them, which suggests that every time you use the mould, you'll lose a little more detail. The first one is pretty good, eyebrows a little rough, and the left nostril is messed up. The second one's eyebrows are noticeably rough, the nostril even more so, and you can see part of the eye hole still in there.. that meant the eye looked alright this time, but next time it won't be.

Now, a couple things to note:

First, Blu-Stuff's website, while not specifically saying so, only shows using it to clone iconography. So small, flat, almost 2D details - not complicated 3D ones.

Second, while this won't help everyone, it's fine for me that the faces are rough. I cut out any errors from the faces, drilled nostrils, etc. I don't want all my faces to look the same anyways, so I was already planning on adding a few more layers of Green Stuff over these "basic" heads.

Even then, once you cut them out, and compare to the original, things look pretty good:

Notice the difference in colour... Not only are the copies much lighter since I used more yellow,
but the original is much darker since I used more blue on it for a firmer sculpt.

The other issue I found with the Blu-Stuff is it was a little brittle. Seemed to crack easily, and like I said, there were bits of the mould attached to the Green Stuff.

Conclusion?

It's not bad, and I'm sure it's great for small, low-detail projects.

The clones aren't bad, but I still think I'll keep the original around in case I want more, rather than rely on the mould lasting. After making those two heads, enough detail broke off the mould I had to make a new one.

I'll keep using it as long as I have it, but I'd try a different brand and moulding technique before buying it again. Generally, moulds are supposed to be reusable.

Although it is cheap enough that you could plan to make one object per mould and still save yourself many hours / days of sculpting the same object over and over again.

Weekly Update

2012-01-23T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

Got some good work on Hordeblood Heads done this week. And LOTS more done this weekend, so expect some good WIP photos this week.

You can also expect my Parents Guide to Wargaming this week, so stay tuned.

Last Week in the Community

Charity

Only a little over a week to give to the Foodmachine charity for a chance to win yourself an army!

http://www.razoo.com/story/Foodmachine2011/

Tips

A nice Corsair conversion http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/01/eldar-corsair-conversion-painted-and.html

Gallery

Awesome Tzeentch art http://averyforge.deviantart.com/art/All-is-Dust-279903274

Sexy Eldar http://aikurisu.deviantart.com/art/Eldar-Myar-271470360

CVinton's Contemptor is looking good http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/13th-company-contemptor-2.html

As is Gimnir's warrior priest http://gimnir.blogspot.com/2012/01/wip_20.html

Musing

There was an excellent topic started by Dethtron regarding Games Workshop insensitively naming a character after a top level Nazi
http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/01/limits-of-decency-and-good-taste.html
and a great response by Von
http://kaptainvon.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/meta-gaming-gamers-privilege-and-the-matter-of-heinrich-kemmler/

Loquacious discusses how "geek" culture has invaded pop http://aychplace.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-roll-to-disbelieve.html
and
she talks about game mechanics http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/01/musings-of-game-store-owner-intelligent_22.html

Porky ponders if GW hasn't protected their IP http://theporkster.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-much-of-that-ip-could-we-own.html

SinSynn discusses some of GW's failures http://aychplace.blogspot.com/2012/01/sinsynn-dinna-trust-gw-no-more.html

Hordebloods WIP: Custom Heads

2012-01-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

There's been a lack of content here lately, mostly because I've been working on the difficult task of sculpting - something I've never done before, especially when it comes to faces.. man faces are hard.

That on the left - definitely not a Tauren. Looks more like a gorilla. And the head's too big.

There's still more work to be done, but here's a small collection of some of the work I've been doing. with a description to go along.

Top to Bottom: Janessa, Runeshaper, Champion

They've all taken a bunch of work, failed heads being crushed into oblivion.. Janessa's been tricky as she's much smaller than the others.

Now, the Tauren head on the Runeshaper in the middle still needs some work, but it's roughly how I want them to look. With this in mind, I've made a cast of it with some blue stuff, and have some green stuff currently curing inside... that way I'll have a base mould, and can customize whatever heads come out of if so they still all look different. I'll have a post on the blue stuff coming up.

Still need to make the right scale of horns on all of these, and make sure they're not in the way of other things like raised arms. Their necks / humps will have to be brought backwards and into their backs... we'll see how I end up doing that later.

The champion is being turned into a Pandaren Brewmaster, and while I really liked the first head, it was too small.. the second started looking too much like a walrus, and the final I'm sliiightly worried might be a touch too big. He's still going to get the asian hat, and more of a bear belly.

All of them will still need hair covering their bodies. Any area with skin is going to get a light coat of green stuff that I can finely give fur detailing to. Other areas will get more green stuff, creating larger tufts of hair. I think if I bulk up the Panda some while doing this, everything will work out just fine.

Weekly Update

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week at Wargaming Tradecraft

I built a tabletop!

I've also been sculpting heads, but wouldn't you know it, left my camera at one of my work sites :(

Last Week in the Community

Lauby's got an excellent article on copyright, which is well worth a read:
http://lauby.blogspot.com/2012/01/copyright-and-hobby-blog.html

Charity

Only 2.5 weeks left to donate for your chance to win some pirates! HARRRRRRRRR
http://www.razoo.com/story/Foodmachine2011/

News

Tutorials

Crazy beautiful wings http://sproketsmallworld.blogspot.com/2011/11/dark-eldar-diorama-scourge-wings-step.html
and http://sproketsmallworld.blogspot.com/2012/01/spots-before-your-eyes-guide-to.html

Tips

Ron reviews Liquid Greenstuff http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2012/01/quick-look-at-liquid-greenstuff.html

Creative Obliterators http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/obliterator-conversions-with-dark-mech.html

Gallery

Chaos minis
http://40khobbyblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/chaos-possessed-ultra-marine-traitors.html
http://40khobbyblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/chaos-dreadnought-and-changer-of-ways.html
http://creativetwilight.com/2012/01/hobby-plague-champion-2-complete-pics/

Iron Warriors http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/iron-warriors-progress-two-squads-in.html

Completed stylized squad http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://gimnir.blogspot.com/2012/01/terminado.html

wow... http://sproketsmallworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/dark-eldar-scrouge-finished.html

Musing

On principles and design of a game http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/01/musings-of-game-store-owner-intelligent_15.html

Gaming on a budget - time http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/01/gaming-on-budget-time.html

Gaming

Building Yourself a Cheap Tabletop

2012-01-11T02:00:00.000-05:00

For a while now, I've been wanting to make some sort of war-table that'd allow TheWife and I (and any guests) to game. A buddy and I built a full size table before, but that doesn't exactly work in an apartment. I've been pondering and doing some mental planning recently after taking notice of how the FLGS extends their Magic tables for WarmaHordes. Last weekend I spent some time and built myself a wargaming field. In this post, I'm going to show you how. (And cheaply!)

After building it, TheWife liked it so much, she decided I needed to build a second one to keep out all the time. It fills our living room nicely, and will work great for board games, card games, puzzles, etc.

As I mentioned, we live in an apartment, so space is a factor. For this reason, a full size war-table wasn't an option. Instead, I decided I'd take my existing coffee table and build a topper for it.

The last battlefield I built was an 8' x 4' full-size table, but we played 2 vs 2 at 2000 pts each 40k games. For smaller 1 vs 1 skirmish games, 4' x 4' is plenty of room, but still bigger than the average table. Anyone can make a suitable top for your own tables, as long as they're sturdy enough.

Supplies

The cost of this project was extremely low.

$16.99 - 4' x 8' sheet Sanded Spruce Plywood, 1/2" thick (enough for 2 surfaces)
$2.23 - 2' x 4', 8' long
$2.23 - 2' x 4', 8' long
$6.59 - 8 x 2 Flat Head Wood Screws (100pk) For building the frame
$5.19 - 8 x 1.25 Flat Head Wood Screws (100pk) For attaching the plywood
= $33.23

Your frame might be smaller / bigger depending on the size of your table, which might mean you'll need different lengths of 2x4's.

If you want to make two of these, double your 2x4's:

$33.23 - Supplies to make the first
$4.46 - Two 2x4's
= $37.69

If you and a friend want to make two of these, the price becomes incredibly cheap if you split it.

$8.50 - Split the surface in half
$4.46 - Two 2x4's
$5.89 - Split the cost of all the screws.
= $18.85

A battlefield for under $20? Yes please.

When buying your surface, get something thick enough that it doesn't easily bend, but not something so thick that it's extra heavy. I found 1/2" a good size. Most hardware stores will offer services to do some of your wood cutting for you - an unwieldy piece like this is a good one to have the employees cut in half for you.

When you're picking your two by fours, turn them on their sides, and look down the length to make sure it's not warped. You'll find some seriously warped / damaged wood at hardware stores. Think they wouldn't sell you garbage? Think again.

top-left: Good
bottom-left and right: Bad

Keep an eye out for other defects in the wood. Some can be hidden by facing them down, just make sure they're not going to weaken the wood.

Special Note on Sizing

Before buying your screws, it's very important to be aware that wood sizing isn't actually exact. When we built our big table, we ended up with a bunch of screws that were too long because we didn't realize it.

In the photo, I've measured a 2x4. The "2 inch" side is actually 1.5 inches, and the "4 inch" side is just shy of 3.5 inches.

FYI, screw labelling is thus:
8x2 means 8 gauge (thickness) and 2" long

Planning

Here's what we're making:

The idea is that you've got a sheet of wood that will sit on a table you already own.

Attached to that sheet, will be a frame. This frame will fit closely around the table you're building the battlefield for. Don't design it too tight, a little shifting is OK. If it's too tight, it can't be easily removed / put on.

First, you'll build the frame, then you'll attach the top.

I could have designed the tabletop a few ways, and the difference between them is a matter of support. I went with the bottom left method, because it extends support out to the edge of the table. You'll want to take careful measurement of the surface you're fitting the table on.

Try to extend some of the wood out to the edges of the tabletop. This'll support the whole surface without any bending. The tabletop can be any shape or size, just adjust the wooden frame accordingly. Even a circular table will work just fine.

Now you're going to want to take some exact measurements before you start cutting. Measure ALL FOUR SIDES. Notice my table actually had one side slightly larger than the other.

To find out where to place the wood, you're going to need some math. Use the larger sides for your math, if any are different lengths:

Since you'll build the frame first, calculate where the inner pieces of wood will go:

Take the width of the tabletop (48")
And the width of the table (23 3/4")
Subtract those (48 - 23 3/4 = 24 1/4")
Divide that by two (24 1/4 / 2 = 12 1/8")
Then subtract a little bit so the tabletop fits loosely. How much is up to you. (12 1/8" - 1/8" = 12")

Then, figure out where the long pieces will be placed on the tabletop:

Take the width of the tabletop (48")
And the width of the table (38")
Subtract those (48 - 38 = 10")
Divide that by two (10 / 2 = 5")
Then subtract a little bit so the tabletop fits loosely. How much is up to you. (5" - 1/8" = 4 7/8")

Once your calculations are done, use a pencil to mark where everything should line up.
On the 4' pieces, use a pencil to mark 12" in from each end.
On the large 4' x 4' tabletop, mark 4 7/8" in from the sides the 4' sections will be across.

Now that I'm actually ready to start connecting the frame, I lay everything out, and use the tabletop it'll be fitting over as a guide. By building around it, you'll ensure nothing's too tight or too loose.

At this point, you don't have to worry about lining up the tabletop... that comes after the frame is built.

Cut the Wood

I only had 3 cuts to make, which you can see in the diagram above.

Cut one 2x4x8 in half.
An 8 foot long 2x4 is perfect for the longer frame, because 1 cut gets you both pieces.
Cut the second 2x4 at points 38" in from each end.
Since I'm working with a hand-saw, it's tricky to have perfectly 90 degree flat ends. By cutting each segment from the end of the 2x4, with the scrap piece in the middle, I start with flatter parts.

ALWAYS mark your cuts before making them. This'll act as a guide. Like in the display cabinet project, I use a metal square to ensure my lines are straight.

If you make a mistake, it's alright - at $2.23 for an eight foot long 2x4, you can afford to make a few mistakes. In fact, buy an extra or two just incase if you're new at this.

Don't forget to file the rough edges. This is where larger files, not hobby files, come in handy.

Building the Frame

Once everything's lined up, I start by using a drill to create some pilot holes. (Like on my shelf building tutorial)

Then, I use a larger drill, just a little bigger than the head of my screws, to drill a few 1/8 sink holes. It's not a big deal, just habit... but since I have flat head screws, it's really not that necessary.

Using the longer of the screws, place it at the first pilot hole, and screw it in until it's just poking out the other side of the wood. Check AGAIN to make sure things are lined up where you want them. Holding the pieces firmly together, screw in the rest of the way. If you end up with a gap, you didn't have the two pieces held firmly together and will have to remove the screw and try again. (Get a helper to hold things if needed) Now, do the other screw.

To be safe, square up the tabletop now that you have one brace attached and check where you marked for the next piece of wood to connect. Now's the time to adjust this end, incase you need it to be a little looser or tighter. See how both sides of your table fit in here, incase one side is bigger than the other.

Drill and screw the next piece in.

I now have a 4' section of wood with two 38" pieces attached. All that's left of the frame is to attach the other 4' section to the other side. Once again, see how the frame fits over both sides of the existing table, and ensure there's enough room for it to move around a little bit.

Make sure the frame definitely fits over your table. Better you adjust it now, than after you attach the tabletop.

Attaching the Tabletop

Now that the frame is built, it's an easy job to attach the plywood tabletop.

Lay the tabletop out on top of the frame, and line up the marks you made earlier with the 4' lengths.

Check all four points to see how in-line you can get things... it might not be perfect as the frame can be slightly off.

Put a screw through the tabletop in each corner to secure it in place.

Then, draw a line between the two screws at either end of the same 2x4.
Do the same for the inner 2x4's.

This creates guides for where all the tabletop screws need to go. Screw them all in, and your table is done!

To clean things up, take a large file to all the edges.