Badab War: Airbrush first attempt

++24/02/12 6 Days Till Deployment++

Been very busy this end trying to learn how to use the airbrush set and paint mixtures. After a lot of trial and error I finally found a colour that I like for the vehicles. I am not sure whether I will use this on Dreadnought models but for Rhino and land Raider chassis this is the finish I intend to use.

Still need to add a few more details but the main hull colour and post shade is what I am focusing on. I used a warm brown as to shade the bronze and applied the usual green for bronze oxidation. I think; like with the infantry; the colours only work together in the final stage once the green is applied as a deep shadow border.

So what do people think of my first ever airbrushed figure?

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Badab War: Set Backs and Solutions

++ 16/02/12 16 Days Till Deployment++

So yesterday I used the momentum I had been gathering all week to put paint to tanks, however it did not go according to plan. It had been some time since I had painted any tanks/areas with large flat surfaces and I had forgotten how difficult it was to produce a smooth finish with brush, even with vallejo Model Colour paints. I found the results too grainy and less the time taken, too long for my liking (three coats usually on a grey undercoat). It was at this point that I decided to buy something that I had been putting off for quite some time.

The As196 Compressor with airbrush kit

After some frenzied research I came to the conclusion that this double cylinder compressor with double action airbrush would suit my beginner needs and perhaps still serve use once I get involved in more complex works, I have always wanted an airbrush but never had a project big enough to justify purchase, so I had research, but had never gone through with it. The thing to do now is look at the best way to mix Vallejo Model Colour for airbrush use, as my main colour (Bronze) is not available in the Model Air range, I have picked up some mixing auxiliaries for the job and will be playing around with mixes once everything arrives, so fingers crossed I will put paint to figures this weekend.

The Compressor and brush are due to  arrive tomorrow afternoon, I am hoping that this minor step back will actually lead to a massive step forward in painting speed.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

*Still no sign of those blasted Land Speeders!*

Badab War: Hinged Rhino Mock up

++14/02/12 18 Days till Deployment++

Very quick update before I vanish for the evening. I started working on the Rhino transports for my tactical squads and I am very happy with the way these are turning out.  Due to the success of the builds I now intent to make these modifications the standard for all my transport vehicles, not only for the rest of the Minotaurs project, but any further power armour projects I may work on in the future. Nothing is stuck together at this stage and I did consider adding lighting, but I am taking it one step at a time as I know nothing about circuits.

With the mock up set up I am ready to add the same modifications to the remaining two Rhino's tomorrow, this will mean all armour bar the Drop pod will be built, leaving just the painting! The bits for my new Sternguard have also arrived, so I may build them in unison with the last Rhino. With 18 days left to go my objective of having 1500pts painted and playable seems in reach, but the (still) missing Land Speeders can still prove to be the end of this goal.

Lets see what tomorrow brings!

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? Reinforce today with: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Badab War: Predator(s) Reporting!

++13/02/12 - 19 Days till deployment++

All three Predator battle tanks are built and ready for priming, only problem is I have run out of primer! Luckily for me I found a seller who stocks it at a reasonable price and bought three cans for delivery this week (along with some other interesting bits...). All three tanks have sponsons and tracks separate for ease of painting and the central 'command' tank will have a Chronus figure to fill the top hatch to finish the build, but that is still in transit. I have some cool marking ideas for the squadron that I think will make them stand out on table, but this will depend on how much time I have before the game, right now I will concentrate on just getting them all bronzed up and add the  final painted details after the 3rd March if it comes down to it.

My final (hopefully) Forgeworld order for this portion of army also arrived this morning, so I now have enough Minotaur rhino doors, extra armour and dozer blades to complete the design I envision for my transports last year; half the bits for my new improved Sternguard squad also arrived but I am waiting on some plastic bits to arrive before they will be ready to work on. Since I have no more primer and both the Sternguard bits and Landspeeders (3 weeks now...) are absent, I may as well build the Rhino's for my Sternguard and Tactical squads. 

Tomorrow is Valentines day so obviously there will be no updates - my partner is understanding but no that understanding! But I should be able to get some bits built and posted up before she gets back from work.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? Reinforce today with: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Army List: Librarian Gun-Line

One of my potential lists for 2012, a very basic Librarian led gun-line, I wanted to veer away from a typical mix max army list and focus on some slightly more expensive but perhaps efficient unit combinations, I think auto/las supported by Typhoon can pump out a very tasty amount of fire power per turn if left unchecked. It is a very simple to use list with minimal deep strike risk list but perhaps a high KP score, but at 1500pts I think it has enough AV13 to prove durable and pour fire power into de-meching. 

The Librarian as always provide limited psychic power protection and some combinations to harass or protect.

Librarian

Psychic powers: The Gate of Infinity, Null Zone

Dreadnought

Multimelta, heavy flamer, drop pod

Sternguard Veterans

2 Combi-Melta, 2 missile launchers ++Thank you to Gregory Swanson for this idea++

Rhino

Tactical Squad (5) 

5 additional space marines

Meltagun, combi-melta, missile launcher

Rhino

Tactical Squad (5) 

5 additional space marines 

Meltagun, Combi-melta, missile launcher

Rhino

Land Speeder Squadron

Typhoon missile launcher

Land speeder Squadron

Typhoon missile launcher

Land speeder Squadron

Typhoon missile launcher

Predator

Lascannon side sponsons

Predator 

Lascannon side sponsons 

Predator 

Lascannon side sponsons

I still find two tactical squads a little light on the troop department for my liking (even with combat squads), however the amount of range 48" fire power threat is high and I think to even ignore the predators and Typhoons for one turn could prove painful for the enemy. I still have 6 Melta shots to counter deep striking armoured units or transports, however over half of those shots are single-shot only. Despite this I think it will suffice in combination with the six lascannons and three autocannons. 

The Sternguard are an anomaly unit that gave me access to another Rhino chassis, I am still tempted to take a standard rhino but with the figures I have to hand, a heavy bolter razorback provides more firepower than what I have available to fire out of ports. I could have gone for another tactical squad and gained extra melt and missiles, but I feel the special issue ammunition and GOI combo will prove useful for last minute objective clearance/grabbing. The same applies to the Dreadnought and drop pod, while the payload may not survive the initial turn, the pod itself poses another bit of AV value that can contest/block los throughout the game.

So thoughts on the list?

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? Buy this army from: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Badab War: 20 Days to deployment

My first game of the year (and with the Minotaurs) approaches, the forges have been working late into the night, but yet it still seems like there is so much to do. Despite numerous delays from online retailers, the bulk of the army is shaping up nicely and I have had a very productive last two days resulting in most of the armour being built.

I am awaiting a package from Forgeworld and Games Workshop to complete the final predator, then it's straight to the spray booth and hopefully a quick paint job. What was meant to be just the Contemptor Dreadnought has now turned into a 1500pts army by the end of the month. With only 20 days remaining, I certainly have a lot of work ahead of me. On the plus side, if I get this done I will be set up for games all year round and that is something to really look forward to.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th legion

Inspired? Reinforce today with: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Forgeworld: Armour Variant Tank Crew

Another treat for Pre-Heresy/Variant armour fans, Forgeworld have put up for pre-order the armour variant tank crew. It is a pack of three miniatures designed by Mark Bedford and includes MKII 'Crusade' and MKIV 'Maximus' armour.  A sneak peek was sent out some weeks ago, but it nice to see the full set.

These new Tank Crew miniatures will start shipping out from the 24th of February priced at £12.00, all that remains now is a release date for Ivanus haha.

Thanks of reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Site News: New Toys! & Badab Veterans Competition

First up, Silar of the (In)famous Badab Veterans blog is running a competition, check it out HERE.

Secondly, new toys! Nothing makes me feel like a 9 year old more then opening boxes of new stuff. Now before people get too excited, they are not miniatures, but are to do with miniatures. Today my new camera arrived and finishes the new photo setup I have been working on for the last week. This is a Olympus SZ30MR, a 'bridge' camera (half compact half I have no idea...) that basically went on offer and was a acceptable price range for me. For me this is a major upgrade over my 4 year old Samsung which use to eat batteries after every shoot. This camera is loaded with features and I am sure it will take me a while to figure out, but one of the nice things I have noticed already is the ability to apparently film in 1080p.

Ok so whats can it do for the blog? The obvious thing is that I will hopefully be adding higher quality photos to the site, something I am very aware is lacking. While my old Anime figure blog had literally hundreds of 'glamour' photos, none of them met my expectations. With miniatures, I take a long time to paint so I don't want to post any old crap photo and I think it is fair to say that readers who are taking the time to follow my slow progress deserve a degree of decent eye candy. Another blog that opens up with this purchase is video. I am now in the position to do video tutorials  and bat reports, which I am sure will be interesting to a lot of people out there.

I also got my first batch of new KR Multicase foam.

"Foam. Thats your big finale for this afternoon's post?"

Ok I admit it is not the most exciting thing I can write about but I really like to protect my figures and KR in my opinion do it best. I do have Battlefoam bags (three in fact), but I do prefer the softer feel and classy aluminium design of KR Multicase. The new custom cut foam is really good and the cuts are a perfect for my figures, with these bits here I can now comfortably fit my 1500 pt army safely in my double aluminium case. So with these new bits in I am hoping to improve the '14th Legion' experience a little bit in 2012, I am also getting to the point of being ready to travel around for gaming.

Don't forget to check out the Fallen Princes and Silar's competition (see top of post).

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th legion

Mustering for War!

It seems I have been invited to my first game using the Minotaurs for next month! Nothing quite stokes up the fires of industry than the prospect of a game. Joking aside, this was probably the best thing that could happen for the Minotaurs project, the incentive of a game versus other fully painted armies is a treat I just can't pass up and I would be shamed to turn up with grey miniatures. The game is set for March 3rd so I have just over 3 weeks to get my stuff up to scratch. My opponents will be Imperial Guard and Space Wolves/Sons of Horus, two of the harder codex's to face in this edition and my opponents are capable list builders with competitive streaks. I will be running Space Marines...

The game will be 1500 pts which is more than I originally planned to have ready by end of Feb but the allowance of Forge World units makes me very happy indeed, as a huge chunk of points can be dropped into that category alone, I think at this points level Forge World units balance quite nicely as dropping too much in this category will handicap you in a lot of missions. The game is still objective based so balancing a usable army with your favourite centre piece is crucial if you wish to have a chance of victory. Gaming has given me a nice amount of resolve and resulted in a building frenzy last night and I intend to take advantage of the momentum and get a whole bunch of stuff done today. With any luck, this evening I will have all the armour built with the exception of the Rhino's - which require some converting and Land Speeders - which still have not arrived from retailer.

The armies that will be played with are going to be pure labours of love, so I will be sure to take plenty of pictures and maybe (if I figure out how to by then), I will video the games for the new 14th Legion Youtube channel. 

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? reinforce today with: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Badab War: Tactical Squad 2 wip 7/02/12

At the moment it seems every time I try to sit down and paint, something more important crops up! The second tactical squad is still not done despite all efforts to blitz it. I have made a few modifications since the last time I looked at them, namely a change to the Veteran sergeant. I was not happy with the way the axe swing looked, however I wanted to keep a aggressive look to the force, so I decided to give him a combat blade to look interesting. 

To me, the combat blade actually looks better than the axe but that could be too much Space Marine computer game making me biased. I am hopefully going to sit down now (well after this post) and do another blitz on this squad, the armour is now completely done bar verdigris; although the final silver highlight hasn't appeared in the photo for some reason; so it is a case of detailing and  bolters. By the time I am done, the new camera might be here, so I can play around photographing both Tactical squad 1 & 2 at the same time.

The Contemptor Dreadnought has not been forgotten either, I have made some small modifications that I think go a long way, pics coming soon...

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th Legion

Inspired? Reinforce today with: Wayland Games - Discount Wargames

Site News: Week ahead

Apologies for the lack of posting, my girl friend managed to drop a cup of tea on her laptop and is using mine until a replacement can be bought i.e. she gets this one I get a new Macbook Pro (silver lining!). On the subject of new hardware, last week I mentioned the purchase of a new light tent and studio lamp set up. I am finishing the collection with a new digital camera that also has 1080p recording capabilities, not only will this mean more photos to go into the galleries I am working on, but also the possibility of some video tutorials and bat reps for 2012. An added bonus is that I can charge it via usb, unlike my current digital camera which eats up batteries after every shoot, I expect the new camera to arrive by the end of the week. 

I have also put in various orders to complete my 1000pt and 1500pt Minotaurs army lists, these have changed a lot since my last post as I just was not happy with the units I was putting in. Like it or not my mind tends to focus on efficiency, even on the table top. I will be sharing these new lists with everyone later in the week. To accompany the new models I ordered in some new foam for my carrying cases and will be writing an article on how I store/carry my armies about the place once these extra bits arrive.

Thanks for reading,

DiStudios

The 14th legion

Site News: Poll Results & Feb Schedule

First off, I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who took part in last month's 'What should I paint next' poll, your continued interest and contributions really help to keep me motivated on the Minotaur's projects. The number one choice by; a massive margin; was the Contemptor Dreadnought, so for February my vow will be to finish that miniature and get it photographed for the blog.

Today a huge box has arrived containing my new photo studio kit, I am hoping that it is far better than the old Tamiya portable (not hard in all honesty) and a much easier set up. This was a cheap set up compared to others, and comes complete with two lamps with high powered white bulbs, white collapsible tent and  background material.