Progress Report 5/5/14 - Making It In May.

I am back! Spending a little more than two weeks on the road was not terribly good for my psyche and certainly not good for the progression of the various miniature projects I was working on. Fear not! I spent some time yesterday and today getting things going again. And here I have photographic evidence! 

First up... this converted Ogre Maneater is taking shape nicely. Just need to connect a chain from his hook-blade to his gutplate and get to priming! 

Nevermind that bit of dog hair... damn hairy bastard gets it all over the place. I am lucky there isn't more on my painting desk! The idea behind this Maneater is a sort of Giant rider/hunter. He uses his armored arm and chained weapon to hitch a ride on a passing Giant before climbing up and working with other Ogres to bring him crashing down! That is why he has some pokey bits on his back so when the Giant reaches for him he can duck down and stab it in the hand. It works sometimes...

Next up we have all of the Deadzone Rebs force I received in the KS. Working to have these painted up for ZlurpeeBowl weekend when I will be participating in a big Deadzone game with 7 other players (2 for each faction). Nevermind that I haven't played the game yet... that is just a small detail! First up I need to get all of these painted. 

These minis were a huge pain the arse to clean up. The mold lines are some of the worst I have ever seen on a plastic or resin mini. Eventually I kinda gave up and just went for the minimum acceptable level (for me). Some of the aliens were kind of a guessing game with parts too. On a scale of 1 to 10 for overall assembly I would give these guys a 6. Joints didn't fit cleanly without trimming, then they left gaps, mold lines right down the middle of faces and small details, and as I started basing them I noticed big gaps in the hole left for the mini to fit into. What a pain... 

This week I will be playing in Headbanger's Ball IV the annual metal themed Blood Bowl tournament in Illinois. Feeling the Ogre love right now (perhaps it is all the talk of bringing the Bellower back over at the Stronghold) and just want to get some fatties on the table. Plus what is more metal than a fat cannibal who loves hitting things and collecting bones?!

More pictures ...

I am still trying to get the hang of this damn digital camera. As mentioned in my previous post, technology and I do not get along very well. We have a shaky truce at best. After fighting with the camera for a bit I came up with these pictures of my recently assembled Iron Guts, Bulls, and Slave Giant models.

First up, the Bulls!

Even though the base weapon for these core units is the Ogre Club, I wanted to have an "elite" force of Ogres armed with chopping devices. These guys like to cut stuff up into tiny little bits, eat a few of those bits, and then chop 'em up some more. "CHOP CHOP CHOP!! Hur hurr hur!" I like the one on the far left who looks a bit like Danny Trejo (or at least I imagine he does) with a hunk of meat hanging from his fist.

See the resemblance?

From the back you might be able to make out the keg and weapon belts I added to the models, one of which features a nice big metal ring. This was something I wanted to add to my older modifications but the "Tan Stuff" did not play nice with small metal additions such as this. I am really happy with the way these belts came out.

Here is another unit of Bulls, this one with two "Belchers" in it. I saw another army which featured "Belchers" as Musicians in place of the regular Bellowers and I loved the idea. Here is my super-fast and cheap version of the "Belcher" with ale stein.

Here is the same group again from behind. You may be able to see more of the belts with rings in this picture. Check out the "Belcher" on the far left which has something like suspenders holding up his cask of ale. I am really proud of this one, and it took me way too long to get it right!

Next up is my second unit of Ironguts. These are slightly more exciting then the last as I tried to make some subtle changes to make them look a bit more dynamic. I am a fan of small modifications that can be easily done to make the base models just a bit different, but not too different.

Here you can see the belts with casks and weapons on the back of the Ironguts. You can never have too many weapons when you are charging into battle!

That is all the pictures I have for the Core units. I spent a good portion of the yesterday working on the "Green Stuff" for them and patching up my Slavegiant before assembling him today. Here are some pictures of my Slavegiant!

I didn't really like the suggested head for the Ogre Kingdoms Slavegiant so I went with a modified version of the O&G Giant instead. There are quite a few bones and skull in my army already so I thought it would work well. I added a bit of chain to hold the skull in place, and chains around the wrists of the giant as well (he is a slave after all).

A view from one side of the Slavegiant. You can see his chain "Leash" hanging off his back, as well as snacks for later on (Mr. Cow and his bag full of chum). Notice the "mercy killing" arrow sticking out of his bag. Those poor, delicious, souls. You can see one side of the Keg Hammer, which is basically a tree with a Keg full of skunky ale tied to the end. The stench alone is enough to kill most strong men, and thats not counting the Slavegiant's strength on top of that!

And last but not least, a view from the other side of the Slavegiant. You can make out the end of the "Leash" for the Slavegiant, which is usually in the hands of a Tyrant (which I have yet to name for my tribe) before being let loose on any enemies nearby. You can also see more of the Keg Hammer from this angle. I am really happy with the way this model turned out and I have to say it was some of the most fun I have had with this hobby as of yet. If you are playing an army that features a Giant, do yourself a favor and get this kit!

And that was the majority of my week in progress. I had a small scuffle with an O&G army this week, and my Ogres got trounced in the process. Next week I will do a better job of taking notes and grabbing pictures of the battle so I can post an update here.

The "to do" list for this week is as follows:

• Assemble Hunter, Sabercats, and additional Trapper models.
  
• Assemble Gnoblar Scraplauncher model.
• Assemble Butcher model.
• Prime all of my army

Somehow I doubt I will manage all of that. If only I had more time ...

Behold! Pictures!

I will be the first to admit I am not technically savvy when it comes to Digital Cameras. I have never owned one so there was never a need to understand this arcane example of high-tech wizardry. The reasons why I have not purchased a Digital Camera are many and varied but it really comes down to just four things.

1. I am the least photogenic being on Earth. This has been the case since I was born and doctors attempted to photograph the experience for my parents. I have seen the pictures ... and I still can't get the memory of their existence out of my head.
   
2. Technical equipment hates me, and I don't like it either. Simply touching a computer is often enough to set it on fire, sparks and glass flying from shattered monitors. Luckily I have found a way to put this talent to good use; I break technical things for a living. I turn good video games into bad news as a QA Lead Tester.
   
3. I believe cameras are a gateway to hell, stealing the souls of their victims, sending the portraits into the netherworld .... never to be seen again.
   
4. They cost too much. I would rather spend that money on food, video games, booze, and tiny plastic models of fat Ogres.
   

Even with all of these reasons to never go near a Digital Camera I felt it was my duty to secure photographic evidence of my own WHFB downfall and spiral into madness. I attempted to take some photos of my miniatures with an old outdated model, but they turned out a blurry mess. Luckily I had some dollars burning a hole in my pocket, so I ran out to buy a new Digital Camera, a 12 pack of beer, and a bottle of rum. Now that I am liquored up with technology on my side, nothing can stop me from subjecting you to my crazed model labors! Nothing!

Here are some pictures of the models I have done!

This is my Tyrant/Bruiser model made out of some Ironguts and Bull pieces and a bunch of fine jewelry chain. I don't have a name for him yet. I think he turned out pretty well considering I have no previous experience working with epoxy putty or model customization. I wasn't able to get any "Green Stuff" (the standard for this sort of work) and had to settle for the harder (and harder to work with) Tan A/B epoxy putty. I am told this "Tan Stuff" is usually used for making more rigid additions such as weapons or body parts. I attempted to use it as "Green Stuff" and it didn't go so well. It sets up very fast, in about 20-30 mins, and I didn't have enough time to work out all the kinks. Still ... I think it he turned out good overall.

Here is a side view showing off his psuedo-fur top and crappy rivet belt. Notice the chains woven through the skull eyes ... yeah. Intense levels of "badassitude" right there.

This is a view from the other side. I intend to eventually get a real Tyrant model once I can convince myself $35 is a good deal for one model that I don't particularly like that much. This guy will be relegated to Bruiser status once that occurs. Notice the keg by his feet. The theme of my tribe is drinking; both blood and beer. Still working on picking a name for the tribe, and thus the Characters in it. The current leaders are:

• Beer Guts Tribe
• Beer Gut Tribe
• Blood Keg Tribe
• Blood Guts Tribe

If you have an opinion on any of these, let me know. I can't possibly make a decision this important on my own.

This is my first Butcher. I made him out of Bull parts and a bunch of "Tan Stuff". The apron didn't turn out as good as I had hoped it would, but overall I am happy with it. It could have been much worse given my experience level (especially working with the "Tan Stuff"). You can't see it in this picture but the staff he is holding is a Man Trap on one end with a Cleaver on the other. This weapon represents many of the common Magic weapons used by Butchers, but I had the "Bangstick" in mind when I made this.

Here is a view from the back. I wanted to add some ritualistic piercings on his back and shoulders, but the "Tan Stuff" wasn't working. I clipped the rings and attempted to glue them directly, resulting in the white schmang you see here. I plan on cleaning it up before I prime this model for painting. I may add some "Green Stuff" now that I have it to make it look more like an actual piercing on his body.

This is my second Butcher, also made from a Bull and a bunch of "Tan Stuff". I made this one bigger, with a larger belly and apron/smock. The cord/belt I added didn't turn out as well I as I would have liked, and I may go back and add more details with some "Green Stuff" ... or just add them in the painting. Pretty straight forward conversion here, nothing too fancy.

Here is a view from the back. You can see he suffers from the glue/piercing issue as well, although it looks much less noticeable on this model.

Next up is my Tribe's Battle Standard. I wanted to make this guy look really bad ass for a standard bearer. He is wearing a skull mask, has a lookout gnoblar, with a huge ironfist and giant standard. I really like this model. I hope I don't screw up the pain job!

From the back you can see the back of the headpiece. I tried to make it look like an animal skin headdress, but it is mostly there to cover up the poor conversion underneath. The chains are there for the high level of "badassitude" they provide (being chains and all).

Here are my five Bull models. The Battle Standard is technically a Bull as well, although I would use him for an Ironguts if needed. There is a standard here as well with a Gnoblar in a perch. I took off the flag because it didn't look good leaning forward. Four of these models have slight modifications with straps/belts holding on extra weapons, kegs, etc. The only model I have any "fluff" for in this group is on the far right, Dr. Club. He has a lot of clubs on him. He is like a field medic, but his only remedy is beating people in the head with various sizes of clubs. Sometimes it works ....

You can see the modifications made with "Tan Stuff" a little better from this view. I am proud of the way these all turned out. I am working on an additional seven other Bulls which may be a bit more generic then these fellas (then again, maybe not).

Nothing too fancy here, just Ogres in Heavy Armor with Greatweapons. Two of these models have extra straps/belts added to hang their kegs on. I am working on an additional four Ironguts which will be pretty basic as well. You can't really change the perfect combination of heavy armor, big weapons, and Ogres.

Another view from the back. I am really proud of the little bit of fringe on the belt of the Standard Bearer. That was really hard to do with the "Tan Stuff" and I screwed it up about 16 times before I finally got it right.

So there you have it. I have mastered my daemons and brought you pictures of my maniacal works. I have some things not pictured of course. Here is the list:

• 60 Gnoblar Warriors (yes, I really have 60 of them)
• 4 Ironguts
• 7 Bulls
• 8 Gnoblar Trappers
• 1 Giant

I just purchased the Giant kit today as I was not able to find a Hunter model and I didn't want to spend the same amount of money on two Yhetees. The Giant may suck in the game (so I have heard anyway), but the kit is fucking awesome! So many different parts, and extra bits. I am really going to have fun putting that one together.

You can expect a small progress report later next week. I didn't get to play any WHFB this week, but I did watch another player attempt to run the Ogres against the Orcs & Goblins. It didn't end well. The OK player bunched up all their units and got smashed by Savage Orc Boyz and Black Orcs. I learned a valuable lesson though: challenging a Tyrant/Bruiser with the Tenderiser is a sure way to get your Characters killed.

Until next time ...

Progress Report - 5/10/08.

I have been neglecting two of the topics this gnoblog was created for: The creation of my Ogre Kingdoms army, and drinking beer.

Today I will rectify this situation!

Last week I finished the main assembly of my first Ogre Kingdoms Battalion Box when I completed my Leadbelchers. I knew I wanted to get a box of Ogre Bulls to convert into Butchers, mostly because I don't really care for the GW Butcher model (it looks a little ... toothy).

I considered buying a Tyrant model to fill out my army until I can spring for a Hunter, Gnoblar Trappers, Gorgers, Scraplaunchers, Yhetees, etc.

I went to a store here in Austin, BattleForge Games, in an attempt to supporting the local gaming community. This was my second time in this store (the first was to purchase the Battle For Skull Pass boxset) and I was still not impressed with their Ogre Kingdoms model selection or price.

I know the price is somewhat out of the retailers hands, as it is controlled by GW, but I also know I could find the models cheaper online. Lucky for them I am an impatient man! After pricing out the box of Bulls, and a Tyrant model, I realized I was close to $85.00. The Ogre Kingdoms Battalion box was priced at $90.00. I decided to go with another box and convert one of the Iron Guts into a Bruiser/Tyrant in addition to the two Bulls which would become Butcher models.

Today I made it to another Hobby store here in town to find two part epoxy putty which I could use to modify the models in the second Battalion box I had purchased. They didn't sell "Green Stuff" so I had to settle for some Tan colored A/B epoxy putty. I also purchased some chains, glue, and base texture so I wouldn't have to come back later.

Tonight I sat down and worked on completing the modifications I had made to my original Battalion box models, adding straps for kegs of ale and various weapons, before finishing with a textured cloth/animal hide hood for my Battle Standard model (he is wearing a skull mask and it looked bad just glued on with nothing covering the back of his head).

I do not have a digital camera to show pictures of the works in progress, but this is something I am hoping to rectify in the near future.

While I was working on these modifications I was also drinking a tasty brewed beverage; Red Hook "Long Hammer" India Pale Ale. My review follows:

Beer Type: American IPA

Appearance: 12oz. brown bottle with a green, white, and yellow label featuring a big hammer on it. Cool. Poured a light yellow-orange color with a thick head that quickly faded to a light lacing.

Smell: Hops and a touch of sweetness. Mostly just hops.

First Drink: As expected with any IPA the hops is the first thing that jumps out. It isn't overpowering and seems mellowed somewhat by something else I can't quite pinpoint.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with a good level of carbonation. I can't really say it is good or bad, but it is in line with the other Red Hook beers I have had.

Last Drink: More sweetness now with a touch of sour citrus ... maybe grapefruit? The hops took on a sort of floral flavor as the beer warmed up.

Drinkability: Not the harshest Pale Ale out there and certainly drinkable. I tend to drink a lot of Red Hook brews but this is mostly due to them being on sale at the local market where I can get a $7.99 six pack for $4.99. This beer is quite good for a $4.99 six pack but there are others I would choose at the $7.99 price.

Notes: When I first started drinking beer I absolutely hated IPA and Pale Ale style beers. I must have had some poor examples of them then, because I drink them almost exclusively now when given the chance (Real Ale Fireman's #4 being my favorite).

Verdict: 3.25 out of 5. This is probably the best Red Hook brew I have had, far superior to their ESB.

In the beginning ...

Many years ago today ....

It was actually about 3 years ago, but I don't remember specific dates. It began with "The Underworld", a small comic store in Ann Arbor, MI. I had been visiting the store regularly for years (when F. started at the University of Michigan and I began making the pilgrimage across the blood red seas of I-94) and had witnessed what I considered the lowest of the low ... the tabletop miniature gamer.

They chortled and squealed in a high pitched mockery of the English language, often using phrases, or grunts, that meant nothing to the uninitiated. Like a tribe of radiated desert mutants they stalked and hunted any outsiders who mistakenly entered their darkened dens. Quick to poke and prod, to mock and howl at those who did not ... could not, understand their horrible world. They frightened me yet I was unable to ignore their enormous collections of tiny figures, each hand crafted and painted. Each with countless hours spent devoted entirely to their appearance, in stark contrast to the creators who owned them.

Time passed and many comics were purchased from "The Underworld". Each week I witnessed the same troll like creatures fighting over scraps of their dignity on a dingy table in the back of the store. I felt compelled to watch them. To study that which I did not, and could not, understand. Over time I began to associate some of their inhuman noises with their actions, and what those meant to one another. There was a system at work here, not the seemingly random actions I had first witnessed among them. Fascinating.

It was during this time that I met Brett. He was a mutual friend of a friend who had a strange and mysterious hobby. He never spoke of his activities but I knew he must be involved in some dark dealings at all hours of the day. And so it went like this until I saw him one day during a visit to "The Underworld". I assumed he was there, like myself, to purchase the newest shipment of comic euphoria. That was until one of the horrid trolls I had come to ignore approached Brett and spoke to him in a language I could understand.

What was this? Had I finally been infected with whatever ailment controlled these beasts allowing me to hear and understand them when they spoke? Could these hideous mutants actually be a form of humanity previously unknown to science? How was it that I was now speaking with this thing, and why was it acknowledging Brett as an equal, as one of it's own?

That day I discovered why Brett was often "too busy" to visit his friends. He was in fact one of them. A tabletop miniature gamer. He had extensive collections in both the Warhammer: Fantasy Battles and Warhammer: 40k settings. It was too late ... I had been infected.

Months later I was playing games with him and his freakish kin. I felt the very fabric of my humanity being rended, torn from my very soul. The corruption was deep and spreading fast. Soon after I bought my first miniature ... and painted it. It was only a matter of time before I had picked my poison and selected which Army I would begin collecting.

Warhammer: Fantasy Battles, the Ogre Kingdoms. I bought the Army book and wept.

Then I moved away to Austin, TX. Brett and his mutant kind were far away and the urge to play WHFB (Warhammer: Fantasy Battles) wained. I was far busier trying to secure a job in the Gaming Industry, paying off bills and debt, and keeping myself fed to be concerned with any hobbies. I returned to Ann Arbor a few times over the years to discover "The Underworld" had closed its doors and with it the steady stream of miniature corruption in the community. I felt both sad and relieved to know that maybe those once human could heal ... possibly becoming just regular nerds again. I left MI yet again secure in the knowledge that this part of my life had ended and a new chapter could begin.

But there it was ... the itch. A small spot in the bottom and back of my spine that I could never reach. The desire to play. To play tabletop RPGs. To purchase, construct, paint, and collect tiny armies of tiny Monsters and Men. To be like that I once shunned and viewed as abomination. To play Warhammer: Fantasy Battles.

And here we are. Two weeks ago I purchased "The Battle For Skull Pass" with a friend (who shall remain nameless for his sake). He had a desire to create and fight with tiny Dwarfs, and I had a desire to feed my nameless addiction. Since then we have played the game a total of 3 times and absorbed another helpless victim (who has begun collecting Orcs & Goblins). One week ago I purchased my first WHFB models in an eBay auction, the Ogre Kingdoms Battalion Box. I received these models on Saturday and spent the remainder of the next two days cutting, cleaning, gluing, and customizing Ogre models.

Today I started this blog to keep track of my new hobby modeling, which works nicely with my other hobby drinking. Here I will add pictures, posts, and other WHFB related nonsense. Here I will track my sickness. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures in a miniature world and maybe one day you too will be part of this tribe.

So it begins ...

Completed assembly of 24 Gnoblar models, 6 Bull Ogre models, and 4 Ironguts Ogre models. I have 4 Leadbelcher Ogre models left to finish assembling (possibly this evening).

(My new lowest tier geek/nerd/dork is the Larper ... although I fully admit that tabletop wargamers are probably just a short step above it)