Thursday 15 December 2016

"...Foremost Amongst The Blood God's Followers In Mortal Life..."

"Slay without pity; triumph without remorse."
These two 28mm "finely detailed plastic" Bloodletters have been built using some “parts and accessories” found within the Bloodletters of Khorne kit manufactured by “Games Workshop”, and have been super-glued upon "Citadel" 32mm Round bases. Accompanied by my previously painted Musician, and ‘captained’ by a Bloodhunter, these are the last of the Blood God's (basic) followers I plan to paint in order to field an allied unit of Khorne daemons as support for my ever-expanding “Age Of Sigmar” Host of Nurgle.

Each “implacable and blood-hungry” warrior was given an undercoat of “Vallejo” Heavy Red and treated to a heavy wash of "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, before being dry-brushed with more “Vallejo” Heavy Red. With their basic layering done, the “Slaughter-kin” next had their horns, hands, hooves, spines and sword hilts 'picked out' with “Citadel” Abaddon Black. Some of these areas were subsequently blended into the surrounding red flesh and both Bloodletters' Hellblades were painted with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and then Gold.
"Heroclix" WIPs - Doctor Strange, Steel and Nightmare 
As a final touch I picked out the Chosen of Khorne's teeth with White and their snake-like tongues with Heavy Ochre. Both areas were lastly washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and Reikland Fleshshade respectively.

In between assembling, basing and priming a significant number of models for the start of next week’s Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, I have been busily trying to clear some space on my painting table by completing a number of partially-finished “Heroclix” miniatures from ‘yesteryear’.

Arguably the most complicated of these past projects, and one whose selection has been inspired by the 2016 theatrical release of Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange”, is my old re-based “Wizkids” plastic miniature of the Sorcerer Supreme. Unfortunately, time has not been terribly kind to one of the first “Heroclix” figures manufactured (c. 2002), especially because of its horrendously thick pre-paint, so I am having to make do without priming and instead apply my brush tip directly over the existing colour scheme as if it were the undercoat. This technique will hopefully work well enough for the majority of the Master of the Mystic Arts, but I’m a little concerned as to how much perceptible detail will be visible once I start painting the former-surgeon’s famous beard…
"Sherlock" WIPs - Based and primed, ready for the Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge
Fortunately, neither my figures of Nightmare or Steel appear to have the same issue, and as a result both appear to require fairly straightforward paint-jobs. Indeed, the evil ruler of the "Dream Dimension" and the notable Man of Steel seem so well-detailed that I’m not sure why I actually stopped progressing them in the first place.

Two models which have recently come into my possession, and may still be available to buy from “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, are an Investigative Academic and his Dependable Deputy. Undoubtedly owing a smidgeon of inspiration from the 2010 television crime drama “Sherlock”, these two miniatures have already been ‘made ready’ for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge and will hopefully soon grace my “7TV” tabletop.

24 comments:

  1. The heroclix are nice sculpts and I know what you mean about having to paint over the thick pre-painted factory jobs having just redone my dark judges.

    Those crooked dice minis look amazing!

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    1. Thanks Andy. I've managed to finish both Steel and Nightmare, but Doctor Strange is causing me some issues. The "Crooked Dice" models are indeed awesome looking imho - and their paint schemes seem simple to boot!!

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  2. Well done on finishing your unit of Bloodletters, with the the thick paint you've got on Doc Strange try some washes to add shade this will lesson the amount of layers of paint you need to apply, also thin your highlight paints a little more than normal this should help smooth out there paint for you

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    1. Cheers Dave, just the Icon Bearer to finish and they'll be a group shot!! Sage advice indeed Ref paint thinning, and that's what I've done subsequently with Doctor Strange's (red) cloak of levitation. Still a bit of a fight coming with the rest of the model though...

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  3. I do like the fact that you show step by step your progress. It allows us all to appreciate the transformation from base material into finished wargame piece.

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    1. Thanks Clint. I'm a huge fan of WIPs, as I too like to see how someone's mini came together.

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  4. I missed those CDG investigators. They are very well sculpted, but other than as generic civilians I can't think of a use for them. I'm not a big fan of the new Sherlock Holmes TV series.

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    1. I too am not a fan of the new Sherlock Holmes TV series Bryan. But when I saw these I felt they were 'must haves'. True I have need for the duo as a pair... But Sherlock Holmes meets Doctor Who - I can see a couple of BatRep posts with that possibility ;-)

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  5. I really like the skin tones you've been achieving on these Bloodletters. A wonderfully deep, ruddy tone that evokes blood without being cartoony. Great work!

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    1. Thanks very much indeed Bill. I think the "Vallejo" Heavy Red should take most of the praise, it seems to work really well with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

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  6. I do so look forward to seeing some pics of all of your host of Nurgle and allies together!

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    1. Cheers Gordon - so do I :-) I've just got the Icon Bearer to finish and then I'll be showing off both the entire unit, as well as the Host of Nurgle.

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  7. I have seen the Sherlock figures on Facebook, looking forward to them painted!

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    1. They are terrific sculpts imho, Fran. Well worth getting hold of if you in any way like "Sherlock".

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  8. Just when you thought it was safe to come out...

    Great Bloodletter and some very interesting other minis too - Doc. Strange is well named btw

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    1. Cheers Joe. Just the Icon bearer to go and that'll be it for my Bloodletters... for now at least. I've always been a huge fan of Doctor Strange, and with Nightmare now finished (one of his nemesis'), I'm simply going to have to crack on with him.

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  9. Nice work on your Bloodletter, great colour choice, I have the Dr Strange and Nightmare figures myself, shame Dr S's head looks a little small on the fig I think, I've not seen that "Steel" fig though he is rather nice.

    Can't really comment on the last two figures though as all I know about "Sherlock" is that there were loads of people queuing up to getting into the convention for it when we were at Salute last year (and they had a double decker bus in there too, though what significance that had I have no idea!!)

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Thanks Roger. The Bloodletters have very much become a bit of a battle; ten is an awful lot when they need so much dry-brushing and then detailing. I've a handful of "Heroclix" coming, so hopefully they'll be a few to catch your eye ;-)

      I too don't watch "Sherlock". But the minis are great-looking imho.

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  10. Having only previously seen the concept artwork for the CD investigators, i did wonder how accurate they'd be. Looks like they pretty much spot-on.
    I do watch and enjoy 'Sherlock', so have a feeling i may end up with these figures.

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    1. Admittedly I don't watch "Sherlock", Jez, but even so I can appreciate just how 'spot on' these sculpts are :-)

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  11. Sherlock is SO GOOD. Those minis are indeed spot on.

    Your Heroclix offerings are up to your typical standards for these heroic minis.

    And those Khornate boys are looking better and better as you go along. Plans for a set of Flesh Hounds?

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    1. Cheers Dai. Both the "Heroclix" Steel and Nightmare are now finished, and I'm hoping to get Sherlock & Watson done during the AHPC. I do need some cavalry for my Nurgle forces tbh as my Beast of Nurgle though fast, doesn't really seem to fit the bill.

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