Goaliejack Luongo! aka Go Canucks Go!

This is the tale of how one unassuming little warjack grew up to be one of the best goalies in the world. Warning: this post contains conversions, sculpting, hockey talk, and may contain traces of Canucks fanaticism.

As well as being a miniatures enthusiast, I’ve been a Vancouver Canucks fan for 18 years now – as long as I’ve been watching hockey. Shortly after I started following the Canucks, they came within spitting distance of the holy grail of hockey: the legendary Stanley Cup.

They were exciting times in the city of Vancouver, as it was only the second time the Canucks had ever gotten as far as the finals. When the Canucks lost by 1 goal in game 7, it was devastating.

Thousands of ‘fans ‘ jumped off the bandwagon, but I stayed true. Through 17 years of more disappointments than victories, I stayed true. Now, at long last, the Canucks are in the Stanley Cup finals once more. For the first time ever, the Canucks are the favorites to win it all. I decided that I must honor this achievement in my own way, by creating my own personal mascot for my team. (more…)

Dreaming of Lock and Load – Spriggan WIP

I sat down this Saturday determined to make up for a few days of non-painting. Not counting Sunday, I have managed to maintain an average of an hour a day of painting. We’ll see if it turns out to be enough, or will I have to step it up?

The Spriggan (started here) got a bunch more work today, although a lot of it was metals in areas that will be covered or occluded by other parts of the model. I was listening to a bunch of podcasts while working (finished up Lost Hemisphere Radio ep 25 which I’d started at work on Friday, Extra Time MLS podcast, some Nerdist goodness and a couple of smodcast episodes). I must have been caught up in one of the Nerdist stories as I realised suddenly that I had been painting a wreck marker for ten minutes, without really meaning to. I didn’t know my subconscious had such a defeatist attitude! Who plans for their jacks to be destroyed? I have sentenced my subconscious to a gulag in Hellspass so that it may contemplate its failures. As punishment for not warning me when I wandered off track, I ripped off the spriggan’s shield to more easily paint the shoulder and arm. That’ll show him. (more…)

Dreaming of Lock and Load – Spriggan – First steps

A bunch of the Vancouver folks are heading down to Privateer Press’ Lock and Load in June and I eagerly signed up with them. I have always regretted not participating in gaming conventions, so this year I decided I’d seize the opportunities rather then hem and haw until it was too late. I got this idea in my head when I was staring at the events schedule months ago that I would participate in the hardcore event. I believe, at the time, I had a grand total of two painted Khador models… But since that crazy thought ran through my mind, I haven’t been able to shake it. I make no claims to being a good player, but I do know something about myself as a gamer (or in general, even). I can make clear and sound decisions under time pressure and I also feel like I learn much more when I’m under the gun and make a mistake. I like playing games where time is a consideration – Blood Bowl, for example.

The idea of a strictly timed event pleases me greatly. And hey, some stupid sucker has to enter these hardcore events and get slam-bang-ssassinated in under 4 minutes, vaulting yet another player into internet stardom on the Privateer Press forum. That stupid sucker might as well be me. And as an added bonus, I will have a strong incentive to paint my models, and keep painting! And in that vein, I have a small painting update. (more…)

Painting update: Shocktroopers WIP

Hey there internet. I know it’s been a while, but I want you to know I don’t hold it against you.

I have been engrossed in Dragon Age lately (first finishing Origins, then Dragon Age 2 that I received as a gift for my birthday) and this has detracted from my efforts to paint. Finally guilt overwhelmed me and I decided to spend a couple of hours paying attention to my semi-painted man-o-war shocktroopers. I have finally finished the base coat (with the exception of the head and emblems on the leader). Woo, progress!

I noticed that I had missed a few parts in crevices, particularly around the leader’s shoulder. In a fit of rage and superhuman strength, I tore off the offending arm and happily fixed up the wide missed swathes. Mental note: when I get to my second unit of shocktroopers, who are waiting patiently in their box, I will prime and paint them partially assembled. Things will probably go much faster!

Enough blathering, here are two cell-phone pics I snapped:

I always feel better when paint covers most of a model, but the dull red of the GW foundation red doesn’t really look great. You can see a fully red section on the shields to contrast. Hopefully I will find time tomorrow or this weekend to work on the red overcoat.

Until next time, internet. I’ll try not to leave you alone so long this time.

Painting Update – Llama the Ramma finished, Shocktroop still in progress

As promised, I put in the few finishing touches on my marauder, “Llama the Ramma”.  I was experimenting with the macro close-up on my digital camera, there may be some pics that are a little strange, with a really shallow depth of field.  Also, I don’t have a light box, so the lighting is less than ideal.  But who cares!  I finished a jack!  Here’s what I did to finish up Llama.

• P3 Pig iron on the ram pistons wedge surfaces.
• P3 Quicksilver on the ram piston wedge leading edge.
• P3 Quicksilver on the rest of the rivets on the legs and shoulders.
• P3 Menoth white base then P3 Morrow White for the direct facing indicator and name.  Needed a couple of coats because of the purple underneath.
• Ash waste flock in patches on the base.

The shocktroopers just got pig iron on their feet, and I did the stacks, arms and piping of the third unit member.  I should also note that I picked up a second unit of Shocktroopers from Strategies Games.  Strategies was featured in a Groupon deal on Saturday, so I used the coupon I picked up on a new unit.  I’ll have to figure out how to differentiate the units visually.  I don’t want anything drastic, as I’d like to be able to run a full unit without the two extra grunts looking out of place, but if I’m running two minimum units with Butcher it would be good for my opponent to be able to easily tell the two apart. I suppose I should concentrate on finishing painting the first unit, though.  I’m getting ahead of myself.  ;)

Anyway, enjoy the pics.