Exploring other facets of the hobby

Hello again everyone!

Today I thought we would have a think about a side of the hobby that has been integral to the back stories and world building of Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Age of Sigmar. The artwork.

Inside many, if not all of us budding hobbyists and lovers, of the worlds games workshop has brought to us, is the creative artist. Be that from the armies we build, the scenery we create ( from scratch built, to citadel moulds) to the stories we craft, we are all artists in our own right.

But what of the fine artists within, and amongst us? Where are they? Fine art in our hobby from the social media and articles I read, have been less represented compared to the physical mediums of our models. I am sure there is plenty of budding fine artists out there so I apologise if I have yet to find you (and more visible representation of your work would be a great boon to the hobby), so I thought I would start to look into this area myself.

Many many, moons ago I too was a sucker for the pen, the pencil and the page, fantasy art flew through my viens, but like any creative aspect of an individual, this has ebbed...

Now however it once again begins to flow!
The pen, the pencil and the page, I hath once again risen to bring randomness to life! So, in the spirit of self directed punishment I will be aiming to bring you artwork I myself I have created (not all original but we will get to that).

I hope to be able to post step by step guides for what I have done moving forwards (I forgot this time...), in case anyone out there would like to have a go. My work isn't professional level and shouldn't be considered as such, this is merely another creative outlet for myself, and I have a long way to get back to the level I once was at...

An important lesson I also believe in, is the difference between creativity and originality.

You can be creative without being original. No artwork is ever wrong, for your interpretation of a piece is personal to you. Never be disheartened if you feel a lack of originality, for you can always be creative.

So, with all that out of the way, lo' and behold my first foray back to the world of fine art!

As you can see, this is a rendition of the Daemon Codex front cover; nowhere near as perfect as the original, but I feel it has a dirty grimness to it I really enjoy.

I'll discuss more about the picture, and what I used in my next post, with some thoughts on what I may try next. If any of you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments or by email. Let the journey begin!

Jonathan

Tournament Prep: I feel like I'm forgetting something...

Hello Ladies and Gents,

Welcome back, today we're talking about how my tournament prep is going for the upcoming Birthday Bash 2.0 event at the end of February. Things should really be starting to be pick up for myself at the moment, particularly in getting my army ready, unfortunately new shinies always seem to get in the way of actual progress...

So what's been happening? Well first off, I have only managed to rebase paint the carapace on my Necron Doom Scythe. I really should at least get the edge highlighting done soon,  but I've been distracted by both the Mistweaver Saih, and Canoness Veridyan (this all stemmed from my recent article on Female models in wargames... It happens sometimes).

Progress by baby steps

First up we have the Mistweaver Saih,  and I've been watching some YouTube videos on how to improve my painting. Unfortunately I feel that I have spent an inordinate amount of time on her skirt, but damn I think it looks fine!

As you can see I have started to work a bit on the staff,  but the next major point to work on is reapplying Abaddon Black to the legs, and start adding Celestra Grey to the smoke she is held aloft on.

Next up, is my version of Canoness Veridyan. A beautiful sculpt, but one I felt would have benefited more from being in plastic. I had some issues with getting her glued together (Yes I did wash the model first), and may have caused some major rage on my part. The only other major issue is the wiring attached to the skull on her power armour,  power plant.  This is a ridiculously small component,  which unfortunately did not survive the model getting accidentally knocked off my work station by the mother in law (and back to the gluing we went...), which resulted in the part going missing. For now I'm happy to just not look for it and get the model done.

Painting wise,  I have gone for a slightly different tone with the Canoness. Similar to the colour scheme of the Order of the Argent Shroud, I have started with a base of Celestra Grey, wash with Coelia Greenshade,  then progressive light dry brushing of Celestra again before a glaze of Ceramite White. There is some more glazing to do, so I haven't decided whether extreme highlighting will be required or not. I am very pleased with how her face came out it's just a shame I can't get a decent photo! Still a lot of work to do but I'm very happy with it so far.

Post the slightly failed, attempted trip to Warhammer World, myself and Ian from over at krakaddict.blogspot.co.uk will be heading up to Element Games to get a test game in with each of our forces for the Birthday Bash, all being well I can try and get some sort of battle report from this up and we can see how the Maynarkh Dynasty fares against the Space Wolves! Pray to the Omnissiah that overzealous tech priests don't delete the "scrap code" from my equipment again hahaha!

How is your hobbying progressing? Have you a deadline that you are looking likely to miss,  have you got a plan? Let us know in the comments.

Until next time
Jonathan

Fantasy Poster Girls in the Age of Sigmar (...Sort of... ... Mostly...)

So Ladies and Gents,

Its been a wee while since I last dipped my feet into the well of possibilities that is Age of Sigmar. So today I thought we would have a look at,  in one of my opinions,  one of the game systems strongest attributes - strong female representation.

Now I won't get into the mirky mess that is, feminism in gaming, and the lack of strong female character models in other gaming systems, as this has been covered by people more knowledgeable than myself,  though for myself I have great expectations for Warhammer 40,000 in particular with the re-release of Saint Celestine, in her beautiful new cast (I can't wait to get my hands on her model...  Wait...  That doesn't sound quite right... Swif-tly moving on...), the Geminae Twins and, what this may mean for the return of Sisters of Battle.

So getting back to the Age of Sigmar,  this foundation of representation of female characters could only be achieved by the stellar work that was put into the Old World and exhibiting it with Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

...Thrums Melodic Harp... 

If we take a trip back down memory lane (for me,  what are you doing here in my head? Wait for me to type it...), just before the End times were upon us in WHFB, I was in a hobby rut,  so I did what any heathen and Heretic would do,  and started looking at other gaming systems.  Not wanting to stray too far from the pack,  I began looking into the fantasy range of miniatures by Games workshop.

But making such a decision is always hard to make,  so I turned to the most important person in my life,  my other half Kelly. After much humming to and fro over what army to start we settled on the Dark Elves, primarily because of the amazing hairdos that the Witch elves had (you can imagine which one if us used this as the major deciding factor... Bonus hint I am going bald 😝).

That's some proper rockers hair there,  bring back memories of being able to mosh

But if we look past the hair for a moment we can see a breakthrough in the development and production of these figures. No longer was dynamic and accurately (for the time) body proportions used outside of character models,  but to showed that games workshop could design the female form for base units, without necessarily being used for titillation as many other companies were, and are won't to do even today (I'm looking at you raging heroes - yes they look amazing but they are just miniature titillation).

At this point it would be remiss of me not to mention the Bloodrack Medusa,  also produced at the same time as the Witch Elves, and the infamous breast that was brought up at the time on the Internet.  But if we look at the concept of the model, that it is aiming to show the twisting of, what is considered to be beautiful, to the horrific, we can see that showing of what maybe consider taboo has gone beyond merely physical to something more psychological and deeply troubling. Maybe I'm reading into this too much,  but I like to think these sort of considerations go a long way to making a great model,  and personally I think the medusa is.

Who says snakes can't be blue

At the start of the article I showed a picture of my WIP for Valkia the Bloody, another great model (but one I wish they had kept in metal, only because her spear Slaupnir really would benefit from pinning due to the small joint at the wrist). She is our power fantasy for females, and in my opinion the best character in the Bloodbound Battletome. Just like how she plays in the game she is aesthetically modelled to be fast,  agile and utterly deadly. A misconception I have seen previously, is that power fantasys are usually limited to the over-muscled killing machine,  and though Space Marines fill this aspect nicely nine come close as Skarr Bloodwrath. Dude is ripped, so ripped he looks like he burst out of his skin.  So I love the juxtaposition of these characters, diametrically opposed aesthetically,  but filling the same outlet as a painter and a gamer.

Games Workshop has a great opportunity coming up with the highly anticipated Aelves releases for all of the previous iterations (High,  Dark and Wood), which has been shown with the recent Mistweaver Saih for Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower,  to really make some astounding female characters. I look forward to seeing what they bring us soon.

Soon my pretty... Soon it will not be too wet to base spray you... 

Until next time
Jonathan

Tzeentch: Why all the Surfin' Bird?

Good Morning Everyone,

Today we will be looking at the Great Deceiver Himself, Tzeentch.
(Note I do this article of my free will... A finger is not pointed at my head ready to cast Doombolt...)

So to start things off, if you are confused on what Surfin' Bird is please follow the link below... Play it on repeat I bet you'll love it 😀. (let me know if the link doesn't work...)

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.youtube.co.uk/watch%3Fv%3D2WNrx2jq184&ved=0ahUKEwiG3J-q99nOAhWqBcAKHcQwCcgQyCkIHTAA&usg=AFQjCNFVivTYdcl43iESYNNTuXncX_-pKg&sig2=TDStBOobfQQf-7i4NLTGXQ

But anyways, moving swiftly on...  I find myself sat thinking about Tzeentch and his place within the Chaos Pantheon, and the question of why all the bird motifs when it comes to the imagery of the Greater Daemons and their ilk.

As a species, humanity's second greatest love is our curiosity and our drive to learn more things.  Yet knowledge is a double edge sword... How will you use what you know? Will it detrimentally affect other or aid them? Will what we learn be our downfall.  Our quest for knowledge has done both great and terrible things.

And so we get to the dichotomy that is Tzeentch, the giver of truths and lies, sometimes all in one statement.  For at the end of the day what truly is truth?  For perspective can change many things.  Change is progress, and  progress can be regression all in the same moment depending on the outcome. I think Games Workshop have touched on this briefly but I want to see more of the knowledge as a danger aspect, and less of the scheming. Knowing something shouldn't necessarily be enough to damn you, what you do with the knowledge should.

Tzeentch should be all about the wierd and the wonderful, abstract images and designs, and yet we get, fish, little angry and happy blobs with arms, and all the birds...  Why all the birds?  Shouldnt the greater daemons of Tzeentch be each and every one different in scale, concept and design?

Its easy to see the bird motifs have been inspired by the Egyptians and the depictions of birds of prey and their connotations of knowledge in many cultures, however where is the other animal designs for the greater daemons?  Where's my Hippo or Squirrel Greater Daemons of Tzeentch...  (Hmmm... Maybe that last one is going a wee bit mental...).

Now I'm going to segue a bit here, but I will make sense (hopefully).  If any of you have ever watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, you will be aware of the angels from both the film and television series.  The angels were in the simplest terms during the series, creatures that evolved different forms to attempt to kill humanity.  Each concept was different and unique.

So why can't Tzeentch even just have greater daemons that are uniquely different? Why not a Greater Daemon that's a Giant Prismatic horror, a great juxtaposition to Tzeentchs' Labyrinth? I understand the concept of design cues and formats, but maybe something a little different here and there?

Oh and when the rumoured new Daemon Primarch Magnus, and new Rubricae hit, I so want to be over all of that 😸 (Must impeach the Wife...).

Well anyways I might be talking mental again, but let me know what you think in the comments, what are your ideas on Tzeentchs place and his daemon tralls?

Until next time
Jonathan

Age of Sigmar: Evolution of a Setting and the hope of Global Campaigns

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all doing well today? Today we hop into the world of Global Campaigns, and my experiences (or lack thereof) of them.

Games workshop has brought an end to the Age of Sigmar Season of War Campaign.

Games workshop once a long time ago was quite happy to run this format of play,

with a focus on our battles affecting the overall story and setting of the hobby

games that we play.  I remember the feeling of being distraught that the last campaign that was

run for 40k way back in 4th Edition (The Fall of Medusa V), I couldn't take part in.

Now this was less to do with the fact that I hadn't been in the hobby for long enough to

construct a viable army; it was however impacted by the fact of where I used to live...

(Starts to play the Flash back harp tune...)

Now I haven't had a chance to fully script up an about me page yet (this will follow soon for

those that would like to know...), but as a youngling I grew up in Northern Ireland, and without

many friends, access to the internet, or a hobby store; let alone a Games Workshop was nearby.

The only stockist for Games Workshop models was the local department store, and you had to order

items direct from the in store catalogue (who remembers the good ole GW catalogue?).  So as a

young fresh faced tyrant (Chaos all the way ba-bay!!!)  I came across the Fall of Medusa V in

White Dwarf.  It blew my world away...  Here was a chance to have my games truly matter in the

way that they should have in my mind.  No more games where it was just me versus my dad or brother

who begrudgingly helped keep my hobby alive in those dark times.  The thing was...  The closest

place to play in the campaign was in Belfast, which was too far away for me to play.  I had seen

the sweet tasting fruit of true storyline impactful play...  And I couldn’t take part.  Years went

by with hope I scanned the pages of white dwarf waiting for the next global campaign to begin. 

It was too good a thing to repeat I kept telling myself.  But a lie to oneself is still a lie...

Now I remember that with Warhammer Fantasy (I hadn’t started any fantasy armies yet) had the Storm

of Magic campaign, and however not taking part, my hope had been kindled anew.  40k was bound to

get a campaign soon...  And the waiting began anew...  And it didn't happen once more. 

Time past, and my hobby enthusiasm for 40k had dwindled, I needed a new challenge, and so I began

to get a Warhammer Fantasy army (Dark Elves for the win!!!) which was coincidentally chosen by my

now fiancée.  The End times began and all was good, it wasn’t a global campaign but it was fun.

And with a bang the Fantasy world ended but hope bloomed anew for the fantasy range of models.

Many gnashing of teeth was had over the Age of Sigmar, but as always a lover of the models I was

drawn in.

And finally my faith had paid off!!! Age of Sigmar kicked off the latest Global Campaign and my

Khorne Bloodbound were ready to take the fight to the scions of order, destruction and death!

My tyrannical megalomania would have a global backdrop.  My battles would have a meaning.

And yet,  I was only able to get in one game during the whole campaign.  Illness had decided that

this time I could not represent for my side as much as I could.  All I could do was paint my models

and hope that I could help chaos take at least one of the cities to be claimed.

But I am not delusional,  I think everyone expected Order to carry the day.  Maybe not as much as they

did, but I'm sure everyone expected a big turnout for the Good Guys especially after the last world

was destroyed by Chaos (it was a good day 🙌 ).

And so with barely a foot in the water of Global Campaign play I think to myself, was it all worth it?

Would I take part in another Global Campaign?  The answer is a definite yes!

Not matter how you feel about Games Workshop or the Age of Sigmar, I think we can all agree that

Narrative campaigns that affect our hobby worlds are a good thing.  Having a chance to affect things

can bring real meaning to a hobby, knowing that your battles aren't just random happenings in a vacuum.

I definitely want Games Workshop to continue with the Global Campaigns for Age of Sigmar, and definitely

want them to bring it over to 40k as well.  There is a new found drive on my part to finish more

armies for Age of Sigmar and 40k, hoping for more of this format of play.  I can’t wait to see what the story

implications of the campaign have on the setting, and it will be a massively missed opportunity if it isn’t taken

to its final conclusion.

Let's just hope that the wait isn’t as long as last time.

Let me know in the comments whether you took part in the Season of War, who did you play and why?

What do you think of the results and would you play again, for Age of Sigmar and 40K.

Until next time

Jonathan 

Everyman and His Beard: A Return of Monthly White Dwarf

Morning Everyone,

Hope you're all doing well today?
As I am sure you are all aware, the return of Monthly White Dwarf is due to hit the shelves of Games Workshop, or your local tender, be it FLGS, hobby store, or even from the bowels of the interwebz and GWs online webstore.  I think we can all agree that excitement is running high on this one. From the veterans of yonder year who still have shelves bowing under the weight of older editions back in the day, to our new bloods who never had a chance to hold the original beast in their hands.

Yes I picked the sisters for the retro cover... Bring back Sisters of Battle... With new models dammit!!!!


What does it mean for us as hobbyists? Will it even truly change any of our hobby attitudes or habits?  No one can know until we get a few months in our hands and see what the team have for us in store.

Personally, I think it's a good move on Games Workshops part.  The weekly magazine, though not always having amazing content, occasionally, a gem would shine through here and there, but I personally never purchased it religiously. Not like when it was a monthly back in the day.

But will it definitely be the same as it once was?  We all know battle reports are coming back; and not that they were masterful insights into playing, they were definitely a good read.  Especially when we got a bit of narrative to go with the games. For me, I want to see more hobby content, more advice on painting, spotlights on private as well as GW sponsored events, store spotlights on who the regulars are, who they play and what systems would be great, help on building your own personal narratives; and one definite thing... More even page counts for each game.  Not everyone plays 40k and AoS... On that point, more expansions on the new box set games like deathwatch overkill, Imperial Knights Renegade, kill team, and hopefully we won't still be waiting for it too much longer: Blood Bowl!!!! WOOOO!!!! BLOOD BOWL!!!! (I'm not biased really....).

What are you hoping for? Have I missed anything? Are you completely meh about the whole situation, let me know in the comments.

Until next time
Jonathan

Slaanesh and Cthulhu's new Groove

Hi Gals and Guys,

Today I'm going to talk at all of you in regards to that big ole elephant in the room for games workshop that is Slaanesh; and where the Prince/Princess of Pleasure in my mind should be evolving into.

If you have been in the hobby for any amount of time, you'll be aware that of all the Gods of Chaos, Slaanesh has been, in the eyes of the Internet, the true redheaded step child of the Chaos Pantheon (Yes Tzeentch I see you in the corner ready to throw a doombolt at me, but hold off, we'll get to you in a future post) (Good 👍?) (Ok).

So getting back to the matter in hand, (please no snickering... G'ah Children...) Slaanesh sits in a position that many feel isn't conductive to the relatively "family-friendly" universe of both Warhammer 40k, Age of Sigmar, and before it finished Warhammer Fantasy.  This mentality seems to have been cemented in the disappearance of Slaanesh from the Age of Sigmar storyline post the End Times of Warhammer Fantasy.

For those that may or may not be fully aware, Slaanesh is the Dark Prince/Princess of Pleasure.  An Androgynous being obsessed with self gratification in all its forms to the detriment of all.  The easiest of which to create and show when we consider our hobby are the sexual aspects which can be accentuated on our models.  However, why focus on this solely alone? This facet only makes Slaanesh one dimensional, and I feel this wasn't the initial intention of the character.

So bear with me here for a couple of minutes;  Slaanesh is a Dark mirror to all our wants. A twisting of that which could be good, and wholesome, to that which is a dark parody.  But why a dark parody at all?  I'll tell you, it's the fear of not getting what we think we want.  Fear of being alone, fear of feeling nothing but a deep hunger that can never be truly satisfied.  The fear that when we are all alone in the dark, we have nothing to comfort us, and it will drive us mad.  At the end of the day we are all crying children, screaming at an uncaring universe.  Slaanesh is deep down just a scared child, wanting attention so it isn't left alone with the darkness all around it.

Which is where Cthulhu comes in...

If you have ever read anything of HP Lovecrafts novels (and I suggest you do), you enter into a world where everything is twisted, the world and it's horrors don't care about your pitiful existence, and terror follows on from the madness that follows from the darkness and horror of being alone with the things that go bump in the night.  See any similarities? I do...

Would it be so hard to imagine, Slaanesh moving towards a deeper horror trope, over where he/she currently is positioned?  In Age of Sigmar, Slaanesh feel asleep and now has been kidnapped nowhere to be found, the followers searching in vain to awaken their God... Maybe another little nod to the great squid himself? Maybe Games Workshop have had the same idea as me? Maybe I am just going mad myself?

Let me know what you think in the comments below.  If you have any theories I'd love to hear them too.

Until next time
Jonathan

JESUS BLOODY CHAOS!!!

Hello again Everyone!

It's been a bit of a wait for my return to the blog-o-sphere, unfortunately I found my self lost in the warp (...Europe...) at the whims of the fickle Chaos Gods (...my boss...).

So with my time away from family and friends, I found my mind wander to dark and foreboding places.  Places where my darkest desires might cometh to fruition.  And as many as you know the call of Chaos is strong, and many a bright shining exemplar of all that is just a true must fall...

So with all that in mind I have betrayed Great Grandfather Nurgle, (my first foray into the clutches of damnation, was a slightly teenage and sickly affair going on maybe 10years prior to now) and have joined the ranks of Khorne so that my thirst for vengeance and anger may be sated upon my foes!

Nurgle has caused me many a Dark moment of late as I have been stripping so many old models in preparation for the reconsecration to begin (BFTBG!!!!), hands slowly melting smelling of dettol...

But moving on from that what am I actually doing right now? Well come here little ones and let me tell you a story... (wait ignore that last bit...)... I've been bitten with the red paint bug and while practicing painting red with my AoS starter set (stop snickering in the back, you, yes you! I can see you...) I feel I've come up with some good results.  As you may have already seen below depending if I've done it right, you can see the Khorgoraths of Khorne I've been working on.  Though not finished yet I think they are still is coming along nicely.

Now I currently have no gaming experience of KDK but I hope to get some time in soon and let you all know. As a suggestion Blood Reavers from AoS make brilliant cultists of Khorne just be aware if you WYSIWYG they'll be toting hand weapons only unless you're whipping the hobby knife out...

Until next time
Jonathan

WIP Khorne Bloodbound from AoS Starter Set

Hi Everyone and Welcome back!
This morning we're looking at my current WIP Khorne Bloodbound model from the Age of Sigmar Starter Set.

I really love the Chaos units in this starter set and think Games Workshop have done an amazing job with the models.

Plus I'm on a bit of a red paint binge and I feel like it's turning out really well.

Next up on the blog will be Kutlakh the World Killer and his pet Tomb Stalker.  I'll post more of my WIP Khorne Bloodbound once it gets done!

Until next time 

Jonathan