Tau Riptide Build Complete, Tau Test Models Done

So I've been beavering away with the Riptide build. Anyone who follows my Twitter feed would have experienced my frustration!! Pose-able models are great, but you need another 2 hands to create the poses you want!

That being said, i'm really pleased with the build:

 

I left the hips loose so the model can be posed differently, and also for storage and transport - this thing is a bit of a beast. There's no secondary weapons or support systems on him yet, as I haven't decided what to have yet!

 

Plenty of rubble and ruins on the base. 

 

I've also done 2 Tau Firewarrior test models. I wanted an Urban-Snow theme, and I think the scheme achieves that.

 

I didn't want a crisp, clean look for my Tau - I bet you'll never see a 'clean' warrior on a battlefield, so when I decided to go for white, I wanted it to be an off-white, a dirty white! I'm still trying to decide whether or not to add battle damage to the armour. Think I'll get the whole squad done first and see how it all looks before I make a decision.

 

The rest of the squad is nearly complete, and then its onto the Riptide. After that it'll be the Pathfinders (got some cool ideas for them!)

 

The GunGrave

Necron Night Scythe Complete

This is my first completed model since my year long abstinence from the hobby. Its by no means
my best work, but its not to bad considering....

 

The portal on the underside of the Scythe - typically green and glowy! There's actually a lot more OSL green on the hull, but it didn't show up very well in this pic. 

 

More glowy green engines.

 

 

I went with a blue OSL for the pilot and his control globe. Made a nice contrast from all the green!

Finally the base. As you can see, the end result is slightly different from the original plan, but worked out well once I sorted it!

 

The base in the end became a real headache. I tried to make a hole for part of the original flying base in the top of the obelisk, but it kind of ruined the areas around it and the paint wouldn't take. So I sawed the top off the whole thing!! Also the Scythe kept slipping down the length of the flying base, so I had to put some pins in it to keep it still.

Once the top was sawn off I plugged it with plasticard.

 

Then I added some milliput on the top to create a broken-top look (which again wasn't my best effort...)

 

Space was made for the the flying base which will be attached to the top of the obelisk.

 

And this was the finished result!

 

I have a unit of assembles Fire Warriors on my desk now, and have also started work on the Riptides scenic base. Next post: Tau!

 

The GunGrave

Its alive.....its A-L-I-V-E! The Hobby Mojo Lives Again!

Well, I never thought I'd see the day, I thought my hobby had died for good! I'm pleased to say that a pulse has been detected!

Life has been pretty busy anyways:  job continues to chew through my time, as does the Masters Degree, as does the girlfriend! The hobby has definitely been relegated in the last year.

So what changed? Not sure really, but the impending release of a new IA Volume and the Necron Tomb Complex from Forgeworld definitely got the juices flowing again. Then, just to make sure I got the mojo going again, GW release new Tau models and this bad boy:

I guess it was only a matter of time before GW released some super-mech for the Tau! This model is awesome, and I cant wait to put it together. I even bought the Tau codex for my iPad with a view to starting an army! As I rummaged through my storage boxes I even stumbled upon an unopened box of these:

I'd say that's a sign from the Ethereal's that I need to join the fight for the Greater good! But first - galactic domination and extermination of all life; that's right, its Necron time!

I wanted to get the Night Scythe finished before I started anything else. I undercoated it first, and while that was drying, set about creating the scenic base. You may remember the Necron Obelisk I made waaaaaaay back in 2011 - i'm making another one of these to go on the base of the Night Scythe.

 As I continuously use the shower gel this bottle belongs to, supply was not a problem. Though replicating the glyph would be....

I went old school and did a rubbing of the original. I then stuck it to some plasticard and i'll cut it out once its dried.

As for the Obelisk itself - I sawed off the bottom of it so I could glue it at an angle. It would be to tall straight up when the Night Scythe was attached. The Scythe will be tilted at an angle as if the craft was banking over the top of the Obelisk.

A few crystals on the base just jazzes it up a bit. I'll dig out some Scarabs to attach later on to.

It felt so good modelling again! So here's to the revival of the Dynasty, and the next Sphere of Expansion!

The GunGrave

Hobby Atrophy - is This the cure?

 

So.....its been a busy 2 months, just not on the hobby front. Ive moved house - AGAIN! I was asked if id like to head up the renal unit in Worcester, so said 'why the hell not'! By that time id finished setting up the dialysis unit in Llandrindod Wells so needed a new project. So i moved lock-stock-and barrel to a nice new apartment on the Marina!



 

New apartment means a new Forge - and here it is:

 

Same set up as the last one, just a new place really! The bad point is that it has cream carpets! That's gottta be a hobbyists worst nightmare.

I had to donate my Gothic Cathedral to my last gaming club as i now lack the garage to keep it. I did have enough space for the Hab Block and the Defence Laser (which i hope to get painted soon)

 

I invested in some additional storage for  my terrain pieces:

 



 

My babies are all unpacked and back on display:

 

The Wolves have got a look in this time while Praetorian is out for repairs:



These are the casualties of the move! All of the Ghost Arks Gauss Flayers broke off (naturally) and all or Praetorian's limbs came off. Some work will be required, but it wont be to much of a problem.

 

So whats next? I haven't played a game since February or picked up a paint brush in 9 months!! I'm in need of some serious inspiration. But i think my salvation is at hand.....

 



 

My copy of this came through the door the other day, and for £70, i was expecting great things. I wasn't disappointed. The book itself is gorgeous! The content is great and the illustrations impressive. The army lists inside are also interesting, but I've yet to put a list together.

 

The models that are being released for this series are FANTASTIC! Once I've decided on a Legion (which is a chore in itself!) I'll be getting a squad of Marines in Iron Armour, some Cataphractii Terminators and a Deimos Pattern Rhino! I'm hoping that will be the cure for my Hobby Atrophy!

 

The GunGrave

 



I Think my Hobby Mojo just Twitched.....

After weeks of staring at my favourite models for inspiration, assembling new Necron vehicles, and reading through the 6th Edition rules, my lazy gaze finally fell upon my baby-  Heretics Bane!

For those of you who didn't follow its construction, you can see the finished unpainted product here.

This is whats going to get my hobby going again! It hasn't really gone that far yet, but i just got it undercoated yesterday!



I'll also be getting the Twin Linked AA Autocanon turrets done as well!

I'm feeling good about this one!

The GunGrave

Trying to Revive the Hobby Mojo....."CLEAR! - ZAPPP"!

Well hello again!

First of all i want to congratulate all those who've stuck around to see me post absolutely nothing over the last few months!! Since the break up from Mrs GunGrave and the house move, i just haven't found the inspiration in me to pick up a paint brush. That was last done back in March!! Some action  is needed here methinks.....

So - my first attempt was to get some models on the table and try and get inspired that way. I even put some of my fav' Wolves models on there as well for motivation!

But that didn't work! Next up, i bought a Doom/Night Scythe for the oh-so-near-completed 'Crons:

(really liked the kit, another great reason why GW should keep with the plastic!)

That sorta worked! I felt a slight tingling of inspiration, but then it faded again....

The latest effort comes in the form of the new 40K 6th Ed'! I couldn't leave that on the shelf, no matter how uninspired i was!

Overall, I'm really pleased with the new rules set, especially with regards to terrain. As regular readers of the blog well know, i love terrain, and I'm pleased that its got a bigger/more active part to play now.

The new wound allocation rules are interesting, but make a bit of sense. I'm a bit confused about the Flier rules, but nothing a bit more reading wont fix! I'm looking forward to play testing them, but with no gaming club in my town, I'm struggling to find an opportunity. However, I've applied for a new job in Worcester which will see me move there in October if successful. Theres bound to be a GW and local gaming club there which will be sure to breath a bit of life back into the hobby for me!

So that's where i am at the moment. I'm hoping the hobby mojo will return soon, and the blogposts on my blogroll are really helping! In the meantime....

Time for a crappy Nazi-Zombie movie!! Nothing beats a Nazi-Zombie movie!

The GunGrave

What.....What Year Is It...?!

Hello readers, I'm back from my unscheduled break from blogging! Its good to be home!

I made the difficult decision to call things off with Mrs GunGrave after 7 years together. Cue violins! The split was amicable, but severely disruptive to normal 'life' operations! Not only was i on the cusp of starting a new job - which has netted me a cool £800 in overtime this month (ring ring, hello? Forgeworld? 2 Reaver Class Battle Titans please! Weapons? Ah, surprise me dude!) but i have moved out of the house and into a new bachelor pad across the road from work, but 50miles from the old place!

So I've been tackling the new job, house hunting, spending TONNES of money at Ikea, and moving into my new place these last 2 months. There is now light at the end of the tunnel, as the last of the boxes were put up in the attic and i stood back and admired my new Forge!!

I've doubled the space i had in the last house! This is actually my spare room, but my Tech Priests suggested that it would make a far better Forge! I was inclined to agree! I still haven't put up the pictures, posters, and that handy wall-mounted tray thing that i kept my bitz in. Soon....

At the other end of the room are the display cabinets and my babies!! There was minimal damage in the move, but Praetorian lost an arm! Nothing broke, the glue just gave way. They seem happy in their new home!

So whats next on the hobby front? I'll still be taking it easy for a while, as work is chewing through my free time like a Hades Breaching Drill through Nurgle cultists!! I will be going back to the old house to pick up the unpainted 'Heretic's Bane' and get that terrain project squared away. Ex-Mrs GunGrave is kindly storing all my Apoc' Terrain in her garage for me, but with the amount of space i have in this room, I'll be able to run at least 1 Apoc' Terrain project at a time. I also have that squad of SW Long Fangs to paint!! I'm hoping to finally get that army finished so i can concentrate on my 'Crons - and the superb looking models that are about to be released for them!

Watch this space, The GunGrave is back!

GunGrave