Another Great Haul

I won a few minis in a second-hand auction, and they should come in handy later in my Warlords of the 41st Millennium project.

Of course, the flying thingamadoo needs a small repair, and the Assault Marines need to be assembled and painted, but apart from that, I'm pretty pleased with this batch.

The Orks can be used as is, and so can the Techmarine, the Servitors, and the Chaplain, while the hooded Marine is actually a Dark Angel (Cypher? I'll have to investigate further ... dispatch the Interrogator Chaplain!), and the Psyker is a Grey Knight. Both the latter need some colour changes.

The Bikers and the Land Speeder will have to get gradually repainted for my Ravenwing, and the Gun-toting mini-gunship-thingy. too.

Return of the Lichemaster

I finally managed to pull myself together after a long period with absolutely NO energy and initiative, due to a mystical ailment making my stomach hurt after each meal, and preventing me from getting more than 3-4 hours of sleep per night.

I have been in a programme at 'Center for Functional Diseases' in Vejle, and am now in medical treatment, which has helped me overcome the problems associated with eating (and that alone has helped my mood a LOT, as I am very fond of good, well cooked food), and a physiotherapist helped ne get off the couch and become more active - which has also given me more energy.

Summa Summarum, I think I am almost back in the saddle, I have played a couple of games and I have been buying quite a few things - and promise to start posting pics here!

The last week I have been unpacking and sorting two small crates and two large boxes worth of assorted purchases. A lot of it is now taking up all the space I currently have available for it in the living room, and I am in sore need of some boxes to store the goodies in!

As you can see, I have been purchasing both terrain and minis ...

... and as you can also see, Lyra, the Terror of the Lichemaster, would very much like to get up there and push everything over the edge ...

That guy is HUGE! 

Quite a few biggies, actually, 

The yellow school bus! I've been wanting to get one for my Scoobycalypse Walking Dead project (which has been on hold for quite a while). Fred and Daphne are both sitting on one of my Hammers-invented cork-handle faquir-beds, awaiting further attention.

I've got painted minis for several Deadzone factions (at least Enforcers, Asterians, Forge Fathers, Rebels, Plague, maybe Marauders), and unpainted minis for GCPS Troopers and Veer-Myn.

I own a copy of that game, so I am very happy about having acquired those!

I also got a lot of painted and nearly painted Necrons, along with a bunch of Adeptus Mechanicus Scitarii Vanguard/Rangers (hmmm) and as I am just creating Space Marine and Eldar profiles for 'Warlords of the 41st Millennium' (W41M) - my own adaption of Warlords of Erehwon/Bolt Action rules for the Grimdark Universe, I couldn't get a better motivation for pressing on with that project!

I promise to get better pics of the various groups and Items when I get started putting them away in some nice sturdy boxes (I need to procure some shoe boxes or the likes, until I can get enough priter paper boxes).

For now: May Your Dice Favour You!

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy...

I finally succeeded in getting my hands on a Star Wars Legion Clone Wars core set. It had eluded me for ages, so I am quite happy to have secured a copy.

I have absolutely NO hobby time to spend at the moment, but I think that when I do I shall start playing some smaller skirmishes, using the Fistful of Lead Galactic Heroes rules, so that I can paint and use single minis without the need for completing an entire squad each time I want to use new models.

I am beginning to have hobby withdrawal symptoms, but I have to keep working on getting the house and garden ready for Lea's covid-delayed confirmation celebration, even though I really want to start using the new painting desk.

Second Hand Find: Hasbro 2004 Millennium Falcon

We just returned from our annual camping trip through Europe, and while staying some days at Camping Les Terrasses du Périgord *** the son of the owner held an outdoor used toys sale, and I could not help noticing the Falcon sitting prominently on the table. I got it for €40 as it is missing some pieces (but that's what 3D printers are for, right? 👀)

The Imperial Assault Hera Syndulla is there for size comparison.

The model has access to some of the interior, and it should be possible to put some bits and bobs in there fitting 28/30mm models (I definitely have to lower that gaming table a tad).

The Belgian roads had shaken this piece loose, and I found it when unwrapping the Falcon from the carpet that protected it on the trip from Périgord to Denmark. At first I had no clue what it is, but watching a couple of presentation videos made it clear that it is the 'dashboard', meant to sit inside the cockpit canopy, and I managed to get it 'clicked' in place without any damage done.

I am quite happy with the purchase, as this Corellian freighter should make a great piece on the table when I get the exteriors properly fitted (and I have not yet tried putting batteries in it to find out if the lights and sounds still work).

Repairing a Rogue Trader Era Space Marine Scout

When I dug out the Dark Angels I painted for In the Emperor's Name some years ago, much to my chagrin I found that a sniper rifle barrel was broken.

I am going to attempt to superglue it in place, but if that fails, I shall have to drill a shallow hole for the barrel to sit in.

Again, my Citadel Assembly Handle is coming to my aid, and it is actually fast becoming one of my standard go-to solutions for any kind of fiddly repair job - a sound purchase, as it turns out.

You will notice that I have added a rubber band - it is because the springs, or whatever it pulling the vise/clamp together around the mini's base, are not quite tight enough for smaller bases, but the rubber band is an easy and cheap way to mend that.

3D Printed: Four Tyranid Capillaries

Finished the fourth one yesterday, and as I am now on a two-day print of a Tyranid Spyre/Chimney (or what ever it is called), I think it is time for cleaning some of them up for painting (I am going to print at least one more, so that I may have enough for the highest number of Objectives it is possible to roll up in Grimdark Future: Firefight).

3D-Printed: Tyranid Capillary #3

This piece is 11cm high, and the third one successfully printed.

I am printing another piece of the first one with slightly different settings, to see if I can get rid of the stringing, and when that is finished, it is time for cleaning up all four for priming.

I intend to ink-paint them over white primer, to keep the production time as low as possible, as I also want time for painting a couple of character minis for Age of Fantasy Skirmish and Sellswords & Spellslingers, respectively (not that they are not both going to be used in both games, eventually, but, ya'know...).

The rest og the day, my printer will be churning out 3-man Mortal Gods sabot bases for use in Age of Fantasy Skirmish, as our games has reached a size where moving entire units in one go is nice and saving time.

3D-Printed: Tyranid Capillary #2

I printed the second capillary - also found on Thingiverse - yesterday, and the third one (somewhat taller) should be ready later this morning.

I really like how these turn out, and I cannot wait to have enough to slap some paint on and get them ready for the table.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy being able to make low-cost themed terrain like this for my games, and I heartily recommend getting a printer for gaming and other hobby purposes!

3D-Printed: Tyranid Capillary

Printed this today, the file kan be found on Thingiverse.

Although not extremely apparent, I still have an issue with stringing (I have had that since I changed my settings to try avoiding the clogging problem I had for a while), I hope to get Cura dialed in again, soon.

I am printing some of these to use as Objective Markers in One Page Rules Grimdark Firefight, for when my Tyranids are on the table.

I have another one printing at the moment, and it should be done this evening, when I shall start a larger version to print over night.

As soon as I have four or five I shall prep and paint them, so that I can get them on the table.

One Page Rules: Grimdark Firefight Patrol WIP

Face the wrath of the Angels of Death, if you dare!

I have dug out and dusted off some RT01 plastic beakies (Corvus Armour) Space Marines for playing One Page Rules Grimdark Firefight.

I started painting, and based these, many years ago, but Warhammer 40.000 never really got to me as a game, although I have always loved the setting. Now, however, I think that I may actually get a few models finished (I also rebase them on washers instead of the slotta-plinths).

When looking at this picture, I realized that the Devastator Marine had slipped backwards on his base when I positioned him for the photo, so I just rectified that.

When these are ready (150 points) it is time for 200 points worth of Genestealers - I think I have also finally decided on a paint scheme for my 'stealers/Tyranids; the one I started using about 10 years ago never really grew on me, but now I have a fairly good idea about a quick-paint method that should both look good, and allow me to get some finished models on the table in a relatively short time.

Preparing Some Ruins

I have managed to get two ('two' seems to be the theme of this post) gaming appointments for after the weekend (Monday GoB. 40 points, at 10 a.m. with Ulolkish, possibly followed by a quick tussle using the above and additional buildings, and Tuesday GoB, 36 points, at 6:30 p.m. with Kevin, where I shall try using my Army of Darkness just a tiny bit more effectively that the last time, and possibly also introduce him to AoF), so earlier today I was rummaging around in the garage attic to alter the table for GoB, and set up a secondary table for Age of Fantasy, as we are to be away most of both Saturday and Sunday for two seperate confirmation celebrations.

I have had these two two-part Ziterdes ruins (Emperor's Palace and Administratum Wangun) in my possession for quite a few years, but in preparing a 4x4 table for One Page Rules Age of Fantasy Skirmish, I found that it was about time I got the upper floors secured with some strong glue.

Spectre 2 - Hera Syndulla

I also got Hera cleaned up and rebased today, and I have now put some filler on her and Brian Blake's bases.

I absolutely loathe the plastic those Imperial Assault miniatures are made from, but a good side cutter and a sharp X-acto blade go a long way when working them.

I expect to prime Hera at the same time as Brian, so she will be ready for painting when I have finished Brain and the Barbarian for Lea's Sellswords & Spellslingers party (Galactic Heroes has been released, now, and as soon as I have Hera and Chopper painted, I am going to purchase both that ruleset and FfoL Horse and Musket, which I want for very small scale Napoleonic conflict (smaller than Song of Drums and Shakos)).

I may not get to work a lot on myhobby stuff tomorrow, as I have to do some more work in the vegetable garden before noon (while the sun still shines), and I have promised the kids to play some games after lunch, but I still expect to get basing finished on both Hera and Brian Blake, so that they can be primed Sunday evening.

Land Speeder Reprise

Thought I would show one of my prints with a couple of minis - I also needed a place-holder for the pic to use it at one of the forums I use 😏

3D Printed: A Bunch of Star Wars Containers

I have quite a collection of 'Medium Cargo Containers' by now - and I also printed some Kyber Crystal Containers, to have something to use as portable objectives.

When I leave work Monday morning, I have 1½ week off, until Wednesday night in week 43, so I expect to get my second batch of jungle bases moving and finished, so that I can use the dinner table for some gaming (and dining, og course); it has been occupied by spread newspapers and boxes for far too long.

3D Printed: Medium Sized Cargo Container

Not my first attempt at this print, but probably the nicest one.

The STL can be found here on Thingiverse.

I am trying to organize the stuff I have painted for Legion into some boxes in a larger cardboard crate, and I shall be taking some more photos of stuff I have not shown, yet, over the next couple of days (there is actually quite a back-log, regarding blog posts).

3D Printed: Landspeeder

Another Thingiverse item that I printed recently. Icon of the first ever Star Wars movie, this speeder is a must for a Tatooine set-up. Of course, I am goin to pain tit, eventually, but in the meantime it will be used as is, to provide some - perhaps movable - cover in Star Wars games.

3D Printed: Star Wars TA12 Wreck

One of the many prints I have not had time to show until now. Of course meant as a piece of terrain, and is destined to be painted, but I printed it in a pale grey to be able to use it on the table right off the printer.

I have some more files from Thingiverse, including an intact version and a couple of other wrecks, and I am definitely going to print all of them, given time. There is even a version with interiors, that I might use as the mobile base of a group of smugglers/adventurers at a later point!

3D Printed: More Star Wars Crates

I have had some problems with a recently purchased roll of blue PLA filament, and I am now churning out small bits and bobs to tune a profile for handling it.

At the front you can see one of the weird results - I am keeping that one, because I think I can paint it as if burning, but I have had to chuck quite a few pieces. They are turning out OK, now, and I have started a medium sized cargo container which should finish about 7:30 tomorrow morning.

NOT 3D Printed Star Wars Rebels Phantom

*Gasp* 😛

I have been seaching and asking for a printable version of the modified VCX-series auxiliary starfighter known as 'Phantom' in Star Wars Rebels, and was pointed to this Hasbro toy.

It is probably a wee bit oversized - Wookiepedia has it at 11.63 metres, and the hull is a bit more than six Heras long (my new official Star Wars measurement unit 😉), which would indicate about the right length, but Wookiepedia does not state if the front twin laser cannon is part of that length.

On occasions, we see up to three members of the Spectres in the cockpit, and i think that with bases swapped with 20mm washers, I should be able to squeeze that many minis in there.

Wookiepedia also gives passenger capacty as eight, which is probably what can fit in the back compartment, so all in all I think this is the Phantom I was looking for!

I am very happy with this purchase, and it is now time to begin prepping Hera and Copper so that they can be painted and fly their first solo missions (as soon as I have decided on which skirmish rules system to use, that is - I may go for the Goal System, either Blasters&Bulkheads or Void Pirates, while I wait for Galactic Heroes to be published...

3D Printed: Tatooine Dwelling

My hitherto longest complete print, about 26 hours from start to finish, at resolution 0.1, speed 30mm/sec, and advanced bridging settings on.

Of course, I also have to print a door, but it will have to wait until I have printed some more desert building, and have a reason for changing filament.

I think it really pays off to allow for longer printing time - and it also paid off that I took the time and money to purchase different colours of filament, until I found the right hue for this kind of building/terrain. This way I can use the printed buildings right away, and texturing/painting can wait, without deducting notably from the visual impact.

I am very pleased with this print, and it makes me want to try printing with a smaller nozzle, for even finer resolution - but that is for somewhen in the future; right now I just need to churn out a sizeable collection of desert and jungle terrain (I am going to start some more jungle bases next week - too much else to preoccupy my mind this weekend, as we have to stack five cubic meters of firewood I got delivered Tuesday morning, and just managed to get into the shed yesterday evening, in time for the deluge we are experiencing since abour 2 am, and I am going to something called the 'Tie Party', a celebration for gents only at the local inn, being held as a pendant to the ladies only 'Hat Party' which is tradition on the weekend before Egeskov Fair, Saturday afternoon.

I am currently printing a Tatooine storage building with floor and removable roof, expecting it to finish late this evening.