AWI Continental Soldier Test Figure

Exactly 7 years ago, I posted about a WIP Continental soldier I was working on. He was an Old Glory figure that I’d had for a few years and I wrote about trying out some new techniques and using a washer as the base.

The 2013 version.

Well, none of that ever came to fruition. But I rediscovered him and several other Continental figures while cleaning out my basement home office and felt compelled to give him another go. So I threw the above figure into a pot of Simple Green and started fresh.

The 2020 version.

I painted him up to represent the Southern forces (South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia wore blue facings per Washington’s 1780 order) because a) I’ve not seen anyone else do it and b) it’ll be a little quicker to paint. I blocked in the basic colors and used Army Painter Dark Tone Quickshade and was really impressed with the results. I did go over the skin with a bit of GW Reikland Fleshshade to liven him up. I also just got a jeweler’s magnifying headband with an LED light and have been double checking things (I missed a lot in my initial paint job!) and fixing as needed.

This thing is seriously awesome!

I have a few more figures nearly finished as well. These guys won’t win any painting awards but they’re quick to do and should look good in a larger group. All told these guys we’re done in 6-7 hours. I have a few more in stockings as opposed to gaiters, and I think they’ll help give this unit a nice, motley appearance suitable for the American army of this period.

Jungle Fever!

While stuck at home, the urge hit me to try my hand at making some jungle bases. It came out of nowhere really, but I realized I had all the necessary parts. Using this awesome tutorial from Games Workshop, I set to it. I did stray from the video a bit and throw in some skulls and fallen branches (courtesy of a fallen branch in our yard....how meta).

The underside of the barbed bracken was under coated with Death Guard Green. I also strayed a bit from the tutorial on this, but I didn’t want to run the risk of any bare plastic showing on the final product. While this was drying, I slapped on some old GW texture paint (from four years ago...yikes!) and allowed it to dry. I glued in the branches and skulls while the texture paint was still damp. I waited until the texture paint was dry to glue in the flora. 

With everything dry and in glued in place, the bases were also given a spray of Death Guard Green. 

Once dry, I randomly picked out the leaves with Elysian Green and Warboss Green to give things some variety. The fallen branches were painted Steel Legion Drab. As the tutorial specified, everything was given a wash of Athonian Camoshade, then the plant bases, stems, and branches were given a wash of Agrax Earthshade. Everything was then dry brushed with Screaming Skull.

Speaking of skulls, they were heavily dry brushed with Screaming Skull and then given two coats of Skeleton Horde Contrast. I liked the “earthiness” of the color mixed with hints of the original Death Guard Green. It reminds me of examples I saw in my Anthropology classes back in the day at Fullerton College. 

This was also my first time using a light box! I'd picked it up for cheap on eBay a few months ago with the purpose of photographing both my minis and Teresa's jewelry. Full disclosure, I did adjust the brightness and contrast in editing but I feel it does the best job of showing the bases' details. 

Additionally, while running errands yesterday I hit Curio Cavern and went through their bits box. To my knowledge this is currently the only bits box in Northern Virginia (since the Island Games closed last year). I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of jungle pieces they had! I'll definitely be incorporating these on future bases and scatter terrain.

Now that I have jungle bases, I think it's only natural to put proper figures on them.

Yup, the classic Catachan Jungle Fighters for Warhammer 40k. I used to hate these guys when I was first getting into the hobby but they've grown on me over the years. Plus they're not the ubiqitious Cadians that every Imperial Guard Astra Militarum player seems to have. They're different and that's something that really appeals to me. 

Norwegian Pearl

Ahoy everyone!

My wife and I just got back from our 5-day Western Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Pearl. She was the same class of ship as Norwegian Gem, so it was quite a bit like coming home! The Captain was on hand, of course. But because the the Pearl was so similar to the Gem, I didn't really get photos of him around the ship. Oh well.

We caught a 6 am flight to Miami, Florida (courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line) and as such had plenty of time before boarding. We could see Norwegian Pearl just out the cruise terminal windows. And so we waited. 

We finally boarded a few hours later and our anniversary cruise officially began!

 

We had one sea day before hitting Belize and Mexico, as well as one before getting back to Miami. We spent a lot of time on the Pool Deck soaking up the sun, reading, drinking tropical drinks, and people watching. Cruising is great for all of those. 

Belize was our first stop. Norwegian has its own island called Harvest Caye, but the 400 people who work on the island are locals, which we both thought was pretty awesome. 

We went ashore and spent most of the day relaxing in the sun and drinking rum out of coconuts. It was all awesome until we realized the sunscreen we'd put on had expired some time ago. So we got back to the Pearl looking a bit like lobsters.

Our second, and last, port of the trip was Costa Maya, Mexico. As we were docking, we pulled up beside Norwegian Getaway. She was quite a bit bigger than the Pearl and can carry almost double the passengers. The Captain, of course, had to take a look for himself.

One thing Teresa and I have both wanted to see for years were Mayan ruins, so we booked a shore excursion to Chacchoben. The archaeological site was about an hour northwest of the port and Paula, our guide, gave us a great rundown of Mayan history and culture. The site was settled somewhere around 200 BC, though the existing structures date to around 700 AD. 

The ruins were amazing! Although Chacchoben is a smaller site, there was a lot more than either of us had expected! It was a dream come true for the both us...and I also felt inspired to finally pick up and finish my Mesoamerican-themed Rainbow Warriors Space Marine force for Warhammer 40k.

When we got back to Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Getaway had set sail but there were two other ships in port: Norwegian Sun and Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. 

Teresa and I also met the Pearl's captain as well! Captain Giovanni was so nice and welcoming (he even gave me a hug I presented him with a small gift). 

We got to see him go up against Cruise Director Tiara in the Battle of the Cake Masters on the last day and it was hysterical! Seriously, the Captain could have a career in stand up comedy if he wanted to.

Captain Giovanni was even kind enough to take a photo with me (in his chef hat) afterwards!

Of course, photos cannot do the voyage justice. It was a great time! We'll undoubtedly do another cruise for our second anniversary, but in the mean time we're looking at a short trip in October on either Norwegian Sun or Norwegian Sky. The Captain will, of course, be along for that voyage as well!

On the Workbench: Celestial Lions, Part I

My first project for 2020 is working on the Celestial Lions from Warhammer 40k! I stumbled across them in an index of Space Marines and was struck with their color scheme. Being that I'm sick to death of seeing Ultramarines everywhere, I decided that I wanted to do something decidedly different. It turns out they've been featured in a few of the 40k books lately which has really fleshed out their story.

Without giving too much away, they were targeted by their side's own Inquisition and nearly obliterated for a crime they didn't commit. Their chapter barely survived and has been struggling to rebuild for some time.

I'd painted up a test figure a few months ago and was really pleased (for the most part) with how he turned out. As a result, I've spent the last week or so working on the Celestial Lions using figures I'd already acquired.

After priming in black, the figures were given a coat of Retributor Armour spray. They were then given a wash of Games Workshop Agrax Earthshade Gloss in order to maintain that brilliant shine. I then applied a drybrush of Vallejo Gold followed by one of Vallejo Silver. I think it really makes the armor pop.  

The helmets and shoulder pads were then given a coat of Vallejo Prussian Blue, followed by a wash of Games Workshop Drakenhof Nightshade. They will eventually be given a lighter coat of blue; I think I used Vallejo Deep Sky Blue on my test figure. 

While those were drying, I went to work assembling a few more Space Marine Hero and Primaris figures that I had laying about. The book Spear of the Emperor by Aaron Dembski-Bowden confirmed that the Celestial Lions have Primaris Space Marines (second generation superhuman warriors who are even stronger than the regular Space Marine).

I'm going to paint up a very small number of regular Space Marines for my Celestial Lions to represent just how decimated the chapter was after the massacre. The bulk of the force will be the afore mentioned Primaris Marines with some Space Marine Scouts thrown in there as well. My goal is to finish up the Tactical Squad by the end of January.

On the Workbench: Putrid Choir of the Death Guard

Taking a bit of a break from X-Wing to post some progress photos of my Putrid Choir test figures. These guys have been sitting on the workbench for a while: I first picked them up when Dark Imperium was released in 2017. They promptly sat in the box until earlier this year when I decided to take a crack at the Death Guard. There they sat again until I decided to make a post in the hopes that I'll be inspired enough to finish them (and their pestilence-ridden brethren) in the very near future.

For those unfamiliar, the Death Guard are from Warhammer 40k and are a chapter of Chaos Space Marines dedicated to Nurgle, the surprisingly jovial Lord of Decay. These fellows accepted Nurgle's "gifts" and despite their grotesque appearance, are immune to disease and pestilence. Not to mention that they're deadly proficient warriors. 

Yup, he sure seems like a nice and happy fellow!

When the set first came out, it seemed that everyone was painting these guys up in standard Death Guard green. This is fine but I wanted to do something different. Inspired by a faded set of green dumpster steps I pass on my way to work, I decided to paint them up as the Putrid Choir warband. These gents announce their presence with Undertaker-sounding bells in a maddening cacophony that will test the sanity of nearly every opponent. I may or may not also be working on a soundtrack to go along with playing. 

The "Death Guard dumpster" steps.

Anyway, here are some more detailed shots!

These guys were basecoated with two thin coats of GW Sybarite Green over a white primer. This was my first time trying either and what a difference it made! They were then given a bath of GW Agrax Earthshade and given two drybrush coats of the original color to bring it back up. The result is pretty grimy and dirty power armor that, well, looks like a dumpster. I'm pretty pleased with it! 

I've got plenty more of these guys basecoated and ready for finishing. Like many other hobbyists, however, I tend to get distracted by other projects and have a really hard time finishing projects that I start. I think my New Years Resolution for 2020 will be finish many of the figures I've started but have sort of abandoned over the last few years. 

I'm still not sure how to do the bases, though. If anyone has any ideas please let me know in the comments below!

The Mummy

Happy Halloween! 

This was just a quick little thing I did for the spookiest day of the year! It’s the “Mummy Rising” set from Reaper that was painted as historically accurate as possible; I spent a long time looking at Ancient Egyptian sarcophagi in order to get the colors right. Because I’m that level of geek. 

Upon seeing the photo above, one of my friends said, "Yikes! That's nightmare fuel right there." Nice to hear that I did a good job! 

Anyway, hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! 

Throwback Thursday: The Second Battle of Minster West

This battle report was first posted on the Imperial Guard Boot Camp forum back in February 2009. The Praetorian-Valhallan War continued with another game at the Games Workshop Battle Bunker in Westminster, CA. 

Unfortunately, no photos exist of this game. Other photos will have to suffice, but these unfortunately aren't always of the best quality. Yay late-2000s camera phones!


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After Action Report
Submitted by Lord Whitlow
32nd Praetorian Regiment of Foot

On the evening of the 22nd, orders came through to intercept a Valhallan invasion force on the old battleground of Minster West. The "Weasel” was once again in command. Our orders were to halt the invasion and capture the enemy commander if possible. Three squads were deployed, as was my HQ staff and platoon command squad. Joining us were a conscript force of Praetorian sailors, Tallarn, and former Armored Fist troops. A Leman Russ was also made available to us.

We arrived on the field to find that the enemy was waiting for us. Their conscript horde moved forward towards a small fort located in the center of the battlefield. A barrage of rockets and lascannons engulfed our troops, and only two men were killed in this initial burst. Spotting his Medusa tank on the edge of the battlefield, our Leman Russ – commanded by Lt. Waters – destroyed the enemy vehicle in one blast. 

Outraged by this loss, the Valhallan commander seized the fort and concentrated all fire into our conscript force. Of the 30 man force, only about 15 survived this ordeal. Additionally, the platoon command squad under Lt. Jenkins was decimated. The lieutenant himself was executed on the spot by Commissar Quint for showing cowardice when he tried to order a retreat. Reeling from these losses, our troops were momentarily ineffective in engaging the enemy. The mortar squad did, however, manage to take out a few more of the conscripts who were now moving outside of the fort. I personally climbed to the top of a nearby hill to survey the scene. 

It was then that our conscripts were decimated, save for one. The brave fellow – Petty Officer Styles – stayed in the face of danger and began to lay into the enemy. We now laid the full fury of the 32nd Regiment into the enemy’s conscripts. The withered and died under our crippling fire, ultimately retreating from the bloodshed. 

By this point, however, it was too dark to further engage the enemy. We could hear his troops withdrawing, however, and their ships taking off. Thus, we had successfully held Minster West once again.

Special mention goes to Lt. Waters, the tank commander who knocked out the Valhallan Medusa in the first minutes of the fight. Petty Officer Styles, also, deserves mention. His stubborn resistance in the face of overwhelming enemy numbers is a credit to the steadfastness of the Praetorian Navy.

Throwback Thursday: The Battle of Minster West

This battle report first appeared on the Imperial Guard Boot Camp forum back in December 2007. Ben and I had decided to meet up at the Games Workshop Battle Bunker in Westminster, CA and match wits once again! 

Hope you enjoy reading this report! I'm starting to remember just how much I have writing these sorts of things up.

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Report
Submitted by Lord Colonel Z.E. Whitlow
32nd Praetorian Regiment of Foot

On the morning of the 14th, a communiqué was intercepted by Lord General Flagg of the Praetorian Intelligence Service. It detailed a Valhallan plan to seize the vital city of Minster West, important to our army’s supply of pith helmets, boots, and accouterments. Most importantly, this enemy force was commanded their greatest – and most brutal – field commander; his true name is unknown to us. Given his adept ability of finding a way out of any tough situation facing his command, our men have begun to call him “the Weasel.” Lord Flagg believed that we may finally be able to rid ourselves of this menace once and for all.

One full company of men were deployed, its heavy weapons consisting of a mortar, a heavy bolter, and a lascannon. Special weapons included a plasma rifle and two grenade launchers. The remainders of the squads were armed with lasguns. In addition, a command squad led by Lt. Cargill included a commissar, a sapper from the 77th Praetorian Engineers, two grenade launchers and a flamer. Major M.B. Fletcher-Jones commanded the central command squad. Serving with him were Lt. Durfee from the Praetorian Mounted Police, a commissar, a bugler, and a flag bearer. Three lascannon crews were attached to his command. In support of these troops were a squad of stormtroopers with a meltagun and an Armored Fist squad with a flamer, commanded by Sgt. Vickers. A Leman Russ provided the backbone of our force. All told, 64 men, officers, and other ranks went into the field.

Our men arrived to Minster West first. The city was in ruins, having been bombarded prior to our arrival: the ruins of the buildings were still smoldering. Only an Imperial fortress in the heart of the city stood unscathed. Sgt. Neil, with his squad and mortar took up position in the tallest building still standing, so that it could have a clear view of the approaching enemy. Sgt. Geoff and his heavy bolter took a post in the center of our lines. Sgt. Brandt, with lascannon, took up position to the right of Lt. Cargill’s command squad. The stormtroopers were to their left. Major Fletcher-Jones was stationed behind another building. The Leman Russ and Chimera containing our Armored Fist squad were also to the rear.

No sooner had our men established themselves than the Valhallan menace appeared. We tried to get a counting, but they were far too numerous. We could see, however, a horde of conscripts coming directly towards our mortar. Sgt. Neil immediately ordered a barrage, automatically putting enormous holes into the approaching foe. Shortly after this, unfortunately, a well-placed missile strike killed Neil and half of the men in the squad. The remaining men panicked and fled the field. 

On the other end of the battlefield, our Leman Russ rolled forth and intended to take out a Valhallan command squad. It was met with strong resistance, forcing it to drive into a building to seek shelter. As this happened, however, a tread broke. To the horror of both Major Fletcher-Jones and myself, the tank was disabled and unable to continue the fight. Thankfully Sgt. Geoff and his squad were there to halt their advance, just as they had at the Battle of the Grasshopper. This side of the battlefield was secured and safely in our hands.

The conscripts, however, were the greatest threat to our lines. Despite massive casualties, they drove onwards. It soon became clear that they driving towards the fortress. If they were allowed to take it, then they would be in a nearly impregnable position. Immediately I ordered Sgt. Brandt, the stormtroopers, and the Armored Fist to take it. The Chimera containing our light company was subjected to intense rocket fire, breaking down only for a moment. This delay, however, cost us dearly. As Brandt as his men were climbing over the barbed wire, the Valhallan horde came up and shot them in the backs – killing them all. They were then able to enter into the fortress and take it. The sergeant of the stormtroopers, bent on vengeance, charged into the structure and fought bravely till the end. Before they died, they were successful in tying down enemy forces there and killing a good number of them.

It was at this moment that the Valhallan central command squad – with Weasel himself – attempted to enter the fortress. Much to his surprise, however, our Armored Fist squad finally came through! Our men deployed but a few meters from the enemy and immediately laid into them. The flamer was able to burn them all…except Weasel. Once again he was able to escape death. Without their commanders, the Valhallan force fell into disorder. Before the battle could be decided, however, a severe lightning storm sprung up and put an end to it. Men from both armies sought shelter from the elements. Thus, the battle ended in a tactical draw.

Distinction must once again go to Sgt. Geoff and his squad. Without his able leadership, the Valhallans may have been able to take us from the rear and destroy us. Sgt. Vickers and the Armored Fist must be commended as well. Because of their valiant actions, the head of the Valhallan serpent was crushed under the foot of the Praetorian lion. 

Yet again, a combat photographer was able to capture the events of the battle.

Our noble Praetorian force.

The enemy, as seen from a captured photograph.

The ruined city of Minster West.

Sgt. Neil and his men take their positions.

Our Leman Russ prepares for battle.

The noble Sgt. Geoff and his men wait for the enemy.

The Valhallan conscript horde approaches.

Enemy troops seize a building.

An enemy tank peering around a corner.

The late Sgt. Brandt and his men, meeting their deaths on the barbed wire of the fortress.

A captured enemy photo of the battlefield.

Our own tank breaks down in a building.

The heavy bolter under Sgt. Geoff's command laying into the enemy.

The Armored Fist squad, finally into the fight, were able to turn the tide.