Andrea's additional Leader month - The Seer and the Dreddy

 So, Owacers,

this is the second leader month and I can't be more happy as 1) I turned 50 and still feeling good, 2) I painted the most spectacular Eldar Farseer ever sculpted: the finger-pointing, mosquito-helmet, dramatic-pose Farseer!

The best thing is that, being a fine sculpt, it is as funny as expected to paint: a real pleasure! The shape of the helmet (marvellous, despite - or maybe, thanks to - its mosquito appearance) was abandoned in favour of a more technological-looking and mysterious version (cool, nothing to say) and only very recently recovered in the last Farseer incarnation (that I still have to get it!). 

But, this month is not only about the Farseer but it is also about another old friend, whose aesthetic remained longer on the shop shelves: the Dreadnought. Actually, in the RT era there were three version of it, but all based on the same body which remained basically the same even throughout the 2nd and the 3rd edition. Of the RT three patterns, I got the War Demon one: a Dreadnought apparently made to slap enemies, rather than shoot them down!

And now, of course, a little comparative analysis of its changes through time:

Here are the three main incarnation, form the left: RT, 2nd/3rd edition and 4th edition (the Wraithlord, although the full plastic kit like this one is more recent). 

Ok, I would have like to paint more but time is very tight these days, but still these are 330 points (Farseer, 170 pts; Dreddy, 160 pts). I hope to get more time in the next month!

Keep painting, fellows! and see you in June!

ciao, A

Andrea's Space elf warriors (or Guardians, as modern people use to say) - APRIL

 Hi OWACErs,

I am back after the March pause... thinks started running since (every) February: work duties intensifies, child-related stuff multiply (sport tournaments, school trips, etc etc) and so all the time saved before was rapidly consumed.

BUT...

But this time I managed to hold the ground and here we are with the April monthly quota: some Space Elf warriors (still have some difficulty in calling them Guardians, being Rogue Trader era miniatures)

Ten guys, a per OWAC rules, although I planned to make more... I will finish them for the next month (the second "Leader month") and for the moment I will enjoy the freshly painted ones! Among them, one of my favourite Eldar miniature: the commander with the demon face helmet. It always hits my mind as it looks clearly evil, with his terrifying aspect, but belonging to a good-aligned (or so it is assumed) faction. It looks like some samurai helmet masks which were crafted as a demonic face:  I never investigated more (perhaps it is time to do it) but maybe that was the inspiration?

There is also another think that hits me during the painting, something that for some reason I never noticed before. Here is the first squad:

Well, beside demon-mask and the guy with flamer on the back, which were both released as part of the command squad (1988), the other three are clad in a full-covering armour with some reinforcements to the legs (look the guy on the right and the two guys on the left): this kind of amour cannot be found in any other space elf warrior. This three guys were first released in the late 1987 along with others that made my second squad:

These wear a plates armour over the iconic chainmail which will be the distinctive mark of early 2nd edition guardians, especially those serving at the heavy weapon platforms.  

I am now wondering the meaning of this difference: I mean, my first though was that those with reinforced armour carry some heavy weapons so it is reasonable they wear such an armour. Though, one of them just carry the shuriken catapult as the others with chainmail & plates armour. Were them just random figure? Or was there some basic idea was knowledge has been lost (or just I did not investigated enough)?

Anyway, this is why I decided to paint the armour slightly differently, the first with yellow shoulder pads, while the other in full blue-grey. And no... no black stripes on helmets, as long ago, after too many tentatives gone wrong I decided they are better without!

Well, since it was nominated and in case you are asking yourself (I know you want to know), yes I have also the command squad! I only painted them about one year ago:

The Space Elves command squad, here with two commanders, a standard bearer and a musician (how fucking 80s' could be an harpist in a sci-fi far future, eh!)

Ok, so this month is 10 warriors (guardians) therefore they are worth 110 points.

Next month will be the Farseer month and, maybe, some extra!

ciao, A

Andrea's Space Elves - Month 2, Leader month: the Avatar(s) of Khaine

 Hi OWACERs,

here is my leader for the Leader month: the Avatar of Khaine!

It is the first time I paint this incarnation of the Avatar, having already painted the NewHammer one, and I never used in the battle. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the model but after this month I can say it is really funny to paint. Unfortunately the model was a little ruined in some details, especially the gems, so it was not completely satisfactory but I liked the exercise of blending the colours to give the fiery aspect. Overall, I am happy with the result.

Well, short after finishing I though that this was the good moment to slap some paints on another model. If the 2nd edition Avatar looks badass, and the 9th edition one looks like the overgrown brother, there is another one that is so much badass-looking that he could sell chunks of badassery at the fish market: the Rogue Trader incarnation!

We say, in Italy, that in the little barrel there is the best wine. Well, I think this is exactly the case!

So, know I have (except for the side track of ForgeWorld ones) all official Avatars, that could help me start an old project: EvolHammer, or how miniature design changed over time (one day I will publish a blog on this). So, I can't keep myself and I have show you the series (Parental Advisory, heresy inside: NewHammer models will appear):

Someone says "scale creep"? The son, the father and the grandfather

And so, for the sake of army points painted, here we have:

The Avatar of Khaine (Leader)........... 300 pts

Well, thank you for looking and see you the next March!

ciao, Andrea 

Warriors from the Craftworld - Andrea's Space Elves - January rank & File

 

Hi All, 

here is my first entry: Wraithguards! 

These are something I never painted before (contrary to the rest of the Eldar, which I already painted some 20 years ago, and then sold for getting Preatorian Imperial Guards... uhm... which I sold a few years ago to get Eldar again!). 

So here they are, and I hope you like them as much as I am satisfied to finally see them done!

There are not much paints from Heavy Metal studio about them, likely because they were issued  after the Codex did, except for the classical Ulthwé color scheme.  Though, my craftworld is Alaitoc which is quite well known in ModernHammer but less common in the days of the 2nd edition.

So I have followed the paint scheme of my other constructs, like the Dreadnought and the War Walker I painted a few years ago.

Next are the Howling Banshees. These are one of my favourite Aspect Warrior unit, probably my most favourite! The picture below is taken from the WH40K rulebook and it was the first time I saw Banshees. 

That colour scheme remained in my mind and I wanted to (re)reproduce it. This also include the Exarch having a different color scheme, which in the 2nd edition make sense as, being heroes, they were not really part of the squad (and they could be selected even if the squad of the same temple is not).

I am really happy to have them painted (again): it was a real pleasure to paint them, the sculpt and the definition of these pieces is so sharp that make the painting very simple and smooth!

So, here is what I achieved this month:

5 Wraithguards....................... 175 pts

4 Howling Banshees............... 108 pts

1 Howling Banshees Exarch...   62 pts

Total........................................ 345 pts

Now I just need to decide what to do next: another rank and file, or the leader? We will se next month!

ciao, A

Space Elves! Intro post - Andrea

 Hi OWACers,

I am Andrea and I going to [continue] painting the Eldar!

This is what, among all things I hoarded in the last years, will be my new challenge:

The family picture of my OWAC9 challenge

But let me introduce myself: I am a happy 50yo guy from Italy, introduced to the Warhammer world in the middle 90s. Started with Warhammer Fantasy 4th ed, later I included also the WH40K 2nd edition; ooooh, great days where those days!

This is not my first OWAC, as I successfully concluded my challenges in OWAC1, 2, and 3... well, then I started the OWAC5 but fell in the field of bone (I dared to paint the Space Wolves: I love and hate them)

My past [successful] OWACs!

So, this year is WH40K again but, this time, with my old good space pointy ears! The list, following the 2nd edition codex:

                                            Unit                                       points

                                            Avatar of Khaine                    300

                                            Farseer                            170

                                            Exarch Howling Banshee      62

                                            Guardian Squad (x6)              66

                                            Guardian Squad (x6)              66

                                            Howling Banshee (x4)           108

                                            Wraithguards (x5)            175

                                            Dreadnought War Demon    160

                                            Wave Serpent                         150

                                            Scatter Laser platform             59                                            

                                            D-cannon platform              55

                                            Total                                     1349

The idea is to give justice to most of my remaining Eldar miniature and to give rise to a small force to properly play Rogue Trader. As you can see there are still many units from 2nd edition: let's say they are useful to get the proper amount of pieces for the challenge, and they will be a due addition to my 2nd edition Eldar army. 

Oh, artwork! As an aspirant Rogue Trader player, I just took one of the wonderful illustrations of that time, which was one of the pictures that hits my imagination the first time I come into contact to sci-fi Warhammer:

For some reason (who knows what I was thinking about in that moment), bases decoration pattern of previously painted RT and 2nd edition Eldar does not match, so it is likely that bases will be a bit different.

OK, let's have a closer look to units which will be (more or less) organized in:

Two leader/monster months 

Two rank&file months (1: two guardian squads; 2: Wraithguards and Banshees)

One Veichle month

(do I said I am loving 3d printing?)

Extra stuff month

That's all, I think, for the moment. Of course, there is more to paint than I presented here but anything more will be surprise ;-)

Good luck to all challenger, may we all finish our goals!

ciao, Andrea

Andrea's Space Wolves Leader: Ragnar Blackmane - (141 points)

Leader month

 Hi guys, 

this month I really screwed around, and I only manage to paint the leader (yes, a single miniature!). But, I have done even more: not only I fooled around all the month (well, I painted some Newhammer stuff and my beloved Oldhammer Eldar, some Kill Team terrain, a wall in my house, and so on...), but I also managed to reach the 29 of April with the banners ready but Ragnar still only undercoated!

 

 

But, as already highlighted, this is a challenge. And therefore, be the challenge go on! I had less than 48 hour to accomplish the mission, I used 24 to get my leader done!

So here he is, I all his savage glory. Although the speed painting, I have to say I am pretty satisfied with the result and I hope you will like him ;-)

So, what's next: based on the original list I still have to paint the Techpriest, 5 Blood Claws and 5 Wolf Guard Terminators, which I have to complete in a couple of months. Not impossible but, looking at how I managed this OWAC so far, I really have serious concerns! I have to focus and if I ever manage to finish regular list in May then there will be random Space Wolves and terrain to do.

 

Ok, we will see again next month (or the one after the next). 

Ciao, A.

Andrea's Space Wolves Grey Hunters Pack - (316 points)

Rank & File month 3

 

Hi guys,

here's my March production! Not an easy month (life is demanding) but I also wasted a lot of time... eventually I managed to finish on the very last day of the month ;-)

So, Grey Hunters pack: finally painting infantry and I have to say I was surprised on how many details they have compared with other Space Marines! This should not be scaring for someone used to paint Eldar but, well, Space Wolves have a lot of tiny talismans such as teeth, tails, gems, pendants, small bags, pompons... I mean, they are F-A-B-U-LO-U-S-, that's sure, but COME ON! THEY LOOK A DAMN CHRISTMAS TREE!

Anyway,  here they are in their full 316 points splendor!

Family picture

 

The Sergeant and the first combat squad

The second combat squad with leader

The balance is for sure positive, I enjoyed the painting and I am quite satisfied  with the result. You may notice that decals are lacking: they will come, in the future, after I will learn how to apply them without losing my mind and, more importantly, without making a shitty work! (some practice is on the way)

Until the next time, fellow OWACers!

ciao, A

Andrea's Space Wolves - It's tank time! - (201 points)

Rank & File month 2 

Hi everybody,

this month it was an easy business... about painting! February has always been a difficult month because of family affairs, job, ski holiday, locust invasions, etc. So this time I took countermeasures and instead of running for finishing my monthly quota, a nice tank was the selected option!

Therefore, here is the Predator Annihilator in full Space Wolf style (and it seems I do not even messed up company badges!): the basic tank 120 pts + lascannon sponsons 90 pts.

 

The final result was quite satisfying, also considering that I was pessimistic about the outcome of a three-day bath-&-rubbing for decoloring! Honestly, if you look very close at the model, there are still evident signs of the process but this eventually add to the charm of a long-used and repaired war engine. Moreover,  it was also necessary the restoration of a couple of exhaust pipes (as far as I remember those were the first bits of the model to snap off, usually shortly after the painting and before the first battle!). Another great success: decals attached without even the smaller problem! In conclusion, I really had fun in doing it!

Now, hoping to have next months free enough to dedicate to Grey Hunter, the remaining Blood Claws and terminators, to not forget the boss, I will proceed in the challenge (well... there is always a Rhino in waiting, just in case... ;-))

Ciao, A

Andrea’s Space Wolves - Rank & Files #1: Swiftclaws (270 pts)

Dear all,

So, finally the challenge started and it cannot start better! Well, actually the beginning was not so smooth, but let’s see what happen since the first moment.

First, the choice for this month were the bikers: it is half of the Blood Claws squad, which can be mounted on bike. So five bikers: half of Blood Claws pack (130 pts), plus bikes (100 pts) and equipment (40 pts for all) and that means 270 pts for this month.

Now come to painting: I was really happy to have found a rattle can of Wolf grey, as this would have helped a lot to basecoat all minis. And here are the results:

Yes, exactly: that nice rattle can do not actually sprayed Wolf Grey… it sprayed a freaking Dirty-Dark Wolf Grey! So, first attempt failed and everything ended in a refreshing bath. But you know, when the going gets tough the tough get going: is this an old school challenge? Then go for old school! I will do everything by brush using my old Space Wolf grey (which I also found made by Vallejo as Wolf Grey - ahem… this time really so!)

Then, decolor, re-prime (waiting for a sunny day…) re-start. Ok, I have to say that could have been better but finally here are the Swiftclaws! I can’t say I enjoyed really much painting bikes but eventually I am satisfied with the results. I like the way the Space Wolf grey makes them lighter than recent iconography and it seems to me it makes them more popping up in the battlefield. I can’t wait to start other marines now! 

Here is the subject of this month:

Fun fact: my good friend who provided Space Wolves for this challenge suggested I may have make a mistake. Apparently, on the shoulder pad I have put the Ragnar badge, while on the bike I have put the wolf of Logan… Well, of course that not a mistake! It is pretty clear that Logan lent some bikes to Ragnar guys in exchange of a nice container full of beers. What it seems less clear is whether it was Ragnar in need of bikes, or Logan in need of beers… anyway, I suppose that’s not so relevant.

I enjoyed this first month, even considering that rattle can incident, and I hope you all enjoy the result!

See you next month, OWACers!

Ciao, A.

Andrea's Space Wolves Intro post

Hi to all,

here is me again in the OWAC after one edition pause!

A lot of changes since OWAC3, the most remarkable one being the introduction of WH40K universe: therefore, here we are in power armour, bolter and fur!

I started my journey into the hobby with fantasy miniatures mid-90s but I later discovered the 40K universe... needless to say, being raised with bread and Star Wars, all space things with laser shots, aliens from outer space, futuristic armours and so on, I was immediately captured. 

Everything began (as for most of us, probably) with Space Marines; Dark Angels were the first, my mind taken by their power armour covered by monkish robes. Then, there were Imperial Guards, Eldars, other Space Marines, and then even more Imperial Guard, up to three or four platoons. So, the choice for this OWAC was quite easy for me: 2nd Edition Imperial Guard, with an Eldar allied contingent. Though, when everything was ready (after miniature finding, stripping baths, army list refining), the always-cursed Tzeentch put his changing touch to my well conceived plan...

You have to know that last year I changed house, moving to a bigger flat (that was one of the main reason of my OWAC pause). I, then, acquired also a nice two-floors garage were I placed my hobby lab and miniature storage. This summer we decided to restore the external walls of the building and... well, workers built the scaffold in a way that the door of my garage remained shut, likely until mid-January! Now, it is easy to guess were my Imperial Guard and Eldar miniatures are in this moment.

So, plan B. A good friend of mine is a long-term Space Wolves obsessed hoarder collector/gamer and he was impressed by the 2nd ed battle we have had with Filippo last summer. So he kindly proposed me to paint his old-school Space Wolves. And here we are now: I am happy to have the opportunity to paint them, as they are one of the armies I would have painted one day or another. I quite like their lore, the Viking shape and the fact that their units organization differ from the other Space Marines (it is also ironic that my first 40K army were Dark Angels, traditionally an enemy of Space Wolves!). On the bad side, they are incredibly rich of small details but this should not fear an OWACer, and surely not one used to paint Eldar! So I think I will enjoy the painting, and I hope to get a final good-looking force!

Ok, then, here is the list from the 2nd edition codex:

Characters                                  points
Ragnar Blackmane ..................141
Iron priest ...................................45
    
Squads   
Grey Hunter Pack ....................316
    
Blood Claws Pack .....................260
--->5-men pack on foot   

(2 power fist, 1 chainsword, 

1 power sword, 1 power axe, 

1 hand flamer, 1 plasma pistol) .. + 47

--->5-men pack on bike .............+ 100
(1 power fist, 1 chainsword, 

1 power sword, 1 hand flamer, 

1 sgt with meltagun) ....................+ 40
    

Wolf Guard Terminator (x5) ..250
(1 assault cannon, 

1 Cyclon missile launcher, 

1 chainfist, 1 power sword, 

2 power fist, 4 storm bolter) ......+ 154
    
Supports

Predator Annihilator ..............120
(lascannon lateral sponsons) ......+ 90
    
total .............................................1563

Miniatures are all 2nd edition (a lot of metal), with a few heresies here and there like 3rd edition weapons or similar. Here are the guys, bare metal:

Sir Ragnar, in all his savage fashion

 

 

 The Iron Priest, this is a recovery of the 2nd ed one with the hammer head from 3rd edition. But we are waiting (perhaps) for a nice, entire miniature!

 

 

The Grey Hunters pack 

The Blood Claws pack, on foot pack (still have to assemble, a last minute catch!)

 

The Blood Claws pack, on bike pack 

 

 

Wolf Guard terminators

 

Finally, the Predator Annihilator

There is even more, which I probably show you later and include as stretch goals (like the Dreadnought, a couple of Rhinos, scouts, and a few more characters), but it will be already a challenge (in fact...) if I manage to paint everything without going crazy!

To finish this intro post, the tribute to our benevolent Overlord, more or less as requested (I mean, this is my best guess of baby blue!):

 

 I am really excited to start this challenge and I am sure that will be a great ride together you all, fellow OWACers! Good luck everyone, I can't wait to see your armies!

ciao, Andrea

Andrea’s High Elf army wrap-up

Hi guys,

so it’s time to wrap up the last months and try to summarize this third OWAC.

First of all, I want to thank you all, excellent people and Benevolent Overlord, for your support, jokes, suggestions and the great painting. These six months have been long and difficult, and having such a great company motivated me to achieve a successful end. Broken shoulder, then quarantine that do not helped at all (although forced to stay at home, it was like working twice - you know three kids...) and, last but not least, I need to confess that at the beginning I was really uncertain about the army selection. High elves were on my lead pile for a long time (uhm... they actually have always been into the lead pile!) and there was a reason for this: I was never convinced about them! But, hey OWAC is a challenge and, therefore, the challenge was accepted.

One think I have been always sure: the color choice. OWACers companions well know I like the classic color palette and pattern of Warhammer Fantasy in the 90s. So, I wanted my High Elves to spring out directly from thirty year old White Dwarf. So a little revisited classic color scheme was the most obvious choice. And you know what? There were a couple of comments from you that mentioned exactly the reminding of White Dwarf pages , and I can’t be more proud of my work!

Ok, stop writing and start showing. Here’s my OWAC3 army:

The command:

Teclis, need a personal shot:

And the other mage:

Now, rank-&-file:

Archers

Spearmen

Sword Masters

Shadow warriors

War machines:

And, finally, monsters!

Uhm... yet, another monster!

Summary of the challenge (4th edition army book):

General ............... 163 pts

Mage (Teclis) ...... 59 pts

Mage .................... 59 pts

Archers ................. 180 pts

Sword Masters ..... 260 pts

Spearmen ............. 156 pts

Shadow warriors .. 55 pts

Shadow warriors .. 55 pts

2x Bolt throwers .. 100 pts

2x Great Eagles .... 150 pts

Total ...................... 1237 pts

Well, my friends, so here is concluded my third challenge. I wish to see you all next year, with new, old school armies and stories!

Ciao, Andrea