This week's hobby goals

Its going to be a busy work week this week with not much time for hobby so I'll be starting off the year with some small, simple tasks I can get done in simple sessions. This is something of a New Year's Resolution for me: to get more hobby done by being realistic about the time I have available and trying to get something done, even if its just a little something, every week.

So small, simple jobs:

Undercoat the remaining models

for my Flesh Tearers 100 power list

I actually had a 100 power game on Sunday (I lost, got tabled but learnt some valuable lessons) so I have the models easily to hand. Its basically a zero effort job though it will take a while because we're talking about something like thirty models including a Dreadnought and a tank (I was not kidding about how bad my “grey horde” problem was, folks).

Paint the bases on some “finished” models

I have a couple of models (six Skinks, a Hive Tyrant and three Tyranid Warriors) that have been basically finished and just waiting to have their bases finished since before Christmas. If I can get those all the way finished that's the first drop in the ocean of the 50/500 Challenge.

Finish building some Grey Knights

After a frustrating hour trying to get one Grey Knight's daemonhammer built I decided to give it a rest for a while. That was a week ago and I should probably get back on that horse. I want to say the hard part is done because I have all the bodies built but I know that isn't the hard part because Grey Knight weapons come in so many different co-dependent builds. Still, if I break it up into a couple of sessions it shouldn't drive my too far down the path of insanity.

*****

It seems a realistic amount to do in a busy week. Obviously, this doesn't include much actual painting and if I do get some done it'll be a nice extra. 

This is the grim dark future liberals want

The first models of the year: the Death Guard Blight-Hauler and Grey Knights Grand Master Voldus. Fantastic models to build, especially the Easy Build Blight-Hauler that took me all of twenty minutes (though the face panel is a little difficult to get all its securing pins to play ball).

I'm looking forward to painting these two. Voldus is going to be challenging for me: lots of bright metallic colours and fiddly gold detailing to pick out. The Blight-Hauler, by contrast, is a relatively simple I'll mostly finish with drybrushing. Plus, I've painted a few Death Guard models already so I have the techniques pretty much down.

They'll also be a good start for what I'm now calling the “50/500 Challenge”, my goal to finish 50 power level or 500 points of models for each of my armies by the end of the year: single high value models that I'm really invested in getting done.

Now to get them undercoated and slap some base colours on them.

Admittedly this post existed mainly to justify the joke title. 

New Year, New Army: Grey Knights

This whole project came about more by accident than design. My father asked for a list of miniatures I might want for Christmas, he read the list (written, in fairness, in my terrible handwriting) and went completely off script to get me a Grey Knights Strike Squad.

Fortuitous mistake.

It didn't take me long to convince myself I wanted a Grey Knights army. For one thing they're super-elite which means I can make a decent size army relatively quickly alongside my other projects. They're painted mainly in bright metallics which is unusual for me and a chance to grow my skills. Tactically they make enormous use of psychic powers and teleport assaults as central tactics which, again, is unusual for me.

Now, its usual in these circumstances to begin with a Start Collecting set. Unfortunately, Grey Knights don't have one (or perhaps fortunately as it would almost inevitably include a Stormraven) so I put together my own:

1x Grand Master Voldus

1x Grey Knights Strike Squad

1x Grey Knights Terminator Squad

Its a solid starting force. Using Voldus as a generic Grand Master, the Terminators a bog standard Terminator Squad and splitting the power armoured Grey Knights into a Strike Squad and a Purgation Squad it comes to 37 power. They have a very uniform colour scheme so I can start batch painting them as soon as they're built (which might take a while, the co-dependent assemblies on some of their weapons builds are just plain evil).

I also need to look into either kitbashing or ordering from Forge World a Grey Knights Dreadnought because, as far as I'm concerned, no Space Marine army is complete without a Dreadnought. 

30 Discs Hath November #27: Mortarion's Heart

Warhammer 40,000: Mortarion's Heart

written by L. J. Goulding

I'm looking for motivation to paint at the moment so let's round out 30 Days Hath November with a few Warhammer 40,000 audios I found in the same box as those fan made unlicensed “not Doctor Who, honest guv” CDs. First up, because I'm still mired halfway through my Dark Imperium Death Guard, is Mortarion's Heart. Oh, there are also some Grey Knights hanging around, as well.

I joke but, if I'm being honest, I was rather disappointed that this was a Grey Knights story where they fight Mortarion rather than a Death Guard story. Also, the story sort of pauses for the Grey Knight grand masters to have a psychic teleconference.

For the most part this is a straight-up battle story. It doesn't say much about the Grey Knights or the Death Guard, in fact aside from Mortarion there isn't much in the way of speaking rolls for the Death Guard. There's a rather nice confrontation between one of the Grey Knight battle-brothers and an inquisitor who doesn't understand or appreciate the chapter's mystical rituals which is pretty fun for what it is and would have made a nice centrepiece for the story if it had led to anything. As it is its more interesting filler than Goulding trying to say anything about the two allied but separate organisations. Rather it just sort of fizzles out when Draigo tells him to bugger off.

The psychic teleconference itself has an interesting aspect to it: the idea that Mortarion is not Mortarion's true name which makes sense since all the Primarchs were adopted at least some of them might have been given different names. Some, we know, only ever had one name (Perturabo and Magnus, for instance, both awoke on their homeworlds knowing their names). The central idea of trying to bring Mortarion to personal combat where his “true name” can be used to bind and kill him is a good one, especially as the surrounding destruction of an entire world plays well to the Grey Knight's ends justify the means attitude.

Naturally, it doesn't work since Mortarion is a big deal deal sort of guy who isn't going to get jobbed in an audio original (not to mention it being an old release and Mortarion still being around nowadays) but the confrontation has some fun posturing about titles and battle honours between Mortarion and Grand-Master Draigo. This, to be frank, is more satisfying than the actual fight because even with narration a sword fight on audio is not the most thrilling experience. It does end with a fantastic visual, though.

Also, I know its probably a practicality thing, but I question giving Mortarion a deep, booming voice. That's petty, I know.

Anyway, though it doesn't have any deep insight into either force or the two character dueling this is decent listen and certainly useful background for the rituals and admin of the Grey Knights.