ANFSCD*: Runemaster Thorn

*And Now For Something Completely Different: A sporadic post about my exploits outside the WH40K hobby.  I paint and play with other minis too!

After reading Corbania's "That's it! I'm Burnt Out!" post, I couldn't help but empathize.  At least twice this week, I sat in front of my painting station and thought "Man.  I can't bring myself to paint another blue guy."  But I still enjoy the hobby and I still love the relaxation I get with painting. So how to get it when I'm burnt out on Crimson Fists?

What I first tried to do was paint my Dark Angels or my Tau...but I found I couldn't even get into that.  It was still too similar and still too many models to do and still too much.  So I looked around my vast collections of minis for something else to paint.  Lo and behold, my Descent: Journeys in the Dark box set was out from a game a few weeks ago.  I'm playing in a long running monthly Road to Legends campaign and as a group, we've talked about painting our models for a long time.  So I finally took the plunge!

The nice thing about painting these models is that they come with reference cards for each character:

Runemaster Thorn

So all I have to do is extrapolate the colors and get to painting!  I started with my own guy first, the reasoning being that if I wanted to get back the Crimson Fists, then at least I'd look better than my fellow (unpainted) players.  I freely admit that I didn't work extra hard on Runemaster Thorn.  I gesso'ed him in black and then built up the colors form there.  Veteran painters should be able to identify colors and techniques. 

Another nice thing about trying a solo model is that it doesn't have to tie into the rest of your collection!  So you can try something new (like the skin tones on this old guy) you read about on some blog or article.  You can try different highlight schemes or wet blending or what have you.  I played it safe on this guy, but I feel like I did some stuff I've never done before like with the beard.  It's a stretch for me to paint hair since none of my Crimson Fists are Space Wolves in disguise (i.e. they aren't hairy!).

Runemaster Thorn is a spellcaster-type, but as he has the ability to teleport instead of move, I've been using him as a treasure grabber/portal activator.  As such, I've fallen a little behind in the gear curve as we prioritized equipping our true killer-types (the archer and the warrior, coming soon).  Eventually I'll gear up again, but right now I'm having a ton of fun porting around and sniping wounded monsters or grabbing their treasure and porting out before they can respond.

I'm debating if I should try flocking him (and the rest of the heroes), but I'm afraid I'll bury the feet.  Maybe I could try painting a rock pattern?  Or paint the base grey?  On a separate topic, how do you get out of your army painting rut?

Crimson Fist Veteran Sgt

I finally finished my Crimson Fist Sgt.  I originally planned his construction and look for my Command Squad I posted ages ago.  I didn't think it would take so long to paint him at the time (I even tried to get him done by the end of May...but work conspired against me!).  Anyways, I finally completed him!  For the too lazy to click on my link, here's the pic of the Sgt pre-paint job.  Bits from various sets and I used cuts from index card to make the neck armor.  To harden the card, I brushed on a light layer of crazy glue.  Really stiffened it up!

For painting him, I used my standard Crimson Fist colors:

Mordian Blue Drybrush over Black Gesso

Ultramarine+Mordian drybrush to highlight

Straight Ultramarine for highlight.

Extreme highlight = Ultramarine+White

Mecharite Red Fists w/ Badab Black Wash in recesses/Baal Red wash on higher parts.

I quartered the shoulder icon...I'm going to have a few units with this quartered icon somewhere on them to represent their having fought with Black Templars. I plan to have a green half badge on my Sternguard to represent veterans of Rynn's World. I know the Fists don't cotton to elaborate badges and icons, so I'm hoping to keep it simple.

I'm gathering up the courage to try and freehand a design on the Banner, though in looking at this picture, I think I might have to clean up the highlight/lowlight colors. It's pretty stark how fast it goes from white-grey-dark grey! I also forgot to detail up the Purity Seals. Tiny things you don't see until you actually post the picture!

FTW: Must Have Unit

From the Warp asked us a simple question:

"This time it's an easy one... What is your MUST HAVE unit in your army?...We all have that one unit we just can't bear to go without... For some of us it's an emotional attachment, some might just think it's cool, whatever the reason, let's hear about it."

For me, at least, Ron's right...his question is an easy one. The must have unit for my Crimson Fists are Assault Marines with Jump Packs.  Simply put, Assault Marines are cheap for what they can do!

For less than 150 points, I can field a squad of 5 Fists that can hop 12inches over terrain, flamer an enemy unit and then charge in with Power Fist attacks!  Toss in a melta bomb for the Sgt and even a Land Raider is in danger. 

Crimson Fists Assault Squad Support Termies in Killing Nurgle Marines

They aren't invincible by any means and 5 marines with Packs won't break an Ork mob, but I always field them and every game they've managed to do something awesome.  Be it having a Sgt that crushes 8 Skull Bashers in a single battle or a late turn revenge charge against a Land Raider to blow it up, the Assault Marines are mobile enough and flexible enough to be where I want them, when I want them!

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the neat conversions you can do with Assault Marines.  I've seen amazing jump packs, cool bases and neat motion effects.  I also love the fluff that some folks have created for their Assault Marines.  For AaronB (the occasional guest author), he decided that all his Jump Marines have Beakie helms and prefer axes over chainswords.  His Sgts take Thunder Hammers instead of Power Fists...since they bash skulls so well!