This month’s entry is Interrogator Chaplain Asmodai… Still nicely avoiding Dark Angels Green! Last month, I painted 340 points from my list plus a couple of bonus models so I figure I’m alright to drop below the 200 points this time or I run the risk of running out of models before the end of the challenge (ed. OK then… can’t have you running out of models – we know what happens then!)… those 2nd edition squads sure are expensive! Painting the robes was a nice change to the bare black power armour of last month’s Ravenwing and it was a good chance to practise blending and glazing; two techniques I’ve really been trying to improve. I was initially really happy with how this turned out but then… horror! I’d missed a mould line on the hood and had to file it off and repaint that section. It looks a bit messy on the photo too which is a shame. The power sword was also painted in a new way for me as I tried to emulate the energy glow you see on a lot of modern painter’s work. I have the theory down but the execution needs a bit more work…. more blending and glazing practise required! However, I’m happy I gave this a try and have done it again on other models since with better results. Finally, I added a banner made from a tomato purée tube (ed. good thing you didn’t make it from the purée!) which I’ve hand painted. I only started making banners this way in the last month so please don’t judge my appalling free-hand too harshly! I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the members of the chat for the encouragement with painting banners by hand. So, looking ahead to month three I will be looking to paint my Deathwing Captain and make a start on the Terminator squad. (ed. this looks splendid, so I am looking forward too!)

I began April on a real high.  I had completed a bunch of characters in March and really enjoyed both the painting and the result.  I decided to challenge myself, painting vehicles which is something I haven’t done often, and attempting to paint rust which is something I haven’t done ever. I started with the Dreadnought, for the deathskull clan so meant to be a hodgepodge of random coloured panels.  Overall, while ok, the Dreadnought did not go to plan, I worked and reworked it – and while it’s OK, I was never quite as satisfied as I wanted to be. (ed. I think you’re being a bit hard on yoursefl – it looks splendid in my opinion!) The warbuggy was far better – I think I really captured the look I was after on it.  For the Deathskull squad I was almost running on auto.  I was mentally exhausted after the two vehicles (ed. Ugh! I know this feeling!) but still had a lot of time to work on stuff.  I like the result but I didn’t put my heart and soul into them like I had done with last months characters or this months vehicles.  I finished early and painted a few random Dungeons & Dragons figures in order to give myself a mental breather.  I don’t dislike this months results but I really wanted just a bit more. I will return next month with new vigour and vitality (ed. that is the spirit my man!).  Hoping for slightly better results.

Spent most of the March and beginning of April with my bigger love the Rogue Trader Imperial Guards and painted lots of Ratlings and Squats. So, I got a bit nervous about the army challenge during the middle of April. I forced myself to sit down an get some work done on the Eldar and that still huge pile of unpainted miniatures I bought. Fortunately, I quickly got into the right mood and managed to finish some infantry and support units (ed. and you managed to knock it out of the ball park – looking good!). Meanwhile, and quite unexpected,the bigger my army grows, the more I start to like them (ed. hold on to that righteous Eldar hate brother! Don’t give in!). Looking forward to the first test games against my Marines and Guards. (ed. Now that, I want to see! You must show us all!)

Firstly, I need to correct something from last month. My throw away comment about just painting up a Chaos Sorceror was erroneous. It was in fact Master Sorceror K’Van The Caller, Seer for the Blades of Malal, Knower of Knowing, Listener of Listening, Ravager of the Khardashian System, Purveyor of Generally Dodgy Goods, Terror of the Nine Worlds and Gatekeeper of the Chosen (ed. I see the union has been coming for you on that one!). His close friends call him Kevin. Well, they would if he had any. It turns out that I’m kind of painting up a solid 2,000 points of the Blades by some quirk of fate, which will be apparent as the challenge progresses (ed. Careful now – We discussed adding extra rules for people who paint too much too soon, on today’s Crown of Command). So, for this month I have mostly been painting Malal. After the heady heights of 6 main mini’s and a bonus one, I’ve managed to do 4 main mini’s and 3 bonus ones! Which is the same output. But different. All marines followed the painting process I set out last time (left shoulder pad white, right black – rest is whatever I feel like I haven’t done yet). I have painted up the following you can see in the table below. I have also painted up some bonus stuff.. Now, technically, Telys is part of my FOURTH planned expansion for the Blades (a full 1,000 poitns of proper “Traitor Guard”) but I just got over eager and wanted to do some face paint.. (ed. Ooooh that would be a sight worth beholding! I love my traitor guard – utterly useless, but cool none the less)) Anyway.. enjoy! PRAISEMALAL!

I don’t so much enjoy painting tanks (ed. believe me, no one does! That’s why we play 40k and not Fantasy. Oh wait!) and I’m beginning to wonder whether that’s the reason that my Death Guard army is so heavy on infantry. Or, was. I somehow managed to finish the Whirlwind on time (ed. Tzeentchian magics!). I honestly struggled to motivate myself through it, especially after having done up the Predator last month. Doing both of them back-to-back was justified though: I was able to do the priming and airbrushing for both vehicles on the same day in February, meaning that I had a bit of a head start with the Whirlwind this month. That offset some of the relative difficulty of mustering the necessary discipline to do yet another tank. Either way, she’s done now. (ed. and what a looker she is!) With hindsight, I’d do a few things differently. But she looks OK next to the other tanks in the army and I now have three. Like the Predator, the turret is magnetised and can be swapped out for a simple top hatch, making her stand-in for a Rhino. – I now can’t wait to paint up some infantry for the next month.   

Hi folks. (ed. Hello!) This month I have been working on a Predator Annihilator to coincide with an Armour in April community challenge. (ed. all these challenges are challenging my head!) This tank was a Birthday gift from my sister when I was 14 years old! Two house-moves ago I broke it horribly, so it has been sitting in my bits box. The stripping and re-assembling was a real challenge, but I am very happy to have it  back in my army. I even managed to find the right decals for it in my stash. For a bonus, I also fixed up a battered Ravenwing Landspeeder I won off ebay. I repainted the green and red parts, as well as the pilots, leaving the black of the speeder itself as it was. The highlights are perhaps not as sharp as I would have been able to do, but the previous owner had put in a great effort, which I was happy to honour. Next month, I’ll be focusing on a squad, which will be a nice change after two months of tanks. (ed. Oh boy, it all looks super good Marc!)

For WIP photos and commentary, you can check out my blog at http://oldschoolg4m1ng.blogspot.com/

Hail and welcome wanderer to the second month of the Warhammer 40,00 2nd edition Army Challenge. I see you arrived here on the back of a dinosaur too – fantastic, you’ll fit right in with the Exodite Dragon Riders who’ve also just arrived fresh out of the depths of my painting table… err, I mean the jungles of an ancient world! (ed. In my book you have already won! Introducing Dinosaurs to 2nd Edition is just the perfect mix. All the armies ought to have dinosaurs. That way you wouldn’t be forced to use Eldar!) This month I’ve managed to finish off two squads consisting of an Exodite champion & 2 exodite knights (110 points each for a total of 220 points towards the total of the challenge). But wait, what’s this? That thunderous crashing through the undergrowth can only mean one thing – a terrible Thunderlizard is also swelling the ranks of this exodite warband! This beast was conceived in a moment of madness and built with household items, a $4 dinosaur and held together with pure hope XD There are unfortunately no rules or points for this model in 2nd edition. However, I did stumble across an old article in Citadel Journal #12 that covered rules for a scratch-built carnosaur and so I will be using those as a template for the Thunderlizard that also acts as a slow moving heavy weapons support platform. (ed. Yes yes yes!!!) As the Warlock riding the Thunderlizard slows the great beast, she says that she brings news that there are fellow Eldar from the Alaitoc Craftworld as well as some Eldar reavers who request an audience. Whatever could they want from us? You’ll have to keep reading next month for more adventures! (ed, 10 points’, all judges!)

Unfortunately this month has been just as busy at work as last, so I’ve not managed to get all the models I wanted to finished. This month I managed another four Wraithgurd, which when combined with the one I finished last month means the squad of 5 is now complete. I’m really pleased with how these have come out – although credit has to go to Juan Hidalgo’s youtube channel as I slavishly copied the paint recipe from him!!! (ed. never heard of him, but now I will have to look it up coz these look splendid! Thanks for the tip!) Four Wraithguard clock in at 140 points though, so it’s not too bad in terms of points value! I did start the squad of four Fire Dragons, but I’ve only got two about 75% of the way done and another two are only 30% done, so they will need to be finished off next month. I did manage to get some scenery completed this month though – built a bunker in the mould of the classic 2nd Ed Imperial variety. I believe these clock in at 50 points on the data card – so I’m going to claim that this month is actually 190 points to make myself feel a bit closer to the target!!! This month’s progress photo is, therefore, a bit of a homage to the classic 90s White Dwarf photos – we have the Wraithguard assaulting the bunker as held by a desperate band of Imperial Guard! (ed. and I have tampered a bit with this photo. To show the wraithguard. But you shouldn’t miss the cool scene that Tom has done so click HERE for the full image of awesome!)

Well I finally got it all together! Those checkers on the battle wagon almost did me in, dang it took many attempts to get it presentable. (ed. well you surely managed! I’m sure Sam Nash is chuffed) But now it is finished and I got another unit of 10 shoota boyz with boltguns ready as well. This challenge is starting to feel like it might just be accomplished after all!  Next month it’s time for some Bad Moon Meganobz! 

It’s 23:24 on the 25 th (ed. which is the challenge deadline each month) so they are done I guess. I tried to do too much this month I think. 20 guardsmen. They all need a bit of tidying and detail but they look alright from a distance! I’m really happy with the scheme now though, and I definitely will finish them! (ed. Good – In my opinion they look smashing!!! I’d love to have a Valhallan army now!) My pledge is two 10 man squads of hard Valhallan Ice Warriors. One sergeant has a chainsword, the other a sword and a hand flamer. No special or heavy weapons as not enough points. Total 209 points (for 20 models!). Next month I’m going to do a tank which ‘shouldn’t’ take too long…