Legion of Everblight (7): Blackfrost Shard + Finishing Up!

This week we're looking at the conclusion of the everblight army project with this gorgeous set of models called the blackfrost shard. 

Before I even knew who these guys were I knew these models were intended as a unit. Though the unique sword design was a bit of a giveaway, there was something more that caught my eye. The predatory nature of the poses, the gestures referencing sword fighters of legend; there was something more to these three individuals. When I looked them up in the everblight army book, my suspicions were confirmed, the Blackfrost shard was all about the gestalt, meaning that the total effect was greater than the sum of it's individuals parts. In concrete terms, there are three ones here, but put them together at once and you wind up with a four. 

Once again Privateer Press has impressed me beyond my expectations. There's just so much thought that has gone into this game, so many good ideas given time to grow and flourish. In a way, this unit is synonymous with what has really left an impression on me from hordes. It's not just the artwork, the story, the models, the gameplay, it's all of those things put together at the same time in the same place. If I had time to play games, I would be purchasing my starter box today. 

And so we come up on the conclusion of yet another project. 2012 has seen an army painted! Next week, we're beginning the countdown to victory as the Clean-Slate challenge comes to a finish as well. I've got some huge projects lined up for this summer, and I can't wait to be able to share all the good stuff that's coming with everyone. 

Legion of Everblight (6): Seraph and Bayal

This week I went after the second winged beast in the army, the Seraph. I also rounded out the week with Bayal, the hound of Everblight.

After having painted both models, it's easy to see that the Seraph preceeded the Angelius in terms of production date. There are a number of common elements between theme, shape, and texture of the wings, the musculature of the supporting arms, even the double curve of the tail. But everything the Serpah does, the Angelius does better.

This is not to say that this is a bad sculpt, far from it. It's more of an interest to see how the model has evolved over time. You can literally see the thought process, from the less dynamic Seraph to the confidence of the Angelius. This is why it's important for companies like privateer press and games workshop to continually update their ranges. It gives their artists a chance to reflect on the efforts of the past and incorporate them into the work of the future.

On the other side of the spectrum, Bayal is clearly among the newer sculpts. The lean, stalking pose of the model is a perfect fit for the story of one of Everblight's most potent and deadly operatives. From a painters perspective, all of these new sculpts are more difficult to work with. They are constantly bombarding you with odd angles and extraordinary amounts of detail. But unlike other models where I have to create my own challenges, these ones provide the it for me. This is not frustrating but inspiring, which ultimately makes the process more rewarding.

This model serves as a perfect summary of what makes Privateer Press models stand above the competitors; the confidence that we see in these newer works. Privater Press isn't just sticking with the tried and true poses that have been used for the past 20 years. They're exploring new territory, and seeing models like Bayal is a constant reminder not only of what Privateer is doing right, but what many in the industry should be doing to keep up.

Next week we're wrapping things up with the Blackfrost shard. The end is in sight!

Legion of Everblight (5): Plastic Warbeast and Kallus

This week I tackled Kallus, a warcaster from the domination expansion, as well as the plastic heavy warbeast kit, magnetized to be any of the three builds. 

Kallus is a bit of an outlayer from several angles. First off, up until this point every warcaster in the legion has been female, ignoring Thagrosh, who is more of a demigod nowadays. Kallus is also a construct, more of a figment of the dragon's imagination than anything else. But from a hobby standpoint, this model is very different.  

It isn't so much that Kallus is different from Privateer Press as he is similar to Games Workshop. If you look at all the other models in the range, you will notice a brutal efficiency to units as a whole. Models just aren't sculpted with superfluous offerings in Hordes. If the sculptor decided to include a specific item in the casting process, you know there was a reason. Case in point: Saeryn, a warrior who fights by throwing knives. Naturally, she is sculpted with plenty of extra blades attached.

Kallus on the other hand is an exercise in the superfluous. His shoulder pads could double as a chest armor, and his belt is strewn with chains and hooks, and for some reason he's got a tabard. Apparently he need something to trip him up mid-fight. Yeah, it looks cool, but so do the other warcasters, all of whom have a very utilitarian angle to their wargear. Even the backstory is highly reminiscent of Games Workshop. After all, anyone who knows Lucius will recognize the story of a heavy armor, sword wielding killer who is never truly defeated...

Turning my attention to the rava-scyth-nivean, I set to work incoporating yet another warbeast into the band.

It was nice to work with another plastic model, and the detail on the armor plates really made this sculpt stand out. It was rewarding to see all the variants come together, knowing the work would pay off many times over due to it's increased flexibility. If I were building a force, I would definitely pursue this option. By keeping the conversions straightforward and easy to swap out, Privateer Press has given a huge gift to the players in the form of reusable models.

Next week we've got a Seraphim lined up, as well as Bayal, a powerful assassin.

Legion of Everblight (4): Shepherd and Angelius

This week, something wicked this way comes.

Not to say the past few weeks have not been equally so, but there is something downright sinister about the Angelius. Maybe it's the pose, maybe it's the name, maybe the combination of the two. Whatever it is, these six winged beasts give fire to the appearance of the army. There is something truly striking about this model in comparison to even other warbeasts. 

The shepherd by contrast is an excellent example of how to turn an ordinary concept into an extraordinary sculpt. The shepherds are defined in the Everblight army book as being outcasts, not close enough to other members of the race to be fully integrated, but clearly not as powerful as the warlocks who conjure full warbeasts. There is a certain desolation to the description in the book, which carries through in the sculpt. The shepherd is efficient, alien in their way, yet distinctly part of the force as a whole. 

Next week we press on with a plastic and magnetized Carnivean as well as Kallus, the first and only male Nyss warcaster in the entire army. 

Legion of Everblight (3): Deathstalkers and Forsaken

This week we're back with more of the almost-evil Legion of Everblight. Why are they almost evil? Because everything is relative, and anything that exists in the same world as Cryx has to be considered at least a little bit good, even if by virtue of the fact solely that they are not Cryx.

No matter how you spin it, this week saw the completion of two deathstalkers and two forsaken.

Micro-Lesson: Painting duplicates

There are a couple really good reasons to paint duplicates molds when you're working your way through an army.

First and foremost, you're saving time. Swapping back and forth to repaint the same section takes less time in prep and execution. You also have a chance to practice as you go along, increasing your efficiency with every model beyond the first. More practice also means less mistakes; another big time saver. Finally, if you are mixing any custom colors, this is an absolute must. You'll find that you get more finished models return in exchange for time spent at the table; something we all covet. 

Another advantage to taking these models 2+ at a time is that you're saving resources. Paint isn't cheap, especially now that GW has decided we all need to re-buy our entire collections. Any time you draw paint from the bottle, it's in your best interest to use as much of what you took as possible. Having more models to catch the extra pigment means less paint lost to the water cup.

Thankfully in my situation I only had a single duplicate to deal with. With two to four models, it's easy to maximise the benefits of repetition without risking burnout. 

Burnout is a term that will be familiar to any player who has assembled a force of Orks, Imperial Guard, Tyranids, or Vampire Counts. As sad as it makes some of us, we aren't machines. Painting the same helmet on the same Cadian Shocktrooper in the same pose for the 47th time is enough to move most to tears of boredom and frustration. 

Be sure to keep things manageable if you're taking on a swarm. What number this boils down to depends on the individual painter. Some have a legendary tolerance for repetition, while others squirm at the prospect of more than five. 

But if five is your number, let it be your number. IG players still have officers and heavy weapon teams to break things up, Orks have nobs, Vampire Counts have... well Vampire Counts. The point is to paint strategically. Save some special models for further down the road, not only as a reward, but as a good model to take advantage of once you've had all that practice painting your army colors.

Next up, we grab a Shepherd and the mighty Angelius!

Legion of Everblight (2): Ravagor and Shredders

After completing Super Dungeon Explore last week, it really threw me for a loop to come back to something as intricate as Hordes, but I was ready for a little detail work. Where SDE was about being cut loose to do your own thing with minimal interfere from the sculptors, painting Hordes is like being walked through an extensive, yet well made, tutorial. 

These Shredders looked just a little too happy to be on the table. It was a great choice in the design stage to remove the eyes from these dragon-spawn. There's something delightfully creepy about the whole affair. I worked with a brighter shade of green as was intended for the smaller warbeasts.

I had read a lot of negative comments concerning Privateer Press' plastic offerings, but I'm happy to report that I had no trouble when it came to painting the Ravagor. The paint applied smoothly with no curling/flaking, the cast was solid, and it was a fantastic change of pace to work with such a light model.

When it comes to working on the odd angles and underside pieces of the kit that are hard to reach, having a light, durable model is a game changer. I know that for miniature companies, plastic kits are a heavy investment of time and money that limits their availability, but from a hobbyist perspective, it's worth every penny.

And so we're a couple steps closer to that 35 point goal. Next week we're setting the beasties aside and going for some infantry to round out the ranks!

WIP Photo Fail/Win

A consequence to painting too much is you start to get a little loopy after a while.

On the other hand, creativity is known to be extremely high when in a loopy state.

Check back on Friday for the non-clown version of this warbeast.

Hordes: Legion of Everblight (1)

I've heard it said that Warma-hordes is where 40k players go when they grow up. I've been aware of the other mainstream choice for wargamers for quite some time, but never made the leap. I had painted a starter box of Troll Bloods a few years ago, which was fun. They ended up being ebayed off to the far corners of the earth, and it wasn't until I was contacted by a local player that I had occasion to go back and see what had transpired in the meantime. 

Wow.

The first figure I painted was Saeryn. It was refreshing to see a female that wasn't hyper-sexualized by the sculptor. She had a good balance between a feminine presence without giving up too much bulk thanks to her armored half. Speaking of armor, the intricacies of the detailing were mind boggling. It took several layers of washing and highlighting to get it just right. Saeryn was a treat, but she was nothing compared to the second warcaster...

Lylyth just blew me away. After painting hundred of static space marines waving chainswords over their heads and screaming at the top of their lungs, this model was a real eye opener. The sculpt conveyed a true sense of grace and movement. You could write volumes about her face, and she only has half of it showing. Such cold, calculated indifference is unique and intriguing; a blend of substance and subtlety. 

I painted the models in a different color scheme according to how the owner wanted, conveying a sense of extreme cold. He wanted the warcasters to have light green skin to reflect their semi-draconic nature, while the heavier warbeasts would be much darker...

Puns aside, the Carnivean was a beast to paint; I was not used to dealing with such a sophisticated position. Painting a Carnifex was a good warm-up for the Legion of Everblight, but that's all it was. 

For me this model sums up the main different between GW and Privateer. When you paint a GW model, you're working with a generally open stance, upward-facing angles, lots of plastics with lots of options; it's all very user-friendly and inviting. They give you lots of generic options and invite you to fill in the blanks with your own details. You become immediately invested in the product itself because of its personal aspect. 

Privateer Press stands in bold contrast, offering two options: their way or the highway. The sculptors of the Carnivean decided that this hunched, predatory position was best suited for this creature of war, and you know what? They were right. It didn't matter to them that the thing weighed a pound when fully assembled and the pose made it virtually impossible to paint some angles. Nothing was sacrificed in the name of the final product. 

In Warmachine/Hordes, every character has a name, and a story that has been predetermined by the creators at Privateer. They aren't so much inviting your input on the game so much as they are inviting you along for the ride. They're incredibly good at what they do, some might argue the best, and they know it. You're signing up for a very different experience when you invest in this system, and even though I had to spend extra time to conform to Privateer's standards, it was worth it. 

Is this game/hobby right for everyone? Definitely not. You have to be willing to give up some of the control that you've gotten used to with GW in order to make the leap. You won't be getting that custom force of plastic marines whose personal backstory you've written in google docs during work hours (you know you did). As I said before, this is a ride where you are the passenger, but man what a ride.

I have to say I'm intrigued to continue working with this force as it builds to 35 points. I have some Nyss troops lined up for the next slot in a few weeks. But that will come later, it's time to shift again with something (yet again) completely different!