December 10, 2013
Warsenal Templates
Warsenal is one of the newest official partners of Corvus Belli. Not only do they make incredible terrain sets for the Infinity gamer, they also make templates, Order counters, and magnetic tokens for improved and attractive game play.
December 9, 2013
Assemblers. Assemble!
Combining work, holidays, and my first cold in two years, not a ton of hobbying has been going on. BUT, I have been assembling models.
Seems like every time we do an O-12 Podcast, I get a hankring for a new faction... So I've been building Merovingia, Tohaa, my mainstay PanO, Haqqislam, and even some Japanese Sectorial Army. And Nomads. And Aleph... Oi, vey,
Seems like every time we do an O-12 Podcast, I get a hankring for a new faction... So I've been building Merovingia, Tohaa, my mainstay PanO, Haqqislam, and even some Japanese Sectorial Army. And Nomads. And Aleph... Oi, vey,
You might notice some Dire Foes minis in that last photo... I am swooning over this Fusilier design...
TAG, you're it. I've got that Giant Robot Fever...
Home Field Advantage
The four people that follow this Blog may have noticed that there have been less than one updates since DuelCon.
Sorry.
Let's rectify that sitch, post-haste.
So, with all that terrain I built and painted to prep for the Con, I needed a table of my own to use them on. Instead of a purpose-made game table, I opted for a much more portable table TOP; a 4'x4' surface that can be placed atop any flat surface (such as the dining room table, a card table, the breakfast nook table (which is what *I* use it for...)).
Home Depot (or maybe it was Lowe's... any DIY store) had 1/2" thick chipboard in 2'x4' sheets. That would be perfect - easy to carry and store, two next to each other make a perfect 4'x4' board. I didn't want them shifting during game play, so I inserted some leftover Ikea furniture dowels into one side, and corresponding holes into the other half of the board to keep things together during the game.
Step one was to prime both sides of the chipboard (to help against warping) with black primer. I used household interior/exterior latex primer.
Since this was going on top of the breakfast table, which is a bar-height piece of furniture my wife is WAY more fond of than she is of game tables, I helped out by outfitting the bottom of the sections with padded feet so that they would not damage any surface they are put on. These self-adhesive, padded feet are sold for people who want to easily move their heavy furniture around hardwood floors, and are found at any hardware store or Target/WalMart-type store.
To finish the playing surface, I chose a time-efficient and aesthetically pleasing Easy Button - Rust-oleum Textured Spray Paint, Aged Iron.
I thought, once sprayed, it would look a whole lot like asphalt, so once I plopped all the buildings down on it, it would look like the streets. It looked even better than I imagined.
As I applied multiple coats, I noticed that as my spray lingered in an area, it would gradulally become lighter in color, allowing a subtle variation in tone across the entire board. I sealed the textured spray paint with several coats of matte spray varnish.
Sorry.
Let's rectify that sitch, post-haste.
So, with all that terrain I built and painted to prep for the Con, I needed a table of my own to use them on. Instead of a purpose-made game table, I opted for a much more portable table TOP; a 4'x4' surface that can be placed atop any flat surface (such as the dining room table, a card table, the breakfast nook table (which is what *I* use it for...)).
Home Depot (or maybe it was Lowe's... any DIY store) had 1/2" thick chipboard in 2'x4' sheets. That would be perfect - easy to carry and store, two next to each other make a perfect 4'x4' board. I didn't want them shifting during game play, so I inserted some leftover Ikea furniture dowels into one side, and corresponding holes into the other half of the board to keep things together during the game.
 |
| Measure twice, drill once... |
Step one was to prime both sides of the chipboard (to help against warping) with black primer. I used household interior/exterior latex primer.
Since this was going on top of the breakfast table, which is a bar-height piece of furniture my wife is WAY more fond of than she is of game tables, I helped out by outfitting the bottom of the sections with padded feet so that they would not damage any surface they are put on. These self-adhesive, padded feet are sold for people who want to easily move their heavy furniture around hardwood floors, and are found at any hardware store or Target/WalMart-type store.
To finish the playing surface, I chose a time-efficient and aesthetically pleasing Easy Button - Rust-oleum Textured Spray Paint, Aged Iron.
I thought, once sprayed, it would look a whole lot like asphalt, so once I plopped all the buildings down on it, it would look like the streets. It looked even better than I imagined.
As I applied multiple coats, I noticed that as my spray lingered in an area, it would gradulally become lighter in color, allowing a subtle variation in tone across the entire board. I sealed the textured spray paint with several coats of matte spray varnish.
September 6, 2013
Deadline: Crushed
I wanted to have all of the buildings I had painted before my parents arrived for a 2-week stay. The last of the MAS buildings was finished the day before they arrived!
I finished off the MAS leg of the road to DuelCon with two 3-level District 5 Apartments. This hereby completes my portion of the Underground Lasers and Micro Art Studio tables for DuelCon.
First up, I painted one in the same color scheme as all of the Underground Lasers terrain.
Next, I decided on a yellow building. Why the flip not.
If you haven't bought your DuelCon tickets yet... Well, DO IT! If you wait until the event, it will cost you $10 more. Locals, I'm looking at you. Get signed up for the Infinity side of DuelCon NOW!
You know that one of the top players world-wide is coming, right? We have a metric butt-ton of prize support. Don't let Magno take it all!!!
(We have more prize support than the Warmachine or 40K events have, and we have by far the fewest participants. Everybody's getting something. $55 for 4 days? Priceless.)
Here's the Yellow building recipe:
Base coat VMC 015 Flat Yellow
Shade with P3 Khador Red Highlight
Shade with VMC 130 Purpleheart Red
Shade with P3 Sanguine Base
Highlight with VMC 010 Light Yellow
Highlight with VMC 005 Ivory
Right. Well, I'm off to Las Vegas for 4 days. If you never hear from me again, that means I won all of it.
I finished off the MAS leg of the road to DuelCon with two 3-level District 5 Apartments. This hereby completes my portion of the Underground Lasers and Micro Art Studio tables for DuelCon.
First up, I painted one in the same color scheme as all of the Underground Lasers terrain.
Next, I decided on a yellow building. Why the flip not.
If you haven't bought your DuelCon tickets yet... Well, DO IT! If you wait until the event, it will cost you $10 more. Locals, I'm looking at you. Get signed up for the Infinity side of DuelCon NOW!
You know that one of the top players world-wide is coming, right? We have a metric butt-ton of prize support. Don't let Magno take it all!!!
(We have more prize support than the Warmachine or 40K events have, and we have by far the fewest participants. Everybody's getting something. $55 for 4 days? Priceless.)
Here's the Yellow building recipe:
Base coat VMC 015 Flat Yellow
Shade with P3 Khador Red Highlight
Shade with VMC 130 Purpleheart Red
Shade with P3 Sanguine Base
Highlight with VMC 010 Light Yellow
Highlight with VMC 005 Ivory
Right. Well, I'm off to Las Vegas for 4 days. If you never hear from me again, that means I won all of it.
September 3, 2013
More Infinity Terrain!
In a shocking turn of events, this post features more MAS Infinity terrain!
I finished the new Garage, and used some of their Graffiti Transfers on it.
The problem with their graffiti transfers is that they are too big for the surface area on any of their building, so you've got to trim them down. Also there's a bit in their instructions about "after it dries for 12 hours, gently peel off the film." Unlike any waterslide transfer... ever. The film IS the decal! I trusted them, and tried to pull off the Ariadna decal's film... and sure enough, just as I knew it would, the image came up with it. I don't know what they're talking about. Now I have a damaged decal ON the building... that I had to severely cut down even to FIT the building.
Keep in mind, the same company making the decals make the buildings, so...
Also, with how TIGHT all of the MAS components fit - those garage doors do not slide out through the roof as easily as one would like. Especially after a gloss coat-decal-matte coat treatment that the Aleph decal went through. She's lost her head! And now the whole front of the door has scrapes.
Again - everything fits SO exactly, that it is ALL TOO TIGHT. MAS needs to shave a mm off all of their tabs and slots.
Next up is another L-shaped building. This time I added the bit of District 5 on top, instead of below.
I managed to finish an entire 3-story District 5 Apartment today as well. I just need to seal it and get pictures of it. That leaves one more 3-story District 5 Apartment to paint (they're taking me about 3 hours), and the MAS buildings are DONE!
Then it's just a bunch more scatter terrain, buildings from Warmill, crates from Defiance Games...
Oi vey.
I finished the new Garage, and used some of their Graffiti Transfers on it.
The problem with their graffiti transfers is that they are too big for the surface area on any of their building, so you've got to trim them down. Also there's a bit in their instructions about "after it dries for 12 hours, gently peel off the film." Unlike any waterslide transfer... ever. The film IS the decal! I trusted them, and tried to pull off the Ariadna decal's film... and sure enough, just as I knew it would, the image came up with it. I don't know what they're talking about. Now I have a damaged decal ON the building... that I had to severely cut down even to FIT the building.
Keep in mind, the same company making the decals make the buildings, so...
Also, with how TIGHT all of the MAS components fit - those garage doors do not slide out through the roof as easily as one would like. Especially after a gloss coat-decal-matte coat treatment that the Aleph decal went through. She's lost her head! And now the whole front of the door has scrapes.
Again - everything fits SO exactly, that it is ALL TOO TIGHT. MAS needs to shave a mm off all of their tabs and slots.
Next up is another L-shaped building. This time I added the bit of District 5 on top, instead of below.
I managed to finish an entire 3-story District 5 Apartment today as well. I just need to seal it and get pictures of it. That leaves one more 3-story District 5 Apartment to paint (they're taking me about 3 hours), and the MAS buildings are DONE!
Then it's just a bunch more scatter terrain, buildings from Warmill, crates from Defiance Games...
Oi vey.
August 31, 2013
MAS L-Shaped Building
I combined one storey of a District 5 Apartment with the L-Shaped Building to create this structure that will take up a good chunk of table.
I used the same color scheme as the last guard tower.
You may have heard talk about people "Sealing" their MDF terrain before painting. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see why you may need to. The fiber board is extraordinarily "thirsty," and just soaks in paint - plus, it gets fuzzy. I thought a triple primer layer would be sealing enough... but perhaps I'll try sealing it with some hairspray before I prime.
Still, good enough for the tournament. I'm calling this one "Done."
I used the same color scheme as the last guard tower.
You may have heard talk about people "Sealing" their MDF terrain before painting. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see why you may need to. The fiber board is extraordinarily "thirsty," and just soaks in paint - plus, it gets fuzzy. I thought a triple primer layer would be sealing enough... but perhaps I'll try sealing it with some hairspray before I prime.
Still, good enough for the tournament. I'm calling this one "Done."
August 27, 2013
Another MAS Guard Tower
Finished up another Micro Art Studio Guard Tower tonight. I'm starting to get the hang of the airbrush and get quicker with it - this took me under two and a half hours.
The desert-y color scheme was applied thusly:
Base coat VMC 124 Iraqi Sand
Shade with VMC 129 Light Brown
More shadow with P3 Bloodstone
Final shading with GW Scorched Brown
Highlight with VMC 008 Beige
Final Highlights with VMC 005 Ivory
The Brown Stripe was first masked off with blue Scotch painter's tape, then:
Base coat P3 Umbral Umber
Highlight with P3 Bootstrap Leather
Shade with P3 Exile Blue
As usual, the lights were first painted with white, and then colored with Badger Minitaire Ghost Tints - Blue and Plasma Fluid, this time.
The desert-y color scheme was applied thusly:
Base coat VMC 124 Iraqi Sand
Shade with VMC 129 Light Brown
More shadow with P3 Bloodstone
Final shading with GW Scorched Brown
Highlight with VMC 008 Beige
Final Highlights with VMC 005 Ivory
The Brown Stripe was first masked off with blue Scotch painter's tape, then:
Base coat P3 Umbral Umber
Highlight with P3 Bootstrap Leather
Shade with P3 Exile Blue
As usual, the lights were first painted with white, and then colored with Badger Minitaire Ghost Tints - Blue and Plasma Fluid, this time.
August 26, 2013
Warmill Terrain
Well, GenCon has come and gone and I am slowly recovering. Not the normal recovery of voice and exhaustion, but the recovery of standing on solid concrete for ten hours a day for four days straight...
So while the trip to Indianapolis was definitely a lot more work than it was pleasure, I am now able to get back into prepping for our DuelCon tournaments.
Harry from Warmill has come through for the Infinity events at DuelCon in a BIG way. Not only did he offer me a wholesale discount so that I could populate a table with his terrain, he included more prize support than any other company we've asked to date.
I've started last-minute construction of the terrain I purchased:
I still have three sets left to build, which I will tackle tonight. But look at all the awesome stuff they sent in to give away as prizes!!
I don't know how much that costs in retail, but I'm pretty sure it's like a million dollars.
They also sent these - and I can't even find them on their web site for sale! Are they, perhaps, some super-secret preview product only available at DuelCon?!? All I know is... they're awesome!
As far as assembly - These Warmill buildings slot together SO much more smoothly than their MAS counterparts. Anyone who has built an MAS building knows that you wake up with a raging case of "Nintendo Thumbs" the next morning. With these, they have shaved off whatever fraction of a millimeter that they needed to to make them fit together easily. Sure, you have to glue them - but I was gluing the Micro Art stuff anyway! These went together like a DREAM. And they have comprehensible instructions. Imagine that.
The little traffic barriers are pretty cool. They transform! When opened like in the first picture, they presumably stop traffic and provide cover. But when the local planetary militia needs to move them elsewhere, they collapse into a flat pack that can be carried. And the models actually DO THAT. Neat stuff.
Their sense of humor is remarkable, too. The FoodBooth model that I chose was the "Dolphin Shack." Intelligent... and Delicious! Lots of jokes on the acrylic menu signs. Good stuff. Lots of character from their whole range.
So while the trip to Indianapolis was definitely a lot more work than it was pleasure, I am now able to get back into prepping for our DuelCon tournaments.
Harry from Warmill has come through for the Infinity events at DuelCon in a BIG way. Not only did he offer me a wholesale discount so that I could populate a table with his terrain, he included more prize support than any other company we've asked to date.
I've started last-minute construction of the terrain I purchased:
I still have three sets left to build, which I will tackle tonight. But look at all the awesome stuff they sent in to give away as prizes!!
I don't know how much that costs in retail, but I'm pretty sure it's like a million dollars.
They also sent these - and I can't even find them on their web site for sale! Are they, perhaps, some super-secret preview product only available at DuelCon?!? All I know is... they're awesome!
As far as assembly - These Warmill buildings slot together SO much more smoothly than their MAS counterparts. Anyone who has built an MAS building knows that you wake up with a raging case of "Nintendo Thumbs" the next morning. With these, they have shaved off whatever fraction of a millimeter that they needed to to make them fit together easily. Sure, you have to glue them - but I was gluing the Micro Art stuff anyway! These went together like a DREAM. And they have comprehensible instructions. Imagine that.
The little traffic barriers are pretty cool. They transform! When opened like in the first picture, they presumably stop traffic and provide cover. But when the local planetary militia needs to move them elsewhere, they collapse into a flat pack that can be carried. And the models actually DO THAT. Neat stuff.
Their sense of humor is remarkable, too. The FoodBooth model that I chose was the "Dolphin Shack." Intelligent... and Delicious! Lots of jokes on the acrylic menu signs. Good stuff. Lots of character from their whole range.
August 13, 2013
Info Hubs
Before I disappear to GenCon for a week, I got 3 quick Micro Art Studio Info Hubs done for DuelCon.
For the Black, over Black Primer I airbrushed P3 Coal Black. To that, I mixed in P3 Exile Blue. To that mix, I added in P3 Underbelly Blue for two more highlights. Shadows added in with P3 Sanguine Base and P3 Thamar Black. I then (very quickly and messily) lined with that final highlight color.
Light bits were hurriedly sketched in with white, then Ghost Tinted with Plasma Fluid, Blue, Yellow and Green.
Like Space Marines? Well, they are the next codex coming for Warhammer 40,000 and the guys at 40K Radio have a PDF copy - so all of their rumors are true. Check out their Facebook Page for all the juicy bits.
For the Black, over Black Primer I airbrushed P3 Coal Black. To that, I mixed in P3 Exile Blue. To that mix, I added in P3 Underbelly Blue for two more highlights. Shadows added in with P3 Sanguine Base and P3 Thamar Black. I then (very quickly and messily) lined with that final highlight color.
Light bits were hurriedly sketched in with white, then Ghost Tinted with Plasma Fluid, Blue, Yellow and Green.
Like Space Marines? Well, they are the next codex coming for Warhammer 40,000 and the guys at 40K Radio have a PDF copy - so all of their rumors are true. Check out their Facebook Page for all the juicy bits.
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