Side Project - MiG Alley

Over the past week, I dove into the quick side project of painting and applying transfers for the Blood Red Skies: MiG Alley box.  These were super easy to paint and a good break from some of the more in depth effort needed for painting the Escher gang.

Base Coat (for silver planes) 

Aluminium and Canopy 

Transfers to mark them as USAF F-86s and PRK MiG-15s

Assorted Side Projects

Having finished up the Escher gang and trying to generally play more games with the miniatures I have, I am also focusing on building out the components and tools for the games I have.

US Paratroopers and ECI Bersaglieri combat excerise

Over the past two weeks, I have happily played 4 games of Konflikt '47.  My Co-belligerent Italian (Allies) Bersaglieri reinforced platoon  have faced off against US Paratroopers, Soviet Werebears, the Desert Fox with walkers, and veteran Desert Rats*.  All of these games were fun and seemed close.  My knowledge of the rules is of course improving and the games are getting better and faster.
*No K'47 unique units in the army.

ECI Rounded Out

This previous weekend I was out of town and definitely didn't get any miniature work done.  However, I got lots painting done the previous weekend, to include rounding out my forces for Konflikt '47 Co-belligerent Kingdom of Italy (ECI) company.

Big items added were a Stuart-T with a Tesla Cannon, an MMG team, and an Anti-Tank Team.  It gives my reinforced company some much needed firepower against vehicles like medium walkers, light/medium tanks, etc.  I am probably still lacking in firepower against medium tanks and heavy walkers, but that will be more interesting games, working around them.

A big goal going forward for me this fall is to play more of games of the armies I have collected. I have tons of painted minis to put on the tabletop.

Useful Additions

Gift of a Gang

The Core Gang

 I finished up the core gang of ladies this weekend.  I am happy with the result.  It was great to paint them up and I am excited to give one of my best friends the gang as a gift.  The mix of Contrast paints and normal layer paints worked well and the result is bright and colorful gang.  I am looking forward to eventually having a long-weekend campaign against them.

My wife still needs to finish up Kria the Huntress.

In their foam, spare spot for the fancy Huntress

On-Going Escher Effort

Last week I did not have an update as I went on travel for work Monday.  Over the past two weeks I have steadily getting paint on the Escher ladies.  They have been fun and different to paint, with lots of bright colors throughout and experimenting with contrast paints.

6 no-primer showing

I decided to do two things as I worked on them this weekend.  The first was to spend time on individual models; bouncing around on a model and fixing white areas and getting each gal worked on up to what would be traditionally called "based."  This let me focus on hunting down areas and feeling more "complete" with each model worked on.

Contrast on the Ladies

Last week, I dove into painting up the Escher Gang as the gift for my friend's birthday.  For the most part, I have enjoyed the results.  I am a bit concerned about dark colors washing out bright colors, both leaking over the light color or showing through a bright color.

Prior to Brown Leather 

The next colors are going to focus on the hair and adding a pink to the ends of the hair and feathers.  More to come next week!

First 5 colors on the models

Escher: A Gift for a Friend

Over the long weekend, my brother and I decided to do a set of gifts for my two best friends from college for their birthdays.  The first one's birthday is in ~6 weeks.  I asked them both which of the gangs on the Necromunda they liked best.  The first responded Escher and Deleque.   I went with Escher.

Gang All Built

It is also an opportunity for me to dive into the new Contrast range, while avoiding using them for any of my existing armies, gangs, or other projects were the painting palette is decided up.  I am excited for the project, but I think I will be challenged by the timeline.

I also completed last week the pair of Ambots!  These guys were good fun to paint.  With any luck, by the end of year, I think it is possible for me to have all the things to put on a weekend Necromunda campaign.  Goal is four gangs, with bounty hunters and supporting caste.

Just mining equipment

First Reaver Complete

Reaver with a tactical armament

This past weekend, I completed painting one of my two Reaver Titans for Adeptus Titanicus.  I went with a fairly tactical fit of Power Fist, Apocalypse Missile Launcher, and Titan Laser Blaster.  The missile launcher is magnetic, allowing me to swap in a Turbo-Laser after building the second Reaver Titan.

It still took some time to paint up, but not nearly as much as the Warlord.  I fully expect the second one to be even more straightforward.

One of my hobby goals is round out existing projects and hopefully play more games.  I have plenty of miniature projects to add small sections to, allowing me to range further a field with projects.

Next up, finishing up the pair of Ambots for Necromunda!

In-Work Ambots

Titans take Time

Washes done, time to do layers

Over the past week, I did not spend a lot of time working on the Reaver.  When I did, it has a ton of detail, like the Warlord and it is easy to miss something.  Since I am now on the layering, it should progress faster as I hunt for details and make areas pop.  The first white layer, Ulthuan Grey, is completed (mostly) and may get a layer White Scar over it.  I am currently torn on whether to actually add much to the blue, I will need to double check the Warlord as reference.

I recently read (second hand) a tweet from a Adeptus Titanicus game designer that Reavers and Warlords are were people should start.  I generally agree, as it means getting the scheme down before embarking on the challenge of the Warlord from a modelling perspective and a way to learn the rules.

I will also be working up a second Reaver after this one. But before that, I will return to my K'47 Kingdom of Italy force and round it out with an MMG, Stuart-T, and anti-tank team.

Progress on the Reaver

Mirror update I have slowly been painting up the Reaver this past week.  Plan to add more this coming week.

In Progress Reaver

On Father's Day, my son and I played a game of Team Yankee - Canada vs Poland.  The Poles won on modified objectives.

A Reaver for the True Messengers

Simple update, I am working on 1 of 2 Reaver Titans I have to add to my True Messengers Maniple.  I plan to have all the titans for a full strength Axiom Maniple and may build out a few more Banners of the supporting Knight House.  We will see - I still yet to play a game, but that is probably more my own fault than anything else.

K'47 ECI Bersaglieri Infantry Sections

Fully painted, basing still to go

I have been steadily working on painting up units of Bersaglieri infantry sections for my K'47 Co-belligerent.  They are almost complete.  Basing will be done before next weekend if everything goes well.

I am running two five-man sections of Bersglieri infantry sections.  I painted their back-pack rolls red and orange to make it easy to tell the difference between them.  The light mortar team and command section have light backpacks that are the tan they would be.

Once complete, I still plan to add a Sherman-T and MMG team.

During Basing

DANAs Complete in Time for Tournament

Completed DANA Battery

I was able to finish my DANA Battery last week in time for the 50 point round-robin tournament this Saturday.  I did not bring any Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the tournament as it was for learning and I wanted to make sure new players got to see parts of the game that MBTs make it easy to overlook. 

I took the following Polish list:

• BMP Motor Rifle Battalion
• 1 x BMP-1 HQ
• 1 x BMP-2 Battalion (Small) with SA-7 Grail
• 1 x BMP-1 Battalion (Small)
• 1 x ZSU-23 (4 Vehicles)
• 1 x SA-13 Gopher (2 Vehicles)
• Divisional Attachment
• 1 x DANA Battery (6 Vehicles)
• 1 x Hind Flight (4 Aircraft)

I managed to come out middle of the pack in terms of games.  Games are scored based on victory and how many units the victor lost.  I managed a major loss (2 pts), major victory (5 pts), and a minor loss (3 pts).