That Forge World Touch

Hey everyone time for an update on that idea of mine. So I had a go at trying to add a bit of realism to my models this week and the results were better than I had expected, I chose to use a picture of one of the first Blood Angel models I painted for the blog (the Sanguinary Priest). The reason for this is because I had used a clear background that I could filter out using the photoshop software I was using.
For this experiment I used free photo editing software called GIMP (yes I laughed too). The programme took a little getting used to but considering I have never done anything like this before I got the very basics in a couple of evenings. A lot of this project was down to trial and error and I lost count of the amount of times I started again. However, I persevered and I am very pleased with the result. The most difficult part of this was layering the images but once I'd learnt how to crop and cut the blending and airbrushing gave a little extra finish to the picture.

So here's the original...

 and here's the Priest ready to fly off into the sunset.

I had a lot of fun with this and as the software is free I recommend that you have a go too. Well I'm off to go create so more photo magic. See you soon.

In the (half a) Company of Angels

Welcome back fellow travellers to The Folly of War. The time has come to take stock of how my Blood Angel 3rd Company is coming along. So far I have added a few units here and there and I am now almost on my way to having a fully painted half a company of marines.
My model list totals thus:

• 3 tactical marine squads
• 2 five man devestators
• 1 assault squad
• 1 company command
• Captain Tycho
• Librarian

It has been great fun painting and researching the deeds of this oh so famous company of marines and finally I got to use them in a game. At the H and L Friday night club I played a 1500 point game against the new chaos codex. My opponant was Mr. Pidwell a fellow enthusiast of the fluff and an avid RPG(er). His army consisted of over 14 spawn, a lord on bike, 2 havoc squads, 2 plague marine squads and the infamous Daemonic Rapper E Didy (epidemeus). Now, I can hear you calling from the rafters "that doesn't sound too hard". Well, my eager readers unfortunately for me every model in the army had the mark of nurgle, including, the Havocs. For those of you who have put 2 and 4 together, you will have realised that for each kill a model does in the army E diddy gets to up the tally making the army better. I'm not saying 14 spawn are any good, but when these spawn have hatred, wound on twos with a re-roll and ignore armour, you do feel slightly (oh so slightly) inadiquate. On the plus side it was a highly entertaining game with a delightfully funny opponant (shame about the army). I left the game feeling better about 40k as looking at the 57 marines in the 1500 which, made me think with pride, what a good job I have done with the army. Even though I was slaughtered (to a man) I loved the imagery that both armies had inspired. The thought of a brave last stand against the diseased, rotting, monstroserties rampaging towards combined bolter, las and plasma fire was fantastic to watch and inspired me to keep plodding away at the rest of the company.

In other news I was trawling the BOLS site and came across an article about home made photoshopped backgrounds for miniatures. The cogs began to turn in my head and I thought I could do that. Over the next couple of weeks I am going to experiment to see what I can produce and I hope to show you something very soon...wish me luck. Finally before I would just like to wish everyone going to PAW this year the very best of luck as unfortunately I cannot make it this year. Until next time travellers farewell.... 

Dropzone Commander

Greetings! The Folly of War is anchored in high orbit this week preparing for rapid deployment planetside. I am of course talking about the fabulous new 10mm scale Dropzone Commander. This game focuses on rapid deployment and re-deployment. This is key to the games design as ground forces are limited to very slow movement (infantry can only move up to 3" on average compared with a dropship's 24").

MINIATURES:

The sculpts on these bad boys are amazing and all of the factions have been handled with care. There are for armies to choose from; The United Colonies of Mankind (UCM), Post Human Republic (PHR), the Scourge and the Shiltari. Each faction has various dropships, aircraft, tanks, walkers and infantry. What stands out about these miniatures is that all (yes every single vehicle) can actually be carried by the transport models and dropships. A word of warning though depending on the faction you choose determines the modelling difficulty. Shaltari, being the easiest as they use portals so the models are not technically carried and PHR being the hardest as you will need to magnetise each model. The models are made of a flexible resin which in my opinion puts finecast to shame. They are quick to clean up and so far I have not had any detail loss, which I found happened far to often with GW's finecast.

This is NOT the Harbinger.

GAME: So, I have played a few practise games with the rules and have found them to be quite easy to pick up. The game focuses around battlegroup actions instead of the my turn your turn mechanics of 40k. My first proper game was against Heroes and legends own, Guy. He used his PHR which focus on slow movement but make up for it with the range and power of their weapons. The game went well for me and due to an error with his deployment Guy lost a huge amount of his forces to my desolator dropship (which in no way resembles the Reaper Ships from Mass Effect...). The game ended with me claiming more objectives than Guy but as with any newly learnt game I regard this win more down to luck than tactical acumen.

My Second game was against Mr. Birch, this did not go so well. I also learned how effective intercepting fire is (the hard way). The majority of my stuff died in my own turn due to the amazing amount of AA that came my direction. Interceptor fire allows unactivated units that have not fired to shoot at aircraft that move within their range. It is harder to hit though so the risk of waisting the shots is ever present. Unfortunately for me Mr. Birch hit with everything sending the Reaper.. I mean Desolator crashing to the ground. Dropzone is a balancing act between knocking out ground troops whilst maintaining good solid air superiority. Mr. Birch used our game as practise for a tournament coming up in few weeks, where as I used the game to bed in some of the more complex rules. Overall Dropzone (warning cliche alert) is an easy game to learn but a hard game to master.

I hope that this weeks post has inspired you to take a look at this very interesting and tactical game. You can find out more information at www.hawkwargames.com

40K... How Do You Play Yours?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all from The Folly of War. As we mark the end of a overall good year in wargaming, I feel its time for some reflection and changes with my view of the world of 40K.



This is not my 40K

What a jam packed (strawberry flavoured) year it has been for 40K with the new rule book, chaos 30K and loadsa new shiny toys. Has it been good or has it been bad? Constant moans of "allies is stupid" are being cried up and down the country in tournament games everywhere. The hardcore majority of my friends are of that breed and will stop at nothing to create the most "broken list". I myself have even fallen into the seductive arms of tournament gaming with promises of glory and silverware this year (yeah right I can dream). Many an evening was spent in heated discussion about what should go into an army and what shouldn't due to its viability in tournaments. I remember one afternoon after just purchasing Lucius the Eternal a complete stranger told me that I shouldn't have bought him and that he was a waist of money for a "decent" Chaos army. That kind of conversation really knocks the hobby stuffing out of you and low and behold no Chaos army 3 months later. This type of thing happens to me quite a lot and can be a massive blow to any new army I want to collect.

My Dead Pile

However, after a very one sided game between me and my ever so delightful brother (Space Wolves are his friend) I realised something. Who the hell is anyone to tell me how to play MY damn hobby! I have, quite frankly, had it with tournament players and their "ooooh I don't think you should do that..." attitude. My brother has taught me a vital lesson this year, which is I just don't want to be "that guy". He is a very competent 40k player but his love for his hobby is very different from mine and thats fine. His point was this "I don't like painting but I like to win and at the end of the day I don't care if my army is painted or not". Now, at first I thought my brother was just being a win at all cost kinda guy but actually he has a point. Its his game as much as mine and if he wants to build an army that kicks out enough firpower the British armed forces blush then fair play.

His Dead Pile (the 3 Marines on their own Killed themselves)



My point is I want the same entitlement in reverse.



This is my 40K!!!!!

I want to take certain lists because they're in the background. I want to use models because they look good and I have spent vast numbers of hours painting them. I want to buy a model without being put off by someone elses perspective of the game bluring my own. So, I have decided I am going to go back to how I used to collect when I was a teenager. My Blood Angels are staying with me but I am going to paint the entire 3rd company. If i decide to go to a tournament I'll take a list from what I have and not go out and specifically buy units that will "compliment" each other on the table. I am also looking at going to more themed events (Campaign weekends and Apocolypse games). Hopefully with this in mind I will keep my love of 40K fresh and hopefully not end up (like a lot of people I know) falling out of love with 6th. My wish for 2013 is that people begin to understand that not everyone plays the game like them and thats okay.



You might have a different oppinion or might agree. Am I talking nonsense or the truth? Should we tell people how to play their game? Whats your take? Leave a comment below.

Always Brush After Painting.



"The enemy will never see us coming. Now where
should I put this flag!"



Wow being stuck in the warp you never know when (or where) you might materialise. Welcome back to another heart stopping post coming straight to you from the very depths of the void. This week I talk a bit about weathering techniques, namely toothpaste. I was talking to some friends of mine about their favourite ways of creating chipped and weathered paint on armoured vehicles. They mention using salt, hairspray and other weird and wonderful methods. Now, listening to these methods I thought I'd pipe in and give my own technique that I found whilst scrolling through forbidden tomes and manuscripts. It involves using that very well known modelling supply...toothpaste. After much ridicule, pointing and taking of the mike I was given time to explain. So I thought I'd explain to you...

It began on a wintry day in 1943 Soviet Russia. The cold winter was creeping over the vast barren wasteland. Realising that green tanks tend to stick out in the snow like the time Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker took part in the bring your son to work day (sorry no clip). To overcome this both the German's and Russian's used white wash to paint their tanks to match the bleak winter season. As this was in short supply it was often thinned down hence the reason why the tanks quickly became mottled with green. I wanted to achieve this look for a possible future winter themed army in flames or 40k. So I got to work.

P.S. these are not my pictures as my ones got lost.

Firstly, take your tank model and give it a undercoat in whatever colour you wish the armour to be. I used  an old rhino model but I discovered this works on any tank especially Flames of War models. I found a good dark green or grey works best for this technique.

Next when the basecoat is dry you can apply the toothpaste. The toothpaste acts as a liquid mask. I have found that using a stippling brush or in fact a tooth brush is good for adding the paste for a more natural chipping effect.

After the paste has been applied spray the model with a white spray. You can airbrush for greater detail but as this is for those of us who can't fork out 80-100 pounds on equipment, I'll leave it up to you to make decisions on how much detail you go to. Once the paint is thoroughly dry (if your not patient there will be a very sticky, minty, mess) wash the model with water. Not only will the toothpaste wash off so will any spray that has stuck to the paste. This will reveal the undercoat and give you an interesting effect. Try it and see what you think.

Well with another post over I am back to hard core painting of Blood Angels. I have less than 6 weeks to go and have changed my list for the 7th time. I only have 5 terminators and 5 very nearly finished devastators to go (more on those next week). Right, back to the warp I go. At least this time I'll face the perils of the warp with minty fresh breath. Toodles.

Where have you been?

Good day readers I have emerged from the darkest depths of the materium to bring you at last another article for your enjoyment. I have been unable to post for some time due to work commitments and other more personal events in my life but I'm back.

So here's a run down of what you have missed over the last few months:

Mephiston hates plasma guns!

1. My dabbling with 6th edition 40K army lists ended in disaster after some appalling luck, draws and generalship on my part. I finished very low down in the Octoberfest leader board and with my Blood Angel's wings clipped repeatedly by Space Wolves I have decided to give competitive 40K playing a rest. This is not to say my Angels won't see the light of day, it just means I am going to look at other ways of playing my favourite wargame

Nom, Nom, Nom! Mephiston loves power armour.

2. 30K for the win. Having just had my 26th birthday I received a very eagerly awaited prezzie from my ever so understanding partner. Betrayal, the Forge World Horus Heresy Book is quite frankly a masterpiece of fiction and table top rules. It covers the events leading up to Istavaan 3 and lots of interesting information about the legions before the met their beloved Primarchs. My personal favourites are the Primarch rules and the additional legion rules. I can't wait for the next book!

3. Dropzone Commander. I have just recently started a new game called dropzone commander. This game is a 10mm wargame based in the year 2670. Humanity has been scattered by a parasitic race called the Scourge and must stand against them and other alien threats such as the mysterious Shaltari and the augmented Post Human Republic. What drew me to this game is the sublimely sculpted models. They are a wonder to paint and the game is relatively easy to learn. I have chosen the Scourge and have begun painting in earnest. I have played 2 games and I am picking up the rules quickly. The game has drawn alot of support from fans and I have even managed to download a free army builder built by a very enthusiastic supporter of the game. More on this game soon.

I hope to be back soon with more tips, treats, reviews and other stuff. In the mean time keep painting!!!

Welcome to the (Allies) Matrix

Remnants of SMS. Poor Dark Eldar
have never seen the light of day.

Welcome back to the bridge of the Folly of War. Its been a long time posting as I have been very busy with generally getting on with my life. Anyway thought it was about time for an update on how my Blood Angels are getting on and to talk about the new Allies rule. The problem I have is a very well known one in the wargaming world, "shiney model syndrome". SMS is a massive problem for me as a tournement gamer and one of the main reasons I started this blog. What it means is that I can never finish an army due to the attention span of a knat. As soon as I see a kit I want to build or paint, I drop all and go and start working on that. Why is that a problem I hear you cry! Well, let me explain. I start off very well when it comes to painting a new army. I end up getting the troops, HQ and maybe a couple of other choices done and then... it all goes wrong. I get twitches. I start thumbing through other codexes. Aggertation sets in as I scroll through countless different models on the Internet. Then it happens I start painting a new squad for a different army. Tragedy!!! time passes in an instant and before I know it another Mayhem passes by. "Looks like I'll have to use my Templars again", I declaire to the rest of my friends trying to brush aside moans of "When, are you going to get a new army!

Hopefully no one will stoop this low with their alliances...

SMS has begun... but this time I was ready for it. The best thing about 6th edition for me is the Allies Matrix. For those of you who thing I am talking about the 4th Matrix film let me explain. The Allies Matrix allows you to play with to different armies in one game, depending how well the two forces get along. For me this is the answer to all my problems. My Blood Angels have reached the dizzy heights of about 1500 points and is lacking one squad of terminators. Usually, this is about the time I get board and wonder off but now my wondering has paid off. I have decided to ally a small contigent of Eldar (space elves). The story behind this fragile alliance is that the Eldar are keeping a close eye on Mephiston as they believe he could be key player in the future of the Eldar's existance. I love the idea of an outnumbered Blood Angel force fighting off countless hoardes to be mysteriously saved by an unknown Eldar force hiding in the shadows. The potential for allies is massive and I have been thinking of doing a combined themed force for ages. There are so many different stories of it happening in the background, such as humans allying with orks, Tau with tricked into fighting Dark Eldar and Marines fighting with Guard.

Now I am still under the clock. There is not long till Octoberfest and I have these units to paint:

5 Terminators

5 Pathfinders

5 Dark Reapers

1 Farseer.

 

In addition to this I have been painting 10 Dire Avengers and finishing Brother Corbulo. The army is shaping up and I really hope that I can get these finished and ready for Octoberfest but time is ticking. I really don't want to have to use my templars again. However, this all depends on the points limit of Octoberfest. If it is 1750 I will be fine but 2000 will be a stretch. I hope to post more regularly as I am off holiday next week and back to the everyday trudgery of life. See ya.