Lead and Paint

Inspired by the rekindling of the Void community online, and this post I wrote for the Viridian Wars blog, I finally got round to painting one of my favourite models from the Void range (I have a few). The Kev White Archangels are sush simple yet elegant sculpts. The minis were so successful that they were used in Urban War for a while too, before being replaced by (to my mind) inferior scuplts. For a great many years I did not paint them, as I didn't have the skill I to paint the wings in the way I knew I wanted to.


I finally bit the bullet, and painted one. My inspirational bird of reference was the Kingfisher.

There is a renaissance in old school gaming right now. With Oldhammer sites springing up all over the place. Frostgrave (and other Osprey games) inspiring gamers to get our their old lead, dust it off and put it on the table.

There is also a resurgence in old games taking on a new skin.

This post is where these two trends meet.

I am a writer for the Viridian Wars blog, which up till recently has been a once a year kind of thing, but I have been inspired to write few posts recently. Much of this inspiration has been due to me finding new uses for old minis that I love, which include a lot of the old Void range. I have ot, however, been getting in more games of Void 1.1. Nor have I found players in this city with which to do so. What I have been looking to play, however, is Rogue Stars, one of the afore mentioned Osprey games, and SLA CS1 a game from the second group which takes a much loved (cult?) RPG from the 90s, and remakes it as a modern skirmish game.

The melding of these forces has led to this.


This is me playing around with the filters on powerpoint to make a mash up of a recently painted figure from the Void VASA range of Militia, and pasting him on top of the original front cover of the SLA RPG. Of course, there are those amongst you who didn't need me to explain that, but for the younger readers, indulge me.

Here of course is the original artwork, and paint scheme inspiration for the figure, along with some better pics of the figure himself.



Of course, he is still to be based. but the painting is complete. I rather like the way the shading on the coat is based on the artwork, rather than the lighting as I would normally do.

May was an okay month for painting,  ut a crap month for getting the posts out with what I've been doing. I think I may be stretched a little with the number of blogs I'm trying to cover on top of all the usual life stuff that insists on getting in the way of painting and blogging. May was also the second instalment of the WM/H league at my FLGS. I managed to play two games in total and painted up two minis for that. That aside, I have been distracted some very old minis I dug out for Void.

In part because of the Viridian Wars blog, and in part just because they are beautiful, and yet simple figures, these are what have been taking up my painting time.My post on Kali on that blog can be read here. It goes into different details that just the painting, so go check it out.



I am very happy with the way she has turned out, especially the two brush blending on the purple, and the way her hair is in the same colours, but clearly separate. I was uninspired by the base she is on, so I have prepped another, and will try to re-base her shortly.

Earlier this month, I had a second trip back to the UK in almost as many months, this time for a happier occasion (more weddings, less funerals, but you'll have to look elsewhere for the pics of all the kilts).

I will however use this picture from my visit. It will of course be clear to you all why this Glaswegian relic of a former age has geek cred.

This time, a much shorter time spent in my parents attic, but with more space in my suitcase. Fortunately I had put things in order on the previous visit, so only had to pick up a couple of boxes and stash them. I also found out that there's a new games cafe opened in Edinburgh, right next door to the flat I sold there not a year ago! Why couldn't that have been there at the same time as me? Anyway, on with the haul.

Napoleonic British Peninsular war Officers. There's always room for more Napoleonics. I'm sure these can be used to back up various of the rank and file figures I already have, be they riflemen or highlanders. Planned for use in Drums and Shakoes or Sharp Practice.

Highlander Missile Troops (bow and musket). From Warlord, these are kind of multi use,

I also bought and had posted to my parents house, some Prussians from the war of 1866, when North Star were selling off their old stock to make way for new sculpts I think. I'm sure I can put them to good use in something Victoriana, for example, as troops for IHMN. The Jaegers from this batch are already prepped and primed and in the process of being painted, so more on them soon.

A visit to WH Smith's meant I picked up the trio of magazines (Wargames Illustrated, WSS and Miniature Wargames). The first two I can get here, eventually, but the third is not an option. I was less impressed with Minature Wargames this issue (I have only read two issues), as it held less of direct interest to me.

To round out the wargaming related purchases, I picked up another book on Churchill at a discount book store (there's not enough of those over here), this time more on his political career than his military career, but it fit with my other current reading. Be on the lookout for a review of Young Titan soon.

My my, the summer just got a whole lot busier with all this stuff to work through!

I have just returned from a quick trip back to the UK. Due to the circumstances of my visit, I spent the whole week at my parents house, rather than touring around visiting everyone. This allowed me to spend some time on their loft, looking out and going through my old stuff. Much of which I brought back with me.

I am now in re-possession of the following minis:

GW

House Escher for Necromunda
Wood elves and Sea Elves for WFB.
A couple of Humans that could be either Empire or Bretonnian
Regiment of Renown: Avenging Knights of the Cleansing Flame (Nominally a human unit, but works as High Elf, or even Melnibonean, and seriously, what a name!)

Void

VASA troops for Void (any version)
Also a couple of Syntha, Junkers and Viridian troops in there too (but not enough for a big force)

Urban War (or any of its current incarnations)

Triads
Koralon
Viridians

Whilst I was out there, I also picked up Heroes Villains and Monsters for IHMN, and the Minis set for the Society of Thule, which of course I could order here online, but the Pound is strong against the Canadian dollar so it made sense to buy in pounds rather than in Dollars, and I didn't have to pay shipping.

I left behind a bunch of WFB minis, including High Elves and Empire a dragon and other monsters and a Bloodbowl team, as well as the larger robots and vehicles I have for Void and all my Flintloque/Alternative Armies stock. These can be picked up at a later date, or posted out.

So, all in that's me equipped (or in some cases better equipped) to play 5 new (or old) games that I didn't have the minis for before. I call that a win.

I also brought back my old GW case, which is great for skirmish games, and much easier to take back and forward to the club with my minis of choice in, rather than my larger Army Transport case (Which is great for larger minis, so will still see great use for Warmachine and Hordes). Here are a couple of pics of what it was full of.