Med Tour 2015

New year, new Med Tour and... new minis wallet !

And, as every year, there's no free space in it for some spare minis.

The 2015 army is special : I have only one vehicule. And it's a Super Heavy one.

All my other minis are... walking. And no, there's no dreadnought.

I'm coming with 10 scouts and no less than 42 terminators.

After the friday welcome back cele- bration, and a very short night, back to war !

Apocalypse tables are huge. I mean, this one is a 168 by 72 feet table !

And everything was painted. #joy

All we had to do was preparing our armies, grab dices and templates and let's roll !

Here's a little story about the templates.

First, they where white.

Then, they became flashy green with the all new shiny Apocalypse game.

And... BAM ! here comes Apocalypse Mk VI flavor.

And you have to change all your templates for a loosy blue color.

These templates were a pain in the *ss... They were floppy, you had to mount and dismount them and they were... crap.

Then comes the 40kv7.

And you can throw away your crappy blue templates and cry after your good old green templates you throw away...

Or buy the all new white templates.

Wait ! Did I say white ? Oh, Games Workshop, you go back to basics.

What about the game ?

It was a 9k points game, with a Mecanicum / Deathwing / Space Wolves vs Astra Militarium (2 times) / Word Bearers.

There where seven knights, a Hellhammer, a Shaqowsword and an Armorcast Warhound.. Which means a lot of Super Heavies and small place for the other people.

I was a ggod game, which we won. The v7 Deathwing's different. I have to adjust my way to play it but the good point is the "run and fire" when you deep strike.

So sweet.

[next post : the second day]

Med Tour 2014

Every Med Tour starts with a fully loaded minis case. And what better case than the Apocalypse limited edition ?

I had a shock when I arrived at Perpignan. I had a 17°C when I leaved Savenay, and a 37°C, 10 hours later at Perpignan.

First players arrived friday, we took time to eat and discuss before playin'

First Day...

Med Tour is a two day meeting where we come to play at Warhammer 40,000 the Apocalypse way. And when you say Apocalyspe, you mean... Lords Of War !

Haridan's in town, and it's hungry !

Nothing can replace a Harridan's "Good morning !" smile when you arrive on your first day table. This very well painted organic flyer comes from an army named "My little Forest Animals". So cute...

The All new painted mini malediction strikes again ! Every unit of my 3k DA army, fresly painted, doesn't stay more than two rounds on the table !

Even the Land Raider, painted a long time ago, didn't escape this malediction !

The game was one of a kind: Nids everywhere, Terminators falling from the sky, and Chaos Gods laughing hard. Our Astartes and Mecanicum alliance couldn't resist the Great Devorer and Chaos Space Marines alliance.

To win or to loose, what's the matter ? We played, had a good time and took great pictures. An apocalypse game is made to see great armies have great battles on great tables.

The Med Tour is also having a BBQ with friends, to take time to discuss about our Holly Hobby and everything that happened during last year.

Second Day...

A croissant, a coffee and 'ere we go !.

This time, it's desparate times : we decided to have a mirror alliance on both sides. An astartes, a Nurgle Marine, a Khorne Marine and a Necron players will fight.

I decided to keep only one terminator squad in reserves and place all the other squads on the table.

Apocalypse isn't only a big fight. It's a wonderful huge fight with huge armies, huge Lords of War and themed armies. 

You'll see a 7 Nurgle Chaos terminators squad and a Khorne demon possessed dreadnought fall from the sky... Right in the back of your previously decimated terminator squad !

An Apocalypse game allows players to create crazy armies. Like a Nurgle army based on the sacred number 7, or an all Forge World Mecanicum army.

All you need is time and motivation.

Preparing an apocalypse army (WiP 4)

I have my 2410 points of Dark Angels ready to fight !

Dark Angels Apocalypse army WiP

Just need to add 590 pts with a Hellhammer and I'll be ready for the Med Tour.

Planification works. And rocks.

Deathwing command squad

Last squad for my 3k Dark Angels apocaypse army: Belial's command squad.

Belial and its command squad.

This squad is the final step in a long time project, started in semtember 2013. All the bitz I needed to create this squad took me years to get.

Bases come from Dragon Forge Miniatures, shoulders pads from Scibor Miniatures and all the minis are based on the Deathwing knights squad box.

Belial's equipped with Canis Wolfborn's lightning claws and a Chaos Space Marines Terminator Lord cape. Its base was realised with a Gales Workshop Cities of death floor and a lion head I founded at Scibor Miniatures.

Deathwing command squad - WiP 4

Last but not least, Belial's my 36th terminator...

My terminator time will soon be finished, and these are good news.

Belial's bodyguards, a.k.a. the Lion's wings.

I gave them a symetry in their shoulders pads : they keep the angel on Belial's side and offer their ennemies the lion's anger.

First try with lights and shadows.

Not satisfied with the result.

Deathwing command squad - WiP 3

Only three terminators before the cherry on the cake, a.k.a. Hellhammer. Sooooo Good !

Deathwing squad command - WiP 2

Banner, Medic and Champion ? Check.
Belial and it's guards ? To be done.

I'm only three terminators to the cherry on the cake, aka Hellhammer. [insert happy smile]

Deathwing squad command - WiP 1

Back to terminators...

I'm not finished yet wih terminators ! I need to have the last terminators sqaud painted. And this one is Belial's Command Squad. It will be an all shiny full options squad.

On the left, Belial and its two bodyguards. Belial is equipped with lightning claws "voluntary" offered by a Space Wolf. His cape was took on the fresh slain body of a terminator chaos Lord.  His bodyguards will have a small cape, and their shoulders pads are specials.

On the right, we have the banner, Chapter Champion and the apothicary. Special shoulders pad are used too, to show this squad is different. 

Preparing an apocalypse army (WiP 3)

The army's going on pretty well. Three  terminators each couting ten models are ready to fight. The all new Venerable dreadnought's done and battle damaged.

I need to paint Belial and it's command squad to complete the army.

Then it's cherry on the cake time with the Hellhammer.

Preparing an apocalypse army (WiP 2)

Time to check the Dark Angel Apocalypse ary project.

It started in september, with this :

Many empty bases, ans a Heavy tank to paint.

Cherry on the cake, all painted minis, except the LRC, need a refresh !

February, here I am...

A new dreadnought and a new Belial added to the "to do (army) list".

But I already painted half the army.

So, to anybody who wants to start such a project : don't give up. Never. 

Angel's Wrath squad

Finished!  I managed to find the force to finish this third terminators squad. Since April 2013, I painted nothing else but termis. Time to have a break, isn't it ?

Ready to fight !

The squad counts 5 Thunder Hammers, three "tactical" terminators and two Heavy Plasma carriers. Each squad member carries a shield. A Storm Shield  for those equipped with a Thunder Hammer, a shoulder shield for the others.

Preparing an apocalypse army (WiP)

Let's make an assessment of my Apocalypse Dark Angels army project.

I had the idea to assemble this army while I came back from the Med Tour 2013. After such a 40k Apocalyspe orgy, the motivation is high and it my head's full of army projects. Reality comes soon enough to breack your dreams... And you'll feel like  jackass one year after, because you don't have new minis to show at your buddies.

This is why after two Med Tour editions, I decided it was time for me to come back with an all new army, created for this event. The success of such a project requires a preparation without fault. Although time appears very broad, Murphy's law will be able to add you his batch of unforeseen. This is why you have to be realistic and establish a planning with your mind, and not your heart.

As you can see above, the army is almost half done. Two of  three squads are finished and the third one is quite advanced. Planning's good, but I had some bad surprises. Like November when I did not paint. At all.

Preparing all the minis took a month, Hellhammer not included. It was already prepared.

Even if some terminators were already painted, count one month by squad. I'm taking again all the minis to standardize the colors.
The Dreadnought will take one complete month. The banner is not ready yet and that will add to the painting time.
The Hellhammer will take two good months. It's a big vehicule and I want to take my time.

I everything goes, I'll be done with the armie's painting in June.

Xenos slayers squad

Finally ! I'm done with the second terminator squad, for my 3k Dark Angels army.

Xenos, come get some...

I'm proud of this squad. Clearly, they are made for the close combat. Five lightning claws terminators, two heavy flammers and three baseic termis.

The sergeant is equipped with lightning claws issued from the terminator Chaos HQ. And the ork head on its base is here to remind us how they got their name. Five terminators from this squad killed more than 40 orks during a game.

Xenos slayers squad - WiP 3

This week-end was familly only. I conld'n paint, but my moto is "Familly first, Hobby second". My son and daughter are only 10 and 10, and I know they'll go away son enough...

Xenos Slayers squad WiP

Unfortunatly, I couldn't finish the sergeant...

Xenos slayers squad - WiP 2

Slowly, I climb my way to the finish line. Painting a 3k army is a long time job, but it's worth the time and work !

Xenos Slayer squad. There's only one terminator to finish, and I'll have the sergeant in my hands !

Doom Angels : the tutorial

Oftlenly, readers and players ask me to explain how I painted my Doom Angels. This tutorial will show the colors used to create the Doom Angels chapter, and the order they're applied.

Step #1

After applying a black undercoat, I paint the armor parts with Orkhide Shade, and highlights the armor's edges with Nurgling Green. Unfortunately, the Orkhide Shade doesn't exist anymore. But it seems that the new Caliban Green can replace it.

I don't add shades, Orkhide Shade is dark enough already.

Step #2

The second step's here to illuminate the mini by applying a warm color and forcing the highlights. To begin, I applied Mephiston Red on all weapons, lenses and purity seals. This Base issued from the new paint range is a good product, it allows you to have a red color without too much effort.

Then I'll enhance the light and shadows, using different reds shades. Upside surfaces are painted in a bright red like Blood Red. Downside surfaces are painted in a dark red, like Red Gore. Use real light and shadow to decide if you apply a bright, a dark, or no shade at all.
In order to make them stand out, all the edges are painted in Blood Red. The edges of the surfaces painted in Blood Red are painted in Fiery Orange, always in the idea of enhancing red parts' brightness.

I'm aware that the colors used here are from the old colors range. But the new colors range have the advantage of being more covering and brighter than the old one. Replace the triptych Red Gore, Blood Red and Fiery Orange by the following paints  from the Layers range : Wazzdakka Red, Wild Rider Red and Troll Slayer Orange.


Step #3

Now the basic colors are applied, let's pass to the metal. I started painting all the future metallic parts in Adeptus Battlegrey. Covering with a grey base allows you to erase all the small errors made during step # 1 & 2 and slightly reduces the number of metallic layers needed to have a good result.

Then I paint the edges with Mithril Silver, in order to add light on the metal parts.


Step #4

Final round : face painting. No secret, you'll need to try, work, fail and retry. It took me ten years and painting lessons to have something else than an alien hangover make-up.

Cherry on the cake, almost all the colors I'm using here are no longer avaible !


Step #5

Last, but not least, step ! Which will give a bad ass look to your Space Marine. I use diluted Dryad Bark to enhance all the shadows, creating an effect similar to the old lining technic.

The paint, diluted for less than a half, is applied in the hollows and on the metal parts. This breaks the shiny effect, enhances the model's colors contrast and makes it "alive".

PS : sorry for being late. It was my daughter birtday this week end. had two birthday parties in two days. And she's only 8...

Xenos slayers squad - WiP

I'm late to post, and I feel bad at it. Good news are : problems can't stop the painting process !

The Xenos Slayers squad counts five terminators equipped qith lightning claws, three tempest bolters and two heavy flammers.

Titan Killers terminators squad

The first terminator squad for the Med Tour 2014 is ready !

If you take a closer look on the right, you'll see the assault canon owner is based on a Dark vengeance model. 

Deathwing Knights, they're back !

After I had five Deathwing Knights in my Dark Angels army, I finally understood that I needed five more Knights to play this unit in an apocalyspe game.

Repent your seens !

With  a deadline like the Med Tour 2013, I was on a rush to paint five more knights.

Sinners, prepare your souls...

Playing such a squad is a pleasure. But they lack mobility and fire power. Well... This justifies the acquisition a shiny Caestus Ram, isn't it ?

Terminator ready !

As I'm still preparing the Med Tour 2014, I'm proud to tell you I finished my 36 terminators preparation. 

First of all : Belial and it's command squad.

First squad : the Titan Killers

Second squad : the Xenos Slayers

Third squad : the Angel's Wrath

All the painted terminators where at the Med Tour 2013. I added new ones to have three full squads. Next posts, I'll give more details about all the bitz I used.