In my second purchase for August, I picked up five Ratling Snipers for my Astra Militarum:
They are pictured here with my 2003-era Ratlings who I’m going to give a glow-up.
Five more into the pile.
BATG score: +24
2 Likes
I painted a bunch of stuff!
Firstly, I finished up the Imperial Guardsmen I’ve been working on (well, some of them anyway):
There’s fifteen in the picture but one of them was a reference model, so it’s fourteen off the pile,
Next I decided to rifle through my Contrast paints and slap a bunch of them randomly on the Mancrusher Gargants I built a while back, just to see what would happen:
I’ve got two on the workbench but only finished one today.
Finally, while I was waiting for that to dry I decided to super-chest and painted this Emerald Lifeswarm endless spell for Age of Sigmar:
Slapchop for the win! I’m not sure if it comes across in the photo but it looks real nice.
As per recent posts, I need a new lightbox so the pics are a bit sad for now.
Anyway, sixteen models off the count for today. I can smell zero nearby!
BATG score: +8
4 Likes
Today was stressful but I found/stole some time to myself and finish painting this Mancrusher/Aleguzzler Gargant:
I’ve realised that the two gargants I’ve already painted plus Kragnos would be a 1000 point Sons of Behemat army, which would be neat if I had anyone to play Age of Sigmar with!
I have a few more things on the workbench, but I don’t think I’ll finish any of it by tomorrow. So- didn’t crack net zero this month, but September is in my sights!
One more off the pile.
BATG score: +7
3 Likes
Apparently I’m on a roll because I painted two Executioners from my pile of Nighthaunt.
I pulled them out because I’m striking around to find some quick wins before the end of the month, and they’re a real easy pair to put in the completed column.
The big takeaway from these is that Vallejo Metal Air steel is absolutely fantastic and I can see why the rest of the range is sold out everywhere. I need them all now and am sad I didn’t try them earlier.
Funnily, with these guys done I have only one more Nighthaunt model to paint - but it’s Lady Olynder and she wiggles so much I might have to lean hard on the airbrush to get her done. I foresee pain.
Meanwhile, this dude made his way to my painting table:
I’m still not down to net zero but we’re real close!
BATG score: +5
3 Likes
Look at this big, beautiful centaur!
I painted Kragnos this weekend, giving myself the challenge to paint him black since that’s my fiancée’s favourite type of horse.
I accomplished it with a zenithal prime and layered over a mix of Black Templar with Scale75 Abyssal Blue and lots of Lahmian Medium, drybrushing between each layer to keep the highlights strong.
The metal is Vallejo Metal Colour Steel for airbrush and I am absolutely in love. I corroded it with a diluted Aethermatic Blue wash, some Nihilakh Oxide, and Canoptek Alloy as a finishing touch.
The only layer painting I did on him is on his face, just to give him some definition!
Very happy with this big fella.
Also, I figured out a hack to get the lightbox working, so enjoy the decent pics for a change!
BATG score: +4
6 Likes
Yesterday my partner left the country on a work trip so to comfort myself I bought a Chaos Rhino and some Magic cards.
BATG score: +5
1 Like
Thanks @anon65047651 !
I really love how they turned out, for how little effort I put in.
All I did was prime them black, spray white from above, wash black, lightly drybrush white and then throw on contrast paints.
The most complicated thing I did was dilute the flesh colour around their bellies because the paint was showing brush marks!
They really make me want to get a Mega-Gargant and paint it the same way, but I’m trying to save for a wedding so it’s just going on the wish list for now.
1 Like
Good news everyone - I’ve hit net zero!
The weather this week has been fantastic, so I’ve been sneaking in some priming whenever I can - six Leman Russ, five Crossbowmen and five Ratling snipers have gotten a layer of primer!
I also figured, while I had the ratlings out (the ones I bought this year) I should update my old unit as well. They are in my grey & red scheme from the early 2000s, but like my Cadians, they were never really polished up. Here’s what they looked like when I started:
Not much to write home about and very much unfinished, with no basing, messy metals and a lot of spots needing a good tidy.
Here’s what they look like after an evening’s love and attention:
Much better!
I filled in the base slots with greenstuff, stuck on a layer of sand and after that, Most of the work was just tidying up, putting on a second thin coat over most of the colours, and a bath in Agrax Earthshade. Now they match the style of my refurbished Cadian army.
I’ve started the second unit, and decided that I’ll paint them with a different approach that leans more into drybrush/contrast and see if I can get them done with a bit less work. Also, green hats. That way, if I decide to run both then I’ll be able to tell them apart!
Here’s the WIP shot:
Until then, I’ve managed to knock five more off the pile, bringing my bought & painted piles into equilibrium. Hooray!
I have a big bunch of stuff in the immediate queue, I have good priming weather to start getting ahead of it, and I’m not really feeling the pull of any new projects that would need me to add more to the pile (yet). We’ve got a window to get us a big lead before my eye wanders and I feel the pull of the new. I’d better take advantage while I can!
BATG score: 0
3 Likes
And the other five Ratlings are done!
I tried the lightbox trick again (I’m just using it as a background, really - the lighting is from some other sources now) and it came through really washed-out. Makes me sad.
But, five more off the pile, taking me into the negatives properly!
BATG score: -5
2 Likes
Continuing the streak, I’ve completed a unit of retro-style Imperial Guard:
I think I’ve finally worked out a scheme for Imperial Guardsmen that’s quick and easy to paint - sometimes old tricks are the best tricks!
Despite the OG guardsmen having bare steel lasguns and helmets, I’ve gone with no metals for now, partly as a time-saving measure and partly because the black helmets look great against the Averland Sunset I’ve used for the unit markings.
I figure I can come back and pick out metal details on sergeants or something if I think they need it. Old school officer models originally had gold details and things, so I might need to go back and do some other metals so they don’t look too out of place.
Anyway, ten off the pile!
BATG score: -15
3 Likes
I really appreciate the kind words, @anon65047651 - I do all of this for the positive reinforcement so it’s great to get some! 
Because I had so much fun painting the last lot, I got some more new Cadians:
I don’t have an IG addiction, I swear!
10 on the pile.
BATG score: -6
3 Likes
TANK TANK TANK
TANK TANK TANK
TANK TANK TANK
I’ve been working on these three Leman Russ Executioners for something like a month! I’m very happy to call them done and get them off the table.
Technique wise: painting the plasma glow was a nightmare and I’m not happy with it on any of them; I tried Vallejo’s VMC Oily Steel on the tracks, which I’m not sure I like and will probably stick with their Air metals going forward; starting these from a brown basecoat made a huge difference to the final colour and I’ll be doing it again.
That is all.
Yay! TANK TANK TANK
BATG score: -9
4 Likes
Easily one of the most fun to follow BATGs of 2023! lots of buying, lots of painting. as it should be. congrats on clawing back to the negatives.
4 Likes
Thanks Reaver! I try to entertain - many years ago I found an amazing High Elves blog that was a barrel of laughs, and aim to keep this thread similarly fun.
Speaking of fun, I’ve painted some more Rogue Trader inspired Imperial Guard:
I can’t believe it’s taken me twenty-plus years to find a guard scheme that I really like and that doesn’t take ages to paint!
These guys are just a blast, a completely different experience from the Mordians when I was painting them. The unit markings (the shoulders, knee and helmet stripe) are about the only actually complicated work, so for about half of the time I’m painting it feels like I’m just putting finishing touches on!
No lightbox pic because the unit isn’t done yet - I’ll get the photo box set up once all ten are finished.
Five off the pile.
BATG score: -14
1 Like
Today, a distraction! I’ve been watching a few “pile of shame” videos on YouTube for inspiration, and a few of them suggested throwing a few non-project models in to mix things up.
Well, here’s a good old Skarsnik and Gobbla:
I really love the Brian Nelson goblins. I’ve got a Night Goblin Shaman from this era undercoated and ready to go, but I’ve been gunshy about painting it for ages because it’s one of my favourite models. Not these guys though!
I used Vince Venturella’s green shade + red contrast method for The Big Squig, and no special tech for the cunning boss.
After doing that, I had a bunch of metal paint still on my palette (thanks Vallejo!) so I slapped some paint on on of my Black Orcs:
Despite not being a Dwarf at all, he’s technically the first model I’ve painted for my Chaos Dwarfs in at least a year. Lol and/or oops. It didn’t take too long so now that I’ve got the colour scheme sorted the other four should follow swiftly.
2 off the pile.
BATG Score: -16
4 Likes
I’m on a bit of a roll, and had a bolt of inspiration to just smash out this Lord of Plagues:
Nothing special going on here, just a heap of contrast paints.
1 off the pile!
BATG Score: -17
4 Likes
The roll continues apace!
Or apiece, whatever.
I’ve had a good run of weather, so done some priming:
There’s a few Chaos Dwarf things in there, for those inclined to look closely.
And I got inspired to update and expand my old Ogryn conversions I originally did in about 2004. I had thought to leave them in their original glory but I realised I had four spare bodies from my attempt at collecting Ogor Mawtribes last year, and I don’t think I’m physically capable of painting the last four to look like the first six.
I thought I had a full “before” picture of them, but alas it doesn’t appear to be the case. Here, instead, is the “I’ve assembled the new Ogryns and removed some terrible modelling and I haven’t put the greenstuff on yet” picture:
The grey-headed models are where I’ve popped off the old field caps. They were an excellent concept but they were LUMPY.
And heeeere is the fully-modelled unit of 10:
Which is all a long way of saying I (re-)painted an Ogryn:
So, one off the pile.
BATG Score: -18
3 Likes
Oh man, Skarsnik and Gobbla… looking great. I’ve got him sitting in a box somewhere here and was just thinking last week about putting him and some other greenskins on the to-do list for 2024 here.
2 Likes
He’s a pretty awesome model, and easy to paint. I’m a big fan of Brian Nelson’s orcs and goblins, so very happy to have a few of them in my collection.
And it’s time for an update, too!
I’ve finished the next five of the Imperial Guard that we’re on my desk:
And the full ten models went into the photo booth:
There’s more of them coming in the post, and today I also received a command squad on sprue:
Since this force is intended for Horus Heresy, I mainly grabbed this for the bits and bobs to supplement the larger guardsmen units and add some flavour.
Still, that’s five on the pile and five off the pile so a net difference of zero for today!
BATG Score: -18
2 Likes