Per the cabinet shots: Figured someone might enjoy seeing the rest of the shelves as well… My smattering of everything else and Old school Dawi… Lots of D&D models too over the years.
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Update on the Sneaky Gits: close to sorted 10 - a bit more on the eyes and face still on 2. Here’s a “sneak” peak…
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Very cool stuff! 
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The Bolt Thrower:
Well, now that the contest is decided, I figured I needed to share more pics and then some thoughts. Everyone is more than welcome to critique this as well, I’m not sure how I feel about the piece. Part of me really likes it, another part of me feels like I could do much more with the lighting etc, particularly away from the coals. My painting too was ok in spots, other places, looking back, it needs help. Modelling wise, I had that feel of wrought battlefield, but the snow theme maybe was too desaturated and took that away. You make decisions though and go with them, and that’s just the lumps. Overall, I’d rate me a good first effort but could use improvement.
Anyway, here are shots of what I did. I took a ton of them, and a good many of them seemed washed out. That’s my fault, but I recognize how badly I suck at photography… (We’re working on it, but it’s a process)
Enjoy folks…
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Iron Daemon (aka The Blue Chorf Choo Choo) report:
I don’t have pics for this yet, but I am continuing to work on this, step by step. Those steps are pretty small too, I originally thought I’d do this scratch built piece in time for the competition. I realized pretty soon after though, this is a long term project to at least get where I want to go with this.
One of my bigger hangups on this piece is how I’m going to show off the engine assembly. I’m totally inspired by the idea but I don’t want to steal any thunder from other original pieces here. I’ve kinda decided on one section having found some really cool mesh used in boat building. I’m kinda envisioning a window of sorts…
Thoughts? Feedback? I know you don’t have visuals… I’ll share again when the Apoxy dries of this first blocking in of things. BTW - big shout outs to @Denalian and @Brawniac. Both of you have inspiring work and it has helped me on this so far a bunch.
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I really liked this piece! Love how it uses so many different model to really tell a story.
What maybe struck me as odd was how there is so much snow on the base but none on the war machine, maybe that made them feel a bit disconnected? Just a theory though.
Still, great effort and worth Artisans Contest entry!
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Part Two: Hans Von Dinkeldammen
I reported with haste to the only person I knew with any real influence: Hans Von Dinkeldammen, a local magistrate who was little more than a glorified scribe for whichever office needed him that week. Hans was a sly fellow; he often had three rats in one pocket, and at least two of them stank of something sinister. Still, he might hold enough sway to help me get answers about the bone fragment and, more importantly, the rumor of this lore of dark dwarfs.
Three days later, because nothing ever gets done quickly in a magistrate’s office, I finally pinned Hans down. He was a flustered man, always distracted and unsure of himself, and quite susceptible to suggestion if enough coin was involved. He was particularly off his game when I cornered him at last.
“Hans, I need your assistance,” I proclaimed as soon as I entered his office.
“Wha—what is this about now, you rapscallion? Always needing something or other. What is it this time? Did you find an elven trinket that promises you immense power and riches? Ha! If so, I want half for this interruption!”
I pulled out the fragment and the translation and set them on his desk. “Read it yourself, you overgrown, half–wine‑soaked, greedy snotling! It’s all right here. READ IT.”
Hans took out his monocle and, hearing the urgency in my voice, sat and read the paper, now folded several times so it would fit in the pouch with the fragment. His face paled as he saw the words.
“I… I don’t know what to say, dear boy. I think this needs to be brought to the Light College. That is not an easy task, but I will help you… for a fee, of course. Normally, for putting myself at such risk to make contact with the Light Wizards, I’d need fifty crowns. But I will be generous today, because I recognize the urgency of this… piece. Give me ten crowns and I will arrange it. You will meet them at the College itself. I dare not have them come here sniffing around for taints of foulness. They’d find nothing except a rather sour bottle of brandy I use for… medicinal purposes.”
I had spent quite a sum tracking this down and getting it translated, but fortunately my coffers were not yet bare. I had been saving, in a manner of speaking, by avoiding Fredericka, a local lass who required compensation for her time, of course. She was pleasant enough, but her fees had become a burden, and her services had… lessened in inventiveness, shall we say.
“Fine. I have that on me now. I figured you would require some recompense for your troubles. Thank you for recognizing that this one has merit, Hans. It’s decent of you, and I take back what I said before. You are no snotling.”
With that, I counted out the coin and handed it to him, knowing that now he was obliged to help me sort this out.
Two days later, I received a messenger clad in a white robe. Beside him stood a priest, his regalia marked him as a devotee of Sigmar. The initiate formally presented me with a scroll. It read, in fine script:
You are to travel with haste to the White Tower.
The initiate and the good priest will accompany you forthwith to ensure you come unarmed, alone, and with the evidence you purport to possess.
You have ten minutes to prepare.
Signed, Sigmund Von Volanshaus, on behalf of the Patriarch of the Light Order.
I nodded, grabbed my sack and the artefact, and headed off. I was to meet with the Light Order after all. Hans had not failed me.
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I like my first attempt enough to write a second part. It’s off the cuff, but I figure it might be fun. I blame Chitzkoi for the inspiration to give a go. I really do enjoy his tale. Hope this reads alright.
Well, this week has been productive; lots getting painted, though these dwarfs are taking a bit. I wrapped up a group of 10 Sneaky Gits. I mean to do more, but the grind just sometimes needs a pause, so I started a second unit of Dwarfs… Sharing pics of both. The Gits haven’t been flocked or put on a tray yet because I mean to do more, but like I said, to avoid the grind, I paused at 10. Chorfs still have a good bit of work to do, but with thier beards and faces done, it’s just a matter of highlighting, figuring out metallics (right now I’ve undercoated grey for iron / steel and brown for brass / gold) and details. So, 5 done maybe over the weekend… I decided this unit gets white hair, it just spoke to me. Also decided that all their hats will be purple; maybe I’ll define my units that way for the warriors. I intend to go back and work on the unit I did years ago, to get some sort of consistancy in all the models. We’ll see then what I think…
Worked on some dwarfs (the other kind) as well, trying to fix up old models that were painted poorly long ago. This is a unit of Ironbreakers with a Thane. Not finished yet, so one preview per show… I like the thane so far though…
So, there it is, lots done, lots to do still… Enjoy the sneaky sneak peeks.
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Nice colour scheme on the gits. Batch painting is a pain in the butt
Yeah, I figure if I bounce between units, I’ll get things done eventually and not get bored. Because too I’ve narrowed the painting scheme to a fairly closed palette on these two units, it helps to drive forward too…
So I got the first 5 of the new Chorf warriors finished and decided last night to do something for shields that I didn’t plan, but that I really like as an alternate solution to the round shields 4th Ed. used to come with. Thought i’d share… I took some arms / shields from Chaos warriors and cleaned them up / dremeled off the arms. I initially thought I’d add them to a deck I’m adding to my Chorf Choo Choo, but blue tacked one on the boss and thought with some mods, it’d be quite cool. You have to trim them to fit Chorfs, and you get what I kind of remember looks like 4th Ed. Bretonnian or Empire shields, that have that Chaosy feel… A little stippling later, some edge highlights and not bad. I then got ambitious about that rune for Chorf…
I figure I’d share so @Nicodemus can get started converting that wee unit he has that he just did the write up on. 
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Update on Project Chorf Choo Choo:
I’ve been dabbling on this here and there for a bit now. It’s starting to take some shape, thought I’d share a pic of where this is currently. Lots of stuff needs refining still; I’d call this a very rough draft at best at this time. Leaving the engine section open for now so that I can paint it. Not really sure yet how I intend to finish it off.
I think the crew will be 4 chorfs: 2 blunderbuses on top, a watchman and an engineer in the lower area.
It definitely needs some plasticard blades on the grate, some smoothing and leveling and lots of detail work yet; I intend to do that over time. You get an idea though of the basic form at this point though…
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Coming along nicely!
Little by little my friend. It’s got lots of work to go before I can call it ready to paint, but I haven’t been dedicating tons of time on this. Kinda doing things as they strike me, and figure I’ll clean it up after.
Finished up another 5 in the second unit of Chorf warriors today. I guess these guys will be not just rank and file troops, but will be a bit more decked out with the tower shields and such. I’m not sure I know how that would translate in game; I don’t think there’s any real bonus for better shields - you kinda have them or you don’t in most lists. Nevermind, in my mind at least, these guys are a bit more elite.
There’s lots more still to do on this unit, but I took some shots, mainly because I was happy with the painting and it’s kinda hard not to love these models. Hope these shots work to show off the progress at least.
I owe a bigger explanation of color schemes etc, but I’ll save that for another day.
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Hi peeps. I haven’t posted here in a while, not because I haven’t been painting, but because my next model is for Golden Hat and well, no sneak peeks allowed… 
I did go downstairs today though and get some shots of the Gits I did a while ago, as a not finished, but put in the cabinet for now group to revisit later on, once this project is sorted… I want to do 2 units of Sneaky Gits eventually, 15 each, but it drags on, so I have 10 done and will do more when I catch the winds to grind out more. I think I have plenty of these left - there’s easily 35 Gits or so here…
Anyway, have fun.
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I got an idea as well of what’s left here, that I haven’t touched yet… My Chorf pile is getting smaller; I’ve gotten through several units now and the pile is getting smaller.
What’s left:
-5 bull centars
-15 blunderbus
-Lammasu
-15 Sneaky Gits
-a unit of Hobgoblin wolfriders (I think I have 7 now, might have to find a few more to add to that)
-Another Rocket pack
-1 1/2 Cannons which might get some conversion work
-Chorf Choo Choo Project (Not forgotten, but postponed for now because of other projects)
-10 more warriors (infernal guard - to add to the group I just worked on)
-Slave units (batting around a few ideas and played with a few prints that I’m not in massive love woth)
-Chariots o’ Fire… (3 possible conversions from old models that I have here)
-Goblins and Dwarfs begging for some conversion work when I find time…
There are a few heros left too, which is good. Gives me options. For now, they’re fine where they are. All of these are 4th Ed. Big Hats, so no need to go hunting for other models for a while still, but I’m serious about wanting some of Brawniac’s stuff. I’m still in love with his take on things. I have to shout out too to @Astragothgirlfriend too - his concepts are just bleedin’ brilliant! When I start pulling out greenstuff, I have a few ideas floating around inspired from his work…
So yeah, that’s the State of the Chorf. No mention yet of Black Orcs, or wyverns yet. I’m on the fence; there are lots of possible slaves out there. I know they hit hard in game, but I don’t play - this is just a collection.
I’ve narrowed down as well color schemes for the various clans of Karakh Ddukk, so I eventually want to update models to fit in that scheme. I have all the time in the world though to get to it. Considering this to be a bit of a project still, I’m in no rush. I think in total though, I’m pushing 5k points in total for the whole lot of what’s here. I know that’s not the biggest army collection out there, but I think it’s respectable…
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I’m loving all the progress you made this year Phil!
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I appreciate that Hotstuff. I think it’s a matter of making painting habitual, every day, you have to get paint on a mini, even if you’re not focused on a project. I try to have a few things going at the same time too, most of the time. Right now for ex. I decided I wanted to build a Rat Ogre and give a go at really heavy contrasts for shadows and highlights. It kinda forces me too to paint outside the box a good bit; I don’t really have much experience with Skaven, though I have a proper ton of the models… I just never got into them.
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