Blitz Bowl: Nordoff Rangers

After hearing such great things about Blitz Bowl I had to go out and get it. I'm always on the look out for more tabletop 2 player games and this sounded like an interesting way of including the Mrs. into my Warhammer hobby.

I decided to paint the human team in the scheme of my hometown Highschool football team, the Nordoff Rangers. I think the name lends itself well to the Warhammer universe and I like the colors.

The models were painted in blue and yellow with Vallejo acrylics. I used the included decals for the player numbers and dry rub transfers for the 'N'. Woodland senics makes a wide range of dry transfers. These are applied simply by rubbing the transfer on to the model with a burnishing tool or the back end of a paintbrush handle. Click on the picture to the right to see an example you can purchase on Amazon.




I wanted to display the team so I cut base sized holes in PVC foam board the same thickness as the GW bases. The base itself is a wood plaque from Micheal's hobby store. I would like to add a name plate to the base. I plan on getting a 3D printer and will probably make that one of my first projects with the printer.

I haven't decided what color scheme I like for my Ork team yet. It's sitting on my desktop waiting for inspiration to strike.

Star Wars: AT-M6

Every so often I step outside the wargaming box to build something different. Recently picked up the Bandai AT-M6 model kit. This is a roughly 1/550th scale kit. It goes together in a snap. No glue required, although I did glue it together. This kit retails for between $6-10 USD. I got it at Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon. 

I assembled the model over a couple of hours one evening and completed the base paint and weathering in a single day.

I painted the model with Vallejo acrylics, accented the panel lines with Tamiya Pannel Liner,  and weathered it with AK oil brushers.

The base is a 4x4 plaque from Michaels. Details were sculpted with Tamiya white putty. The entire base was then painted red, Vallejo crackle medium was painted over that and then a tan color was airbrushed over the crackle medium while it was still wet. Using this technique allows for the base color to show once the medium cracks.

Additional rust red powder was brushed on over the tracks and set in place with mineral spirits.

Overall this was a fun little kit to put together.

Dark Imperium: Plague Marines

When it first came out I immediately picked up the Dark Imperium box set. I have not however played a game since then and until just now, hadn't painted or assembled any of the models in it.

Due to the recent pandemic I found myself, as so many others have, trapped in the house looking for ways to pass the time. I thought it only fitting that I bust out the Plague Marines and give 'em a go.

I began by pre-shading all the models with primer. They were coated with black then grey was sprayed at a 45 degree angle, followed by a top down spray of white primer. I then base coated them all in Army Painter necrotic flesh sprayed down at a 45 degree angle.

Each was painted in a combination of Army Painter and Vallejo acrylics. I also practiced making glazes this time using Vallejo Glaze Medium. This was especially helpful in achieving smooth transitions in tones.

The blood spatter was applied by pulling my thumb across a toothbrush dipped in a blood wash I made with various red acrylics and Pledge Floor Care. A single bottle of this will last you a lifetime and it can be used to make washes, as a gloss sealer prior to applying oil washes or decals, or as a gloss varnish.

I also used several Citadel products including Typhus Corrosion, Nurgle Rot, Nihlakh Oxide, and Nulin Oil. Gloss varnish was applied to the gooey bits.

I have dabbled in Object Source Lighting (OSL) in the past but I'm quite happy with what I achieved this time. I applied the technique to each of the plasma weapons as well as some of the lenses and visors.

The texture of the base was achived using Liquitex Resin Sand. The product is similar to Citadel Astrogranite but comes in large 8oz tubs for around $14. It is an acrylic paint infused with sand. It takes color very well. Simply add your acrylic paint color of choice, mix, and apply to your base.