Felix, Author at Felix's Gaming Pages

Armiger Warglaives

These nimble Armiger Warglaives were on display at Warhammer World.

Nimble and responsive, Armiger Warglaives lope towards the enemy with purposeful strides. On one arm they wield fearsome reaper chain-cleavers, their adamantium teeth whirring and actuator motors roaring. On the other they bear menacing thermal spears, bulky melta weapons that are essentially stripped down equivalents of a Knight Errant’s thermal cannon. A single shot from such a weapon can vaporise even the most heavily protected combatant, melt through the wall of a bunker or reduce a battle tank to a molten wreck. Their pilots are well-suited to the close quarters aggression of the Warglaive, and stride into battle alongside their masters filled with dogged determination to do their betters proud.

Painting, weathering and transfers

I wanted to try out some painting techniques, weathering powders and transfers, before I started painting not only my other Gaslands cars, but also my Forge World Ork models.

So I started off with an old Hot Wheels New Beetle that I “found” in a box in the garage…

I gave the model a spray of Zandri Dust.

Once this was dry, I gave the model a wash of first Agrax Earthshade in some areas, but mainly Seraphim Sepia across the whole car.

I the drybushed the car with some Golgfag Brown.

One of the things I wanted to try out, was trying out some transfers. I have avoided using transfers for years, but with my Aeronautica Imperialis I have been thinking I should provide the models, especially the Imperial Navy flyers with appropriate markings. I think the last time I did transfers was twenty odd years ago…

So, using some free Warlord Games Judge Dredd transfers that came free with Wargames Illustrated, I took a couple of the transfers and applied them to the Beetle. I used Vallejo Decal Softener to aid their adhesion to the model.

The result was slightly glossy, which was to be expected. However I didn’t have any matt varnish.

In the end I decided to try out some of the Forge World weathering powders I have on my workbench, which I had never used.

I tried out Light Earth and Orange Rust, and was quite pleased with how they worked and the effect I got.

This is a testbed, so the next thing to work out, is how should I paint the windscreen?

Spraying the Kill Bursta

Forge World’s big Ork tank mounts a huge gun ready to take on any Imperial BaneBlade or even Titan. The Kill Bursta mounts a huge-bore Kannon capable of destroying bunkers and siegeworks with ease.

The last time I looked at the model I had given the model a double undercoat of white and black and then using a thinned Chaos Black I touched up the black basecoat. I also black undercoated certain parts of the engine.

I then drybrushed the engine with Tin Bitz.

Digging the model out from storage, I decided not that I would start again, but I certainly would have a different approach. Continue reading “Spraying the Kill Bursta”

Alvis Saladin

The FV601 Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car developed by Crossley Motors and later manufactured by Alvis. Designed in 1954, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car in service with the British Army from 1958 onward. The vehicle weighed 11 tonnes, offered a top speed of 72 km/h, and had a crew of three. Saladins were noted for their excellent performance in desert conditions, and found favour with a number of Middle Eastern armies accordingly. They were armed with a 76 mm low-pressure rifled (spin-stabilised) gun which fired the same ammunition as that mounted on the FV101 Scorpion.

The Saladin also spawned an armoured personnel carrier counterpart, the Alvis Saracen.

Despite the vehicle’s age and dated design, it is still in use in a number of countries in secondary roles.

There are three surviving Saladins in The Tank Museum. One, in all over green, is displayed in the exhibition and is shown above. The second, in all over tan, is in operational condition and used in events.

The third, in a tan and green camouflage pattern, is part of the museum’s reserve collection and is stored in the vehicle conservation centre.

This Alvis Saladin was on display at RAF Cosford.

It was part of their huge Cold War display.

What next for Aeronautica Imperialis?

I’ve enjoyed painting my Aeronautica Imperialis models and even I am impressed that I have managed to build, undercoat and paint them in a relatively short timeframe. I did my Valkyrie Assault Carrier in a week! I would usually take a few years to paint them (if at all….).

I started to think about which models I would get next, and that got me thinking what we have seen that still needs to be released and also what could be released in the future and what I would like to see in the future as well.

Some of these are obviously core Games Workshop releases, some could be plastic kits and I think others might be Forge World models or upgrades to plastic kits.

Forge World have released some kits for Adeptus Titanicus, such as weapon upgrades, new titans and scenery. I would like to think that they would do something similar for Aeronautica Imperialis.

What I might get next?

So, there are now quite a few released models for Aeronautica Imperialis, Ork, Imperial and now T’au aircraft. I bought Wings of Vengeance, so I already have Ork Dakkajets, Fighta Bommerz as well as Imperial Thunderbolts and Marauders. I also bought a box of Valkyrie Assault Carriers. I was lucky enough to find a box of Ground Assets recently, so I have those as well.

The obvious answer for me is a pair of Grot Bommerz. I do like the concept of these, though I am not a big fan of the actual models, but Orks is Orks, so they are next on my shopping list.

If I get those then I might get the Heavy Ork Bommerz as well. Continue reading “What next for Aeronautica Imperialis?”

Inquisitor Lorr

At the beginning of March 2005 on the blog I mentioned that GW were releasing a limited edition Witch Hunter model that would only be sold in the stores on the 2nd and 3rd April.

Well I didn’t think I was going to get one, but I was on my way over to Simon’s for a game of Space Hulk and stopped off at the GW store and picked one up.

It is a very nice model and is based on the Witch Hunter model that is available in the boxed set, but has a different weapon (plasma pistol) and is pointing rather than holding a sword. Personally I think it is a better model.

Rules can be found in White Dwarf #304 for this model. Now I think I might still have that, but would need to look for it… wonder if they are available online somewhere?

Here is the ‘Eavy Metal painted version of the model.

After much thought (well two and a half years) I decided that I would put together the model and paint it. It was another few years before I gave the model a basecoat of Desert Yellow.

Since then I put the model of Inquisitor Lorr aside for a few years, but when looking for something else I found him, I thought I might try and finish him off.

I will first touch up his base coat, I did use Desert Yellow, which is no longer available, so I checked the conversion chart and used Tallarn Sand instead, which is a pretty good match.

Khorne Lord of Skulls

This massive Daemon Engine of Khorne is built in hell forges with the sole purpose of killing, maiming and burning its enemies until they are no more than a sticky paste under its mighty tracks.

Mixing up the Grot Mega Tank

I picked up the Grot Mega Tank at GamesDay 2010. It was available in limited numbers, but I was lucky enough to pick one up, before they sold out. I really do like this model alongside the Grot Tanks.

Designed by Stuart Williamson, the Grot Mega Tank represents the pinnacle of Gretchin-built Heavy Tank technology; an overpowering war machine that drives all before it in a storm of scrap and destruction. This full resin kit is festooned with unique details as you can in the images, and Stuart has designed each turret to be fully cross-compatible with Daren Parrwood’s Grot Tanks.

Hammered together out of junk, spare Mekboy know-wotz and unbridled Grot enthusiasm, the Grot Mega Tank adds even more firepower to the battlefield madness that has come to be known as a Grotzkrieg, terrifying Imperial Tacticians, Eldar Farseers and Chaos Warlords alike.

The model is very ship like with battleship style turrets and a prow shaped bow. It is a very ramshackle vehicle and looks like (as it should) if the grots have just thrown it together from parts lying around the battlefield and stuff stolen from a Mek workshop.

Before making it up I had a good look at the pictures on the Forge World website.

After giving the model a spray undercoat I touched up the black undercoat with a brush and some Chaos Black.

So after letting this model languish too long in a box, I got it out again to see if I could finish painting it. Continue reading “Mixing up the Grot Mega Tank”

Churchill Crocodile

The Tank Museum at Bovington’s British Churchill Crocodile Flame Thrower Tank is unusual from other Museums Churchill Crocodile tanks as it still has its fuel trailer. You can see the trailer tyres on the right behind the tank.

The tank on display was the last Churchill Mark VII to be produced by Vauxhall, in October 1945. It was sent directly to the School of Tank Technology, which transferred it to the Tank Museum in 1949, with practically no mileage beyond its acceptance test. The Mark VII was the first of the factory-assembled marks with thicker armour in fulfilment of the “heavy Churchill” requirement of May 1943.

Three brigades of Churchills landed in Normandy in 1944, most with 75 mm guns, some with 6-pounders, a few with 95 mm howitzers.

15mm Flames of War Churchill Crocodile.

Getting there with my Grot tanks…

I picked up a set of Grot Tanks on a visit to Warhammer World. Having not really looked at them for a while, having been stuck at the undercoated stage, I thought I might try and finish them and I blogged about this earlier.

The set contains four different variant chassis, tracks, exhausts and turrets as well as four fantastic Grot Tank Kommandaz and 5 different, incredibly shooty, weapon options.

I had given Grot Tank II a base coat of Chieftain Green but painted the tracks with Gorthor Brown and the exhausts with Leadbelcher. I then gave the model various washes of mainly Citadel Shades, Seraphim Sepia, though for some parts of the model, basically the tracks and the engine, I used Agrax Earthshade. I also used Nuln Oil for various metallic parts of the model.

I did the tracks on the Grot Tank IV with Gorthor Brown. I then painted the exhausts with Leadbelcher. As with the other tank I gave the tracks and exhausts various washes.

The model’s main hull and turret was given a basecoat of Ushabti Bone, before I gave the model a wash of Seraphim Sepia. Continue reading “Getting there with my Grot tanks…”