Compagnie Franches de la Marine

This is a WIP for my Compagnie Franches de la Marine for Muskets & Tomahawks. I picked some up at the Tactica fair here last weekend. I think I have enough for a 300pt game now. I just need to get painting. I am not investing too much effort into these as to get them to look good would take a lot of effort as white isn't the easiest to paint. The models are also not great. The standard historical standard which is poor. I am hoping that they will at least look good en-masse.

Ancient Dwarf Lord

It has been a busy week. Work has been overwhelming and I not only haven't been able to paint but I haven't been able to blog. However the dwarven urge has not left me and I pulled out one of my old unpainted models. This one definitely qualifies for Oldhammer as it is from 1991. It is really interesting to compare this model with the new characters. While this model is fine the new ones are really great. They are better detailed and more dynamic. Just look at Old Fogey's recent character. It not only sports a great paint job but the model is brilliant.

Wayne England's Dwarves

I think one of the main reasons I started collecting Dwarves was due to Wayne England's army previewed in White Dwarf 135 and 148. I could be wrong on the numbers but they are in the general area. The links will direct you to copies of the articles in question. I have had fairly strong memories of the article and when I seriously started collecting my Dwarves in about 1997 I even went as far to emulate the blue and white colour scheme. With the release of the new army book and the fact that all the Warhammer media are chatting about Dwarves at the moment I took out a few of the models I have in my large collection to look. There always has been a dwarf on my painting desk. It is never the same dwarf but I have never stopped painting the army. Infact I really have two armies. One in the blue and white scheme and one in a red and green scheme.I have been trying, over the last few months or maybe years, to decide if I have given up with Warhammer Fantasy or if I will continue playing. The Dwarves are my army and if I let this release go by, as I suspect I will, then I think I really have given up. Well by saying given up I refer to the playing rather than the painting. That would be sad as I really have had a lot of fun with good friends playing Warhammer over the years. I guess maybe as I am not in such good contact with these friends anymore that Warhammer has become the casualty of my move to Germany.I can't even say it is because the game is not good. It has never been good but that also never stopped me from enjoying playing it.

Today despite being sick I decided to paint something. That lone Dwarf on my desk was the target of my paintbrush. I snapped a quick photo with my phone of the gunner. It was a one hour paintjob and to be honest it came out pretty good. The model is a one piece affair though the detail is excellent. Once I had finished him I rummaged through my bits box and came up with another five to sit on my desk. I am very tempted to pull out a load of Dwarves and start painting them. I know I have huge amounts stockpiled somewhere. There are definitely about twenty more Bugman's Rangers somewhere and some of Colin Dixon's Miners too.

Listening to all the chats about Dwarves over the last few days returned an idea to me that might be an interesting exercise. I had intended to make a number of army lists that was the same in terms of content but came from each edition of Warhammer. I think it would be quite rewarding to start with Wayne Englands army and do that same list as it appeared in White Dwarf for each edition. I am really interested to see how it would work. Who knows maybe it can provide the spark to ignite my interest in the Dwarves again?

Canadian Militia

I have nailed my colours to the mast and they are white. Here are the first of my Canadian Militia for Muskets & Tomahawks. The models were a christmas gift from a friend. With all models I get that are gifts I try to paint them as soon as possible. There is little point in giving someone a gift if they don't or won't do anything with it. I have four more to go and they are at least base coated. I am going to go with a militia force at the start as I like the scenarios they usually play. I will have a smattering of various other models though and this depends on what is available at Tactica at the end of the month. I will probably pick up some stuff from Warlord games but I am eager to find some other interesting models I can use.

Tale of Malifaux Bloggers - Month One

So it begins.

There are a few supply issues it would seem in getting models not only to Europe but to Germany and so I am a little worried I won't be getting my first month models anytime soon. The game store has been informed at least and so I hope that once they are in I will get a message to tell me to come and pick them up. I am starting with the crew box of course. I choose McMourning simply because he is one of the original three Ressurectionist masters and I have the other two already. I think that is as good a reason as any. I also don't fancy the Ten Thunders dual faction Masters and Tara isn't available either. The choice was probably made for me. I was quite tempted by Tara but I am struggling to see with what I can build the original box contents. At the moment there are very few things that thematically fit with her, that I can see at least.

Month One

McMourning Crew box: $45 Rafkin: $10

Monthly total: $55

The crew box represents the biggest expenditure of the month. I had to go with what was available and suitable for the remainder of my budget. Rafkin was and I snapped him up. I haven't heard any chatter about him at all and that makes me wonder if he has been relegated to mediocrity. I guess in a crew that is already dealing a lot of poison why do you need more models that do the same. I suspect he is good in support of a less focused crew. He can then amplfy their poison abilities a little more. Still he fits in theme and so I am happy to have picked him up. I very much think I will be sick of painting white by the end of these six months. Especially if I pick up some regular Frenchies for my Muskets and Tomahawks army.

I have $10 left to bring forward to next month. That should hopefully allow me to pick up a few models extra and doesn't pack too much into this month. I am aiming to have everything painted within the time frames set for purchase so it shall be interesting to see if I can manage that. My first game with McMourning is on this Wednesday. I will play on Vassal as usual and I am looking forward to it.