Cephalyx Skin Test

After putting my painting log to paper I decided it is time to start testing out some paint for my Cephalyx army. I took the bloat thrall as the test piece for my Cephalyx skintone. The bloat thrall is one of my favorite models in the PP range. I'm not exactly sure why I like this mini so much but I have always loved it. I have one bloat thrall for my cephalyx army and, while I am not sure how much actual table time he will actually see, he seemed like the ideal test subject. I was able to sneak a peek at the digital Cephalyx book and borrow some of PPs recipes and I plan to adapt some of them to my style/needs.

I basecoated the skin via the airbrush with a 1:1 mixture of P3 Ryn flesh:P3 Cryx Bane Highlight. I then washed the flesh with a wash made of P3 Sanguine highlight and P3 Traitor green. I think this was roughly 1:2. I then added a few drops of P3 Thornwood green and washed this in some of the deeper folds. My initial plan was to highlight via the airbrush with the original base color but I'm fairly please with my results up to this point so I've decided to proceed with the mini and I can always come back later if needed. In the top picture you can see that I've started to black out the sections that are going to be metal and just haven't gotten to the back and legs yet. I will be adding some blue and purple washes around the metal plugs to simulate bruising to add some more visual interest but I will have to finish the metals before this step. If all goes well the rest of the way with his skin I should be able to proceed with the monstrosities.

Templecon 2015 Painting Log

If you look at the Templecon website you can see by the countdown clock that there are only 101 days (at the time I wrote this) prior to the beginning of the convention. If I take out the few days leading up to the con that leaves me 14 weeks, give or take, to get my painting done. I have decided that the best way to accomplish my painting goals is to put the list to paper (actual and virtual) and try and plan out a points per week requirement. I intend to put the paper copy next to my painting station as a constant reminder/motivation/shaming tool. The list below if very large and intimidating at initial glance but this is nearly an all inclusive list and,  while I'd like to accomplish all of it, only some of it "must" finish. A second factor that comes into play hopefully making this a little easier is the fact that a large portion of the list is already assembled and in many of the pieces are partially painted. I will be breaking the list down into three categories and color coding theme for purposes of the blog:

Primary
Secondary
Tertiary  

As you look at the list below it should be pretty clear as to the theme for the minis in the primary category. These are the minis I need to finish for my "Templecon 2015 painting challenge" with my Canadian brothas Jamie and Chadi. If I can pull it off I'd like to post some updates here on their painting progress as well as one or two of my local guys I'm trying to rope in as well.

Warcasters: (25pts)
Exulon Thexus
Captain Damiano
General Ossrum
Durgen Madhammer
Drake MacBain

Warjacks: (76pts)
Earthbreaker (18pts)
Galleon (19pts)
Nomad (6pts)
Warden x2 (6pts/ea)
Wrecker x3 (7pts/ea)

Units: (84pts)
Alexia1 (5pts)
Arcane tempest gun mages (6pts)
*Officer (2pts)
Cephalyx mind bender & drudges (6pts)
Cephalyx mind slaver & drudges (6pts)
Nyss hunters (10pts)
Boomhowler (9pts)
Herne & Jonne (3pts)
Kayazy assassins (8pts)
*Underboss(2pts)
Aiyana & Holt (4pts)
Press gangers (6pts)
Sea dogs (8pts)
*Mr Walls (2pts)
*Riflemen x3 (1pt/ea)
Tactical arcanist corp (4pts)

Solos: (57pts)
Alexia2 (4pts)
*Thall warriors x6
Anastasia (2pts)
Bloat thrall (2pts)
Grogspar (2pts)
Cephalyx agitator x3 (2pts/ea)
Cephalyx dominator (1pt)
Killingsworth (2pts)
Eiryss1 (3pts)
Eiryss2 (3pts)
Hawk (2pts)
Gorman (2pts)
Harlan (2pts)
Kell (2pts)
Rockbottom (2pts)
Machine wraith (1pt)
Dougal (2pts)
Ogrun bokur (3pts)
Orin (2pts)
Pistol wraith x2 (3pts/ea)
Raluk (2pts)
Rhupert (2pts)
Taryn (2pts)
Thor (2pts)

There is the list as it currently stands. I think I have included everything but who knows as I banged this out on break last night at work and I'm ready for a nap;) When calculating the pt cost of the minis needing to be painted I just assumed a cost of 5 pts per caster just like an assassination in SR. If my math is correct the list adds up to a grand total of 242 pts which will mean I need to accomplish approximately 17 pts/week to have the list fully painted the week  prior to Templecon. The Templecon painting list is now on paper and staring me in the face time to get down to the cave and get to work (after I grab some sleep).

Kickin' the Tires on Mercenaries

Last weekend I borrow the wife's minivan and drove the gaming crew drove down to Gamers Gambit in Danbury Connecticut for the Dark Omen Invitational Qualifier (DOIQ)......and hopefully the Dark Omen Invitational (DOI) itself. The Saturday DOIQ was a 64 player SR2014 tourney with players gaining access to the DOI on Sunday. If I remember correctly we ended up with 57 players showing up to the event (we had two pay but not travel with us). The DOI was a 16 player masters which players qualified for via other regional events and was also a Warmachine Weekend Qualifier. The winner of the DOI not only secured a spot a WMW but would also have their airfare and room paid for which was pretty amazing. The Prize support for the weekend was pretty sweet as one player was randomly selected on Saturday to receive a 50pt list of their design and those playing the alternative event on Sunday (ie didn't qualify for the DOI) where entered in a second drawing for another army.

The lists I chose for the qualifier were as follows:

Highborn Covenant

General Ossrum (*5pts)
* Ghordson Earthbreaker (19pts)
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
* Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer (2pts)
Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (Boomhowler and 9 Grunts) (9pts)
Herne & Jonne (3pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios (3pts)
Goblin Tinker (1pts)
Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile (2pts)
Professor Victor Pendrake (2pts)
Taryn di la Rovissi (2pts)
Thor Steinhammer (2pts)

Four Star Syndicate

Captain Damiano (*6pts)
* Nomad (6pts)
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2pts)
Alexia Ciannor & the Risen (Alexia and 9 Risen Grunts) (5pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Kayazy Assassins (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Kayazy Assassin Underboss (2pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2pts)
Kell Bailoch (2pts)
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor (2pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)
Wrong Eye & Snapjaw (9pts)
* Bull Snapper (3pts)

All in all I was happy with my lists but was VERY inexperienced with them. I played the Ossrum list twice prior to the event and I never played the Damiano list. I seem to have misplaced my SR sheet so I don't have everyone's name but I promptly went 0-4 followed by a bye and then I got paired up against one of our guys and won finishing the day at 2-4. Round one I got paired up vs Cryx and was a little sloppy with my caster placement and got pDenny'd. He feated, scourged, parasited, and then a couple Nyss shots later I was done. The next two rounds I deathclocked myself vs Legion and Trolls and I don't recall how I lost round 4 vs Protectorate. If it wasn't abundantly clear before it surely is now you shouldn't play brand new factions/lists at large events if you have any desire to do well ;) One of our guys qualified for day two so the rest of us got into the spell draft event on Sunday to try and win the next raffle army. Adam lost in round two of masters so we all dropped after the raffle was drawn and headed back home. While I was unreasonably disappointed with my results it was a fun weekend of Warmachine and hanging out with friends. I look forward to learning my mercs lists a lot better and hope to have a pretty firm grip on them by the time Templecon rolls around.

Cephalyx

I has been a while since I have posted anything but I'm back and hopefully should get back to being a little more regular. While I haven't posted anything it doesn't mean I haven't been doing any hobby stuff. I have been focusing on my latest obsession mercenaries. This started back in June when Mickey scored me the Cephalyx bundle at Lock n Load. Then me being the obsessive compulsive person I am this bundle turned into mercs as a faction not just a side project. I have made some friendly wagers with some friends from the North (more on that later) and I have decided to put the Kriels down for the foreseeable future and focus on mercs until after Templecon at the earliest (except for Exigence release events). 

There is pretty much my cephalyx force minis a couple pistol wraiths and some rearranging of points. Well I'm off for a weekend tournament in Connecticut with my crew. It is a warmachine weekend qualifier but seeing as I am playing borrowed mercs and have only practiced one of the lists one time I don't expect much ;)