Is this thing on....? 2018 Blog is a go!

It has been 3 years since this blog has been updated and a lot has changed since my last post with the game of Infinity. Infinity is still the #1 game for me, the game has changed editions and now this blog is going to be rekindled in order to track my own progress this year for modeling, painting, running and attending Infinity ITS tournaments. It is a vehicle for accountability to myself and a centralized location to get my thoughts onto paper on whatever topic for that week/month.

Let's get onto the meat of the topic shall we?

2018 Goals:

• Run 4, quarterly Infinity leagues locally
• Run 4, quarterly Infinity ITS Tournaments
• Paint 1 Theme Army per Quarter:
• Q1: Gundum-Anx; Steel Phalanx
• Q2: Synth-Rats; Morats
• Q3: Heaven Lo-tek; Bakunin
• Q4: Limesicle; ISS
• Attend Rumble on Route 66
• Attend Nova Open 2018

Each of these goals will have some sort of post related to the execution of the goal, for example the events will have After Action Reports written to relay my experiences running these events, the challenges encountered and how they were overcome.

Included below is some of the beginnings of the Theme Armies that I want to finish building and painting for 2018. Each army has a color scheme theme pulled from some inspiration, which will be explained more in depth in later posts.

Synth-Rats Proof of Concept

Synth-Rats Concept Testing

Gundum-anx Proof of Concept

The larger regional events will employ mission break-downs, army composition and tactics explanation, and just how much preparation put into traveling to these events and what I am doing to improve my finishes. 

Previous years I've done OK at these events but recently my time to physically get games in has been limited and mistakes have cropped up with deployment, speed of play, tactical decision making, etc. that have cost me enough that my potential finish position as suffered. 

I always have fun at these events even while getting my face smashed in, but I am always looking for new mini challenges in the game to try and swing it back in my favor. Those situations act as learning opportunities and continue to build up the game play experience for myself and my opponent.

That wraps up the first spark for the coming year, Happy Gaming!

BASES: A new hope

After a long marathon of modeling over (last) weekend, some bases got built, a few more models got primed, and I ran out of materials to finish bases I was working on.

To be specific I have enough materials to complete 16 bases.

 

Above is the beginnings of the Project with the washers, cardboard spacers, sheet polystyrene 1" circles and all the pieces to make the slats.

Here is a work in progress image of placing the slats in alternating sizes. I use brush on super glue to control the amount if put on the slats. The brush on is pretty thin compared to the (intentionally) thicker bottle I buy for modeling purposes.

Another set of the top covers completed. That brings me to where I am at currently, which is running a .010" thick piece of polystyrene around the edge of each piece and finish sanding the base to be uniform and without any major gaps.

BASE-POCALYPSE

Its has been a little while since I picked up  the key board to explain what's going on in my Infinity world.

What has happened? Not too much! Other than gaming some and attending an ITS event its been quiet on the modeling/Painting front.

I did get accepted as a Warcor, eh? I've got to do something about it now.

Back to the title of this post.. I have been working steadily over the last two years creating various bases for my Nomads going all over the place. In that time I have made dozens of bases and lately just got the bug to standardize as much as possible... so this happened last night..

I basically removed 20+ models from their old variant bases, dropped the ones I had used for test models in the simple green salsa jar and started to build all new clean bases.

There are going to be two types of bases I produce. The concept will be the same, but each will be unique in its construction. The first type will be really simple, a piece of deck plate and texture to look like concrete/weird dirt as seen on the Crazy Koala I posted in an earlier article. The second will be a slatted bottom with the same unifying deck plate top piece as seen below.

That does mean I have a lot more incentive to get these done in a timely manner so that the models can get back on the table top.

I am going to concentrate on the Bakunin side first including putting together all my Reverend Moria Models and the Chimera too. 

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As an aside, I am trying out the blogger App, so if this post turns out to be a formatting mess with tiny pictures, be sure to let me know!

Riot Grrrl; Dedicated Photo Set-up Attempt

Riot Grrrl 2.0 Photos

Here are the results of the first dedicated lighting set up I put together via blue tape/notebook paper, and a T-shirt!

Riot Grrrl 2.0 Photos

As an aside, how does the whole two or three people who even read this blog think of the single group collage or should I stick to more individual photos?

Nomads: Planning my Paint Schedule

Nomads: Painting on a schedule

I have an idea of what models I would like to get painted over the next year. I have a priority set on the models I think I will be using for NOVA 2014 for the ITS Tournament. There is also an additional set of models that will work better for YAMS compared to the ITS format that don't overlap my list building. That leaves the models that I have yet to build or get used infrequently in everyday gaming that will be the last in line to get painted.

There is another consideration that has sort of put a greater time sink on my modeling times. The construction of my weighted washer/palsticard bases for my Nomads gives a unique look, (also stops me from going crazy reproducing a similar base over and over again) but it takes a fair amount of time layering up the various bits of styrene, sanding the joints if any are present and then dressing the washer/cardboard/stryene sandwich layers with more thin sheet stryene for a finished product.

With that in mind I have to keep a weekly modeling/painting schedule if I hope to get all the models I want painted for NOVA. Thus far, keeping that personal schedule has worked out poorly. I have one model painted (the Crazy Koala that appeared earlier in my color scheme topic) another few primed, but the majority of the models sit on incomplete bases or need to take a trip to the Simple Green Bath so the painting quality/scheme matches up nicely with the rest of the force.

No, that's not all of them!

Now, the priority models that I know I will be using
as part of my lists:
1. Moran Maasi Hunter # 1
2-3. Crazy Koala Set # 1
4. Moran Massi Hunter # 2
5-6. Crazy Koala Set # 2
7. Interventor # 1
8. Interventor # 2
9. Prowler with Spitfire
10. Tomcat # 1
11. Tomcat # 2
12. Morlock # 1
13.Morlock # 2
14. Morlock # 3
15. Morlock # 4
16. Zero # 1
17. Zero # 2
18.Zero # 3
19. Zond Bot # 1
20. Zond Bot # 2
21. Reverend Custiodier
22. Zoe
23. Pi-Well

Let off from my list are all of the remotes that may or may not appear as part of the 3 different tournament lists for NOVA.

I still lack the new Iguana, but have purchased the Gecko box set and more Hellcats (up to three of them now; Boarding Shotgun, Hacker, and HMG models) There is another component working beyond what I need to paint; the local bi-monthly ITS event has a Painting Competition as part of the event (It keeps me actively painting if nothing else.)

Work has started on both the MK12 variant of the Gecko TAG and the Spitfire armed Prowler model for that competition. That sort of ties into my paint schedule. Sorta.

At this point, being 4.5 months from NOVA and only having a single model painted, I am happy to get any all things I can by that time.

Q1 Progress Report

Quarter 1 Progress Report

I have gone dark (but tried to stay busy!) with this blog over the last two months. No excuses, just realizing keeping up a good level of content while balancing Life and Hobby time is rather more difficult than I would have thought.

With that in mind I have a few irons in the fire (feast or famine I guess) for posts to come in the next few weeks. There will be more on the get better tools for the job aspect, progress reports on how the modeling/painting of my Nomads is going and what I need to tackle in preparation for NOVA, Gnascon, and any other event I plan on attending.

Let look at what I have gotten done in the last two months (not remotely as much as I would have liked mind you.)

Tohaa:
I have that Sakiel I toiled over, stripped, and partially repainted. Tohaa have been placed on the back burner sadly. There is the positive note that the Gao Tarso w/ Viral Combi is built and Primed, a Chaksa Auxillar w/ Flamethrower built, and the lone Clipsos is assembled. My plan is to get the Sakiel finished at some point, followed by a representative of each model type to get the color scheme placement figured out. This will make painting the rest of the 12 or so models much quicker than the first.

Nomads:
There has been lots of work going on centered around these models between waiting for models to come out (Intruder HMG? You know the most common, awesome, MI available!) plus rebasing models to get my theme a little more consistent.

I have expanded my collection (just picked up the HellCat HMG/Hacker blister and the Gecko Box set.)

The painting front is not remotely where it should be, but I have painted another model to completion. I choose the Spitfire Riot Grrrl to paint for a local painting competition that is part of a Bi-Monthly ITS event. I didn't win (not sure what my placement was honestly) but I found that spark of REALLY wanting to paint to a high level on a regular basis returning after years of just having little interest in doing it.

Modeling Space:
Over the last two months, I have gone lighting crazy... after a trip to IKEA, I placed an additional two Swing Arm Lamps with 100w CFL Reveal Bulbs. Extra lighting goes a long way to keep your eyes from going cross from staring at the little details for hours on end. I have a lighting box project I want to complete very soon so my miniature photos don't just plain suck.

Nomads: Model #2 Riot Grrrl

I painted another Nomad Model

The Riot Grrrl is pretty interesting (although the anatomical armor gets some scorn from the SO); lots of small detail that is well defined from a sculpting perspective. Painting time was tracked via an audio book (John Ringo's "A Hymn Before Battle"; Pretty Awesome Military Science Fiction) That book clocks in right at 15 hours long, plus I spent 3 hours painting while watching the Route on Route 66 Infinity ITS Event Live Stream held in Amarillo, TX. All that combined I put in roughly 19 hours of painting from first brush stroke till final basing details over a 2 week period (for those with basic arithmetic skills, the last hour was spent painting the base.)

The progress photos were taken with my cellphone at the end of each painting session, so I apologize in advance for some of the blur/poor lighting conditions of those pictures. The final shots (once I get a light-box built, that is a project in of itself!) will be nice and clear.

I prime my models using Krylon Camouflage Khaki Paint. Why? I like neutral color bases, and for a long time I worked with a gray primer base until I tried it after seeing a fellow hobbyist using it. The warmer tones work better for my eyes and it takes color in some hues better than gray (red being a big one I noticed.) 

For glazes and washes I use a mix of Liquitex Glazing medium and VMC Matte Medium depending on the level of opacity for a given application (meaning I just make it up as I go and adjust via the addition of water as needed)

WIP 1

Session 1 found me laying out the majority of where I wanted colors to be located to get a feel for how colors needed to be balanced throughout the model. This is purely an aesthetic feel exercise, that I struggle with all the time, so laying out my plan a bit from the start keeps me focused on finishing the model and not floundering over color.. *cough* SAKIEL!!! *cough*

A quick run down of the paints I am using (Prepare for brand/system loyalty to go right out the window!)

Colors used: 

VMC Black

P3 Skorne Red

P3 Jack Bone

Another small detail you may notice, no antenna head gear. It's not because I did not like them, I misplaced them at some point after the initial assembly, so out came a small bit of Pro Create and good old fashioned boxy earmuffs got sculpted in their place.

WIP 2

Session 2 I continued laying base colors for balance (mainly the darker armor areas and red fins) and started washing/glazing the under armor suit. I built the glazes from a mix of the Citadel washes Devlan Mud, Gryphonne Sepia, Army Painter Soft Wash, RMS Brown Ink, and a small amount of the base coat color: P3 Jack Bone. I adjust the glaze opacity as I go by adding paint for more extreme coverage per coat or more water to thin the layer, followed by a quick hit from the heat gun to dry it.

As an aside, a heat gun (its a scrap booking heat gun, so more like a dual setting hair dryer on high) makes painting in many thin layers move quickly when coupled with wash/glaze layers to blend highlights together. I wish I could paint via two brush or wet blend quickly, but the technique isn't clicking for me yet (one day!.) 

WIP 3

Session 3 is more of the same and rather boring. Focus almost completely on the underarmor; glaze, wash, paint detail, highlight and repeat.

WIP 4

Session 4 brought all kinds of progress, it was a marathon of about 3.5 hours of painting. I went to town on the armor, highlighting and glazing up a storm. I also did some shading to create shadow and mid-tones in preparation of tackling the red.

Colors used:

VMC Dark Gray

VMC Ivory

P3 Gnarls Green

P3 Skorne Red

Citadel Devlan Mud

WIP 5

Session 5 The reds started getting attention. I learned a great deal painting this model when it came to red and the red for my Nomads. It is evolving into a high-contrast, bright red with green hued shadow all the way up to a pink/white transition line highlight at the end. Its a very striking and warm color that's many thin layers of reds progressively pulled from the bottom to the top (where the most paint will be left behind as the brush is removed) with a few intermediate glazes every few layers to clean up the color changes.

Colors used:

P3 Menoth White Base (for the areas that will be close to white later)

P3 Gnarls Green

P3 Skorne Red

VMC Red

VMC Ivory

VMC Black

Citadel Devlan Mud

WIP 6

Session 6 Glaze... Glaze.. GLAZE! Same routine to get the armor and reds finished. Very limited palette was used throughout for this model (if you use a wet palette, 10 dozen colors can be made, kept, and reused from 2 or 3 base colors.) for ease of recreation later on the rest of my Nomad force.

Colors used:
P3 Menoth White Base (for the areas that will be close to white later)
P3 Gnarls Green
P3 Skorne Red
VMC Red
VMC Ivory
VMC Black
Citadel Devlan Mud

WIP 7

Session 7 is the same as 6.. grinding through those last details.

Colors used:
P3 Skorne Red
VMC Red
VMC Ivory
VMC Black
Citadel Devlan Mud

WIP 8

Session 8 is where the closing parts started to fall into place. Blues were glazed in for an attempt at basic OSL from the interfaces/gems on the gauntlets and neck armor. The lens was treated as if it were tinted blue, mainly to break up the model some and draw the viewers eye to the face (Not the face.. I am very bad at painting faces...) I attempted to paint the eyes as normal, black them out, fill in the white, define the pupil, Iris, etc.. After three attempts and messing up the Riot Grrrl got her some glowy eyes! The Spitfire main weapon was base coated in P3 Cryx Bane Highlight, Glazed with Delvan Mud, then highlighted up. The Contact points were base coated with P3 Cryx Bane Base, and highlighted accordingly.

Colors used:
P3 Skorne Red
VMC Red
VMC Ivory
VMC Black
P3 Arcane Blue
P3 Cyngar Blue Highlight
RMS Fair Skin
RMS Tanned Skin Highlight
P3 Cryx Bane Base
P3 Cryx Bane Highlight
Citadel Devlan Mud
Citadel Gryphonne Sepia
Citadel Ogryn Flesh

Finished