Adding introspection to injury...

No modelling progress at the mo and there may be a little while before there is any, not due to work commitments as I mentioned last time but because I managed to nacker my shoulder before I even went back to work... :(

Oh well...

So as an aside I've been thinking about the way I've gone about selecting the models used in my Euphoria warbands. When I first got into the Oldhammer zone a couple of years ago it was purely on the basis of collecting old models I liked or wished I had owned back in the day. The ideas for the Euphoria setting and collecting its various warbands came later.

I never specifically planned to restrict myself to Citadel minis as part of this, indeed although all the ones I've produced so far have been I still have plans to include some non-citadel. However there are several characters I've produced so far I originally intended to use non-citadel for but ended up finding a citadel figure to fill the role.

Most notable are Sphinx who was originally going to be an EM4 (old Grenadier) scavenger.

But upon seeing whiskeypriest's example on his blog I changed my mind and went searching ebay for Spit Gun Suzies.

Psi-Judge Anjersen (prior to being named) had various non-citadel minis considered for the role before I fell back on the old Judge Dredd line.

Most recently I had been searching to for a suitable mini for the Milady d'Wysper lady in waiting to Euphoria's Governor with a peculiar selection of (deadly) skills. Again originally I was looking through several other ranges and was leaning towards the Reaper's Pathfinder Hellknight Signifer.

But then I found a citadel figure that struck me as perfect, I'm not going to say which one just yet, I'll show her off when she's done. When she arrived in the post I did find one snag, she's tiny...
However on reflection its not so much of a problem, I've already used Anderson who is dwarfed by her Arbites comrades. Plus something about the tiny girl actually being a stealthy and exceptionally deadly killer fits the background I've dreamed up.

Anyway I suppose my main purpose here is being impressed with how extensive and versatile the old citadel ranges (fantasy and others included) are, being able to find a mini to match so many concepts (ignoring of course those with the skill and will to convert, can't bring myself to cut up any of my old lead even if I was practiced enough to actually do it successfully...).

Again a shame that this side has been lost in the the modern era of stupidly oversized models...

Til next time...


Cap'n Smyrk

Cult following...

Latest addition to my painted pile, this time a follower for my Emissary of the Incandescent Astral Wyrm.

Got a bit of a Jokeresque smile going now that I look at it...

As mentioned last time she's Loritta/Cybergirl from the Iron Claw Space Pirates range. Struggled with painting her, though now she's finished she's growing on me.

A shot of her with the Emissary.

That will be it for this week and work may mean I don't get much done for a little while.

Til next time...


Cap'n Smyrk

Long Arm of the Law or Right Hand of the Lawless?

So two more finished minis to show off today one for each of my most complete warbands, the Euphoria Arbites Precinct and Cap'n Smyrk's Crew.

First up for Arbites we have the Precinct's commander Judge Diens bringing the Imperium's own unique brand of justice to the streets of Euphoria.

Painted to match his comrades.

Then we have the final member of Captain Smyrk's command crew, his first mate 'Ace' Ryker. This just leaves a few more redshirts and then Smyrk's crew will be finished!

Still undecided with how the effect on his power axe came out.

You can just see the hazard stripes on his shoulder guard...

You can see both of them with their fellows on their respective warband pages.

Next on the list is probably Loritta from the Iron Claw Space Pirates range.

Due to her coming from the same range as the Star Raven mini I used for my Emissary and the fact she has a partial face mask I think she will be becoming a cultist of the Incandescent Astral Wyrm.

Til Next time...


Cap'n Smyrk

Euphoric Missive...

No new painted stuff to show you this time round although there are a couple of minis on the go at the moment which will hopefully be ready by the weekend.

Instead I thought I would give a bit of a run down of the 'warbands' I'm planning for my Euphoria project/campaign/pipe dream.

First up we have Cap'n Smyrk's crew which is the most complete one currently. Ultimately this will include Smyrk and his 'command staff' of Sphinx, Squatty, Helmsman Pyke and his first mate 'Ace' Ryker (currently being painted). To back up this 'main cast' I plan to have at least three (possibly as many as five) 'extras', additional redshirts like Rizzo.

The second warband is the next nearest completion which is the Euphoria Arbites Precinct. Ultimately this will be a five to six man patrol team (led by Judge Diens, also currently on the painting table) with Psi-Judge Anjersen acting as back up.

Next on the list is Inquisitor Rastaban Tycho and his retinue. Currently this band stands at just Tycho himself (waiting on paint, once I decide what colours to use). The plan for this one is again to have two seperate sections, one of shadowy agents and the other of Tycho and his three Space Marine 'heavies'. The agents maneouvre the target into place and then Tycho and his muscle swoop in and take all the credit....

Fourth up is the Cult of Incandescent Astral Wyrm. Again this currently consists of one figure, the Emissary and nothing else. Haven't fully worked out what this will consist of yet but plans include a mutant space pirate and his minions as well as possibly more 'standard' cultists.

Finally I hope to produce a small entourage for Euphoria's governor, Regis Evangeline Margarette d'Sarck. This will include an Astropath, a ceremonial bodyguard (in Mk1 powered armour) and a shadowy lady-in-waiting/assassin. Eventually this may include some local security forces (directly under the governor's control unlike the Arbites) but I need to work out what minis I want to use for these (don't really want to use just ordinary guardsmen, looking for something a little more 'eccentric').

The Inquisitor's retinue and Governor's entourage will both probably include my first forays into non-citadel minis.

Anyway til next time when hopefully I'll have Ryker and Judge Diens ready for show.


Cap'n Smyrk

No Laughing Matter...

Its amazing what having four days off work will do to your painting efforts, four minis in a week, a new record for me!

Won't last of course, back to the old slog again next week but it was nice whilst it lasted.

Anyway here's the Death Jester finished off, complete with diamond pattern trousers.

All the latest styles...

You can just about make out the red glow in the skull's eye socket...

So my second attempt at the diamonds came out to my satisfaction, its not particularly neat but luckily the fact that its on cloth rather than a flat surface disguises this to some extent.

Have got a number of options for what to do next, one of the Adventurers Astropaths and the old Arbite with Power Maul and Bolt Pistol. Or there are always some more Eldar...

Til next time...


Cap'n Smyrk

Here Be (Fire) Dragons...

Finished off two more classic Eldar Fire Dragons to go with the one I painted last year.

Same scheme obviously and amazingly have come out looking reasonably similar despite the gap between painting. As with the first one these were bought already based and primed.

The one on the left with the green base is the one I had already painted.

View with the outer two showing off their fronts.

Having had most of this week off work I've also been painting quite of few things. Including this WIP Harlequin Death Jester. I don't show many WIPs but I was so happy with how the bone came out on this one I've decided to show him off.

Last Tango in Warp Space...

Got to paint a few gemstones on his Shuriken cannon and I want to try getting a typical Harlequin diamond pattern on his lower legs, my first attempt didn't succeed and has been painted over.

Finally I have a new addition to Smyrk's crew. I realised that it had plenty of characters but no real grunts to act as a bit of cannon-fodder. Given Smyrk's general Star Trek references there was only one answer.

Redshirts!

And so I present the latest recruit, Ensign Rizzo.

His gun's colour scheme is based on the retro-raygun style phaser rifle used by Kirk in the episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before"

His uniform matches the style of Smyrk's just with a red shirt...

I intend to get four or five of these to back up Smyrk and give Sphinx someone to boss about, possibly including a heavy weapon. All of them will follow this same scheme and like Rizzo will get their names from unfortunate redshirts from Star Treks original series courtesy of this useful little list Redshirt Deaths.

That's all for now but I might right up some more character info for the members of Smyrk's crew.

Til next time...


Cap'n Smyrk

From the back of cupboard they came...

So these are a couple of old school minis I've had for years, can't remember exactly when these were bought or indeed for what purpose given that I mostly played Epic at the time...

Anyway first up we have one of the original Slaanesh Keeper of Secrets variants.

For some reason this was never actually attached to its base, will have to sort that out...

It was originally painted by my brother so is better than most of my efforts from the same time...

Next we have a Jabberwock.

Displaying a particularly bright and chaotic color scheme...

and the hind end...

I also have three harpies, Bob Olley sculps I believe, again absolutely no idea why they were bought. The are however unassembled and unpainted so I didn't see much point in photographing them.

Anyway I've got a couple more Eldar Fire Dragons on the go to join the one I've already painted, oh and an original Death Jester undercoated so there should some more posts coming up soon.

Til next time.


Cap'n Smyrk