Great Big Robots!

So... after playing a couple of games today at the new local game store (Game Craft) I'm officially a Warmachine convert. I had a couple of battlegroups and the Mk. I rules already but had never played because I didn't know anyone locally who did... but now there's a shop, that sells Warmachine stuff, and is intending to have regular games.

Win, pretty much.

I'm gonna carry on with the GW stuff I already have, but it's not likely that I'll be buying anything new for a loooong while. Warmachine FTW!

Citadel Finecast, again...

Last week I emailled GW regarding their decision to put the prices up at the same time as releasing Citadel Finecast.

This is the response I got:

It is Games Workshop’s policy from time to time to review our entire range to ensure they are appropriately priced, which sometimes means certain items within our product range will incur a price increase. We feel the price of Citadel Finecast fairly reflects the increased quality of these models over there metal counterparts just take a look at this month’s White Dwarf or pop into your local Games Workshop store to see for yourself.

There you have it, folks... GW's answer to the Finecast range costing more to buy is basically "they are better"! I've asked them to clarify whether the production, packaging and distribution for Finecast figures costs significantly more than the metal versions... if the answer is equally bullshit (or they do not answer at all) I guess that'll be the end of me buying new GW products.

Citadel Finecast

So... Citadel have decided to do away with metal miniatures altogether, replacing them with a kind of resin.

I'm in two minds about this really... on the one hand the fact the miniatures will be lighter and easier to convert is awesome. On the other... well let's just say they've decided that this is an excuse for another price rise. Take Abaddon the Despoiler for example, the current metal model already costs a hefty £12.30, but the resin version is going to cost £14.50! The Eldar Autarch is also going up by a similar amount from £8.20 to 10.50! Expensive hobby is expensive.

Time to really knuckle down with painting what I've already got and looking at other ways of satiating my everlasting hunger for shinies (Warmachine fo' sho'. Also guitar stuff... hoh yus). I will probably still buy GW stuff, but frankly it's now got to the stage where if I don't already have a reasonable substitute lurking in my collection - regardless of age - I just won't bother. And unless my next job (hey, I'm unemployed again everybody!) pays well enough I guess I can wave goodbye to any notions of starting a Dark Eldar army.

I am still here....

Firstly, I would like to give a quick "hurrah" to my friend Jeff who runs Pirate Viking Painting which is a year old and has had squillions of hits.

Anyway, his posting on PVP's first birthday got me thinking about stats, so I had a look at mine... obviously they are not as impressive as yonder hirsute gentleman's are but pretty interesting. To me anyway. Turns out I've had 619 page views since starting this blog in... when did I start it? *goes and checks* in 2008. From places as diverse as the U.S.A, Germany, Slovenia and Iran. I hope those of you who chose to visit more than once haven't given up on me! Obviously the majority of people are Windows/IE users... a fair few Firefoxes, Operas and Chromes... One person viewed this blog on their iPhone (if you are that user and you're reading this let me know how that worked out so's I can optimise things a bit better). Most of the search engine referrals seem to be from people specifically searching for the URL (one has to wonder why they didn't just put it in the address bar...), several are from variants of searches regarding the Lamenters chapter and some are even from searches about Left 4 Dead (so presumably I mentioned that game at some point)... and a bunch of websites, including one which I cannot fathom as to why it's been referring people here.

Anyway, that's all for now (until I've processed my thoughts on Citadel Finecast). Toodles!

Ten Marines That Shook The World...

I have basecoated the yellow on one of my Lamenters squads. I have used a wash to shade said yellow. And I've started the first stage of highlights too.

Yes, you're reading this correctly. I am actually painting my Lamenters! Wheee!

In other news, I'm going to hold off any application to GW until I have finished learning how to drive. Seems sensible as it's quite likely I won't be able to work in Swindon.

I also may have bought the new Warhammer rulebook (gods that thing is heavy) and a Chaplain in Terminator Armour...

Selling My Soul

Lately I have been seriously considering working for GW, in like a shop and stuff, as a manager... they're recruiting right now and, well, it's a job I'd be passionate about. Currently waiting to hear back about a job with Big Oil (I'm so going to Hell) but if I don't get that I'll be in the local "Hobby Centre" later this week for a day to see what goes on and generally get a feel for it before making my final decision. It could be good, it could be rubbish. Big downsides is the possibility I'd have to re-locate and the potential loss of LRPing weekends.

Lamenters suddenly trendy?

I originally started this blog to chronicle an attempt at army building... specifically an army of the Lamenters Space Marine chapter, because I'd always liked the colour scheme and thought their background was rather nifty. Up until I did an old RT-era Marine in the Lameters' colours I had never heard of, much less seen, a painted Lamenter.

Now they're bloody everywhere! All of a sudden they got a mention and a picture in the Blood Angels codex (up to that point the link between the Lamenters and Blood Angels wasn't strictly canon) and now there are Lamenters armies popping up all over the flippin' place! Of course I, true to form, only have that one model still. And a whole bunch of ideas.