These guys are the Shotte portion of a Pike and Shotte army. They can also be used for Warhammer the Old World. I’m not sure when they’ll see the table. There are just so many to paint. Good thing this hobby is a long term thing ..read more

I haven’t painted a large unit of metal models in a long time. Sure I’ve painted the odd metal miniature,  but nothing compares to the weight of a full squadron of metal figures. I plan to used these for both Pike and Shotte 15th century wargaming and Warhammer the Old World ..read more

 The success of the old world in my area had me looking at alternative armies for the factions not yet supported. Fortunately, Warlord Games makes a whole range suitable for the Empire. I might even play Pike & Shotte as well. I think that is one of the side benefits to Warhammer coming back. Interest in historic games gets a signal boost ..read more

I've been having fun using speedpaints to paint miniatures that I might otherwise not paint. Speedpaint is just satisfying to use. I am a long way off from having enough models for a Hail Caesar game, but progress is being made. Now the questing is whether I keep painting models for this army, or I start my Italian wars Pike and Shotte army. The temptation is to just flitter around like a magpie.  ..read more

  With my Bretonnian army completed, I started working on the Empire of Man. It looks like GW borrowed the asthetic heavily from the German Landsknecht forces of the 1500s, so I painted accordingly. I wish I hadn't used purple since that was not common, but it was within reach so it got used. For my pikemen I will try to stick with yellows, blues, greens, and reds.  ..read more

 This little diorama is failed print that I just kept painting. It was really fun despite all of the printing flaws. I can recommend Highlands Miniatures wholeheartedly.   ..read more

This was a really fast and fluid paint job. I didn't worry about precision, but just let paint go where it wanted to go. I'm happy to finally have a 'modern' rhino in my Ultramarines force.    ..read more

I've always wanted to see what extra armor, the command kit, and the FW ultramarine doors would look like on a Land Raider. There's no time like now.  I've just started the paint chipping process with this model. Once the brown/black chips are done, I'll highlight them and then add a layer of matte varnish. At the moment the model is a mixture of satin and matte, which makes it look less unified. After that I get to tackle oils. I'm really looking forward to that phase, but till then....chipping...chip chip chipping..    ..read more

  Sometimes the laziest method works surprisingly well. After completing most of my Praetorians, I turned my attention to basing them. I had initially planned on making new scenic bases and casting them. I even started the process of doing that. Then inspiration struck. I live in a desert. My guard live in a desert. Let's just crab some dirt from outside and super glue it down. I'm surprised by how much I like it. The test base looks pretty good to my eyes. I think I'll add more rubble and junk to the bases, but with just a few tufts only these work. Here's to effortless basing ..read more

  Time to share some more work in process shots of the new army. I'm loving how these are turning out, especially for such old miniatures. Once I get them based, I'll setup a light box somewhere for some better photos. Light here in Arizona is rather intense, so my usual practice of just taking photos from my desk won't work any longer. I think that is a small price to pay to live in this beautiful desert. If you were wondering, yes, these will be desert based!  ..read more