Third Crimson Fist Tactical Squad

Slightly different blue dudes than the ones before...Seriously - what was I thinking when I armed the sergeant? Oh yeah, that was it.  Screw the points cost - what looks the killiest?

And now the bloody Goblins!

I’m going to blame the medication that I’m taking however it’s probably just my shonky brain...

Gerblinz - farsands of ‘em!

Not quite thousands, but the largest batch of models that I’ve painted in one go. For some reason, I thought that painting 96 Moria Goblins in one batch would be a good idea. I managed to not insert the blunt end of the paint brush into my ear and slam it into desk, thus killing myself, but I gave it serious consideration at one or two points.

These models had been under coated since 2009 and were built as an addition to a Moria Goblin army that I painted back in 2006/7.  The more recent models are not up to the standard of the original 100 or so Goblins, but I’ll be buggered if I’m painting eyes on 96 more Goblins.  Having said that, they are a pretty good match for the first batch.

Back in January/February, I also painted many spiders and wargs. Sorry, for the crappy pictures. I have yet to photograph the original army.  I have yet to paint 24 Gundabad Goblins and a Cave Drake...

Second Crimson Fist Tactical Squad

Painted shortly after the first squad, around 2002ish, and finally varnished at the end of last year - I’m nothing if not tenacious.  With each squad, I tried to have a theme - the first squad had close combat blades attached to their bolters whilst the second had scopes on their guns.  I even went as far as naming the squads - I think this was Scimitar squad.

First Crimson Fist Squad

This unit marked the start of the second iteration of my Crimson Fists army.  The original army consisted of plastic beakies and assorted RT era metal marines, of which only one painted example remains (somewhere).  This squad was constructed soon after the ‘new’ fully plastic boxed set came out and were painted sometime around 2002ish.  I stole the chainblade from an Epic Knight to recreate the attachment that came with the RTB01 set.

Things snowball...

So. All of the Eldar eBay purchases arrived and I seem to have amassed quite a collection. This post is for the beneficiaries of my poor impulse control - if you previously owned any of the models below, please rest assured that they will see battle once more.

Eventually.

Stripping of the Eldar that I already owned is almost complete and the models below are about to take a bath in Fairy Power Spray.  I also mounted an expedition up the lead mountain and came back with 15 plastic jet bikes, 4 Fire Prisms and a couple of Warlocks.  I’m debating whether to add the metal Wraithguard that I own.  They were supposed to be destined for my Iyanden force, but I think that my long-planned Iyanden force should have spangly new Wraithguard.  Bugger.

Oh Dear...

Towards the end of term, my mind kept wandering to a box that had lived in the corner of my office for the last three years.  In said box were the survivors of an Eldar army that I’d bought off a mate in the late 90s. I had coveted them for a few years, since White Dwarf 127 in fact, and was finally able to secure them.  A start was made in stripping and assembling them, but I got as far as half-base coating some Rangers before giving it up as a bad job.

Skip fourteen years and I was casting around trying to find a loaner army for the school gaming club. Using a large brush, GW’s foundation paints and copious enthusiasm, I speed-painted and based approximately 1500 points worth to use at school.  They were used (and abused) for about a year before I stopped running the club due to becoming disillusioned with the then GW approach to customer retention. I took them to my office when I moved classrooms and there they sat. Unused. Unloved.

I brought the box home at the end of term and assessed what was left.  A good start for an army however over the years (before being painted for the club army) the Swooping Hawks, Warp Spiders and Fire Dragons had all disappeared. It also needed the plastic lasgun Guardians replacing with something more suitable. An Easter weekend spent on eBay has secured the models necessary for just over 2000pts of infantry, predominantly Aspect Warriors.  Now I just need to wait for the postie to arrive...

Crimson Fists

When I first started collecting miniatures, it was very much with fantasy in mind.  I had been introduced to gaming through the Talisman board game, Fighting Fantasy books and a bit later on, the D&D red box set.  When I first saw Warhammer 2nd edition, there existed the odd picture with fantasy figures firing lasers, and I instinctively recoiled because...lasers...in fantasy?  You should never cross streams.  However, when Rogue Trader was released I instantly fell in love with the cover image.  It was dark and gritty.  The good guys were losing and I loved them for it.

After I had acquired my first marines (RTB01 boxed set), I eventually painted a Tactical squad, followed by a second, then some Devastators, a couple of Dreadnoughts, some characters - you get the idea.  I played endless games against a friend’s Harlequins and I think I won two games in about 100.  This was the era of random profiles, equipment and psychic powers.  My opponent would roll for the random stuff at home before he arrived and would conveniently have the most advantageous load-outs. He steadfastly refused to re-roll them as well (the twat). This was brilliant though because it allowed me to re-enact the cover of the Rogue trader book.  I (foolishly) gave the army away in the late 90s and only have my original medic left.

When GW released the ubiquitous Tactical boxed set in 2000 (?), I set about rebuilding my army.  I didn’t really game between 2001 and 2012 so putting the army together was more of a collecting thing.  I have painted about 5000 points worth which equates to half a Battle Company and 15 armoured vehicles, with another 15 vehicles and two and a half companies of marines awaiting paint (and have been since 2014).  Sometimes I over-do things a touch.

I also made a grievous error.  I’ve always painted both fists on my ‘Fists red, not making the connection with the fact that only veterans can have two red hands.  In my WH40k universe, the Crimson Fists have two red fists because otherwise the paint scheme wouldn’t balance and I’d have an army of power armoured Michael Jacksons.

Anyway, enough waffle...

This is the first model that I’ve painted for my marines in three years and was painted in late 2017.  May I present, Pedro Kantor.

Infinity Test Model

Another model painted last year as a precursor to a larger force (currently another 31 sat primed in a box). I wanted to try an urban scheme for Haqqislam yet without the ball-ache of painting a digital camo scheme.  I’m fairly happy with the result.

A wizard’s staff should have a knob on the end...

I painted this fellow last year as the main antagonist in the D&D campaign. He comes from the Nolzur’s Marvellous Miniatures range. I’ve left off the spell effect on his left hand, I’m still thinking about how best to incorporate it.  Overall, a reasonably good quality model, the detail is a bit soft in places, but nothing too horrible.