In 11 Days, We Ambush

I’m keeping track of all these notes on my phone and deliberately not starting a Project on OTT until I know I’m done. I’m sick of having a page of unfinished projects that I can’t just close down. This way, if I don’t manage it and walk away from the army, no one else will read these words.

If you’re reading them, spoiler, but I managed to finish the project in some satisfying way.

Project mantra is done, not perfect.

I got the notification about the army dispatching yesterday and so I sat down last night to throw together a painting scheme. Lining up the Contrast paints I already own and looking at the models I had a rough feeling of what I wanted it to look like. Similar to the box art but a little more unified. Armies like Nightstalkers by their very nature tend to look a bit disjointed because each unit is very different looking and there’s no uniform. 

Working on the story behind them, I reckon that some sort of energy has brought them into Panathor from another plane, probably through the ground. The bases will have broken stoneground on them and lines of the energy showing up through the cracks. This energy colour can then be worked into each of the units, even in a small way, to tie them altogether.

Each unit got a line in the planning document and the colours I wanted to use. Dark tones seem fitting for the army but I also like a fair bit of bright colour when I’m painting. I want the army to be fun to paint above all else right now.

Looking at the Contrasts I have, I realised I needed a few more for what I wanted to do. Normally I’d take a trip out of town a bit for an independent shop but I actually have a relief shift in a different part of the city today and have to go past GW to get home. They’re a nice bunch who are helpful and not pushy in the local branch so I don’t entirely begrudge them the full price. Okay, maybe a little. 

Getting home from work I set to work on bases for the regiments watching the UHH. The plan was to use cork sheeting torn up to represent stone but after a bit of digging, I have no idea where the cork sheets are in the hobby cupboard. Rather than getting caught up in finding them, I grabbed the nearest thing that could substitute in (some textured plasticard). Done, not perfect.

• For the energy tendrils I dug out a box of GW creeping vines, trimmed all the leaves off and superglued them onto the bases. 
• Next I cut and tore at the plasticard to get chunks of paving to sort of look like the energy pushed them up. The plasticard isn’t nearly as easy to work with as the cork would have been but the overall look is fine. I’ve no models to hand for test fitting so I’m trying not to make anything too wild. From working on the dwarves, there is less space on the bases than you think there is even with MMC.
• If I’d the patience, I’d have mixed up some Milliput to do the ground cover but it was easier and quicker to use filler. Splat it on, place the plasticard on top and then a light sprinkle of bird sand to add the first round of texture. I’ll probably do a second pass with some PVA once this has fully set but for a couple of hours work, three out of the four regiment bases are done. 

Time for bed.