Painting projects, fliers, campaigns and contests :-)

On contests, I wound up winning the Wolf Scout and Samurai from Muninn's Brush ...  Probably not telling my wife :-)  She feels that the hobby area of the basement is really too crowded now...  But to be fair, my hobbies include ancient weapons, old firearms AND miniatures...  Right now restoring several old rifles (1890's Krag-Jorgenson rifle, US issue during the Spanish American war one of them), getting things ready for my "Klingon Wall" in the basement when I get around to finishing it...  Thanks for the Scout!

Finishing up my Consecrators (Dark Angels)...  Not a lot changed for me, NOT a complete repaint, so just the few new pieces to be painted and touched up...  Basically I need to piece together the few new pieces like a banner bearer/command squad.  As it happens, I have 40 or so ancient Powered Armor Marines that haven't seen the field for 3 editions in that army :-)...  Now, they're not too bad overall just have one major problem...

The Chaos Heldrake...  Purpose built to kill PA troopers, so being out in the open or even in cover means nothing at all...  Looking like I will be fielding some Rhinos for the AA missiles to get launched out of for a bit at least...  Need to break out some more of the hulls from deep storage and paint them up I guess...  Until then, more Terminator suits hit the field for me given the sheer number of these bloody things prowling locally at least...  It's clearly viewed by many as being under costed as I regularly see 2 of them across the table, usually with a third flier in a Vendetta.  While I like the Ally rules in general, this is where it gets a bit tiresome...  Seeing the exact same cookie cutter "ally groups" for a lot of folks.  It's a bit boring seeing the exact same under costed things all over the place.  Oh look, another IG ally with cheap Vets for the BS 4 and cheap Special Weapons fired out of the Chimera and/or a blob led by a Marine for ATSKNF/Stubborn/Fearless...  How original.  And a Vendetta or three AND Rambo?  Yeah, didn't see that coming :-)...  Not sure how I am feeling about the upcoming Flier book.  On one hand I am hoping they actually bring up the points for the 5th ed fliers that are clearly not costed on the same paradigm as the current ones.  I mean comparing the DA "dog-fighter" in the Nephilim to the IG Vendetta...  Yes, the DA does have a special rule that might in some circumstances actually bring down enemy fighters...  With it's ONE TL Las Cannon.  Or the IG can just shoot it down with it's THREE TL Las Cannons.  Oh, and the DA flier that is inferior in almost every respect costs 50+ points more...  So, not sure why people would field that if they can just do the safe alternative in fielding a small IG Kampfgruppe with the clearly superior Vendetta...  But like I said, it gets a bit boring seeing the same things over and over...

But back to the painting :-)  Yes, my Wolves are moving closer to the fore...  Praetorian IG are MUCH closer to complete.  Liking the Minwax for the quick and really pretty nice coating it puts on the minis.  So, I'll actually have a BUNCH of stuff fully painted ready to go.  Sadly, my Wolves are not one of them.  Being my first 40K army, I do think it is time for me to bring them up to a more modern and well painted standard...  Just not so sure they are really playable in the current environment.  :-)  Kind of bringing me full circle, I got back into the game mid 5th edition using the "unusable" 3rd ed Codex and did really well.  Think I will enjoy the challenge for a bit at least using the 5th ed Codex in the current environment...  A bit at least, at this point I am not so sure they will be able to survive the Heldrakes...  Guess we'll see what happens with the Flier expansion...