Happy New Year!

Hi All,

Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas!

I know, I know, its been like almost forever since I've put anything onto this blog. I've neglected my eldar way too long now to be ignored so rest assure, I will put some paint onto those models that I've stockpiled all this while.

I was busy finishing my 4th Company Ultramarines and I'm glad to report that I'm 2 models away from painting all my space marines inventory. Below is the link to my other blog on the progress. Overall I think my average on the models quality are about 6.5-7.0 on CMON rating. I'm pretty satisfied with it. It took me about 6 months to complete the army (in between work, family and moving around).

Ultramarines 4th Company http://ventris-4thcompany.blogspot.com/

As if I don't have enough on my hands, I just got hooked to Space Wolves!

Yep, as I am about to finish one space marine chapter, the next one will certainly start soon. I've just started another blog dedicated to this army and will post up more as soon as I've planned an army list and my next order purchase.

New Space Wolf blog http://sons-of-fenris.blogspot.com/

So what about my other armies? Well, as for my Imperial Guard http://byzantum.blogspot.com/ I'll be continuing where I left, and even better equipped now with more bitz from my much collected space marines sprues. I'm keen to start off again with some heavy armour. I've got some OOP models like hellhound and demolisher waiting to be assembled. Soon, I'll order some reinforcements like Valkyrie and perhaps a centerpiece for my regiment(a baneblade perhaps?). I think I've experimented and practiced well enough with my space marine mech, and gain more confidence in painting imperial vehicles with the right weathering effects.

I've not been updating my Tau blog as well.

http://huntercadre.blogspot.com/.

I have been moving several places lately, due to work and commitments and have not a chance to get in touch with local gaming communities and certainly no gaming activities and battle report for months. Hence there is no posting for an army which I've completed 6 month ago. If time (and budget) permits me, perhaps I'll get my hands on some of those juicy Forgeworld battlesuits, especially the recetly released XV-9.

A travelling hobbyist like me who has been travelling with his gear is rather good at being a pack rat. I have a reservoir of newly painted models which i can't wait to give them a baptism of fire as soon as I am able to settle down to a more permanent location and to get to know a gaming club and play some games. I look forward to next year as there is prospect of this happening very soon.

Until then, have a great new year everyone!

Revenant Titan Kit

I got back to Abu Dhabi to find myself with a surprise, a late birthday present from my beloved wife, which arrived here during my absence. She was hoping that I'll received it before my trip back to Kuala Lumpur, but the mail just missed me by a day, it was great nonetheless! She really made my day :D

Shown here are parts which I've laid across, to check and make sure all the parts are there. Some warped pulsar will just need a bit of hot water to get it straighten up but overall, the quality is fantastic and the resins are well detailed. Different head options and transportation convenience calls for magnetic parts. I intend to customize a carry case just for it.

Can't wait to get it started!

Fire Dragons

Here are some of my refurbished fire dragons ready to do some melting on the waves of Imperial tanks out there. I'm thinking of fielding a dozen of these in 2 squads to get some close up action with the help of my grav tanks.

Hobby-ing Away....

In the process of completing my Tau army and in between that a taste of IG and Space Marines, I realized that my painting style and skills have been improving over the past >2 years of painting and hobby. Some of my earlier models of the Eldar army I’ve started with are pretty much amateurish and at present moment, I find rather unacceptable, knowing that I could have done better. Some of these models are my favorite ones with many kills in their records like Fire Dragons and my favorite Dire Avengers. Not to mention, my jetbike squads has lots of highlight and details missing on them and just wouldn’t do the honor of this fierce wind-raider warhost!

Lots of them are done in quick dry brushing and thin ink and highlights that just wouldn’t do.So, I’m dedicating the next few days trying to refurbish and upgrade the appearance of the war-host (in the same time, alternate with my other armies too) and bringing it to a more acceptable level, making every piece counts and as complete as possible. At least up the the level of my recently completed Tau army : http://huntercadre.blogspot.com/2009/05/tau-army-completed.html

In the same time, I’m customizing some traveling case for the army. I’ve now 2 active and completed army for a variety of configurations at all points level up to average of 2500pts for my Saim Hann and Tau Cadre. I’m using aluminum tool boxes purchased from Carrefour hyper-mart (USD15 each), and lots foams from ACE hardware (for some reason, I can’t get them here in Abu Dhabi, the stock I’ve been using are the ones I’ve purchase from Malaysia, much better equipped back home). These foams are customizable, and I’ve cut and assembled them to maximize the volume, and shapes of the model to fit the case. I can fit one entire army in one case with 3 tier of customized foam tray each.

These boxes are made from aluminum, which gives a more solid feel, very rigid and about 5-6 inches shorter compared to the length of the GW Army Case, relatively light and has enough padding on the inside surface for the extra security. I’m not worried about checking them into baggage for my travels and let the baggage crew swing them around. I did some swinging test myself and everything inside looks untouched and safely secured.

Painting Agenda

Here are some link to some of the recently completed works on my other sites. Eldar is my first army before I started with Marines, Tau and IG. Back then, I was less confident in experimenting and most of the Eldar models are not up to par with my latest models in my other armies. In my next project, I'm moving back to my eldar army, which I'm trying to upgrade in terms of its appearance and making sure that my first army is painted to a quality display standard or good table top quality at the very least.

Stay tune for more!


Recently completed Byzantum Guards Sentinels
http://byzantum.blogspot.com/2009/05/completed-first-sentinel.html

An Ethereal and his honor guards are ready to spread the Greater Good...
http://huntercadre.blogspot.com/2009/05/completed-ethereal-and-honor-guards.html

Experimenting mix of catachan and cadian sprue for my veteran demolition/melta squad

http://byzantum.blogspot.com/2009/04/platoon-and-veteran-squad.html

Finishing all my suits to complete my Tau collection

http://huntercadre.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-completed-suits.html

New Recruits!!

Further to my Imperial Guard craze, I've painted up more guards as a test of batch painting...

Here's the link for more pics:http://byzantum.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-recruits.html

Imperial Guard fever

With all the hype on the new IG codex, I'm somewhat caught in the bug and ready to build a new IG army soon! I've made some purchase on some IG models but will now wait for the new codex before I begin mass assembly, just to be sure I get what I need in the army organization.

In the meantime, I'll just write some fluffs, develop some concepts and perhaps test paint a guardsmen or two.

A new blog has been prepared for this new army and I can't wait to fill it up soon with more modelling and painting projects!

http://byzantum.blogspot.com/

Stay tune!

Allegria, Cirque du Soleil

It's really weeks of harlequins for me!

Just as I've finished painting my harlequins, Alegria of cirque du soleil is in town, as if to reward me for finishing the paint-job. Well not exactly to my town in Abu Dhabi but in Dubai, which is only an hour of driving. I've enjoyed the other troupe in Singapore, Quidam and can't wait to see what's in store here, which I'm sure its more than a bunch of guys/girls in tights!

Bell of Lost Souls

I've just registered to be in one of the blogrolls for Bell of Lost Souls' Alliance. Just in case you haven't heard its one of the most comprehensive and informative blog out there on anything to do with miniature wargaming. Once it is accepted, its gonna be more blogging with WH40 and anything got to do with painting and miniature wargaming!

Harlequins Completed

On my painting table, there's a tray of completed assembled miniatures, which I've sort of made a rule, that I should try to finish painting all of those miniatures before I begin to assemble anything else. That way, I'll think twice before assembling the next exciting model that comes along and neglect some of the models I've already assembled/based.

Of course, rules are meant to be broken...

These harlequins have been on my tray for a good few months now, being put on hold, partly because other exciting models like tau mech got my attention and partly because i was nervous to make an attempt on them, as the quality of deliverables on these guys are relatively of a higher standard.

Well, as seen here, eventually I put my foot down and got it painted, and painfully slow it was! Really, its all in the mind and when you put the effort into it and after the first model was done, the rest comes rather naturally.

It's gonna be exciting now that I have a completed harlequin squad to play and its equally exciting to see that my tray is empty again! More models on the way!

Thanks for viewing and comments are welcomed!