Pods to Drop and Lands to Raid (part one)

After an exciting game of Warhammer 40K last Saturday, I discovered that my feeling about the technical benefit of Space Marines Drop Pods was correct and that I needed more of them! So I dove into my miniature closet for my other three unbuilt models  I got four of these Drop Pods in a sweet deal last spring, and the day they arrive I (sometime last June) immediately started working on the 1st one, only to not get it finished until January of this year (due mostly to all the traveling and time away from home my current job has me doing).

But while digging about on Easter Sunday, I stumbled upon a Land Raider Crusader kit that I must have started 8 or 9 years ago. I was painting the models on the sprue, much like how I did the Drop Pod actually, and probably moved before I could get to far into it.

I started to get back into it right around the time the Space Wolves Codex came out a year or so ago, only to find out that the metal blister packs inside were identical! This would make it impossible to build this correctly, and GW had long since cancelled this kit (the current Land Raider Crusader is all plastic). So, I went ahead and ordered the plastic sprue directly from GW. This would prove to not only be a more tactically advantageous option as far as the game was concerned, but also a more stable choice as well (plastic/metal hybird kits tend to be fragile).

So on Easter Sunday upon returning home from my Folk's house, I started to get really back into this kit. I started off by touching up and finishing the interior bits, and clipping of the commonets from the sprue to compete the 1st stage of construction. Although I'm not sure how much or well the interiors would be seen when done, I figured I wouldn't skip it anyway, as I loved the extra interior details.

So I got quite a bit done that night, which I shall detail in the next post (I'm just out of time tonight!)
But here is a glimpse:

'Til next time,

-Joel

Genesis

Finally, I'm creating a blog. This blog will serve as record for friends, acquaintances, and really anybody interested in following my hobby exploits. Primarily, for the current foreseeable future, this will mainly serve as a record of my model/miniature painting for Warhammer gaming. Currently my focus is WH40K but I occasionally dabble in Warhammer Fantasy (I have had blogs at Warhammer-Empire posted under 'neverness' as well. The primary inspiration for doing this blog is that I really enjoyed doing these at warhammer-empire and regret that I was unable to complete the blog I had started there. Mostly due to a re-focus on 40k for my part (and the ex takiing her far superior digital camera with her when she split, but that's toeing the TMI line.) which really doesn't have a big audience on that site.

Ok, a bit of background on me: I was properly introduced to Warhammer 40,000 while I was in 9th grade and living in the U.K. There my friend Trevor and his circle of friends had just got the 'Rogue Trader' hardcover and a box set or two of the original Space Marine boxed set. This was x-mas '88. By the end of that school year I had started my first ork army, which grew that summer as I saved up to buy some lead blisters (that's right, they used to sell figure made (mostly) of LEAD to kids! LOL) and not long afterward the first Space Ork plastics were released along with the amazing Ork books of the time. My brother, who is approx. 7 years younger than me, also got into these games, and he started an Ultra Marines army while I started a Space Wolves army, In fact, the Space Wolves were the first minis I ever attempted to paint. And all I had was the Space Marine starter set that only had 9 paint-pots in it! I still have (and sometimes use) these original models, and it's fun to see how my painting style evolved since '89. I'll post some pics soon! So, I'm still playing Space Wolves, Orks, and have collected many other armies that I intend to use this blog to inspire me to paint more.

'Old wolf' one of many painted to this...'standard'...back in '89-'90.

And the 'not so old wolf' painted around...'99?

BTW, another inspiration behind this blog, to force myself to get a GOOD camera! LOL
Hope you enjoyed, 'til next time,
-Joel