Oldie's Hobby Night

I went along to my FLGS last night, for Oldies Hobby Night. The first time I've made it along, although I have been planning to for a while. A good evening, and good to catch up with people I haven't seen for a while. I didn't manage to find an opponent for Dystopian legions, but I did get a 150 point game of Infinity in. This is only the second time my Highlanders have come out to play, and they managed a much better showing than the last time. A fun game, and an impetus to get on and paint these guys. They've moved on down in the paint queue, and nothing has been added since I first put brush to metal, and that was a while ago. There's no reason not to finish them though, as I only have 8-9 minis. Well, except for all the tartan...

Another fun game that was being played was WFB at 500 points This is a fast and simple way to play the game, although it may lack some of the straegic aspect of longer games. This does give me a use for my Bretonnian archers. All I need to do is scrape together another 2 units and a hero or two, but that should be easy enough. Especially since  saw some knights in the bits box at my FLGS. Full army, no cost, just the way I like it! It seems, from trolling the web, and not buying any books, that a 500 pt Bretonnian list entails a champion, a unit of knights, a unit of men-at-arms, and a bunch of peasant archers (with the odd character mini/musician here or there). Maybe swapping out the unit of men-at-arms for another unit of knights. Seems simple enough and attainable. 

First step, go paint my bag-o-archers. I think I'll go with a historical palette anyway, that way they can be used for other games too.

Otherwise, in the same bits box are a few woodelves, which I could put together with these guys. Afterall, 2 armies at that points range is never going to break the bank. Right?

Infinity: Highlander Cateran

A lovely model isn't it. Not OTT in it's stance, but realistic, and the scenic basing really sets him apart from the other sniper models, who stand in (what I think to be) an unrealistic fashion. I like it, so I ordered one. However, whilst ordering it, and looking at the pic online with the guy at my FLGS, we wondered if he really came with that 40mm scenic base, as it is larger than the 25mm base he is fielded with in the rules.

So which was it, normal base and that's just a pic, or a larger base with included scenery.  The answer?

Both!

Yes, that's right, the box contains the normal 25mm base, and a larger 40mm base. This means that you have the option of either the large scenic base, as shown below, or to base him for use in game.

Option 1: Full scenic

I'm a bit miffed by this, as one of the reasons to buy him is the way the model is set in all the pictures of him online, but yet you cannot use him like this in game (well, I guess in theory you could, but he'd be making a big target of himself all the time, which is not what you want from your sniper). How dare you give me choice? What do you think I am, some kind of hobbyist who spends his time modelling and tinkering with models? Oh, wait, right.

Option 2: Game legal

So, the question is, what to do? I could go with option 1: do him up on the full 40mm scenic base, with the realisation that I'll hardly ever play the game anyway, and when I do, suck up the larger base for all the difference it would likely make. Or is it to be option 2: go with the smaller base, with the small rock/staircase that is included, thereby being completely game-legal, but to my mind, losing some of his charm.

Option 3: Can't be arsed!

There is of course option 3, where I try to arrange some kind of set-up with wires/magnets/mirrors, where I can display him on the full base, and take this apart to be able to field him on the game-legal 25mm base. This sounds the most fun, but is in the end the least likely option.

Option 4: Half-way house.

Most of those I see in the forums (well, ok, I found 2) were based on the 25mm base with half the wall added. This goes way over the edges, but still doesn't look too bad. Seems to be a half-way house between most of the scenics kept, and large (but not 40 mm base size) presence on the battlefield.

Decisions, decisions!

Caledonian Highlander Army WIP

Here's the WIP shot of the Caledonian Highlander Army I'm working on. The SAS  has been quickly finished to less than table- top, but is the most complete. Next up is my piper/medic for my Caledonian Volunteers. The mini is Piper Bill Millin, from the Warlord Bolt Action range, but he fits in perfectly with the scale. I would have prefered if he were wearing a glengarry, like the rest of his squadmates, but I can live with the beret as I have yet to source heads wearing glengarries. I'd also like to add a rifle, like his comrades, just to bring the mini up to the same tach level as the rest of the group, but I don't really think it'll be an issue, afterall, the Highlanders in this game seem a little behind the times technologically speaking. Also, from my limited exposure to the game, the mini doesn't have to replicate exactly the arms he is allegedly equiped with in game. A red cross on one of his packs and we're good to go.

You can see I've started to try the tartan on the volunteer on the far right of the threesome. They'll be wearing government issue, or Black Watch tartan. I found a neat little tutorial on how to paint it and other tartans here. I think I'll be using my fine point marker for the black lines, to tidy up the join between blue and greed, and also to keep the line uniform. However, there's a sheen to the marker pen from some angles I'll have to work around. Maybe a layer of matt varnish at the end to tone it down.