Lack of updates - Arid's African Adventures

Hey guys, sorry about the lack of updates, but I am currently about 5900 miles from my models in a cosy hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, doing RL things and wotsits.

I'll be updating sporadically from my facebook page, which you can access by clicking the sexy blue icon to your right, and maybe I'll even post a couple of pictures of what I'm doing out here!

I return home on the 26th, so until then, totsiens my geliefde lesers!!

Spotlight - Mini Wargames Conversions

I'm new to this blogging thing. The whole network of blog's and posts and "The Blogosphere" is something very unknown to me, and something that I entered with trepidation. I see so many awesome blogs, with hundreds of images of awesome models and paintjobs, and I see the comments of "Ooh" and "Aah" and "Have my children!!" and I decided early on, I want people to tell me that stuff. Even the kids part. But I had no freaking idea how to do that.

AHHH ARID YOU ARE SO AWESOME

You see, the blog network is a busy place. Each blogger has their own pedestal, but if you are just starting out, like me, there are a lot of people with bigger pedestals, louder voices and crowds of rapturous fans, and it's very easy to get caught in the shadow, become disheartened, and give up.

However, there are those bloggers out there who want the little guys to thrive, to help them and build up the crowds of fans and make their voices louder and the pedestals taller, because they love the hobby, and they want to see what the little guys can do.

Ch-ch-ch-check 'em out!!

One of the best examples of this is Mini Wargames Conversions. Matt and the rest of the crew want to see what you can do, and showcase your models and talents to the world. They are determined to become the biggest and best hub of Miniature's, be it 40k, Fantasy, or whatever. They want to show off you and your work, and say "Hey, you should offer some kids to this guy! He's great!!"

But that's not all. Check out their Facebook Page and you can have a chat with Matt and they guys, as well as many other hobbyists from all over the world (I have already made friends with dudes from Australia, Canada, Sweden, the U.S and England, all in one week!!).

So, be it converting, painting, techniques or tutorials, go check these guys out, you will not regret it.

(And while you are at it, check out the other sites on the left, amazing guys all)

Space Marine - The game, a short review

Well, I've been playing Space Marine until my eyes are ready to fall out of my face, finished the campaign and put a good few hours into playing the multiplayer, and I have this to say-

It's awesome. Go buy it.

I bought the collectors edition on a whim, and hoo boy am I glad I did.

Its HOOJ. The art book is awesome, and as I type this I have the music playing away, which makes me want to go play the game again now. The purity seal is also pretty rad, and has the Emperors words when he first made the Astartes written on it.

The campaign is very good, although there are some points when you are walking through barricaded areas full of ammo and high vantage points and there are no Orks, which makes me think that either they had to take enemies away, or they simply forgot to put some in there. Also bomb squigs are annoying.

I have been playing a lot of multiplayer with Jack over at Reds-Corps and we both agree on a few points with the multiplayer; Needs more maps, needs games to be fairer (being a level 1 and armed only with a bolter and a knife againt a level 30 with a storm bolter and feel no pain and a meltagun isn't very fair, although you do get to steal his loadout for one life if he kills you) and the lag can be horrendous.

Dont let this put you off in any way though, because it is still insanely good fun plummeting from the skies on trails of fire, smashing your armoured boot into that snipers face, and finishing him off with a skull crushing blow from your thunder hammer.

hehehehe

The last piece I want to talk about is the customizer, which I think makes this game that more fun. You unlock it at level 4, and from there you have to unlock more pieces of armour by doing challenges, such as saving a teammates life 25 times or killing 50 enemies in close combat. All these bits of armour are mix and match-able, and you can paint them to you liking. A nice touch is using the Citadel colour range for the painter, and so you can use your colour scheme with ease.

White Scorpion Veteran Allendros ready for battle!

So please, do yourselves a favour and go and buy this. It really is good, and I dont think you will be dissapointed.

Motivation - A hobbyists dilemma.

Motivation is a word I often see used around the various forums I visit, and more often than not its about having a lack of it. Not having the motivation to finish something, or even to get started, is a killer in this hobby, and I'm almost sure its what stopped me 4 years ago.

When I first saw the Severin Loth kit on the Forge World website, thats what motivated me to start again. Its awesomeness sucked me back in like the evil Romulan dude in the spiky spaceship got sucked into the black hole at the end of the new Star Trek film. It motivated me to start writing background for a new chapter, it started motivating me to come up with a colour scheme, it motivated me to plunge all this money into buying space marines from the four corners of the globe.

 Must... buy... Contemptor....

But already I can feel the drive to get it all done is slipping. Self imposed deadlines are missed, projects are started but never finished, and while I want to get them all done, having the motivation to get all the way to the end is hard to come by for me.

I have seen the results of when I push really hard to keep myself motivated with my Severin Loth model, which I honestly feel is my best work to date. But trying to keep it up for every single one of them is hard work. In truth, its kinda why I started this blog; to keep myself motivated and plough through until I get an army that I am truly happy with.

Like I have said, I often see the complaint of a lack of motivation to finish or start things, and so the question I ask you all is: How do you keep yourselves motivated when it comes to your hobby? Be it praise, relief, satisfaction or the promise of happy rainbow smiles, please leave a comment and tell me how you do it.

Couple of things I'm working on...

So, spent tonight working on a couple of things for my White Scorpions army.

A couple week back I managed to snag a 2008 GD Captain from ebay for 7 quid, so tonight I cleaned him up (he was a bit of a mess flash wise) and put him on a base. Going to use him as a display piece for my army more than anything, but he is too cool not to use.

I think he looks pretty neat, looking forward to painting him.

Next up is my Techmarine. Its the legs and torso from the Iron Hands kit, the head from the Forge World character conversion kit and and old servo arm from the 1999 techmarine I had.

Also finished the sculpting and concept of my Beserker (counts as wulfen) models. This guy look badass enough?

Last of the White Scorpion Stuff, the Devastator Sarge, started painting him already, this guy will be the colour standard for the whole army. Im about 2-3 steps in (Black Undercoat, Liche Purple/Chaos Black all over, Liche Purple leaving the very deepest recesses, purple wash, Liche again) but he's coming along, and he contrasts nicely with the base:

Did a little bit of work on the Blood Ravens Charity Project Chaplain when I was away, just need to finish the Golds now and he's done. Pretty pleased with him, I hope whoever wins him like him as much as I do!

Aaaand thats all for tonight, will post again when I've finished the Chaplain and done some more work on the Scorps.