Relic Knights: [Noh] Render

For a change of pace from my recent Frostgrave soldiers, I dug out one of my figures from Relic Knights:  the Noh Render.

6MMRPC Midway Report

Copying the idea of a "midway report" for the 6MMRPC from Richard Barnes' Flames of Nerd blog, I wanted to provide a quick recap of the progress made during the last three months.  Granted, the halfway point was technically at the beginning of September, but I did get a late start on the 6MMRPC so it sort of works out.

Here is my current progress on my 6MMRPC Hit List:

1. (2) Troops of Abyssal Dwarf Slave Orcs (Kings of War) - completed
2. (5) Security Forces squad (Salvage Crew) - completed
3. (2) Orcs and (9) Goblins (Reaper Bones) - completed
4. Demon Marbrezuk (Reaper Dark Heaven) - completed
5. Deathsleet or Ebonwrath (Reaper Bones) - Deathsleet completed
6. (3) Doctrine Novitiates (Relic Knights) - completed
7. (6) Salvage Crew freelancers (Salvage Crew) - completed
8. (4) Pirates (Reaper Bones) - completed
9. (8) Edofleini core set (Counterblast) - currently being prepped
10. (7) Robots and Drones (Counterblast) - no progress 
11. (9) Robots and Drones (Salvage Crew) - no progress

As you can see, I've pretty much been moving in order down my list.  When I first drafted my 6MMRPC Hit List in June, I tried to mix up genres, game systems, and even material (plastic vs. metal) between my targets.  I think that was definitely a good call, as it's kept the challenge fresh and avoided potential burnout on any one thing.  That's definitely something I would recommend to any 6MMRPC participants who might have lost steam partway through.

As you can see, in addition to my "official" targets I've also completed a variety of other figures.  I'm still looking to finish the Bones I Vampire Set and earn the "Vampire Slayer" accolade (however unofficial it may be!).  I'm also really excited about Kings of War, and that's inspired me to dig out and repurpose some old Warhammer Fantasy models that have been lying in storage for years now.

For the less-than-great news:  I've totally lost track of Jokers.  Unfortunately, because I've been painting such an erratic selection of miniatures, it's hard to determine how many Jokers I've legitimately earned.  Also, my aforementioned excitement for Kings of War has resulted in a few eBay purchases to round out potential units (but by more than just a couple of figures, so they don't fall under that exemption on purchases).  And that's not including spending on the Bones III Kickstarter (um... let's not talk about that).

In conclusion, I think I'm doing very well in terms of painting existing figures.  I expect to complete my 6MMRPC Hit List by the end of the challenge, as long as I don't get too distracted by other projects along the way.  However, in terms of new purchases I've probably deviated and need to rein that in.  Still, the "mountain of metal (and plastic)" is slowly diminishing!

- M:M

6MMRPC Sixth Hit Complete

The sixth target for my 6MMRPC has fallen!  The Doctrine Novitiates are complete (and detailed in a separate post):

And in case you think I was slacking over the weekend, I cleaned and assembled two Reaper Bones dragons:  77323 Blightfang and 77328 Cinder.

These are the green and red dragons which go along with the black and white dragons from Bones I (Ebonwrath and Deathsleet).

With that done, here is my current tally for my 6MMRPC Hit List:

(EDIT:  my Hit List images were lost, so I wasn't able to re-upload them to a new location.)

Next up will be the last of the Salvage Crew figures, though I expect I may finish up some Bones I figures before moving to my seventh target.  I'm keen to get my Bones I figures completed and earn the "Vampire Slayer" title (plus clear the way to get into Bones II)!

- M:M

Relic Knights: [Doctrine] Novitiates

I finally finished up the three Doctrine Novitiates as part of my 6MMRPC Hit List:

6MMRPC Update: Sixth Hit WIP #2

So, just when I had my Doctrine Novitiates primed and read to go... my package of MicroArts scenic bases arrived.  I had ordered the Arcane set with the Doctrine in mind, so rebasing was in order.  However, I first had to wash and dry the bases to ensure that any mold release agent residue was cleaned off.  This is an important step, as the release agent is designed to help the figures pop out of the mold and will keep paint from sticking to the model.

Once that was done, I rebased the three Doctrine Novitiates and played with some ideas for color schemes.  I knew I wanted to incorporate the Doctrine's faction color of yellow (also the color of Essence esper, to which they are heavily tied).  Aside from that, I didn't have much of a scheme worked out.  Playing with some colors and using the Soda Pop studio models for guidance, I managed to get the three Novitiates basecoated:

So far I like how the color scheme is working out.  It's strange using so many bright colors, and kind of requires a different mindset when approaching the figure.  I want to be sure and keep the Relic Knight figures bright and flashy, as befitting their anime/manga style.

I expect to wrap up the figures some time this week, and I'll post a full summary once they're complete and I'm ready to move on to the seventh target on my 6MMRPC Hit List!

One final note, as a sort of community announcement:  the Bones III Kickstarter has a little less than a week left.  If you haven't taken a look at everything that's been unlocked, I highly recommend doing so.  You might as well burn all of those Jokers on something!

- M:M

Relic Knights: Boost Markers (Part 1)

I managed to sneak in a few Boost Markers from Relic Knights over the weekend:

I came across these while working on my Doctrine Novitiates (the sixth target on my 6MMRPC Hit List).  Boost Markers are used to represent Boosts in Relic Knights, which are buffs you can deploy along with your units.  While the markers aren't specifically tied to the available Boosts players can purchase, some of them do seem more suited for particular factions.  I used that as the basis for some of the paint schemes.

The taller piece and the small container with crossed swords both struck me as identifying with the Shattered Sword Paladins, so I went with a relatively clean and white/blue scheme (VGC Wolf Grey, Electric Blue, AP Dark Tone Ink).  The circular device with the skull matched the Star Nebula Corsairs symbol, so I went with a darker theme and an orange skull icon (VGC Coal Black, Wolf Grey, Orange Fire, AP Dark Tone Ink).  Finally, the fourth device didn't seem faction-specific, so I went with a general-purpose black/gray scheme (VGC Coal Black, Wolf Grey, AP Dark Tone Ink).  All of the bases were painted medium gray (MSP HD Concrete Gray) for a neutral color.

There are four other Boost Markers that I have to finish to complete the set.  Look for them in a future post!

- M:M

6MMRPC Update: Sixth Hit WIP

I didn't make a ton of progress on my actual 6MMRPC Hit List targets this week, though I did complete a couple of Bones figures so I haven't been idle.  I did manage to get the Doctrine Novitiates based, along with some of the other Relic Knights figures I had assembled.

Noh Kyojin Berserkers (2), Noh Render, Doctrine Novitiates (3), Darkspace Candy & Cola

While my actual Sixth Hit is just the three Doctrine Novitiates, I figured I could get all of the figures mounted and ready to paint while I was at it.  I did not pin the figures to the bases, but I've used an adhesive called E6000 which dries with a slightly rubbery texture and has some "give" to it.  So far it seems to be doing an excellent job of holding the figures even with minimal surface area (such as Darkspace Candy and Cola).  Hopefully it'll continue to work as well once the figures are being used in tabletop games.

While I was at it, I also ran across a pack of Boost Markers I had assembled.

Boost Markers serve as markers for various Boosts in Relic Knights, which represent a variety of gear that forces can bring with them.  The models are nice and could be used in a variety of games as objectives or scatter terrain, so I'll probably paint them up between projects.

- M:M

6MMRPC Hit List

While catching up the LXG blog, I learned of the 6 Month Mountain Reduction Painting Challenge or (6MMRPC for short).  The challenge runs from 01 June through 30 November, so I'm already a week behind!  Below are the official rules per the organizer at The Spider Web of History:


1. No purchasing of new miniatures, EXCEPT if you use a joker. You get three jokers to use on a figure purchase. Could be a blister pack, an eBay bundle, or a single figure... you can't splurge. The only exception to this rule is if you need bitz or A FIGURE (singular) to complete a unit/warband, etc.

1.1 - There is an opportunity to "earn" additional jokers. If you complete an entire project (whole unit/army/warband etc.) with pictures of starting, WIP, and completion, you earn yourself a joker.

2. Gifts do not count against you (holidays, birthdays, etc.). Also, if you're given gift cards by your hobby illiterate family or friends, you can without penalty use them on anything you want miniatures wise.

3. Paints, terrain (or materials), and other hobby supplies do not apply to the no purchasing rule.

4. At least one hobby-related blog post and/or Instagram update a week. If you Instagram, be sure to hashtag your pic with #6MMRPC.

5. Zombtober will be part of the 6 month challenge so, Zombie related stuff during October is ENCOURAGED. Other theme suggestions are welcomed.

6. Anyone that wants to submit a before and after picture of a miniature that they are proud of completing during the course of the challenge to dmcffd@gmail.com will be entered into the running for a gift certificate to a online wargaming store of their choice. Judging will be by an un-biased person. Amount on the gift certificate will be dictated by winners nationality but should work out to about $30 U.S. I (Spiderweb of History) will not be eligible to win.

Before we get to the actual hit list, I have a couple of notes pertaining to my participation:

- I do not use Instagram, so expect all updates on my blog (as usual!).

- I do not own an airbrush, so everything will be painted by brush (so no quick starts!).

- I will endeavor to stick with the spirit of the rules regarding new purchases!  However, since some of my selections aren't "units" in the typical sense, I'll be using my best judgement on how many jokers I have available.  That said, I expect them to be used primarily on Kickstarters (*cough*Bones III*cough*).

With all of that out of the way, on to Magnus Mercury's Hit List for the 2nd Annual 6MMRPC!

1) Kings of War - Abyssal Dwarf Slave Orc Troops (2) (11 figures)

I've been working on these Slave Orc units since I completed my Undead units, and I'd like to get them finished.  As you can see, I've added a Reaper Bones orc and some other details to the mix.

2) Salvage Crew - Security Forces (5)

It's been a while since I progressed with the Salvage Crew Saga, and this is a great opportunity to complete the Security Force figures in one go.

3) Reaper Bones - Orcs (2) and Goblins (9)

The last remaining orcs and goblins from Reaper Bones I.  I already have a paint scheme selected, now I just need to get them done.

4) Reaper Dark Heaven - Demon Marbrezuk (1)

This being a sole figure, I consider it reward for progress made to this point.  I painted this figure many years ago, and for some reason I never finished it.  It's time to get some closure!

5) Reaper Bones - Deathsleet or Ebonwrath

I haven't yet selected which of the two dragons I will be painting, as I'm still working on a suitable base (because until that's done, all I think is "go home dragon, you're drunk").  However, if I manage to complete everything in my list, the second of these two dragons will be a backup choice.

6) Relic Knights - Doctrine Novitiates (3)

Prepped and ready to go, but my Relic Knights figures got pushed aside.  I think this will be a good change of pace and excuse to use some louder colors.

7) Salvage Crew - Freelancers (6)

These will be the last remaining Salvage Crew figures, and then I will have the entire batch complete.  If I can get this far, then it's time to sprint to the end!

8) Reaper Bones - Pirates (4)

Why haven't I painted the Pirates set from Reaper Bones I yet?  This is criminal, and needs to be corrected!

9) Counterblast - Edofleini Faction Core Set (8)

I love retro sci-fi, so the Counterblast KS was a no-brainer.  Now it's time to settle in and get to work on some menacing alien squids.

10) Counterblast - Robots and Drones (7)

Counterblast has some awesome robots and drones, and this will be a good change of pace from all of the organic Edofleini figures.

11) Salvage Crew - Robots (9)

Bonus round!  If I get this far, I'll tackle the bonus robot figures from the Salvage Crew KS.  The variety of designs really presents a chance to go wild with some color schemes.

So there it is, my hit list for 6MMRPC.  It seems ambitious, but I think the point of any painting challenge is to challenge oneself.  In the unlikely event that I complete everything listed above, I have plenty more figures to fill in the gap!  I look forward to tracking my progress over the coming weeks and months, and hopefully making good progress on the "mountain" of miniatures!

- M:M

Relic Knights: [Doctrine] Librarian

This marks the first of my Relic Knights figures to be painted:  the Librarian from the Doctrine faction.