From the Chicago Battle Bunker

*squealing tires* Sorry, Wargames Con Test Game...

EDIT: Okay, evidently I'm playtesting for something called the Wargames Con.  Why the change?  No reason they're gonna explain.

Here's my Bolt'n'Breath Daemons list vs Big Whit's Salamanders in a 2000pt test game for the upcoming BoLSCon Wargames Con tournament.  I asked Whit to bring Vulkan and a Librarian with Null Zone... well, 1 out of 2 ain't bad.  This isn't a terribly tactical game; Whit stuck to his plan and forced me to go after the points - and that's exactly the sort of game that concerns me in a tournament.

The major realization in this game was my absolute reliance on Breath of Chaos in my Heralds of Tzeentch.  There is a school of thought that the Heralds should keep their distance, shooting Bolt and Gaze from a distance of 24-inches away.  I tried that in this game and it simply doesn't work.  I use my Heralds as disruptors, and often that means making aggressive, suicidal moves to open up a game for the rest of my list.  You'll notice in this game that I ended up closing the distance regardless, using them to screen my Fiends among other things.

Big Red, Are You Out There?

Mmm... I've tried calling out Big Red from Bell with my Pre-Heresy Deathguard getting shot up but he hasn't taken the bait.

What, does he expect us to believe he's busy or somethin'?

Red, don't make me go all Voodoo Hoodoo on the mini... that is, even more than I've already done.

Ah well, until he drops by, I've snagged pics of Little Barrera's Vargulf.  We're all catching the Fantasy bug, what with playtesting the new rules.  So far we've all really enjoyed it.

Big Red, You Asked For It...

...so here it is.  I'm puttin' it to ya, Red.

A Weird Dancing Dude

I snagged this video after seeing it in passing on TV.  My wife was watching a morning news show and I commonly look at the people who show up... that's entertainment!  Anyway, I laughed when I saw this dude just dancing for no apparent reason.  I thought I'd pass it along to brighten your Sunday.



What else is there to say?

Hard Boyz Finals 2009: Suckage, Redux

I went 1-2 at Hard Boyz 2009 in Chicago, so I was naturally pretty disappointed. One doesn't spend money on a plane ticket and a hotel room with the idea they're going to be middle of the road. Still, I like to learn from my losses, so I find myself thinking about those far more often than my successes, be it games or events.

Given the magnitude of the suckage here, I find myself thinking about this one a lot.  A LOT.

What's bad about this one is how I brought it on my myself.  How so?

I changed my list the day before getting on the plane.

(What's that?)

Warhammer 8th Edition: Test Game

So, last Tuesday the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) sent me the message to meet at high noon to duel with pistols... or rather, to get in our first game with Warhammer 8th Edition.

To the Master Manipulator

(every store needs one)... that wasn't a stink eye.

For No Apparent Reason... Again

I got my Eye of Horus on you...

...

(What, they all have to be serious?)

Living in the Era of Internet Advice

Sometimes I wonder how much we're capable of learning from blogs and forums.

It can be a bit depressing. There is so much information out there, but it can be difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Leaving that out of the equation though, I think we put ourselves in too much of the argument.

Evil Homer's Doings

So here we are, the arrival of a new rules set for Warhammer Fantasy. I have the models and a Codex, but no rule book. I've seen it, and like many, have avidly followed the rumors but since I have never played fantasy before many of rumors make little sense. I've been bugging the MM(esno) for about 2 weeks to explain them to me. Then I see the $75.00 dollar price tag for the rule book and I balk at paying that. I think I am holding out for the mini-rulebook assuming there is one.

JWolf: Rousing the Sleeping Beast

My recent-real-rant, grossly misunderstood I'm sure, did more than raise the odd eyebrow, it woke up JWolf.  That was an unintentional byproduct of said rant, proof positive the pen is mightier than the sword...

Gamer Porn

"What," says our hero, waking upon a new day fresh with excitement and two days removed from a misunderstood rant, "is this I see in the mail, arrived just today from France?"

*heartbeat quickens.  palms are sweaty.  it cannot arrive too soon...*

Rangers and Pathfinders, Oh My!

No, this isn't Honoring Battleforce Armies: The Eldar Edition.  This is a quick look at Rangers and Pathfinders, written as a comment to Fritz' article on Bell.  I decided to post it here... 'cause I'm lazy and it saves me the trouble of thinking of another idea.

Cliff Notes Rant

The problem with using pop-culture references as the punchline for a strange rant is when nobody knows what the hell you're talking about.  It goes from strange right to crazy.

Drinking the Kool Aid

I wanna be super-serial whicha uno momento, s'il vous plait.  I've just downed the Kool Aid and it turns out it was spiked.  Here's some rambling stream of unconsciousness comin' at ya.

Chances are, someone thinks you suck.

Honoring Battleforce Armies: Necrons

Hello, hello!  Today on Honoring Battleforce Armies the Strictly Average Edition tm, we look at that most unimpressive of races, the Necrons.

Yes, the Necrons - proof GW should release yearly updates in order to sell more models.  Hell, we'll settle for every three years, won't we boys and girls!  Every five?

Not-So-Super-Secret BoLSCon Army...

...test model.  Finally!

I really, really appreciate the help Lauby from Lauby Industries (yea, yea) gave me.  His post really pointed me in the right direction, especially with the idea of using gold.  I wasn't going in that direction with my previous efforts, but once I tried it I realized it was spot on.  I'm hoping you folks like the scheme... and okay, obviously I like it, but I'm not set in stone here.  This is not me asking for feedback that I'll then bitch about.  Let me know what you think and I'll definitely accept any suggestions.

A few notes here:

• I had a hard time finding a test model to stand in for the army, which is obviously a Footdar variant.  I chose this one because it has large areas of cloth, armor, and skin - all of which the army has.
• It's a model I like but don't have an immediate use for.  I've been looking forward to painting it for some time.
• I haven't worked out a design for the tattoos, so they look a bit random on this fig.  Remember the armor will look more appropriate purple than it does here.  
• I'll be using a neon green for the flames and guns, but only in moderation.
• This was a speed-paint.  Taking out the time needed for drying, I maybe spent 40 minutes painting it.  That said, I won't have the luxury of much more time per mini for the army... BoLSCon is 45 days away, after all!
• The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) might recognize it as a model he gave me.  I hope he appreciates the use I put it to.

Okay, that's it - thoughts?

A Bit of Nothing - Video Battle Reports

It's a slow day, what with all those people killing each other at the second round of Hard Boyz 2010.  Man, I wish I was there.  *sigh*

So I'm going to be working all day on my team tournament army, so hopefully I'll have a test model or two done and ready to show you fine folks for criticism.  Given that I'll probably post later today I didn't want to invest in an involved post, so here are the links for my last three video battle reports.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocdHvBq0Cds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkQOqZeXU-g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGhI9TIjc30

Enjoy, or not - your option!

BoLSCon Objective Markers

I finally finished the construction of my super-secret BoLSCon 2010 project, so now all that's left is painting them.  I'm working on some test models based on the advice from Lauby over at Lauby Industries ('cause I can't spell his name - I shorten everything, don'tcha know).  Once I have some test models finished I'll post them for feedback.

So, to congratulate myself, I've decided to showcase my objective markers - another of the BoLSCon projects...

A Few Reasons To Vote

What can I say?  This is a blatant attempt to buy your vote.  The hours are counting down... Vote Brent.

As an aside, what do folks think of Seekers in 40K?  I only have 5 currently, but with the new models coming out I'm taking a closer look at them.

...a closer look...

(Sad, I know.)

Heralds of Tzeentch Finished!

So, here are my Heralds of Tzeentch for my optimized Daemons list.  I'm pretty happy with them.  Thoughts?

Super-Secret is Super-Tough

Let's face it...

... this is basically a 40K blog.

I reserve the right to talk about anything and everything hobby related, and of course I do.  Still, I've never deviated from my passion.  While I enjoy talking about Confrontation and other games of all sorts, I love Warhammer 40K.

Part of the problem is all the super-secret...ness of my BoLSCon preparation.  For weeks I've been hard at work on stuff I can show you yet.  That does suck, 'cause I'm looking forward to it.

So, what's the solution?  I've got some ideas.

http://z11.invisionfree.com/Work_In_Progress/index.php?

Until then, check out this site, recommended to me by a dude commenting on my Strictly Plasticard article on Blood of Kittens.  This is proof a silver Storm Raven can work.

Just not mine...

Mr. Norris' Statline...

Herr Fernseher, the original Mr. TV himself, posted a somewhat long reply to Morbidly Obese Monkey's brilliant question, What's Chuck Norris' Stat Line? Sorry guys - I had to pass this along to the unsuspecting public. What follows was dictated to Fernseher by Mr. Norris himself...

Someone in the Blog of War finally asked a Meaningful Question.

My "modest" answer was too long for the comments form, so it has been relegated to a much smaller readership. Here are a few of my Special Rules for including Chuck Norris in your 40k army:

Important Things to Do:   Chuck Norris is a busy man, and therefore always successfully seizes the initiative. Any army including Chuck Norris will NOT deploy any units other than Chuck Norris, as all other units are superfluous and therefore a waste of Chuck's valuable time. The enemy army will (quickly) line up at a place to be determined by Chuck Norris (not Chuck Norris's "controlling player," because who but Chuck can control Chuck Norris?) and prepares themselves for an ass-kicking (or worse).

Game Breaker:  Chuck Norris is not just a Special Character; he's an EXTRA special character. He doesn't just break bones; he breaks entire games as well and therefore may not be used in standard tournament play--UNLESS he wants to be used, in which case it would be wise to view this "rule" as more of a "guideline." If two players cannot agree on this issue, roll a D6 and on a 1+, Chuck Norris gets his way. We find this is typically the least bloody, least tearful way to resolve all possible disputes involving Chuck Norris at the gaming table.

Epic Win:  Chuck Norris always wins. (Sorry to waste ink on the obvious, thus driving up the price of this codex for you, the consumer. However, Games Workshop insisted on that line for the sake of clarity. Why they started bothering with that now is a mystery, but it may have something to do with a fear of reprisal from Mr. Norris. If only Mr. Norris would condescend to be on the Board of Directors at Games Workshop, we might see some real improvement in the rules. Again, sorry about wasting all this ink, but the authors also fear reprisals from Chuck Norris. "Mr. Norris for Emperor in 2010!!!" Ok, back to the rule...)
Roll a D6 and consult the following Chuck Norris Victory Table:

1--Chuck Norris wins:  There's no shame in losing to Chuck Norris--you'll be able to tell your grandchildren someday about the day you played Chuck Norris--so shake his hand like a gentleman. Just be prepared for a few broken metacarpals.

2--Chuck Norris vanquishes you:  Shake his hand (prepare for broken metacarpals) AND put on a padded sumo-wrestler outfit. The extra cushioning will save your life when Chuck Norris bitch slaps you to the floor/wall. Also, prepare for a liquid diet; your jaw will take 6 months to heal.

3--Chuck Norris conquers you:  Shake his hand (prepare for broken metacarpals), brace for bitch slap (prepare for broken jaw), AND relinquish all minis currently in your possession. Bow and swear eternal fealty to Chuck Norris (I mean, really, why haven't we all done this already?) and finally, swear never again to command the army with which you just lost so heinously.

4--Chuck Norris dominates:  Shake his hand (prepare for broken metacarpals), brace for bitch slap (prepare for broken jaw), hand over all your minis and swear both never again to command the lost army and also to serve Chuck Norris eternally, AND offer to deliver a message for Chuck Norris. He will then hand you a sealed envelope and ask you to deliver it to your wife. You may not open the envelope, but know that it contains Chuck Norris's phone number and that you should probably start looking for a new place to live.

5--Chuck Norris wins absolutely:  Shake his hand (prepare for broken metacarpals), brace for bitch slap (prepare for broken jaw), hand over all your minis and swear both never again to command the lost army and also to serve Chuck Norris eternally, offer to deliver Mr. Norris's digits, AND show him a picture of your wife. When his eyes fall upon her image, she will become instantly pregnant. You now have the honor of raising a primarch of our age.

6--Chuck Norris's Epic Win:  Shake his hand (prepare for broken metacarpals), brace for bitch slap (prepare for broken jaw), hand over all your minis and swear both never again to command the lost army and also to serve Chuck Norris eternally, offer to deliver Mr. Norris's digits, and show him a picture of your wife. Not only is she now pregnant with his child, you are as well. You will both bear his progeny, and, inexplicably, they will be identical twins. While you may be apprehensive about the delivery (and good luck with that, by the way), be thankful. Chuck Norris just rolled a 6--the only thing saving you from a roundhouse kick to the face is the fact that you are carrying his baby!

Well, maybe I have just enough steam to go parse my comments for that other blog...

Thanks!

What Does That Game Have 40K Doesn't?

Part the second.  Click here for the first part of this article, in which our here (me, of course) is learning to play Confrontation and insta-kills Little Barrera's big giant tower of doomy-bullshit by rolling BOX CARS BABY!

Did you read it?  Are you back?  Good, let's move on.

So Little Barrera is a gamer: he won't quit and never, ever gives up a game early.  Still, my Undead (Acheron) hit his Evil Dwarves' (Mid-Nor) line and slowly started rolling up it.  Still and all, he used his special abilities to stall me out then slowly concentrated on killing my weaklings, a unit type called Morbid Puppets.  Suffice it to say, it's a model prone to folding faster than the French army during an invasion... any invasion.

I ganged up on his models and started killing them, one by one.  Then my Cerberus got in the game!  That, of course, is a big three-head mutt from hell, reborn to chase cars and eat the people inside - fuck the bumper.

I've been a bit obsessed with Confrontation lately - but doesn't that happen to all of us at one point or another?  This weekend I've put together and based coated my Goblins.  I've also worked out a few different lists I hope will compete.

Cerberus eats his way from my left flank to the right.  Little Barrera makes a last ditch charge with his last two models, but it's not to be, 'cause I'm faster!  Cerberus charges then -

BOX CARS, BABY!

What the fuck just happened?  That's my line, right?

Little Barrera had whispered to his dice, begging for sixes.  He rolls them, instantly killing my model, payback for the first fight of the game when I killed his.  I almost went deaf for the yelling; in shock, I drop the three dice I was holding.

They must have listened to him, too.  Three 6's came up.  Fat lot of good that did me!

Still, I won the game... but was that really the important thing?  We'd played a game we'll both remember, and long after the details of other games grow fuzzy I'll remember the narrative that made that game with Little Barrera such a classic.

You see, I understand what the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) means when he said most of his top in-game 'moments' come from Confrontation.  That system of exceptional wounds is designed to allow even the weakest models a chance to kill the most powerful; it doesn't happen often, but when it does it's memorable.  It's dramatic.

So, how does this apply to 40K?  Stay tuned for Part 3, where I look at one last game then wrap up my points.

To Brent Or Not To Brent...

...that is the poll.

Since Fritz dropped the bomb on Bell the other day, I've been all over the place the last few days straddling the fine line of defending our choice of Footdar (FTW! soon to be trademarked... sorry Blackmoor!) and pointing out that I don't want to encourage kids to jump in the deep end of the pool by spending their lunch money on anything but tanks.

Dethtron over on his fine blog Penis Creep, a personal favorite lately for his uncanny ability to make people realize they say stupid shit all the time, noticed this...

...cause I told him...

...but he would have noticed anyway.  He's Big Brother with a dirty mouth except he doesn't just tell mom, he tells everyone.

I suspected he'd use the Footdar controversy for his always entertaining Friday Night Fights but it seems he was already locked in to another choice.  Still, he decided to give me my very own poll.

BRENT OR NOT BRENT?

So there I am, by myself with my pants around my ankles.

Go and vote, please.

Now.

Please go vote BRENT!

... 

You still here?

Okay, here's another thing I'm working on.  I asked Lauby about the paint scheme for my not-so-super-secret BoLSCon army and here's what he had to say.  I'm taking his advice and working on test models now.

Brent

On Fiends

I'm going to be posting Part II of my article, What Does That Game Have That 40K Doesn't later today, but I've been blogging elsewhere and ended up writing this.  Let's call it, On Fiends, and post that sucker!

 
All joking aside, I'm very, very happy with my Daemons army. 

My reason for asking Stelek this question was a serious one; I'm putting effort into my prep for BoLSCon... so what is it I'm not thinking of?  That's what I wanted to know.

There are some things its hard to consider unless you play the army.  Two thoughts on one subject, charging into difficult terrain.

Often, I'm charging vehicles.  I play against good competition in my area... okay, not everyone, but after the first game its always the same people on the upper half of the tables.  Game three is often against Evil Homer, the mech guard player who sometimes posts here.  His army is tight and of course all mounted, so I've got to rip him from his ride.

Point is, Vehicles don't hit back. 

Okay, let's assume I'm charging a tactical squad in full cover with unit of Fiends - 'cause that's what I'd use - so what again?

Someone was critical of Stelek's use of mathhammer, but it's a useful tool.  So, do the math.

The Marines hit first.  Best case scenario, you kill a Fiend.  Actually, there is a fairly good chance you don't, given that I'd put a wound on the champ model, but okay I'm being conservative or something.  I now have 4 Fiends and a champ Fiend hitting back...

...I kill half the marines.  More, if you're unlucky, but half on average. 

But they're marines, so they're going to stick.  Good!  I hit first in the next combat and hell, close combat is where I want to be.  Also, bring your boys in to help... we're in cover, right?  I'll hit first and you're feeding me more.

Pet the kitty.

If I'm overwhelmed, I'll simply hit and run, then hit that mass with something else.

My point is not that I'm super-cool ('cause that's obvious) it's that it is important to consider what your opponent is capable of in your calculations.  Too often, I see people concentrate on what they can accomplish and not what the enemy can.

Madness that way lies, says the Galaxy's primary philosopher.

Footdar FTW!

The cat is well and truly out of the bag now!  It's official: Fritz and I are taking Footdar to the BoLSCon team tournament.

You can read Fritz' article here.  The reaction was epic; it was very much the turd in the punchbowl.  Stelek also did a palm-to-face, posting a video describing how he feels about the whole thing.

My response: I feel like Marie Antoinette with a Cherokee Hair Tampon.  People are definitely looking at us funny...

There were some really good points made on Bell, most notably by Abuse Puppy and Sandwyrm.  Here is an edited version of my response.

Suffice it to say, Fritz and I have some tricks up our collective sleeves - also, if we don't win the grand and glorious first place, we're not going to cry about it.

I actually think the primary hit against us and our army will be the fact that Blackmoor and Reecius are running a Footdar list, which we didn't know... a good number of folks will know this and add some elements to their army they wouldn't normally have had.

Still, as long as we beat Goatboy and Jawaballs, I'll do a tabledance.

Land Raider spam or a full tilt boogie Mech Guard will hurt. We've got some plans, of course, but those are the bad matchups.

That deep knowledge gives us the confidence to try this. Folks, we're under no illusions about what an uphill battle this is going to be... that's why we're doing it!

I'll share this: we consider the team event to be a hobby event of sorts... we're more interested in stirring interest and creating a 'grudge match' with Goatboy and Jawaballs.

The weekend 40K event is completely different. I'm taking my baby-seal-beating-toughest list to try and win.

To any new players out there - don't try this at home! Footdar is a nuanced list at best; play something you'll have some success with!

I think that last point is the one I want to drive home.  I would never, ever encourage someone to buy a Footdar army.  I wouldn't buy Eldar at all until the new codex comes out, 'cause there are better places to spend your hobby dollar.  More to the point, I don't consider Footdar to be competitive - just because it can be given the right circumstances and the right general means nothing...

...that can be true of any army. 

Fritz and I are doing this for a host of reasons - not least of which is to stir up the net a bit and shake some things out.  It's most certainly not to encourage a host of Footdar clones!

Brent

PS: I know without seeing it that the primary argument will be, "...but they will go out and buy it!"  I can't be responsible for that, especially when I've been clear on my blog and in other forums what I think are the best armies to learn with.

What Does He Have I Don't?

The question refers to a joke I made in my article over on Blood of Kittens titled Strictly Plasticard.  If you haven't read it, take a few minutes and give it a once over.  Moving on though, the punchline was, "... in high school the answer was a cool car, a hot girlfriend, and way too much sex."

But this last week I've had some experiences that prompt a variation on a theme.  Today, let's ask What Does That Game Have That 40K Doesn't?

Let's start with the mother of all dead games, Confrontation.

Here's a selection of my Acheron - that is, the Order of the Ram or the Undead, take your pick of names.  Anyway, Con is a skirmish battle game, and at the points levels we've been playing lately you won't have more than 20 models, and most armies won't have more than 10.

I've posted recently about how much I hated playing this game in the past but that recent experiences have changed my mind... but what is that specifically?

Let's take a statement made by the Master Manipulator (every store needs one)... and keep in mind when analyzing anything said by this man that it could be a subtle meme, a word virus of sorts designed to change your mind, pointing it toward a worldview more palatable to the powers that be.  Namely, him.

He said that most of his top 10 gaming experiences have come from this game.  I had one of these moments a few nights ago, so now I get what he means.

The system has a rule called the 'exceptional wound' where if you roll a double to damage (as any roll to wound is made on 2d6) you automatically, with no save possible by your opponent, do him a dirty.  A double 3 is a light wound, a double 5 is a critical wound... you see where this is going?  A double 6 is DEATH.

Boxcars, baby!

I took my Acheron army over to Little Barrera's house on Tuesday and played a game against his Mid-Nor.  That's a faction of evil Dwarves who keep their essence in a separate puppet for protection; imagine a runty little dude with a teddy bear, but its an EVIL teddy bear - how cool is that?

Anyway, our forces lined up.  Across the field of battle I could see what looked at first glance like a tower, and mounted upon that was a cannon wielded by shadowy shapes.  Then the tower moved, thudding inexorably toward my line.

How cool is that?

I set my Heavy Centaur on a path to charge the model, hoping to soften it up for Cerberus, but I underestimated how far this thing could charge and so on turn 1 this monstrosity is all over me like a WAAC-Playa' on a baby seal!

He hit me, knocking off dusty bits of bone and archaic armor, and I swung back, with huge negatives on my wound roll due to his massive resilience...

BOX CARS BABY!

The dice roll 6 and 6, and instantly me, Little Barrera, Farseer Tim, and the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) go berserk laughing and jeering.

I had my moment.

(to be continued)

Life: A Little Something Simple

Not too much today.  I've got the last two pictures of Mighty Mighty Carlos' Mech Guard to show you, in this case his Inquisitor and Mystic.  Note: I also wandered down memory lane, so if you're not interested in that ignore the italics.

I'm a bit spoiled for painters to learn from in my area.  The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) simply can't take half measures: he's too OCD for that.  If there's a fault or a blemish, it's going to get fixed.  He has to force himself to leave off troops choices and move on... and I suspect he does this by convincing himself he'll come back to it later.  He's a great technician, a true student, and he'll finish one mini in the time it takes others to do a squad.  He'd rather have his model.

Little Barrera is a prodigy.  He's a year or so younger than me.  I met him and his older brother when I first moved to Texas at age 16; this was back in 92, so it was the glorious Rogue Trader era, when no deodorant bar went unmolested but was rather quickly converted to a skimmer of some type.  Anyway, LB was 14 and I remember a few of the older guys resented his presence, like he was an annoyance his older brother was stuck with - I guess it didn't occur to them the two were really close, since Big Barrera (and now you know where I came up with the nickname) was at least 6 or 7 years older.  I know LB carried some resentment since he was always quick to anger.


Funny thing is, so was I.  I was always way to quick to run my mouth back then, because I found everything funny.  Take a) a small person with a big mouth and b) a jock with an over-sized ego and it's a pretty sure bet you'll find the small person cleaning blood off his shoes with that crappy school toilet paper.  Ironically, when I moved to Texas I didn't get into near as many fights in school.


Texas is civilized.  You don't fight in school: you fight off the side of the road next to a truck of some sort.  Still and all, I finally grew up a bit before my senior year, and you don't get the shit kicked out of you on a semi-regular basis without learning how to fight (or rather, take a punch and not fall over, which is usually enough).  Still, my classmates in Texas did something much worse than hit me.


They ignored me.  The area I moved to wasn't used to military brats coming and going.  It's an insular sort of place and everyone knew everyone from kindergarten.  That did something no amount of fights ever did.


Shut me up.


It was miserable, finishing out high school in Texas.  Big Barrera was literally my first friend in Texas, and this is a dude who was engaged, living on his own, and attending college.  He wasn't some social pariah with no friends, dipping into another generation to find someone to impress.  He had zero incentive to treat a 16-year old punk well, but he did and I've always been very appreciative.  I suspect, now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, that BB was being nice to the only guy who didn't treat his little brother like a nuisance.  Why would I?  We were of an age and neither of us very mature.  Anyway, not soon after I met Herr Fernseher, who is something of a kindred spirit, except he's a truly decent person and I'm really not, and Texas became an alright place.


Shit, that was a stroll down memory lane.  To bring it back to gaming, our interest in 40K was the common ice-breaker.  I can still remember picking through Big Barrera's collection, amazed at the quality of his stuff.  It was just fucking cool, that's all.  He was an artist in his own right, but his little brother was simply amazing.  He quickly outdid everyone.  I'll have to post some of his work; he was really ahead of his time.  You have to remember, this was 92-93, and many of the techniques we take for granted weren't really worked out then.  You'd be amazed at what passed for 'good.'

That brings me back to the Mighty Mighty Carlos.  He's also an artist - and no, I don't think everyone who graduates with a degree in Art is an artist.  I'm picky I am, but I knows 'em when I sees 'em, and Carlos is one.  He doesn't over-invest time he doesn't have, so uses technique and color theory to bring out the best in a simple scheme.  I say simple but it never really is, is it?

For example with the two miniatures above, he doesn't use metal but rather blends up the grays into whites and blues, contrasting that with the deep red.  It's a scheme that pops.

Let's take a quick look at another example.  This is a closeup of one of the squads, and it's not a great pic at that.  In real life, the tans are more vibrant... this said, it's enough to illustrate what he told me.

He said the tan and the black are both neutral colors that the eye can easily rest on.  Each model has dots of red and white - which I know you can't see, so you'll have to take my word for it - that draw the eye around.  Again, simple but well-executed, and in addition well-based.  The effect is great.  When he's done, I'll get better quality shots to show you. 

Blah!  Wall of text, end!