The Saga of Why I Hate Blue

About two years ago, my family was in crisis. We owned a restaurant that was doing its very best to sink any possibility of us having even a drop of financial security. So, I dusted off my miniature brushes and started accepting painting commissions again.

Turns out this was a massive mistake. Trying to keep a freelance business organized while your actual livelihood was crashing and burning around you? Not an easy thing to pull off. And I in no way pulled it off.

My friend Jeff hires me to paint a bunch of Pan Oceania minis from Infinity. He payed up front, which is something I try not to accept. Why? Because I might flake out, maybe screw up and not finish the job for a couple of years or something.

Now, it’s not all bad. Jeff actually hired me to work at his awesome game store, and it’s still the most fun I’ve ever had at a job. But I painted a lot of Pan Oceania minis while I was there. Probably more than a hundred. I started having nightmares about the particular blue Jeff liked.

Now it’s nearly two years later, and I finally finished the last of that commission. It’s sad, though, because Jeff is a friend and I should have finished this months ago… and I’m not entirely sure if these are all his figures to begin with!

These might be the last Infinity figs I paint, too. I’m pretty burned out on Infinity. The models are amazing, but I always feel dumb when I play the game. And Corvus Belli made some funding decisions that I’m not a fan of, so back to the stuff that I really enjoy painting!

Then again, they really are sweet looking miniatures! Gah! Indecision is tough!

The Wurmspat Warband

I have developed a deep, unflattering love for Warhammer Underworlds. It started about a year ago, but I denied my love and managed to fight it off. Then I met Fecula Flyblown and her boys, and I was lost for good:

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Nurgle stuff in Warhammer, but I really don’t want to paint a whole army of rotty stompers. But three figs? Sounds like a plan!

Hell, she even has a kitty!
So many folds and rips… and that’s just the skin!
Neon yellow makes for some great pustules!
Ghulgoch the Butcher? Must be a blast on casual Friday.
These figs just beg for the Typhus Corrosion!
Ghulgoch’s skin started green and worked up to regular flesh tones, with purple shading for bruises.
Sepsimus has a ton of armor, which was fun to tarnish up.
Nice tail…
That’s not a purse!

All in all, the Wurmspat Warband was a lot of fun to paint, and might even make a great foundation for a diorama! Next up: an Ogre Huntsman!

Marvel Crisis Protocol, Part One

We got our demo copy of Marvel Crisis Protocol at Shiv Games Games today, and I wasted no time at all diving in to the box. It’s a pretty impressive affair, with ten Marvel characters, rules, tokens, and terrain crammed into the box;

I’ll have more on the minis after I get them painted, but I can honestly say I am really happy with the look and quality of the miniatures. The hard plastic looks great, and they are pretty easy to put together with the included instructions.

I would say the quality of the sculpts is a bit higher than Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars: Legion, but not quite as crisp as Wyrd’s Malifaux line. You also don’t need an engineering degree to put them together, so take that, Malifaux!

The minis took about three hours to Assemble (pun intended), and they look fantastic after a quick zenithal priming session!

I’ll be tackling the paint jobs on these beautiful figs in the next installment!