Rebuilding Angmar

Circle Orboros Warbeasts

2007-04-11T10:57:00.000-04:00

Warpwolves are one of the most versatile Warbeasts in all of Hordes. At first glance they appear to be one of the weaker Heavy Warbeasts, but they perform extremely well in-game. They have the ability to enhance their strength, armour, or movement at will. They can brush aside otherwise debilitating damage through their regeneration and reactive warping abilities. Their chain attack cause automatic damage to each branch on a Beast's life spiral and causes knock-down. Any Circle Orboros Warpack can benefit from the inclusion of a Warpwolf (or 2).

Argus are the faithful two-headed pups of the Circle Orboros. The are fast and resilient beasts. Their heads can attack independently in melee, or can combine to hit with the same power as a Warpwolf. Their Doppler Bark ranged attack can paralyze an enemy model, forcing it to forfeit it's movement or action the next turn. This ability combines perfectly with the Warpwolf's chain attack. If a Warpwolf hits with it's initial attacks and its chain attack, yet the enemy model survives, an Argus can follow up with it's Doppler Bark and stack Paralysis with Knock Down, thereby virtually removing that model from the game for that next turn.

The Gorax is a great support Warbeast. It cost only 3 points more than an Argus but it has 4 Fury and a superb Animus, Primal. Primal grants +2 Strength and MAT to a friendly Warbeast. It also causes that Warbeast to automatically Frenzy during the next turn. This basically turns the targeted Warbeast into a guided Frenzy missile. Cast this on a Warpwolf and send it into the heart of the enemy to cause as much damage as possible. Unfortunately, I've never had a Primaled Warbeast actually survive long enough to Frenzy as my opponent always makes it a top priority to destroy the beast.

Woldwardens are the Tank of Hordes. They hit extremely hard and have a Slam-effect chain attack, they have more health than just about anything else, they have an excellent defensive Animus, and they have the ability to cast one of their Warlock's offensive spells for free. It's this last ability that really shines most of the time. A trio of Woldwardens matched with Krueger can cast three sets of Forked Lightning, hitting 6-12 enemy models, for free. This decimates infantry. Combine that with the Woldwarden's pure melee power and you have an excellent Warbeast that is hard to kill and that is a serious threat to just about anything that your opponent can field.

Woldwatchers are the smaller versions of the Woldwarden. They act as scouts and watchposts for the Circle Orboros. Woldwatchers have a set of abilities that combine very well together. Advance Deploy allows the Watcher to be placed almost to the middle of the battlefield before the game begins; Stone Form boosts the Watcher's already high Armour and prevents it from being thrown or slammed by the enemy, the Watcher's Vigilance Animus lets the Watcher make a free move and attack if an enemy model gets too close, finally Fertilizer makes anything killed by the Watcher's Claw or Ranged attacks turn into a 3" Forest for a turn. Combined, you have a Watcher that is very resilient and that can really control a portion of the battlefield on it's own by it's simple presence and it's ability to make additional terrain.

Circle Orboros Warlocks

2007-04-05T11:57:00.000-04:00

Hordes is an excellent tabletop wargame that can be played on it's own or with Privateer Press's other game, Warmachine. Hordes is more of a traditional Fantasy setting while Warmachine is considered to be "Steampunk", a kind of meld of Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Industrial Revolution.
Like most wargames, Hordes figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted as modelling is as much a part of the hobby as the game itself.

In my opinion, Hordes and Warmachine have a much more solid ruleset than Games Workshop (Warhammer 40k in particular) and is much more enjoyable. The storyline of the Privateer Press games is also much more dynamic and constantly evolves. At this point in Warmachine, several Warcasters have been promoted and have new "Epic" models with different rules.

My Hordes faction is the Circle Orboros, a secretive group of Druids that are determined to maintain a balance between the chaos of nature and the order of human civilization. The Circle draws it's power from the Devourer Wurm, and ancient god-like beast that is the embodiment of chaos.

Warlocks in Hordes are your main character. They are the representation of yourself on the battlefield. To date, there are 3 Warlocks available to each faction, with 2 additional Warlocks per faction forthcoming with the release of Hordes: Evolution in August of this year.

Each Warlock has a different set of strengths and synergies. The same set of Warbeasts and Units can perform very differently depending on which Warlock leads them.

The Circle Orboros Warlocks in Hordes: Primal are Kaya the Wildborne, Baldur the Stonecleaver, and Krueger the Stormwrath.

All Warlocks have control over Warbeasts, but Kaya the Wildborne is their Master. As her name suggests, her strengths are such that she brings out the destructive power of her Warbeasts. Her abilities revolve around misdirection and guerrilla tactics and the taming and unleashing of Warbeasts.

Baldur the Stonecleaver is a master of nature, earth and stone. He is the master of elemental constructs, the non-living Warbeasts of the Circle and can make them do things that other Warlocks find impossible. He is also the master of the forest itself and is able to create trees and teleport among them at will. Baldur's third facet is that of master of the earth. He can call upon the very ground itself to destroy his enemies or to impede their movement.

Krueger the Stormwrath a master of the elements. The winds blow at his will to frustrate the enemy and even to bear him aloft. Powerful tornadoes appear from a clear sky and move as he commands them. Lightning strikes true at his enemies and arcs from the weapons of his warpack. Of all the Druids of Orboros, Krueger can best harness the destructive power of nature and bend it to his will.

Hordes Woldwardens

2007-03-28T13:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of my Circle Orboros elemental constructs. These artificial creations are composed of Stone and Wood and are animated by the blood sacrifice of the Circle's enemies and powered by magical runes incribed by the Druids.

Here is a good size comparison pic of the Woldwarden and Woldwatcher. You really don't realize how small the watcher is or how big the Warden is until they are next to each other.
This is even more evident with this Warden as I repositioned him in order to emphasize his true size.

A family portrait of Baldur and his pet rocks. Baldur is the master of elemental constructs, and it is only fitting that his warpack include them whenever possible.

Sure he's cute, but you really don't want him to hug you!
The Woldwatcher has some of the best abilities in the game, but it comes at a price. He only has 2 fury and he is currently the most expensive light warbeast for the Circle.

Here are my 3 Woldwardens. Unfortunately there is only one version of the model of this warbeast, so I repositioned their legs and twisted and bent their arms in order to add some variety. The model in the center is the original pose.

Tell 'em Steve Dave!

2006-07-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

So you know that annoying guy that won't shut up during the movie?

Pain in the ass, right?

And you know that guy who stood up in the theatre and went off on a religious-right rampage during 'that scene' in The Crying Game.

Come on dude, its just a movie. Shut up! Down in front! If you need to yak, go to the restroom!

Well this beats all.

Joel Siegel, resident Film Critic for Good Morning America, and the guy who gave horrible puns a new lease on life, hated the first 40 minutes of Clerks II. Fine, no big deal. Who listens to Critics anyway?

But did he watch the rest of the movie and then slam it with a signature pun the next day in his review?

Nope.

Instead, he stands up and yells to the other critics, over the continuing dialogue on screen, that its time to leave. And as he storms out of the theatre he continues to yell about how this is the first [explicative deleted] time he has ever walked out of a move.

Makes me think of Jules Asner in J. & S.B. S. B., "...we're going to make them eat our [explicative deleted], then [explicative deleted] out our [explicative deleted], then eat their [explicative deleted] which is made up of our [explicative deleted] that we made them eat."

Classy, huh?

You don't have to like the movie, heck you're paid not to! Tell America about it on your freaking GMA segment and post it on the internet. That's what the internet is for after all, bitching about movies and sharing pornography with one another. (snoogans!)
But you DO have to respect the fact that there are other people there that are trying to watch it. And since you are being PAID to watch it and give you opinion, you should probably watch the whole thing, don't 'cha think?

Read the whole story, and Kevin Smith's response, here: http://www.viewaskew.com/news/jul06/1.html

My love for you is like a truck.
Berzerker!
Would you like some making fuck?
Berzerker!

Serenity

2006-06-16T12:23:00.000-04:00

Wow, ok, so this may seem a bit out of date, but check this link out:

http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2005-09-30-extra.shtml

Apparently, Orson Scott Card, the famous Science Fiction writer, reviews movies on his website.

Apparently, he reviewed Serenity.

Apparently, he thought it was the best science fiction movie EVER!!!
Of course, I could have told you that, but who cares about my opinion...

Wow, coming form Mr. Card, that really means a lot! Just check out this quote from his review:

"Well, guess what.

It's great.

I'm not going to say it's the best science fiction movie, ever.

Oh, wait. Yes I am.

Let me put this another way. Those of you who know my work at all know about Ender's Game. I jealously protected the movie rights to Ender's Game so that it would not be filmed until it could be done right. I knew what kind of movie it had to be, and I tried to keep it away from directors, writers, and studios who would try to turn it into the kind of movie they think of as "sci-fi."

Because I know that science fiction doesn't have to be all mindless action. Or even mindful action. I can praise a movie like I, Robot and mean it, without for a second thinking that what I'm seeing is great sci-fi.

I can enjoy the first Matrix and see it as a kind of magic sci-fi, but recognize that in the end, it's all about the mystical quasi-religious ideas and the special effects, and not about human beings at all.

Because for me, a great film -- sci-fi or otherwise -- comes down to relationships and moral decisions. How people are with each other, how they build communities, what they sacrifice for the sake of others, what they mean when they think of a decision as right vs. wrong.

Yeah, even comedies. Even romantic comedies -- it's those moral decisions.

Wow, that sounds so heavy. But great film is heavy -- out of sight, underneath everything, where you don't have to be slapped in the face by it. On the surface, it can be exciting, funny, cool, scary, horrifying -- all those things that mean "entertainment" to us.
Underneath it all, though, it has to mean something. And the meaning that matters is invariably about moral decisions people make. Motives. Relationships. Community. If those don't work, then you can gloss up the surface all you want, we'll know we've just been fed smoke. Might smell great but we're still hungry.

So here's what I have to say about Serenity:

This is the kind of movie that I have always intended Ender's Game to be (though the plots are not at all similar).

And this is as good a movie as I always hoped Ender's Game would be.

And I'll tell you this right now: If Ender's Game can't be this kind of movie, and this good a movie, then I want it never to be made.

I'd rather just watch Serenity again. "

Impressive, huh?

So, if any of you out there have yet to see Serenity, or the series Firefly for that matter, I suggest you do so RIGHT NOW.

But remember, as LeVar Burton says, you don't have to take my word for it, read the full review and make your own conclusion. (as long as its the same conclusion that O.S.C. came to...)

And now for something completely different.

Talk about a fat cat. Think of the 'nip he can buy with that...

2006-04-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

I LIVE!!!!!

Ha ha! Thought I was gone for good, huh?!!?!?! Keep dreaming.

Check out this story at NPR and BoingBoing.

You KNOW you have dreamed about living like this. Admit it.

All Trek, all the time!

So one day, when we actually have a house, I'll have to get this guy to help me set up my secret underground lair.

Until such a time, I'll have to settle for surfing Memory Alpha, the StarTrek Wiki.

There really is nothing quite like watching StarTrek while sitting inside StarTrek. Just go to Quark's Bar in Vegas to experience it for yourself!

I wonder if this guy gets a lot of responses to his work like this one:
(I really just wanted an excuse to post this picture...)

Until next time, live long and prosper...

Miniature Cloth Banners

2006-02-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

SUPPLIES:

Old blue jeans or other scrap cloth - Fabric Store Discount remnants
Scissors
PVA Glue - Elmer's
Super Glue
Hot Water
Chaos Black Paint
Paint for Designs (Skull White)
Shallow Wide Cup/Tray
Drying rack/stand
Old clean brushes
Time - This project requires lots of drying time

1: CHOOSE YOUR BANNER MATERIAL

It really doesn't matter what material you use, as long as you can get the shape and thickness that you like out of it. This is why Fabric Store remnants are so great. Who cares if it has the ugliest paisley pattern that you have ever seen, you are going to dye the fabric and paint on it anyway! Unless, of course, if you find the perfect background pattern for your banners already preprinted on the fabric itself.

I used old denim (blue jean material) for my banners. This may prove to be too thick for your liking; choose other material accordingly.

2: CUT OUT YOUR BANNERS

Cut out banner shapes from your cloth, be sure to get the width correct in relation to the model holding it. Be sure to leave extensions where the banner will wrap around the banner pole. Leave yourself enough material too work with! If it is too long, it can always be trimmed later.

You can make the shapes neat and clean cut or ragged and battle-damaged. You can also wait and distress the banners after you have finished them, though I did not construct mine this way and I could not offer any true advise. Think of what a cloth banner might go through on a battle field, and then think of how difficult it would be to repair it. I imagine that while a soldier has some basic sewing knowledge, he will probably be more concerned with maintaining his weapons and armour than with repairing a flag during an extended campaign.

3: DYE YOUR BANNER

Once you have the appropriate shape, you need to get your material to be the correct color (if you did not choose your material for its color, that is). You will need to prepare a paint/dye bath in which to soak your fabric. I used a simple mixture of paint and water. I wanted black banners, so here is how I did it.

a: Mix black paint with hot water in a wide shallow cup. I'm not sure of the proportions because my paint was already thin, but you will definitely want more water than paint, probably a ratio anywhere from 1:10 to 1:3, depending on the original paint thickness.

b: Once the paint bath is ready, soak the fabric in it for a few minutes, making sure the entire piece is submerged.

c: Once finished, hang the fabric on a drying stand. Make sure the excess paint will not damage anything important, the fabric will drip.

d: Once dry, you may need to repeat the paint bath to get the proper color. The concentration of pigment in the water, the original color of the fabric, and the fabric material itself will all be factors in how many times you will need to treat the fabric to get the color you want.

INTERMISSION: DECISION TIME

Now you have a dry blank banner with the proper background color. The banner might be slightly stiff, but nowhere near stiff enough to create a flying effect, so now you have an important decision to make: Paint your design or stiffen your banner?

I have tried this both ways, first painting then stiffening or first stiffening then painting, and I have gotten both to work. If you paint first, it will be easier to get the designs you want, but you may lose color or your colors may run during the stiffening process (this did not happen to me, but it is a possibility). If you stiffen first, you don't have to worry about the colors, but it can be hard to paint designs on the rippling curves of a fluttering banner.

If you want a simple hanging banner you can skip the stiffening process entirely. The paint bath treatment has probably given your banner a bit of curl, which you can keep for effect, or flatten out by working the banner with your fingers. However, if you want a banner that is flying out horizontally or which suggests movement, you will need to stiffen it.

4: STIFFENING TREATMENT

a: To stiffen a banner, you will need to dissolve 1 part PVA glue in 3 or 4 parts hot water. I did not measure this ratio while doing it, I simply eye-balled it, but these amounts sound about right.

b: In the same way you did the paint bath, submerge and soak your banner in the water-glue mixture. Don't worry, the white of the glue should dry clear. I prepainted one of my black banners with white designs before applying this treatment and the white designs did not get damaged at all, I'm not sure how other colors will be affected though.

c: After soaking it, you need to lay out the wet banner on a clean dry surface. Make sure your banner pole attachment extensions are lying out straight.

d: While the banner is still wet, form whatever ripples you want by bunching up the material with your fingers or by curling it. Be careful not to damage any prepainted designs with your fingers!

e: Once you have formed the shape that you want, I suggest using an old, but clean, brush to add a small additional amount of glue mixture to the curved sections to help reinforce the shape.

f: Now you must wait for the glue mixture to completely dry. COMPLETELY. COM-PELTE-LY! The banner will remain flimsy until ALL moisture is removed from the fabric! To help speed up the process, I suggest you very carefully move the banner to a new spot in your drying area once or twice, while it is drying, to get the fabric out of its pool of excess glue mixture. You will probably have to let it dry overnight. I'm not sure how heat will affect the drying process. You can try using a blowdrier to speed up the process, but you might end up curling the banner more than you want it to.

g: Once the banner is completely dry, it will hold its shape unless you apply undue force to it (if you try to flatten it out you will lose definition).

5: ADDITIONAL DISTRESSING

If you have decided that you want additional holes or tears in the fabric, or if you need to trim it to properly fit the model, you can do this at anytime. Since we soaked the fabric in paint instead of simply painting the surface, the original color of the fabric will not show through new tears or cuts!

You may want to wait to distress the banner until after you have painted any designs on the fabric, but I prefer to do my detail painting last.

6: PAINTING YOUR DESIGNS

If you have not yet done so, you can now paint your designs on the banner. After the paint bath and glue bath, the fabric will have lost much of its absorbent power, allowing you to paint much finer lines than fabric would normally allow.

Here are some painting tips to help you get started:

* Use the published imagery and history corresponding to your army for inspiration.

* Start simple and then expand.

* Everything is composed of geometric shapes at some level, remember that and use it.

* Draw out a reference design and continually refer back to it. This helps a lot!

* If you have a simple rectangular banner, you can quarter the image you want to use, find the center of the banner, and then paint the design one quarter at a time.

* If you have a torn banner, remember that parts of the image will not be visible. Imagine the image continuing into the empty space to help you retain symmetry. You can also lay a piece of paper or unwanted fabric under the banner and actually paint over the holes and tears in the banner. This will help you retain symmetry by allowing you to paint the entire design.

* If you have a pennant-type banner, decided where you want the visual anchor to be: at the pole end or in the geometric center? Begin with the visual anchor and build the rest of the image around that. Remember to paint both sides of the pennant. Although both sides need not be mirror copies of each other, in "real life" they probably would be.

Here are the two sides of my Ravenwing Chaplain's pennant.

*If you have finished your image and you feel that it simply doesn't fill the banner enough, you can always add text.

7: PAINTING TEXT

Gothic and Illuminated text traditionally begins with one large ornate letter, possibly of a bright color, and then continues with smaller letters. This makes it incredibly easy to paint, especially if you don't want it to actually say anything. Sure you can spell out "Asmodai" or "Destruction" on the banner if you want, but many times it looks just as good, or better, if you instead write out "A(unintelligible)" or "D(unintelligible) R(unintelligible)". A single large defined letter followed by small squiggles and dots makes perfect simulated gothic text. Having your text run off the edge of a torn banner is another great idea and adds a bit of mystery especially if the text is legible.

Remember, if you screw up don't worry about it! You can always paint over the image with your background color, or simply start over with a new piece of cloth. Cloth is cheap! Do you realize how many 1"x 2" banners you can make with a single pair of old jeans?

8: ATTACHING THE BANNER

Now that your banner is complete, it is time to attach it to the model. Bend the extensions that we left for the banner pole around the banner pole, be sure that the length/height is right. Cut any excess length off the extensions, but leave enough for you to glue them in place on the back of the banner.

For a single sided banner, you can simply super glue the extensions in place on the back of the banner. Super glue does not set as quickly with a porous material like cloth, so make sure you hold it in place until it does set. Also, be aware of how thin your cloth is and how much glue you are using, you do not want the glue to seep through and end up gluing your fingers to the banner!

For a double sided banner or pennant, you will simple want to make your extensions a little shorter and glue them around the banner pole itself so that you do not cover up the image on the reverse side, either that or make sure you leave enough room for the extensions to fit next to the image when you paint it.

When gluing stiff banners, make sure the banner is positioned correctly before you let the glue set!

Also, unless you have to, like for pennants, or unless your banner is perfect and you will never want to change it, don't glue the fabric to the model itself. This way, if you don't like the result or if you ever want to change it, you will always be able to remove the banner by simply cutting the fabric and you will not have to risk damaging the model itself.

-------------------------------------------------

That's it, done! All of the banners you see above took me 3 days total to complete, most of which was required for drying.

Day 1: Cut, dye, dry.

Day 2: Soak in glue, shape, dry.

Day 3: Paint designs/text, attach to models.

I hope this is helpful to some of you out there. Enjoy!

Ravenwing Chaplain

2006-02-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

This post is kind of a placeholder. Don't have a hissy.

bye...

The Amazing Modular Carnifex

2006-01-20T01:00:00.000-05:00

The Gunfex.
The Uberfex.
The Dakkafex.
The Screamer Killer.

There are so many viable weapon kits for the Tyranid Carnifex that it is sometimes impossible to decide on a single one.

And the worst part? A single Carnifex costs $45! At that price, who can afford to build a bunch of diffrent Carnifexes (Carnifi? Carnifeces?), each with a different set of weapons?

Well, now you don't have to! Thats right!
Call within the next five minutes and get the Amazing Modular Carnifex for the low low price of $49.95!

Just kidding...
The Modular Carnifex is a a little more difficult than the average magnet conversion, but it will serve the Hivemind well once it is complete!

Oh, and before we get too involved here, if you need some ideas about how to pimp out your Carnifex check out Yakface's Carnifex Tactica at DakkaDakka.

Ok, on to the project.

What you will need:
* Games Workshop Tyranid Carnifex
* 0.125" x 0.04" Disk Magnets
* Metal Hobby Knife
* Glue
* Metal File/ Sanding Stick
* Dremmel Rotary Tool
* 0.125" Drill Bit
* 0.125" Cutting/Grinding Bit

IMPORTANT: This conversion was done to a 3rd edition metal Carnifex. It will probably be much easier to convert a 4th edition plastic one, but I do not have one and could not tell you what steps you might have to change.

NOTE: THIS WAS NOT EASY! In the future, I would recommend looking into ball-and-socket style magnets for this conversion.

1. Drill mag-holes in the 4 upper arm sockets of the metal carnifex. For detailed info on drilling out magnet holes, see my first article on Rare Earth Magnet Conversions.

2. Align and glue the magnets into the four holes so that they all have the same polarity pointing away from the body. If you align them this way, the weapon from any one socket can be moved to any other socket.

3. Next, magnetize your weapons. Single arm weapons (Scything Talons) are easy. Simply shave off a flat area on the connecting point of the arm and glue a magnet in place. Be sure that you have the polarity properly aligned!

4. Now for the hard part. You must figure out how to align the magnets for the two-arm weapons such that you will be able to properly connect the arms at their outer ends.
This may be much easier if you simply install a piece of magnetic metal, like a ball bearing, into each arm instead of a second magnet. The bond would not be as strong, but should be easier to manipulate. I say should, because I have not tried it.

5. After getting the proper alignment for the two-arm weapons, install another pair of magnets at the point where the two arms touch.

IMPORTANT: You will need to make sure that any overlapping weapons systems, like a Venom Cannon and a Barbed Strangler on the same model, properly fit before permanently fixing the magnets in place.

6. An extra related conversion you can easily do is to create left-handed Devourers for twin-linking.
a. Carefully trim off the arm from the Devourer.
b. Now take the left arm that supports the Devourer, clip off the "connecting" finger, and glue the arm to the gun itself so that it appears to be gripping it.
c. Finally, I keep each weapon as a single-handed gun by simply leaving off the second arm (touch up with "Green Stuff" if needed). A Dakkafex would then have four single Devourers to represent its two pairs of twin-linked ones.

Now you can freely configure your Carnifex however you want!

Good luck and happy swarming!

Rare Earth Magnet Conversions

2005-12-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

"Rare Earth" Magnets are great for units that can have multiple weapon configurations, like Tau Battlesuits, Space Marine Dreadnoughts, and Tyranid Hive Tyrants.

I ordered my magnets from AmazingMagnets.com, however there are many different vendors with similar products.

I ordered the smallest disk magnets that they had:
D040A 0.125" Diameter x 0.040" Thickness
NdFeB Disc Magnet, Grade N40, Ni Plated with Matte finish
Axially Magnetized

A pack of 85 + Shipping cost me $12 (USD). I ordered them on a Friday and they arrived the following Monday! Excellent turn around time! They also included a free sample pack of various sized and shaped magnets that I have yet to do anything with.

CAUTION: The magnets are very small and very strong, so patience is required when working with them. (If you line up the polarity incorrectly, they WILL shoot across the room and poke someone's eye out!)

So far, I have used them in the arm sockets of a Dreadnought, for the standard weapons and chin mounted Assault Cannon on a Land Speeder, for interchangeable Sidecars for my Attack Bikes, and the most difficult of all, for all of the weapons on a 3rd Ed. metal Carnifex.

Now onto the project. I'll use my Dark Angels Dreadnought as the basic example, as it is the most straight forward conversion.

The supplies that you will need for this conversion are:
* Space Marine Dreadnought
* 0.125" x 0.04" Disk Magnets - See above
* Metal Hobby Knife
* Glue - I prefer QuickTite Super Glue Gel.
* Metal File/ Sanding Stick - You never know when you might need one.
* Dremmel Rotary Tool - An excellent drill for this type of hobby.
* 0.125" Drill Bit
* 0.125" Cutting/Grinding Bit - This tool comes standard with many Dremmel kits and can also be purchased seperately at most hardware stores.

To install a pair of magnets to create a removable joint or weapon mount:

1. Begin with the larger of the two connecting components, in this case, the body of the Dreadnought. Drill out a shallow hole the same width and depth as the magnet, 0.125" diameter x 0.040" depth, into the most secure and central point at which the second component will contact. In this case, the hole will be drilled directly into the end of the "arm peg".

2. Use the 0.125" grinding tool to flatten the bottom of the hole. Now you should have a hole with the exact dimensions of the magnet.

3. Use a sharpie, or other marker, to note the polarity of the magnet before you move on to the next step. I simply choose one side to be the marked side and mark all of the magnets accordingly. Mismatched magnets are not good!

4. Attaching the magnet. To manouver the magnet, pick it up with the back (unsharpened) side of the blade of your hobby knife near the point. The magnet will easily stick to this flat surface and you can use the knife to hold the magnet in place while the glue dries.

4a. For holes in plastic, you may simply need to press the magnet into place. In my experience, the friction of the plastic against the sides of the magnet can be enough to securely hold it in place. You might want to glue it anyway, I did for the extra security.

4b. For holes in metal and those holes which do not offer a tight grip, use a spot of super glue to hold the magnet in place. LET THE GLUE DRY BEFORE ALLOWING ANY OTHER MAGNETS INTO ITS VICINITY!!! These magnets are so strong, that if the glue bond is not properly set, the magnet will flip over in its hole and fly across the table toward your other magnets/hobby knife.

CAUTION: Another important point is that if you are gluing one magnet in close proximity to another, you MUST hold the magnet in place until the glue has formed a strong bond. Otherwise, the magnet may fly over to the other one and end up glued to it, or flip over in its own hole in an attempt to line up its polarity with the other one!

5. You are half done. Now repeat these steps with the other components (the weapons) that you want to affix to the first component (the body). For the Dreadnaught, you can simply drill a hole in the exact center of the "peg hole" or, if you don't mind the extra separation it will create, you can glue the second magnet directly inside of the "peg hole" itself.

A single pair of these magnets are the perfect strength for holding the plastic/resin arms to my Dreadnought, however they are a little weak when it comes to the heavy metal arms. The heavier arms don't fall off, but they do droop a little when agitated.

Additional Projects:

LANDSPEEDER:
For the Landspeeder's metal assault cannon, I used two sets of magnets (to support the hanging weight) , spaced about 0.25" apart (right where the pegs on the cannon are).

1. I drilled 2 magnet holes into the chin of the speeder spaced 0.25" apart. The walls of the speeder are thinner than the magnets, so I had to use a thin film of super glue around the inner edge of the hole to fasten the magnets in place. Friction may have worked here as well, but the piece was going to be hanging and I did not want to take the chance, not to mention the fact that the magnets could have been pushed through and lost in the interior of the speeder (expensive rattle).

2. Since the cannon itself is small, I did not drill holes into it. Instead, I simply cut off and filed down the mounting pegs and glued two magnets in their place. Remember my warning about gluing magnets in close proximity!

ATTACK BIKE:
To create interchangeable Attack Bike Sidecars, I had to use three pairs of magnets due to the weight.

1. Similar to the Assault Cannon in the previous example, the Sidecar mounting flange is thin and I did not want to drill holes in it. Instead I simply glued three magnets to its surface.

2. Take care when drilling holes in the underside of the Bike itself, the Bike is hollow and many of its components are thin. See: LANDSPEEDER step one.

3. After attaching all of the magnets, you can then attach a standard bike base to the bike if you want, just make sure you leave enough clearance to switch out the sidecars (0.04" for the exposed magnet in addition to the thickness of the sidecar mounting flange)!

I'll post instructions for the more difficult Carnifex conversion as soon as I get a chance to photo it.

Oh, and when you're all done, don't forget the most important step:

Enjoy!

Dark Angels

2005-12-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

Here are pics from my current Warhammer 40k project, Dark Angels.
I apologize if the images seem a little fuzzy, I have an old digital camera and no tripod.

Here you can see the vehicles that have yet to be painted, along with the Tactical Squads and Deathwing Terminators.
One lonesome Missile Marine stands in the front left corner, awaiting a squad to adopt him.
So sad.

The completed units you see here are:
2 8-man Las/Plas Tac Squads
2 8-man PC/Flamer Tac Squads
1 5-man 2-AC (or 2-ML) Deathwing Term Sqd
1 7-man 2-T.Hmr 5-L.Claw Deathwing Term Assault Sqd
2 6-man 1-Meltagun 1-P.Fist Ravenwing Bike Sqds w/ HB Attack Bikes

**** Tactical Marines ****

Here is a close-up of my Deathwing Veteran Sgts. I gave them each an auspex scanning device mostly for theme purposes. It should help them in their search for the Fallen Dark Angels.

Here is a close-up of a Lascannon + Plasma Gun Tactical squad.

Here is one of the Plasma Cannon + Flamer squads. I tried to include plasma weaponry when possible. Dark Angels are supposed to have an affinity for it (this will hopefully be emphasized in the 4th edition codex).

Close-up of a Plasma Cannon Marine. I'm very pleased with the way the "glowing plasma cell" turned out. Also notice the heat-damage toward the end of the weapon.

**** Ravenwing Bikes ****

Here are my Ravenwing Bikes mid-way through completion (they began life as Black Templars). You can see that I made their weapon casings DA Green to tie them into the rest of the army. In the front is my Bike-mounted Chaplain, you'll see more of him in a bit.

Here is a completed Ravenwing Bike Squad.

Here is a close-up of the Ravenwing Vet Sgt equipped with a Power Fist and Bolt Pistol. Due to the new Bike rules, you can take two weapons as you no longer need one hand to drive the bike. I call it the "Look Ma! No Hands!" rule. I still modeled him steering the bike, with the Bolt Pistol in its holster, as otherwise it looks fairly dumb.
Note: The one item still missing is a horizontal banner flying out behind him. That is a work-in-progress that I will soon post instructions for (once I figure out how to do it).

Here is a completed Ravenwing Attack Bike.

Here is the other Attack Bike. Note the small "rare earth" disk magnets on the connector of the second Sidecar. Both Attack Bikes employ these handy little things, making the sidecars completely interchangeable (or totally removable in case I need another ordinary Bike).
But more on magnet conversions later...

Here is my incomplete Chaplain. I actually used a standing Chaplain body, but cut and bent it to fit the bike. I have recently finished painting this guy and will post the final pics as soon as I finish the rest of my HQ models.

The trophy racks on the back of the bike are from one of the Chaos Terminator Special Characters. Similar to the Vet Sgt, the Chaplain has a holstered Bolt Pistol, positioned for easy access, and a banner pole in the back.

**** Deathwing Terminators ****

Deathwing Terminator Assault Squad, you do not want to meet these guys in a dark alley.

Slightly fuzzy close-up. I might add another color to the trim on the Storm Shield, I haven't decided yet.

Stupid camera auto-focused on the guy in the background.
Again, I made the Terminator gun casings DA Green to tie them in with the standard troops.

Larry, Curly, and Moe.
Here are the yet to be completed Deathwing HQ:
Master with Lightning Claws
Master with Sword of Secrets (I used the Emperor's Champion sword)
Librarian with Force Axe
They almost look like weathered statues, don't they?

And that's it for now. More pics will follow as soon as the models are ready.

Winter Solstice

2005-12-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Winter Solstice everyone!

Ah, the original winter holiday celebrating the turning of the year and the journey to spring. Devoid of modern religio-hypocrisy and general ignorant churched-up-ed-ness, the ancients had it right.

Why do religites have to screw up everything, twisting and perverting things they don't understand into a web of lies and deceit masked by an extremely narrow view of "true morality" and the invention of non-supernatural supernaturals?

Not that I have a strong opinion on the matter.....

Here is a good site for the science and history behind the Winter Solstice.

Celebrate as you see fit!

And to appease the religites, Happy Christmachanukwanzakah.

Oh, and if I don't post again before the end of the year:

Remember the 29th of December, USA.
200 Native Americans died on that day due to your irrational fears.
200 Native Americans died due to your prejudice, and ignorance.
200 Native Americans died due to your greed.
200 Native Americans died due to your desire to control the land.
200 Native Americans died while peacefully surrendering to your military.
200 Native Americans died while practicing their own religious freedom, which you claim is so important.
Remember Wounded Knee.

I laugh at the modern definition of civilized.
And then I cry.

If only the XBox was as cool as its commercial...

2005-12-16T14:09:00.000-05:00

http://feelingtea.com/decode/google/play.php?vid=35176

Enjoy!

Wings of Faith Conversion

2005-12-12T14:46:00.000-05:00

I did this conversion a while ago, before Codex: Witch Hunters was released. At the time there was no 'Living Saint' figure or rules. I wanted an angelic type leader for my Seraphim-heavy sisters list, so this is what I came up with.

The components:
1. I began with the Twin Bolt Pistol Seraphim model (part 9947010801004) that has the more dramatic pose.

The above picture is copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2005,
variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world.
Used without permission. No challenge to its status intended.
All Rights Reserved to its owner.

2. I used the wings from a Skalathrix Vulture Demon from the Reaper Miniatures: Dark Haven Legends line (part 02532). I saw someone use this figure once as a Tzeentch Daemon Prince and it stuck in my head.
(Yea, so now my conversion is not GT legal. So what. I like the way it looks...)

The above picture is copyright 2001 - 2006 Reaper Miniatures, Inc.
Used without permission. No challenge to its status intended.
All Rights Reserved to its owner.

3. I gave her an Axe of Retribution (Blessed weapon) by replacing the pistol in her right hand with a WH fantasy Dwarf Lord Axe (part 9947020507801).

The above picture is copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2005,
variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world.
Used without permission. No challenge to its status intended.
All Rights Reserved to its owner.

The process:
1. Attaching the wings was a little tricky:
a. First I drilled out a small indentation in the base of the wings (the wings are a single piece) that would fit over the bump that her jump pack would usually attach to.

b. Next I drilled out a hole in both the wings and the bump in order to pin the wings on. I use simple paper clips for my pins, they are cheap and easy to manipluate.

c. I then superglued the wings in place.

d. Unfortunately, there is now an odd gap under and around the base of the wings where they connect to the back of the body. To fix this I filled the gap with 'Green Stuff' and molded it into place, smoothing it to make the transition between wings and body seamless.

2. Replacing the Pistol with the Axe:
a. I first filed down the 'Hands' molded onto the axe. Then I cut the handle of the axe in half at the point where the Seraphim will be holding it.

b. I then cut the pistol out of the Seraphims hand and filed down the top and bottom of the had where the axe will be attached.

c. Next, I drilled pin holes into the two halves of the axe and one entirely through the hand.

d. Finally, I pinned the two halves of the axe to the hand by threading a pin all the way through the hand.

3. At this point you could add an Inferno Pistol to her other hand. Instructions can be found in my Inferno Pistol Conversion article. Eventually, I'll get around to replacing the bolt pistol on mine with one.

4. The addition of the wings (which are metal) makes the figure extremely top-heavy. To fix this I glued a washer to the bottom of the base. She will still fall over if somebody flicks her in the face, but she is much more stable than before.

5. The result is a magnificent angelic visage leading my Seraphim to war.

The only problems that I see when using her are her slight inconsistencies with the equipment given to the new Living Saint entry and the fact that, if used as a VSS or HQ instead of a 'Spirit', her wing mutation would not really go over too well with the higher-ups within the Ecclisiarchy.

Then again, the Inquisition uses Cyber-Skulls and Cherub-Constructs, so why not?

Inferno Pistol Conversion

2005-12-07T12:24:00.000-05:00

This is a cheap and easy way to convert a Seraphim's hand flamers into inferno pistols.

CHEAP - you don't have to buy any additional pieces to do this conversion.

EASY - the only tools required are your standard pin-vise drill, hobby knife, metal/wire clippers, and a file. NO GLUE REQUIRED!!!

1. Take your standard Seraphim with hand flamers.

2. Clip the pointy tip off of her flamers' nozzles
(the part that would actually eject and ignite the fuel).

3. There may be a ridge of metal left over on the end of the barrel from the clipping process, cut/file this off so that the barrel has a smooth flat end.

4. Drill a hole in the (now flat) end of the barrel for a more realistic feel. (I do this with all my guns)

Now the barrel should look like a mini melta gun's, which is what an Inferno Pistol is after all.

5. Carefully clip the fuel canister off of each gun. Be careful to not damage the fingers on the hand, as they will be more visible now.

6. Carefully clean out the new recess on the underside of the gun, removing any ridges left by the clipping process.

7. Now you have a seraphim with two distinct Inferno Pistols that both look great and look like what an Inferno Pistol should (i.e. Mini-Melta).

There are also plastic hand flamers available that you can convert for your HQ if needed. These look almost exactly the same as the metal Seraphim ones, however, I'm not sure what sprue they come with (maybe Marines or Imperial Guard) .

Here is a Heroine with an Inferno Pistol. I had a couple extra Flamer Seraphim, so I simply converted one of their Hand Flamers and chopped it off. I then pinned it into the Heroines hand. Simple as pie.

I hope I've encourage some of you Heretics out there to Convert!
If not, prepare to meet your maker. Suffer not the Witch to live!

It was a joke, get it? Converting heretics, converting witch hunter miniatures, get it?
Come ON! ANYBODY?!!?!?!?

Wow, tough blog....

The Busters become the Bustees

2005-12-07T10:35:00.000-05:00

From the Onion:
SAN FRANCISCO—MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who dared challenge the sacred explanations of the order of the universe, were destroyed by Zeus Monday. "I soared ascending to the ethereal sky, and by merest nod massed a fearsome storm, and with mine lightnings struck down the naysayers Adam and Jamie," Zeus said in a press conference called to warn all doubters of his thunderous might. The MythBusters producers have issued a statement apologizing to the entire Olympian community and declared that, from now on, the program will focus only on myths unrelated to the Greek, Egyptian, or Norse pantheons.

Here kitty kitty....

2005-12-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

Doll-y girl,
Doll-y girl,
I ate your chips!

Above are Hop Hop and Chompers (their tribal names) snugglin' by the fire. Notice how Chomps flops on her back and sluttily reveals her chest!

All three are fascinated by the fireplace. Here is one of the Dollies enjoying the show.

Ah Ha! The perfect blackmail picture!
He won't admit it when he's awake, but Thomas secretly loves to snuggle with Ms. Chomps-alot.

Well, now you've met the kids.
Officially, they are Raven, Wren, & Thomas.

In reality, they are Chompers, Hop Hop, & Tomba-lomba Kitty-pants.
Or, Umm Miss, Umm Miss, and THOMAS!!!

Merry December!

2005-12-05T10:11:00.000-05:00

Check this out, its cool -> http://www.yumlum.com/galleries/paper_art/paper_art.htm

I got out of the Minnesota trip!! Thank Flying Spaghetti Monster for the flu/strep!

I will be posting Warhammer 40k pics soon, so stay tuned!

2005-11-16T23:10:00.000-05:00

So, sorry about not posting more often......

MG: I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?
PK: Often!
MG: Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one?
PK: I say, often.
E: (disgusted) Often, often, often. (Turning away)
MG: I don't think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say "orphan". As I understand you, you are merely repeating the word "orphan" to show that you understand me.
PK: I didn't repeat the word often.
MG: Pardon me, you did indeed.
PK: I only repeated it once.
MG: True, but you repeated it.
PK: But not often.
MG: Stop! I think I see where we are getting confused. When you said "orphan", did you mean "orphan",a person who has lost his parents, or "often", frequently?
PK: Ah! I beg pardon- I see what you mean -- frequently.
MG: Ah! you said "often", frequently.
PK: No, only once.

......but 1, I'm lazy, and 2, I've been on my 2005 World Tour!

Thats right, I even got to see Ska T in the flesh, and yes, he's an ass in person as well.

Lets see, Munich, West Lafyette (Purdue U.), Chicago, Houston, San Diego....

This years tour will wrap up in Minnesota....in November..........thats Minnesota......in NOVEMBER!!!!

So get your tickets now!

Fraggin' Minnesota...... @*#&^@#*&*#@&#!!!?!?!?!?!!!

p.s. Southern California weather ROCKS!!!!!

The three C's.

2005-10-11T14:51:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure who first wrote this. I've found several 'net postings of it, but never with a name.

Pay attention, you might just learn something...

THE THREE C'S

COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington. And they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them each a cow.

CONSTITUTION
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart Guys, it's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore.

COMMANDMENTS
Want to know the real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse? You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians! It creates a hostile working environment.

LOL!
I'm all for giving people free cows, but I'm not so sure about the commandments part.
I always thought we shouldn't post them in governmental buildings because they are extremely outdated religious documents designed to restrict the rights of the individual and that no one's religion should be forced on any other person unless that person specifically requests it......but that's just me.

Thump that Bible at me?!!?!? I hope you brought mustard, a fork, and your appetite...

in Louisville.....

2005-09-28T10:08:00.000-04:00

What kind of trade show (ICUEE) doesn't accept credit at it's food stands? I mean honestly! 10 thousand guys on a business trip paying with company credit, come ON! If you don't take credit, you lose tons of moolaugh!

Anyway, to sum up...

-in a sing-song voice like at the end of a lounge act-
Kin-tuuh-kee-suuuuuuucks!
-jazz hands

oh, and they don't have wireless internet at either the hotel (Gault House) or the show!
but how are you posting you ask? .........I think I'm pirating someones cell connection while they search for new ringtones!

Lesson of the day- encrypt your internet connections!

/end

Hallowed are the Hank...

2005-09-22T16:08:00.000-04:00

Its funny how clear religion becomes when you take the religious words out of the picture.

http://www.jhuger.com/kisshank.php

Hallowed are the Hank. Do you not seek the path to enlightenment?

WooHoo! Tomorrow is Sci-Fi Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-through something completely different...

2005-09-02T15:43:00.000-04:00

Are you ready for some Foosball!!!!

Speaking of foosball...

A client o' mine, who shall be known as Ska-T, has been officially declared an Ass-Hat.
Yes, that's right....an Ass-Hat.
I.E. One whose head is so far up ones ass, that the ass is worn as a hat. Ok, so Ass-Scarf would make more sense physically, but Ass-Hat is just a lot more fun to say.

Try it....Ass-Hat. Thats right, go ahead...Ass-Hat. It rolls right off the tounge, doesn't it?

Say it! SAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmm Hmm, sorry....anyway...

The best part is, Ska-T has his own cheering section:

-through sad, sad movies.

2005-08-26T09:55:00.000-04:00

I saw the Brothers Grimm sneak peek last night, and all I can say is "Thank God I didn't have to pay to see it!"

The problem was not the actors, it was more an issue of "what is this movie supposed to be?" An attempt to appeal to multiple audiences (kids, young adults, adults) left the movie lacking in its approach to each group individually. Also, its attempt to span genres only emphasized its inability to fall into any one in particular.

The worst part is the attempt to have a dual storyline. Line 1: the Brothers Grimm, line 2: the (comedic, but not funny) French occupation of Germany. The second storyline slowed the movie down and added absolutely nothing besides a few very poorly constructed plot devices.
Had the movie stuck purely to the tale of the Grimm brothers it would have been much better. Also had the film dedicated itself to one genre or another (comedy, horror, fantasy) it would have been greatly improved.

The true crime here is that this film could have been great.

To sum up:
An attempt to reach multiple audiences with multiple tastes has left this film lacking in each and every category it attempts to span.
If you must see it, rent it!

-through Gas Guzzlin'

2005-08-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

Here is a Handy Dandy tool for planning trips in our current high-cost fuel environment.
AAA has a Fuel Cost Calculator, based on distance, location, and your specific car! It tells you how much to expect to pay for gas.

For me, in a '99 Isuzu Rodeo, traveling from Atl to AC it would be $211!! Cheaper to fly AirTran!

For fun, plug in Hummer and see if you can crash the system...

-through Christian Terrorism?

2005-08-24T10:32:00.000-04:00

Pat Robertson, host of Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club and founder of the Christian Coalition of America, has called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

-August 22 "The 700 Club":
ROBERTSON: You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if [Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war.
...
[Lots of blah,blah,blah about oil, how Chavez controls it in Venezuela, and why he should just give it to the US]
...
We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.

---
[rant]

Nice, Mr. "Christian". Nice. Whatever happened to "turn the other cheek", or "mind your own damn business" for that matter.
Just another perfect example of the Christian Right's quest for world domination, hidden behind the thin veil of "the War on Terrorism(tm)" and "saving the heathen masses".

Threatening to kill someone, especially a head of state, is an act of terrorism in itself Mr. Robertson. How would the US react if an individual said the same about our President(sic) (which Chavez might have done, I personally don't care). I'll tell you: the US would condem them as a terrorist and use that excuse to invade their country and kill them.

Through your statements, Mr. Robertson, you have set yourself in that same group. Prepare to be "Liberated". Don't worry, its for your own good.

At least the Christian Right has a true spokesman now, unafraid to proclaim its true ideals.
Allow me to adapt the words of Captain Barbossa to the current situation. It is most appropriate.

"...you must be a [Christian] for the [Bible] to apply and you're not. ...the [Bible] is more what you call guidelines than actual rules. Welcome aboard the ["'Do unto others' unless you're not a Right Wing Christian in the US" Express], [Mr. Chavez]."

[/rant]

This is one of the many reasons why organized religion sucks big donky.

-through Pastafarianism

2005-08-22T15:35:00.000-04:00

Check out the latest in Pastafarian news at http://www.boingboing.net/.

Changing the world one meatball at a time...

-through conversions...

2005-08-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to my old site. Within you will find some 40k conversion projects. Soon I will move everything over to the blog, but until then...

-through better Alchemy

2005-08-09T10:31:00.000-04:00

First post.
Not much to say yet.
Later...