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Friday, May 28, 2010

When is it an army...

...and not just a collection of models?

I ask this, because I would like to know what my army count is right now. If you look at it as any collection of models from the same range, that might vaguely fit a force org chart, then I could have somewhere around twenty armies. If you go strictly by what has models, fits a chart, and has actually seen table time, and I want to keep working on it, that number crashes down to somewhere around three. If you are slightly more generous and say collections that could see table time sooner or later, that number jumps somewhat...

I did some work on the Blood Angels. Let me rephrase that, I did work on a Blood Angel Sergeant. Remember that crazy idea I was trying to talk myself out of, of putting together the entire Chapter? Yeah, properly squashed and buried in the back yard. Oddly enough, it wasnt painting red that killed it, it was working around the red paint that did it. I still like the idea of a full chapter someday, but its going to be in a color that is easier to work with. Like black, or maybe a dark grey. The Blood Angels will join my Crusade project, as a small force I can use from time to time, but I doubt I will expand on them much.

I have considered applying the Chapter idea to the Red Scorpions, but for the life of me I cant seem to build as much interest/insanity about that as I did with the Blood Angels. It might be the awe factor. One thousand marines in black/grey armor just is not as awe inspiring as the same number in red. I am pretty sure its not a cost factor, since what Id be spending extra for FW bits would be countered by what Im not spending on extra Land Raiders and Death Company.

Right now, taking up table real estate I have my Red Scorpions, which are currently all painted, and my Purge Chaos Marines. The Purge are about 65% complete. They all have the basic black and green done, just about half of them need the rest of the detail finished.

I have been considering swapping out them for the Black Legion. A lot more models, and more work to be completed, but simpler to paint, and a lot more variation. Instead of mono-Nurgle, its a combined force from all four Chaos Gods. My Purge force is roughly 2250 points, with all the transports currently required. The Black Legion is WELL over 4k points, with the majority of it being "slow" infantry. But they do have a pair of Land Raiders, and a lot of the more "fun" troop types.

Another thing I have been considering is poking at the Protectorate of Menoth for Warmachine. Religious extremism at its worst (best?) in tabletop form. Of course, that would require me to actually shell out some cash for something besides an army book.

The last couple weeks have had me wanting to do something I have never done before: Painting something just for the hell of it. Ive been poking around the Warstore and CMON, looking for a cool model I could just let go and paint without thinking about how it would fit into this collection or that, but I have not found anything yet...

I better end this wall of text before it crashes down upon me...

2 comments:

sonsoftaurus said...

As for "what's an army" that's in the mind of the owner.

Personally I tend to work out a list, then build the army, and I don't consider it a real army until the painting and such is done. So I currently have six (Marines, two CSM, Orks, Tau, IG). I technically could have other armies stand in as Space Wolves, Blood Angels and the like, and with scattered figures/stuff that's very incomplete could technically have another small IG army and Death Guard, but these aren't forces I would take to the table without a lot more work. So for them it's just "a collection of models" at the moment.

As for painting for the heck of it, I hear ya. For a while I had been sucked into the mindset of having to make an army to "justify" purchases - so instead of "wasting" $50, I ended spending a lot more. Now I wouldn't care, and when other projects get done/in between them would not have a problem with doing something just for fun, with no army in mind.

Some things I think would be cool to do would be Krog-Gar on Carnasaur, the LotR elephant-thing, or some of the bigger Reaper dragons.

Sigmar said...

If an army was a mere model count then I could put together maybe 7. If it has to be fully painted then I have none !

Yep, I'm not too hot on the painting side of things :(

Sigmat
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