Hey! What's that Badger doing?

With the blog getting quieter at the moment, I thought I would update everybody on what I am working on.

The first 12 Pulp City models are prepared, built and undercoated. A nice range of models for me to try and learn how to paint without using only washes and drybrushing like I have been up to now. (Even though that is only about 40 models total)

A couple of days ago I received some goodies from the Games + Gears Kickstarter. 5 double ended Kolinsy sable brushes. I think there are still 2 more to come as well. These should help a lot with the PC painting. (Early birthday prezzie from the Galley Wench)
A few people have asked 'What is the point of double ended brushes?'. To be honest, I don't know. I just thought that £15 for 7 (effectively 14) decent brushes was a really good price.

This lot will also help with the painting.
When the new GW paint range came out I picked up the full box set. I have since added the Edging Paints to it for a massive range of colours. I also picked up the 'How to Paint Citadel Minis' book and DVD that came out at the same time as it contained several step by step articles using the paints I had.
But what are all of those pages in front?
They are the step by step painting guides from every White Dwarf since the paints came out! Cut out and slotted into the painting book to create an extensive reference library for somebody wanting to learn how to paint from scratch.

 Robert in the Mini Addicts Anonymous Facebook group spotted my undercoated pic and suggested I try Zenith undercoating. This is a technique where you spray black all over and white from above to give instant shades and highlights when painting. His Dr.Tenebrous above shows the mini after undercoating this way.
I loved the idea of this so now have some white spray coming and will be holding off painting for a couple of days until it arrives.
My progress (or complete failures) will appear on here soon.

I remember seeing Zenith undercoating somewhere before. It was in a selection of Antimatter Games tutorials for Deep Wars minis that I have collected together in an earlier post. The Cavern Crawler above shows a much heavier white coat which will give a brighter model and even let you paint with just washes!
(Check out the link, awesome work)

Talking of Deep Wars, I spotted a post from  Lord Inar on the Antimatter Games Forum.
He is painting up some Ancients of Atalan and instead of the usual black bases he has used transparent blue ones from Malifaux to give them a more aquatic look.
Seemed like a great idea to me.

I couldn't see the bases that well in Lord Inars picture so decided to grab a pack from  The Troll Trader from about £3.50 and see what they were like close up.

Here you can see 2 Deep Wars models on the different bases. I like the black but I think I prefer the blue ones. Might need to try them out on the planned sea floor board after some painting to get the full effect before I pick up any more and decide I don't like them.
Or I could paint the black edges in a sand colour. That might work.

Which do you like better?

I had a box arrive this week as well from my friend Chris at the Disptches from the Rim Blog.
4 Heroclix models. Venom, Wonderman and 2 Agents.
Thanks soooooo much!
A random selection you might think? No, they are models I have been after for a reason..........

To make these 2!!!! The TICK and Arthur!

The Heroclix minis aren't the only random plastic model I have gained recently though.
The Doctor Who Adventures children's magazine has small figures free on the front every now and then. This week it was 12 Daleks for around £3 total.
They will need a bit of work to clean up and prepare, but they are going to make brilliant robot Minis in the new Pulp City Rules.

To give you an idea of the size and detail, here are 2 Daleks next to a standard 28-30mm model.
I think the 40mm base on the red one will work better and make them much more imposing.

After all of that, I still have this pile to build!

What have you been up to recently?

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Tabletop Art - Wall Template and Crystal Field Base

For the third in my series of Tabletop Art reviews I will be looking at 2 smaller items in the same post.
First up is the Wall Template and then it will be the Crystal field 50mm bases.

Wall Template 

(painted pic above)

The Wall Template is a 3D gaming accessory but can also be used as terrain.
It comes in a large blister pack with a painted version shown on the front.

The Wall is a resin single piece accessory that is perfect for games of WarmaHordes. (Gortens spells anyone?) It can also be used as a broken wall on almost any battlefield. The fact that its multi purpose makes it appealing already.
Above and below you can see the 'Doctor' to show the size and scale. He is a 28mm mini on a 30mm base.

The template/scenery piece is VERY highly detailed. Random brickwork with a variety of textures, vines, broken stone and more.
It didn't need any work on it at all so could be undercoated straight from the box. Another great point.
The low profile base also means that it blends into the surrounding game board easily.

Price - e6.00 or roughly £4 from the Tabletop Art Store. How can you say no to that for a decent sized resin piece of terrain / gaming accessory?
Overall - I really like this piece. It has several uses, can be painted without ANY work straight from the box, very nice detail and all at an awesome price.
The Wall Template doesn't exactly what you want it to do. And more!

10 out of 10 Badger Points!

Crystal Field 50mm Base

The Crystal Field base comes in a large blister with a painted version shown on the front. The back shows any other information you may need.

These bases are a very highly detailed 3D Crystal design. On one side the crystals are small, growing larger as you go across the base. Because the detail is not symmetrical it means you could use the same base several times and each model will still look different.
On the sides of the base there are 180 degree arc markings so they would be perfect for WarmaHordes.

I didn't do ANY work on this base when I took it out of the box. No flash, no mould lines, nothing! Perfect from the start. You cant ask for any better than that.
I do have to admit though, I wont be using this as a base. Instead I an going to flock the smooth sides and paint is up and an area of 'Sun Crystals' to use on my Deep Wars board. The detail is so nice, i would feel bad hiding it under a miniature!

Price - The base is e4.50 or £3 on the Tabletop Art store. For a resin base of that size, detail and quality, that is a bargain! I'm going to get a couple more!
Overall - Very very impressed. I love it. I don't have a bad word to say about the piece and cant keep going on about how good it is.

10 out of 10 Badger Points!

Win - Win for Tabletop Art!

What do you think of them?

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Fenris Games - Post Apocalypse Bases

With the recent release of the Pulp City Monsters expansion and the open beta for the new addition right around the corner, you will be seeing a lot more Pulp City on this blog over the next few months.
Because of that I thought I would take a look at some more if the resin bases I will be using.

I have already shown the Secret Weapon Urban and Flagstone bases so its time to check out the ones I use more than any others.

Fenris Games Post Apocalypse Bases

Over the last couple of years I have been using the Fenris Games Post Apoc base toppers but I recently found out that they do the same designs in full bases.
A set of these were up as a prize in the Paint the City Pink auctions and were won by Bubba Ho Tep from the Kentucy Fried Gamers Youtube page, as Bubba is a good friend I took some sneaky photos before sending them off.

Lets take a look at each size starting with the largest

80mm Post Apoc bases 

(painted pic at top of post)

In the 80mm sets you get 2 bases of different designs. Both have a look of broken brick and tarmac. Maybe a pavement or edge of a road even.
The detail is an extremely high quality. Sharp edges on the slabs and texture on every single piece.
The sides of the bases are perfectly smooth, as are the bottoms.

You may think that 80mm is a bit of an odd size but there are now several games that use it. The main one for me will be Pulp City Monsters as they will all be based on these
The Post Apoc range is perfect for any modern era, near future, industrial or urban games.
With mixed details on each base you could face models in different directions and use the same set several time with out any looking like they are standing in the same place.
 If you have a model that big, you don't want it to be on a plain and boring base do you? Grab a couple of these to make it stand out!

On the Fenris Games Store this pack comes in at £6.50. For the size, detail and weight of these I think that is an absolute bargain.
I would love to see a couple more designs in the future but that Is only because I have about 20 Monsters that need basing.
9 out of 10 Badger Points!

40mm Post Apoc Bases

In the 40mm set you get a selection of 8 different bases. These keep the same theme as the 80mm ones but add several more details.
Wooden posts, fallen brick walls, curbs, drains and even a sinkhole.
Once again they are extremely high detail. Loads of texture, sharp edges and the sides are bottom are nice and smooth.

This set adds even more to the urban and industrial look of the range.
I love the fallen walls as they let you add in some different brickwork colours and the drains are a nice sharp metal opposite to the rubble.
8 designs with mixed details again allow you to place different models on the same base without ever looking like they are just copies.
Although there is lots of detail on these I have found that them don't seem to draw away from minis used on them. I don't know how Fenris have managed to pull this off, but glad they have.

A bag of 8 will cost you around £5.50. I have seen sets like this go for £10 or more in other places for less designs so £5.50 is beyond a bargain! Especially for the quality.
My only fault with this set is that the sinkhole goes all the way through one base. You will need to fill the bottom or will see the playing surface underneath.
9 out of 10 Badger Points

30mm Post Apoc Bases

(I couldn't find a painted picture of these anywhere)

The 30mm sets gives you 12 different designs in the bag.
These keep with the same design elements as the bigger sets but start to add in some more personal details like a cap and handbag.
They also include some different floor effects like cobblestones and flatter slabs and a section of wall still standing.
The quality is just as good even though they are smaller. Sharps edges, nice textures and smooth sides and bottoms. (snigger)

I don't think I can keep repeating myself by telling you how good these are.
The same good points apply and I honestly cant find a SINGLE problem with the 30mm set.

12 bases will cost you around £4.99 from Fenris Games. £4.99? That's madness! I have seen pack of 8 designs in places for over £10. How on earth do Fenris manage to dish out this high a quality at such a low price? I'm not going to complain though, just going to keep buying them before they notice they could get even more for them!
10 out of 10 Badger Points

Overall
The Post Apoc range by Fenris Games have to be my favourite base sets on the market. That's not a little statement either seeing there are 1000s out there.
The design, quality and price are all amazing. Plus Fenris are awesome to deal with.
Only 2 little niggles on the range but they are more personal preference and greediness on my part wanting more so I don't think I can count them.

10 out of 10 Badger Points!

I cant recommend these enough. Go buy some!

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Review: Secret Weapon Urban Street Bases

For the third in my small series of Secret Weapon base reviews I will be looking at the-

Urban Street Range

These bases feature cracked cement, tarmac and a minimum of rubble to allow you to face your model in multiple directions allowing for some variation in your army.

When I opened the parcel I found these very professional looking packets. A lot of base companies send things in just clear bags, but Secret Weapon go that little further with retail ready packs. On the left is the 30mm set and the right is the 40mm set. Both very easy to see exactly what you are getting.

Here you can see the 30mm round lipped base set. Painted picture at the top of the post.
They are single piece resin casts with a large amount of detail. The base sides are perfectly formed with no lumps or bumps to deal with.
The bottoms of the bases are level which is always a good thing as you don't want to be filing resin if you can help it. Around the edge on a couple is a very thin overlap of resin. This can be taken off with your finger or a hobby knife if you want to be more precise.

The 30mm Urban Streets are perfect for any modern or city based game. Several of them have pavement (sidewalk) curbs to give a slightly different height level. The tarmac (asphalt?) is cracked and damaged and gives a 'used' look to them.
With each base being different and none of them being symmetrical, you can face models in any direction. This means you can use several packs in the same collection and have each model stand out as an individual.

Price - This pack of 10 bases can be picked up from the Secret Weapon store for $10. That is around £6.60. A great price in my opinion for such high quality products.

Here is the 40mm set. 5 different bases in the pack.

The 40mm set are the same high standard as the 30s. Nice smooth sides and only a little flash around the bottoms, which again are perfectly level.
With a bigger base you can include a lot more detail.
They have the same cracked tarmac and curbs as the smaller bases but also include a small section of brickwork and some crushed and damaged bricks scattered around. The curbs cover a larger area on a couple, these could even be lined up with a pair of minis for a diorama look.
Non symmetrical detail again gives you the option to face models in different directions for different looks.
These seem a little higher with the details so your medium sized minis will stand out a bit more.

Price - For the set of 5 bases you can get them at the Secret Weapon store for $10 (£6.60)
Not 'quite' as good a deal as the 30mm set but still darn close. A great price for the detail and standard.

Overall - I really like this range. The will be a perfect fit for Pulp City models (which is what I will be using them on) or any other modern era ranges like 7TV or Super System.
The only thing I would consider changing would be the make some of the cracks smaller or even remove them in places.

8 out of 10 Badger Points.
Less cracks and 1 or 2 more designs would have been a 10.

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Review: Secret Weapon Flagstone Resin Bases

Secret Weapon Miniatures have given me the great opportunity to review some of their resin bases range.
Today I will be look at the Flagstone set.

Above you can see the 30mm and 40mm packets. Both looking very clean and professional. Very easy to see what you are getting.

The 30mm set from 2 different angles. The painted picture is at the top of this post.
The Flagstone range is very nice. Perfect for modern era games or any force that looks city based. These will soon be seen in action in the streets of Pulp City.
They have a selection of different sized flag or paving stones on them with some gaps in between. Several are also worn, weathered and cracked to give some effective textures. To break up the stone look, there are also weeds and moss stretched across the tops.
The quality is very good. Level bottoms, which you don't see very often, and no flash around the edge.
A couple of bases have tiny raised areas on the curved sides but a quite run over with a file can get that sorted in no time.
Each base is different and none of them are symmetrical. This means you can use this set in a force or collection over and over again by just facing the miniatures in different directions. With flat bases this is easy to do as there are no large rocks or anything similar to get in the way of foot placement.

The 40mm set is as nice as the smaller set.
All 5 are again different with the stone, weathering and plant effects. Perfect for using multiple sets at a time.
Level bottoms with a little flash around the edge. That is simple to scrap off though and takes seconds.
The curved edges are as smooth as you can get.

Overall, I really like this range. Cant wait to get some of my Pulp City models based up on them.
At $10 a bag you really cant go wrong. A good price for something of such a high standard.

To check out more of the Flagstone range or any of the other base ranges available, head over to Secret Weapon Miniatures

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!