Yu Jing Spec Ops : aka Bruno Pontz Jones

So here he is. Bruno Pontz Jones. I know its a name hack from Kids in the Hall, but hey. This is not my best work but considering the distance since my last painted model I am far from disappointed with the results. I mounted him on a different base than what he was originally pictured. We are using a square grid for the game and I did not a round peg in a square hole if you get my drift.

In the end I stayed with the blue fins. Mainly due to lack of other inspiration. I may go back and fix them later if I come up with a better idea. The studio mini has white ones with a bit of turquoise showing at the base, perhaps I will go back in and do that. Not any time soon mind you, but it is a possibility in the future.

As a side not I hate it when I look at pictures while writing a blog post and see something I missed. I will definitely need to go back and paint the edge of the base back to black.

WIP 3: Yu Jing Spec Ops

A bit more work on the Spec Ops model that I am using for the Savage World game that our RPG group is playing. It's kinda hard to see what I have done with my current light set up. I have refined the armor with some additional highlights and done some work on the pants. I am not too sure how much more I am going to do on this model as working on it has made me anxious to finish it and move on to something else.

 I will probably work a bit more on the leather, the pants, and the metallics and call it quits. I may do something else on the back fins as I move in and out of love with them. Its a combination of the color not fitting the composition and not knowing exactly what direct I would take them.

For a warm up this model has come out pretty good I think, and I was surprised how quickly some of my skills are returning. We will see if I can maintain it across other models.

BTW...if you were wondering about the contraption holding the mini. It is a miniature holder from PK-Pro. I just got it and so far I like it. The wire with the skull gives you a place to rest your finger while you grip the base. The ceramic bottom rotates inside the metal so you can get a good angle to the model. There are two models one for 30mm and one for 54mm. I will try to do a full review of it after I have had the time to use it for a while. 

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Manipulations Episode #1

Well, I stated in the last post that I would probably start posting some random stuff here and there so here it is. It has been a couple weeks since I posted last, but I am gonna try to post at least once a week. Hell, maybe I will make a regular Sunday article. We'll play this one by ear and if it goes ok maybe I can keep up with it.

Competitive 40K?

So, there has been quite an uproar the last couple of weeks over what competitive 40K players feel GW is doing with their game. If I still ran regular tournaments I could easily see how it might be an issue. Dataslates. strongholds, super heavies, allies, and all that is out there is a nightmare for tournament organizers. It really has little to do with those fellas and a lot to do with the people who show for those events.

If you don't know maybe you should understand something about people who take it on themselves to run not only tournaments but any type of event. Regardless of how it may look on the outside the desire to run events comes mainly from the desire for others to have an enjoyable experience. Some may be about ego and the more successful ones can make some money at it, but at the root of it is running an enjoyable event.

Having said that, if they feel the players won't enjoy the game many will strive to strike a balance that can neutralize a problem. I was quite like that when I first started. Things I got complaints about or seem overpowering were often comped out or forced to deal with scenarios that weighed heavily against them. I learned a while ago that all you end up doing in those situation is creating something else that is off and it becomes a never ending battle. More recently I have been pretty much will to allow what ever is in the book to fly. Balance comes from the option for everyone to use the same stuff.

How do I feel about the current game. I like it. What follows may explain why.

WIP 2: Yu Jing Spec Ops, oh and a spew of random crap

That's right boys and girls, I am still painting. Not a ton of progress but I am working even though it is in 10-20min spurts. I am just having a lot of trouble maintaining focus for too long right now. At least I am putting paint on a model.

There may not seem like much progress, but trust me its there. Not only am I having to re-find my touch and technique, I am discovering that my eyes are starting to betray me. I am not "old" by any stretch of the word, but my eyes have never been good and after 33 years of glasses/contacts they are starting to tire. My eye doc suggested readers, but I am resisting that with every fiber of my being. Perhaps the intelligent part of my brain will cross the hall and slap the shit out of the stubborn side. For real though the more I paint the more I face that reality. My eyes take time to focus on the details, and at time I have to give distance to do so.

As a side note, this blog might move a bit away from just a hobby blog and into a more personal nature. The times I do get to leave something for you I tend to feel better afterwards so maybe there is some therapy to be had here. I will try to at least have something for you to look at, but it may be old stuff or something interesting I find online. Having said that, you might get post about minis, my rp group, World of Tanks (by the way, thanks to TSP for taking me into their clan), programming work for school, or in the future even some EQN Landmark (I can not wait for this game).

Anyway, I have continued on with the armor a bit and started to work more detail around the mini. The cloth is still pretty much basic and the leather has had some more work. As you can obviously see, I also painted the fins on his back. Now, I doubt this will ever get used in a game of Infinity, but in the game they have many minis that have those type of protrusions. They describe them as something that helps soldiers with a combat drop ability (kinda like a paratrooper but more high tech). It adds a bit of color distraction as is, but I am not sure I like it. I might change it or I could just say f-it.

That is about it for now. As always thanks for taking a look.