536 - 6MMRPC 2015 is finished! Aaaaaand...

...I think we'll call it a very modest success. Let's summate:

General Aims:

1) Paint stuff wot needs to be painted;

2) Don't buy more stuff wot needs to be painted.

Results:

1) In SIX MONTHS, I painted (and finished) the following:

• five Flames of War Comet tanks...for someone else (a charity auction) - link here: [link]
• nine 40k Orks...ditto for Da Masta Cheef (a blog prize!) - see 'previous' post (#535)
• twenty-five 2nd Ed 40k 'beret-style' stormtroopers/militarum tempestus for the 'Last Hurrah' of my 40k hobby time (pic below), and
• half an aegis defence line.

That's literally all I've finished painting in six whole months (with some base coat slapped on my AEC MkIII en passant too)... but at least...

...2) I bought NOTHING that needs to be painted. Woo-hoo!

To qualify this, things I have actually bought over the timespan of the challenge include the following:

• the excellent 'Chain of Command' rules, by Too Fat Lardies,
• Bolt Action's 'Battleground Europe' supplement,
• For my beloved X-Wing, the original starter set, the 'Most Wanted' set, a B-Wing and a Hwk-290 (none of which - as someone helpfully pointed out, increase my painting mountain),
• Some more Bolt Action order dice and small gaming dice.

NB: I also won a rather spiffing box of Bolt Action Soviet Naval Infantry, but - being neither a purchase nor intended for my usage - they don't count.

So yes: that's where we are. I've saved a crapload of money and painted some stuff. 

6MMRPC FTW!

"What's next then, Chris?" I hear you cry.

Well, I've uncharacteristically entered a friendly* Bolt Action tournament for February...and bafflingly I also volunteered to put together a themed 6x4 table (something I've NEVER done before at all...in 24 years of the hobby!) so I have a to-do list for February:

• Paint 3 Section (already underway)
• Paint 2" Mortar Team (already underway)
• Paint OC's runner and acouple of extra Toms with SMGs (already underway)
• Finish painting my AEC MkIII
• Maybe repaint the markings on my Cromwell (this is so not a priority!)
• And...
• Execute and paint my submitted designs for a themed 6x4 playing table.
• Bugger.

It'd also be nice to get a couple more practice games in.

After that it's my usual pipe-dreams: (1) build and paint a Desert Rats light tank company for Flames of War, (2) make a 15mm version of my Bolt Action Army and (3) take over the world.

But now?

- Bed time. 

Thanks, everyone 

   for swinging by and supporting me in my efforts, and I'm sorry I haven't been keeping abreast of your efforts quite as well as I might have. Often I did actually read your posts, but on my mobile, and commenting on that infernal device is a bit of an arcane art...

- Drax.

* Favourite rule from the tourney pack? - "Don't be a cock".

535 - 6MMRPC 16 - Orks are FINISHED!

No internet at home again, so a very quick update via my phone, at work: as the title says, I finally finished Da Masta Cheef's Orks - hooray!

Yup - last week saw the last licks of vaguely-desert-y colours applied to the wee green blighters, and with luck they'll be wining their way westward as soon as I can get them packaged up and posted.

Late night mobile phone pics only, again, but with luck, Da Masta Cheef will be able to take advantage of that lovely American light to take some better pics.

Until next time then - forgive my lack of visits to your corners of the web, but online time is a rare bloody commodity for Drax at the moment, damnit.

- D.

533 - 6MMRPC 15 - Progress!

Wotcha.

Despite my stupid, stupid workload and the fact that we've had absolutely no internet access for a week, I've not only managed to paint more of those okses (almost there!), I've also been planning for a friendly Bolt Action tournament in February. With luck, I'll actually get to play a game this week!

Yes, watch this space: I think good ol' Colonel Gravis will be kind enough to host me for a game on Friday, and (although it's not all finished yet) this is the force I intend to take. It's been a while, but yup - here is a brand new Draxian Painting Chart (TM):

[above] Painting Chart, and [below] who's there.

Note that I'm going for a pretty damned fluffy list: a full platoon with a very typical support element. I like fluffy, characterful lists: that way, if I don't win, I don't mind - I'm just telling a story!

And with that,

I'm off.

Take care, All, and thanks for swinging by!

- Drax.

531 - 6MMRPC 14 - Five Down; Four To Go!

Yup. More glacial progress on Da Masta Cheef's Orkses. Never let it be said that I am a speed-painter.

Obviously the mobile phone pic doesn't really do them justice, but if you look closely, they do have a kind of desert-y colour palette, and I promise you some of the details really are more subtle than they appear here!  

Hope all's well, folks...

- Drax.

528 - 6MMRPC 14 - Baby Orky Steps

First attempt at posting from my mobile. Hmmm...

After hurrying to finish those Comets, and with Real Life (TM) biting again, I got nothing done last week *sad face* but last night I got my act together again and nailed another of Da Masta Cheef's orkses (pending finishing touches, of course!).

Now let's see if I can post one of the 1am mobile pics with this...

- Drax

526 - 6MMRPC 13: Comets Finished

This is last week's post.

I finished 'em! Hooray!

...and now they're up for auction via tabletopbattle.com, to raise funds for veterans' charties.

Usual Draxian outdoor photography. You may remember that one of them was supplied without the turret bits, so - as you'll see below - I've made that one into a casualty with a smoke plume and even an optional base, for it to be used as an objective.

Point to note: this is not only my first attempt with a proper smoke plume; it's also my first attempt at adding antennae to 15mm vehicles.

Hope you're well,

- Drax.

525 - 6MMRPC 12: Comets Almost Finished

Busy back at work, but yes, I have been painting. Still ploughing through these Comets for the tabletopbattle.com charity auction. I've about a week left to finish them and ship 'em to Norway.

Here's this week's progress (preceded by a pic of last week's progress, just because Dai didn't believe me):

Last week's progress - note that the paint on the road wheels is only blocked out, and the reversed turrets are still waiting for their proper basecoat (Russian Uniform) 

This week - progress part 1. Road wheels and tyres done.

This week - progress part 2. details and decals pretty much all now in place. They're balanced like that so that you can see the decals on each of the projections.

Cheers, guys - wish me luck!

- Drax.

524 - 6MMRPC 11: Sitrep

1) I'm back to work. Boo!
2) I managed some painting again last week - hooray! - more incremental progress on Da Masta Cheef's orks (which are slow-going for two reasons: 1) I had completely run out of dark brown paint, so I had to order some more, and 2) they're really surprisingly fiddly models, and yet there's a real paucity of detail in the recesses...).
3) No pics. I'm too tired. You'll just have to trust me.

Ave Imperator; more fluff soon,

- D.

521 - 6MMRPC 10: - - We Interrupt This Broadcast - -

This week I should have been posting fiction in the aftermath of The Second Siege of Agratha, but technical issues and real life have conspired to prevent me from doing so. 

[What I should be writing about]

I'm also terrible at writing fluff but please allow me to draw your attention to these marvellous contributions from the camps of Col. Gravis and Col. Winterbourne respectively:

• Gravis (part 1; plenty more thereafter: link here)
• Winterbourne (part 1; more to follow: link here)

For my part in the meantime, I shall meet the statutory requirements of 6MMRPC by noting that this week I was at least able to do a wee bit more building, viz, I have now completed making my troop of Comets - four tanks and what will be a wreck (see here for details from before: link):

Imagine three-and-a-half more of these...

Fluff soon, I promise.

Drax out.

520 - 6MMRPC 9: Completion and a Joker

This will need to be quick: I've got the biggest 40K smackdown of my life starting in about 14 hours, and miles to go before I sleep.

To sum-up 6MMRPC progress over the last two weeks, I've somehow finally finished the 2nd Ed Stormtroopers for tomorrow's match (if you're not familiar with the 'sculpts' then trust me: the faces are as flat and featureless as a puddle, so I'll go back to them later, maybe), but I also accidentally played a Joker. First though, some 2am-style pics:

Emperor be praised. I should note that there is, of course, another 10-man section (1 Section) to complete this platoon; what you see here is just what I've whizzed through in the last fortnight-or-so.

2 Sect (plas/melta); 3 Sect (2x volley) and HQ Sect (4x volley)

If you look carefully at the right-hand side of the first pic, you'll see how I've killed two birds with one stone: many of the models had rifle barrels which had snapped off, and I lacked special weapons...so after a bit of a hatchet job with some lasguns, six troopers now have the 2nd Ed retro--fitted version of a hotshot volley gun (or whatever it's called): four in the Platoon HQ Section and two in 3 Section.


Now, what about this joker? Well, I was in an old FLGS in Norwich and - without thinking and for the first time EVER at my wife's prompting - I bought myself a new toy: a B-Wing to complete my X-Wing Rebel flight, the 'Mutts and Mongrels'. 

Right then. In my mind, at least, that brings me full-square and back on track with the 6MMRPC blogging. So there. 

Right. I'd better get painting for tomorrow then...

TTFN,

- Drax

...And miles to go, before I sleep.

517 - 6MMRPC 8: Progress and Distractions. Good Distractions.

Brief version.

1. Progress: The 2nd Edition Stormtrooper platoon is rapidly nearing completion. I actually did a lot of work on them last week (this is last week's post, really) but don't have access to the photo right now)
2. Progress: That will leave only a Manticore and a Servitor to finish before the Second Seige of Agratha, in a fortnight's time(!)
3. Distraction: THIS - Secret Cinema's 'The Empire Strikes Back', last night in London - great fun!

4. Distraction: I'm on holiday for a week, in Norwich (birthplace of this blog, back in '08), and unable to do ANY painting.
5. The prospect of blowing an evening's urgent painting next week in order to get in a game of Bolt Action(!)

Oh, such excitement!

- D.

514 - 6MMRPC 7: A Little More Excitement for Drax

Hullo, All.

I'm afraid that this single tank will need to count for this week's 6MMRPC, as I've been away in Amsterdam all last week. But it's a great tank:

Not yet finished, but an absolute JOY to construct! Kudos, Battlefront; kudos.

That's right - the excellent Damon over at tabletopbattle.com [link] has invited me to paint up a unit for their charity auctions (for veterans - check it out on their site!), and I offered to paint their donated Battlefront Comets, seeing as I'm geared up for painting 11th Armoured Division tanks anyway. Yay!

NB: Being a low-urgency painted-for-charity unit, I shall decree that this unit will NOT count as a 'purchase' towards my 6MMRPC, but I shall factor its completion into my list. Pleasingly, I'll be able to paint these in concert with my recently-built replacement Shermans...

The Comets arrived whilst I was away: it's four complete tanks plus a fifth minus its turret. Damon has suggested making it an objective marker, so that'll be a nice challenge too. Included in the package was also the lovely box of Soviet Naval Brigade, as mentioned in my last post. Gorgeous.

But these babies are not my priority right now. Time ticks on apace, and I've got 25 stormtroopers to paint, methinks...and my summer holidays have just begun...

- D.

512 - 6MMRPC 7: 40K Stormtrooper Progress

Yup.

Someone recently suggested that if one paints faces first, then one feels - on a more personal level - more bound to finish the figures; almost as if one starts to invest in them as heroic-28mm people!

So I tried it:

f you're wondering why I have so many projects on the go at the moment, these is a reason. For a 40K fixture I have coming up(!) I really want to finish up a bunch of loose ends...but more on this in another post soon.

Out of interest, other projects I have actively bubbling away include the following:
Da Masta Cheef's Ork Tankbustas,
Bolt Action 28mm AEC Armoured Car Mk III
Flames of War Vickers Machine Gun Platoon
Flames of War Shermans,

...and of these, given the looming 40k confrontation, Da Boyz are, of course, top of the list!

'Til next time then (and I've splendid news to impart this week),

Ave Imperator.

- Drax.

511 - 6MMRPC 6: 40K Stormtroopers - It's On!

A teaser post really: 

I've got a big -- and I do mean 'BIG' -- 40K thing looming on the horizon, and I find that all of a sudden I really want to finish off painting some of the final bits and bobs for the Cadian 24th. In this case, I figured it's time - as part of the 6MMRPC - to acually construct and paint the remaining troops of my Stormtrooper platoon. 

By 'Stormtrooper' I do of course mean 'Militarum Tempestus'.

These pics are full size: check out the sergeant's 'tache!

And by 'remaining troops' I do of course mean 'two more full squads and an HQ'.

Bugger.

Still - my second job finished about 20 minutes ago...so I'm now going to be a lot more free! Weeee!

- D.

510 - 6MMRPC 5: Orkses

Who would've thought that Drax would be painting up Orkses, eh?

Well, he is; I am.

I am RIDICULOUSLY busy with my second job at the moment (I'm essentially not blogging for the next two weeks) but - determined as I am to not fluff this second 6MMRPC - I snatched 20 minutes tonight in order to splash a wee bit more paint on Da Masta Cheef's rather characterful orks:

Another poxy late-night mobile phone pic. Mrs Drax has hidden the camera again...

Every little helps, right?

Sorry for the lack of comments on your blogs this fortnight: I will be back - promise!

- Drax.

PS: There's going to be some 40K action this summer. Jus' sayin'...

507 - 6MMRPC 4: Deskspace

Hullo!

I'm conscious that some of my fellow bloggers have been sharing pictures of their painting areas 'cleared for action' with the onset of 6MMRPC...so, er, here's mine:

I don't have a painting area any more. I have my desk, which is supposed to be for me to do all of my planning, marking, domestic paperwork and - as my second, seasonal job - examining. 

Yup.

However...

It's also used by No.1 Daughter as a desk for her wonderful crazy-ass creative writing and drawing and by No.2 Daughter as a novelty, no-fear-of-her-ever-falling-off-here-at-all climbing frame and cat-chasing platform. Mrs. Drax kindly uses it as a repository for all the crap I leave all over the downstairs of the house too, so it's not what you'd call 'ideal' as a painting station.

My core paints, hobby tools and models-in-progress are all kept in the draws down the left column, with the top-most being locked with the sharp stuff in (luckily, both daughters are tremendously good at not opening things they're told not to open - praise the Emperor).

If you're wondering why I suffer this, it boils down to three things: (1) we've become rubbish at keeping a tidier house since having kids, (2) I'm lazy and disorganised, and (3) it is the ONLY space in our tiny cottage that combines a sturdy horizontal plane at the correct height with access to decent lighting. I kid you not.

Against the left wall, in the corner, are stacked some hobby boxes (I'm still astounded that Mrs. Drax lets me do this - in full public view) and you might even see the sturdy cardboard box sent by Da Masta Cheef [link] with his nine orks in it: I've made a slow start on painting them at last, and based my FoW Vickers Platoon, so a little more progress for 6mmrpc week 2.

Yay.

- Drax

506 - 6MMRPC 3: Still Beginning....and Painting Chart

Alright, Dudes.

Here's what my painting chart looks like for Flames of War these days:

I've just noticed that the new Vickers platoon's bases should be medium - not large. D'oh!

At some point over the last few months I bought and built the Vickers MG platoon, which is officially the only unit I was 'missing' from my 11AD force. Since last post, I've made all five of my new Shermans now (the older, finished one is for comparison) - hooray! I actually added some tracks-n-stuff to each glacis too, for once:

...And that's where I am this week!

- Drax.

505 - 6MMRPC 2: It Begins.

Right then. I've started to tackle the plastic pile.

First up? Three of the five Plastic Soldier Company Shermans that I bought so that I can do two very specific things:
1) Replace the three resin US Shermans from the old-style 'Open Fire' starter set so I can repaaint them as the heavily armoured backbone of my nascent Desert Rats force, and
2) Replace one of my two Fireflies in each troop with a normal Sherman, so that I can play an Op Overlord list rather than an Op Market Garden list.

[with apologies for crappy mobile phone pic]

Construction even included a bit of painting, as whilst the tanks were undercoated and green basecoated on the sprues, I still needed to base the tracks black.

So I did. 

Modelling + Painting = 6MMRPC Win.

See you soon,

- D.

504 - 6MMRPC 1: The First Line in the Sand

Hullo All,

Great News!  Look what arrived in the post this week:

Admittedly, this is Da Masta Cheef's photo (my wife has our camera) but they all arrived safe and - as Cheef won my competition to have a unit painted-up by your sometimes-humble author - I look forward to adding them to the 6MMPRC pile...and they're such smashing models that they'll definitely be right near the top!


As I said I would, I've just started my seasonal second job, which means I'll be working many more hours into the evenings than I currently do...but I still propose to engage with the Second Annual 6MMPRC.

Over the next few 6MMPRC I'll explore the 'mountains' I have for various systems (they're not too significant, to be honest) and I shall endeavour to actually start to reduce those mountains - even incrementally - each and every week.

To start with - naturellement - here is the Draxian Painting Chart as it currently stands for my Bolt Action 28mm force:

In case you were wondering, in no way at all was I a tiny wee bit sneaky in purchasing three additional bits to add to the pile on the evening of the 31st May. Nope. That didn't happen at all...and those models are in no way the ones shaded blue, above. Nope.

So that's the first couple of bits on the pile. 

Honestly? After painting ALL of the green BA-28 models in five-and-a-half months since the new year (an absolute all-time, twentymumble-year record for me, incidentally) I shall be turning my attention away from BA at that scale for a bit, so I suspect the first things on my list will be either my 15mm BA models or...maybe those sweet, sweet Orks?

Other posts in the near future include:
Flowers and Welshmen...and why I love 'em 
and
My first Bolt Action game report. 
Yay!

With luck, some hobby time on the morrow.

Keep well,

- Drax.

501 - 6MMRPC II (Because I didn't learn the first time, right?)

Yup: it's back.

And I'm going to give it another go. 

Sheesh.

Many thanks, by the way, for your kind comments on my last post! I shall be randomly selecting a 'winner' soon, so do please watch this space.

Yes, the 6MMRPC has returned (see link, here) and despite my work as an examiner being about to start imminently, I intend to have a good crack at this. We'll see, eh?

The details have been tweaked a bit - what follows is lifted wholesale from The Spiderweb of History (see link, above): We've changed up the time frame - it's going to run from June 1, 2015 thru November 30, 2015.  This avoids Christmas.  There have also been a few rules changes, and some exciting additions IN BOLD.

1. No purchasing of new miniatures, EXCEPT if you use a joker.  You get three jokers to use on a figure purchase.  Could be a blister pack, an ebay bundle, or a single figure...you can't splurge. The only exception to this rule is if you need bitz or A FIGURE (Singular) to complete a unit/warband etc.

1.1 - There is an opportunity to "earn" additional jokers.  If you complete an entire project (whole unit/army/warband etc.) with pictures of starting, WIP, and completion, you earn yourself a Joker. 

2.  Gifts do not count against you. Holidays, birthdays etc. Also, if you're given gift cards by your hobby illiterate family or friends, you can without penalty use them on anything you want miniatures wise.

3.  Paints, terrain (or materials), and other hobby supplies do not apply to the no purchasing rule.

4.  At least one hobby related blog post and/or Instagram update a week.  If you instagram, be sure to hashtag your pic with #6MMRPC

5.  Zombtober will be part of the 6 month challenge so, Zombie related stuff during October is ENCOURAGED. Other theme suggestions are welcomed.

6.  Anyone that wants to submit a before and after picture of a miniature that they are proud of completing during the course of the challenge to dmcffd@gmail.com will be entered into the running for a gift certificate to a online wargaming store of their choice.  Judging will be by an un-biased person.  Amount on the gift certificate will be dictated by winners nationality but should work out to about $30 U.S. I (Spiderweb of History) will not be eligible to win. 


So spread the word folks, and lets make this an even better challenge than the last!

Cheers,

- D.