The Miniatures Disease

It's been six months since I've bought any miniatures, a fact that shocks and awes me. Due to various other factors, I've had to put down my paintbrushes and do other things for three months.

But recently I've been able to get back into the game, albeit slowly. I've painted a pair of miniatures, and I'm approaching completion of my Brazen Claws company--a long term project.

When I spent those three months not painting, it was easy to forget about it--or rather, I'd think about 40k, but not too deeply. Yet as soon as I started painting again, I started thinking about it. New projects to work on, new ideas for armies.

I still have many projects to complete, and a mountain of miniatures still in boxes unpainted. But I can't help but think of new things I want to do. It's amazing how quickly the addiction consumes you once you get back into it.

• I still need to complete my Brazen Claws.
• I still need to complete my Ork Land Battleship.
• I still have my Space Hulk minis to paint
• And tons of other miniatures lying around....

And yet, I see a picture like this:

The new Shadow Spectres from Forgeworld, and I want to start making that new Eldar Army I've been dreaming of for a while.  The theme of the army is very ghost-like, and as such the Shadow Spectres would be a perfect fit.

And then the Grey Knights are coming out soon, which is exciting...

And to top it off, I still have lots of ideas for my Warhammer and LotR armies too...  Sigh.

Knight of the Raven

This past weekend I did something I haven't done in over three months: painted a miniature. Real life has been pretty busy recently, and I simply haven't had the time to sit down and paint since October. It feels good to be back. This doesn't mean that I'll be pounding out miniatures left and right again, but at least I'm back in the game a little bit.

I always thought that the Knights of the Raven chapter looked pretty cool. It seems clear to me (although it's stated in the canon that it's not definitive) that the Knights of the Raven are descended from the Raven Guard, which has always been a favorite of mine.

I had originally thought that their paint scheme was essentially the opposite of the Raven Guard, that is, white with black markings. But upon closer inspection, it's actually burnished silver with black markings. Pretty cool. So just for fun I decided to paint up a test miniature in this scheme.

Not the best work I've ever done, but passable, I think.