40k Giveaway: Emperor's Champion

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

So with that in mind, I'm going to straight up jack 40k Giveaway's schtick. I have many minis that I'll likely never be able to use, so I'm going to give you the opportunity to get them for free.

For December I'm going to give one lucky reader a fresh Emperor's Champion. This metal mini was given to me by a shipmate almost a decade ago, but has never met a paint brush, since it was a duplicate for me. So this is your chance to have one of your very own.

photo from Games Workshop

The rules are simple (and also stolen from 40k Giveaway):
1)  Be a public follower of this blog (I want to see you in the 'Members' gadget on the right).

2)  Leave a comment below saying that you want the item. (I'll do the drawing December 17, in hopes of getting it to you before Christmas, so post before then.)

3)  If you win the item, come back and leave a comment once you've received it saying,"Hey, I got it!"

Best of luck, i hope you get it.

~Muninn

Yorrik: Penal Legion

Another update of Yorrik's Abhuman Guard army:

"My cycle seems to be "forget about these guys for a few months, then polish off a squad or two." Right now I'm working on the Penal Legion. When picking them back up I noticed that my initial skin technique (lots of paint mixing between purple, pink, and white over the course of seven or eight layers) was simply too time consuming. So I developed a compromise technique that delivers a much less rich skin tone, but at a quicker pace. I do like that their skin comes out more pale and sickly, though the old technique has far more depth and richness. In these pictures it's hard to tell, but the second fellow from the right has the first, more time-consuming recipe. On the table they'll all look like pale freaks, though, so I guess overall it's a win.

Hoping to get the first five Veteran Guardsmen done soon. Their skin has been painted (using the same technique) but now I'm struck with some important decision-making. As they wear scavenged armor to a greater degree than the regular foot trooper, I have to actually map out what the PDF uniform might have been, so I can replicate it on the minis. "

Yorrik

If Myths were Chapters

Black Dragons, Blood Gorgons, Howling Griffons, Minotaurs, Sons of Medusa, Chimera, Manticore, Valkyrie

Even without delving past the Imperial forces 40k is rife with references to mythology and mythical creatures, much of it from Western culture. I figured It could be fun to explore the potential of myths from other world cultures. Here are five new legend-inspired Chapters.

Nightmarchers
Origin: Ghostly ancestors, Nightmarchers (Maori)
Colors: Burnt orange with light blue "tattoos"
Concept: Established on a mostly aquatic world, the locals consider the chapter to be mighty ancestral spirits, who steal away people from their homes in the dead of night. They are perhaps most well known for the elaborate tattoos that cover both their bodies and armor.

Heirs of Orthus
Origin: Two-Headed dog, Orthus (Greek)
Colors: Orange and black halved
Concept: This chapter's fortress monastery is based on the dark side of a planet whose where one half if eternal night. They use this intensely inhospitable terrain to mold their exceptional night-fighting abilities.

Water Lynx
Origin: Mishupishu, the Underwater Panther (Native American)
Colors: Teal with black chest & white accents
Concept: Few know of these marines, because they leave so few survivors, or witnesses. For this reason only the rare inquisitor, or desperate general will call upon these ferociously efficient warriors.

Tengu Blades
Origin: Birdlike spirits, the Tengu (Japanese)
Colors: White & Red quartered
Concept: Swordsmen of the utmost caliber, these marines often eschew long range tactics for close quarters fighting. A small number of these marines exhibit a rare mutation that causes them to lose their senses in the heat of battle, fighting with reckless abandon until victorious, or put down by great force.

Qilin Claws
Origin: the omen bringing Qilin (Chinese)
Colors: Yellow with Green helmet, arms, and legs
Concept: Far more contemplative than some other chapters, The Qilin Claws use their Catalepsean Nodes and Sus-an Membranes to meditate upon the art of war for days or weeks at a time. This makes them highly desired as battlefield leaders, as well as trainers of great military minds.

Keeper of Secrets (continued)

I finally got the spear, and now he/she/it is done (modeling-wise that is).

The spear fits a lot better aesthetically, and is a lot less distractingly huge.

Now all that's left is a little bit on the base (adding more sand & a bit of razor wire), priming, and painting.

He's behind a few other projects, but I plan on using it for an upcoming painting competition.

~Muninn

How in the world do people find this blog?

Apparently Terry Crews.

I've only been blogging for a few months now so I'm always interested in what brings people to my shady corner of the internet.

I check my traffic & audience stats pretty frequently and puzzle over things like "Why do I have 21 hits from Greece today?" It's welcome, but a little confounding.

One of the statistical tools is called Traffic Sources, where you can see what websites refer people to your page or what search engine terms people used before clicking on your website.  For the most part it's things like "40k nurglings," "Green Wraitguard," or "Guardians of the Covenant" (There've also been a surprising number of searches for "Eladrin Warlord"). These all make sense since those are gaming terms, and this is a gaming blog.

Yesterday however I saw three words I never thought I'd see to bring someone to my little painting page: "Terry Crews Grandfather"

The hell?

How does Terry Crews have anything to do with my minis?

Seriously. Look at this guy. The only thing he'd ever have to do with 40k would be the basis for a bad ass Catachan.

I went on a Google Image Search mission to see for myself. Sure enough, on page 37 I found this picture

Apparently after a few dozen pages of Terry Crews pics Google starts grasping at straws, so it noticed I'd used the word "Grandfather" (Nurgle) in my post about this mini so it tossed the shot in with the rest.

Weird stuff.

Muninn