Sunday, February 19, 2012

Gremlins are Crazy Fun!

I have been trying to get my playing up to a better standard before this Saturday when the games start, so I have mainly been focusing on my Resurrectionists, as the league is fixed faction for the next five weeks.

In between practicing my game with Kirai and picking up a few models for my Seamus crew, I managed to pick up the Ophelia box set, and tried her out for the first time last night. Chuck and Steph were at the store, so we all decided to play a team game. At first, the hubby suggested that he and I be on one team, but I felt as if it wouldn't be fair since he was playing Somer and we would have synced up so well. We all decided to randomize our opponents by drawing out one of two different colored soulstones out a hat and partnering up with whomever matched. It ended up that Steph (Perdita) and I (Ophelia) were together, and Nick (Somer Teeth) and Chuck (Kaeris) were on the other team.

Things were looking pretty dour for us ladies at first, with Nick's warpig coming along and destroying half of my models, while Steph just concentrated on keeping all of the Ortegas in cover. At least, that is, until I took Steph aside and talked a bit of strategy with her. She listened to my advice, and quickly the tables turned. I got her concentrating on objectives, and gave her a list of key models to kill, and in what order. I sort of made her burn a soulstone when she wanted to let her attack miss at a key point once. Well, I didn't make her, I suppose, but I did speak up and say "burn a soulstone", after she said she was letting it fail. I feel kind of bad for controlling her game like that, but I hope that it was a learning experience for her. It certainly was a learning experience for me! I had never watched the gremlins in action before. Ophelia can really hold her own! Pigs can be scary. And Somer Teeth kept me giggling.

I also learned that Perdita is an insanely strong master, even in the hands of someone who isn't playing her skillfully.

I'm happy to say that Steph and I triumphed over our husbands, with 4VP compared to their 2. A low scoring game, but a victory is a victory, and I'll take it! I was admittedly a bit surprised by the outcome, as Nick is better than me, and Chuck is better than Steph.

Steph is very nervous about the league games. I've been trying to coach her on what to do with Perdita, but I am not the best tactician myself. She was a bit bummed about starting out the league with a 10 point game, as the Ortegas tend to be expensive, so I bought a blister of young nephalim, and am taking one of my old chain necklaces and making her a proxy enslaved nephalim to take with her. (There isn't an enslaved nephalim at the store!) Hopefully having another model will make her feel better! I think she is planning on fielding Perdita and either Santiago or Nino.

I got Kirai based and primed last night! I think I'm going to be doing all of the spirits in grayscale. Kirai herself is going to be blonde, because the face of the model just doesn't look Japanese to me! Also, I got rid of that head at the bottom of her feet, because I didn't like it.

Its going to be an exciting week for me! Painting, painting, painting, and then a league game on Saturday!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Kirai

Our area's new henchman has started a fixed faction league that runs from February 25 to March 24. The league games start off at 10ss, and then every week 5ss are added.

... So for the last week and a half, I have been practicing my 10ss game. This is something that I had never thought to try before. Previously 20ss was the lowest I had ever played. There is much more to consider, I suppose... and at 10ss your options feel like they are limited. I have found, after consideration, that they aren't as limited as you immediately think, if you are creative.

I decided that I would go with Resurrectionists for my faction, as I had more ressers (Molly and Seamus) available to me to work with. My husband went with Arcanists, and my brother Tim went with Guild. Sharing our models between each other, I have access to every res master. I have been working on learning to play Nicodem, McMourning and Kirai in case I decide to use them later on.

I started playing my husband's Kirai crew over the past week as well, and I have to say that she is certainly unique. I got absolutely slaughtered my first game with her, making many mistakes in order of activation, and keeping Kirai to the back. After my husband gave me a few pointers, however, I am absolutely amazed at Kirai's effectiveness. In fact, the last game I played with her, I practically won the game in the first round, killing several of my opponents models including his master. "Establish your dominance in round one" was my husbands advice. "If you aren't winning on round one, you aren't going to win."

I'm not used to playing that aggressively, but it seems to be working for me so far. I guess time will tell!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Done?? Done!

The impossible has happened. I have finally declared that I am done working on a model. I've been working on my Viktorias forever, and I keep getting asked when I am going to be done with them. Well... I am not done with all of them, but I am done with ONE! I am finally happy with Sword Mistress Viktoria now that I have given her a slight costume change. I painted her up with all of the skin showing, like I am supposed to... but she just didn't look like a serious warrior to me. I'm not sure how adding a long-sleeved leotard beneath all that bikini armor makes her more badass to me, but it does. She is finally ready to go out and kick some butt.


The fact that I painted on a unitard is not so glaringly obvious in person.



I've decided that I don't like looking at models close up.


This is the first model that I have finished! It is a monumental day for me. Much of my crews are in various stages of painting, but this is the only one that is completely painted and based. The basing is simple, but I didn't think the Viks needed something complex. My ressers, however, are getting the hell based out of them. Here is a list of my collection!

Painting and Assembly Status of my Malifaux Figures:

Arcanist

Rasputina - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
Alternate Rasputina - still in package
Ice Golem - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
Ice Gamin - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
Ice Gamin - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
Ice Gamin - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
December's Acolyte - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
Snow Storm - assembled, awaiting prime and paint
Silent One - painted poorly, awaiting stripping and repainting
Essence of Power - primed and half painted
Rasputina, Avatar of Famine - primed and half painted


Guild

Perdita Ortega - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base
Francisco Ortega - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base
Papa Loco - Primed and Half-Painted
Nino Ortega - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base
Santiago Ortega - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base
Abuela Ortega - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base

Outcast

Bounty Hunter Viktoria - Nearly done with Detail, Half-assedly Based
Sword Mistress Viktoria - DONE!
Taelor - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Bishop - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Johan - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Ronin - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Ronin - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Ronin - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Desperate Mercenary - Mostly Painted, Half-assedly Based
Miss Demeanor - Primed and Partial Paint
McTavish - Primed and Partial Paint


Ressurectionist

Molly - based and primed
Crooligan - based and primed
Crooligan - based and primed
Crooligan - based and primed
Rogue Necromancy - based and primed
Rotten Belle - assembled, awaiting basing
Rotten Belle - assembled, awaiting basing
Rotten Belle - assembled, awaiting basing
Alternate Seamus - based and primed
Sybelle - based and primed
Canine Remains - assembled, awaiting basing
Canine Remains - assembled, awaiting basing
Grave Spirit - assembled, awaiting basing

Neverborn

Zoraida, Avatar of Fate - still in package
Lilu - still in package
Lilitu - still in package
Collodi - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base
Marionette - primed
Marionette - primed
Marionette - primed
Marionette - primed
Wicked Doll - Mostly Painted, needs Detailing and Base
Wicked Doll - primed
Wicked Doll - primed
Stitched Together - primed
Stitched Together - primed