Swell Club

A few weeks ago, five youngsters at Swell Primary School stayed behind for an hour after school to start their 'Modelling Club'.

We now have eight members, both boys and girls, and some have already bought additional models and paints to continue their hobby at home.

The photo shows some of them, head down, painting their 'donated' Space Marines.

Of course, it's not all painting and modelling.

Every other week we have a game or games of some kind as we slowly learn the rules.

Mostly it's Space Marines v Space Marines but we have pitted the Chaos Cultists against them too.

Parents that look in are fast realising that I get even more fun out of it than the kids do!

Chaos Cultists

These Chaos Cultists are from the box set 'Dark Vengeance' which was sort of left over when the shop closed.

I really enjoyed painting these guys.

The variety and freedom is unusual for 40K

 I had fun with the bases too.

I thought of street warfare and Heather suggested the dark grey of tar-mac.

There's chunks of paving sprinkled about.

I tried to change the look of some of the identical twins.

A knife wielder briefly lost his hand but the medics are real dabs with poly-cement and he was back at the front in no time.

The guy on the left is more upright than his twin due to a little shaving beneath ground and a spare piece of 'park bench' that was laying around.

I've tried to go below ground with the one on the right where a small shell must have landed.

As I said - fun to paint.

Dark Eldar

These Dark Eldar Kabalite Warriors are from Henry's box set.

They make great models but my painting standard is not up to their quality.

They've not been to war yet.


In both fact and fiction they are rather fragile.

I'm still thinking about the bases!

Harad

The next project was a box set of Warriors of Harad.

I faffed about trying for a dessert look for the bases, even trying mounds of sand with small dunes in mind.

Not happy. In the end I went for a more rocky dessert.

This is half the box with the others to arrive later having wandered off after a mirage of Kylie.

I'll widen the colour range when they arrive.

Big Bang Repairs and cheap Elves

Well thanks to 'Big Bang Repairs' this old machine is now, seemingly, functioning properly again for the first time in months. Thanks Mark!

So now it's 'More Catch-up' time.

This batch of Elves were bought from Ebay and some were part painted.

I followed the colour scheme already set out for them though I'll do a range of colours for others as I come to them.

I'm not a fan of the GW idea of keeping the whole army colour themed preferring to break them up into smaller groups with (eventually) a leader for each.

Having said that, the bases provide my theme colour.

Here I've used herbs as 'leaf-litter' and a light green rim to the bases.

Catchup

Delving back in time, now that computer A. is functioning again, I find that after the Space Marine tank for Lewis, I tackled his Drop Pod.


Tricky but great fun.

Whats more, the doors actually open and shut.

OK, One does collide with a hydraulic piston on the way to shutting but not by much.

Our old rule book states that it can carry 12 space marines.

Unfortunately, I discovered this was untrue when two of Lewis's marines were suffocated when trying to travel in the engine hub.

They were also rather crisp.

Ten it is, from now on!