Long time no post! As I’d mentioned to a couple of people, November is traditionally Hell Month at my workplace, and this year was no exception. While I did manage not to cripple myself by breaking any part of my legs this year, I did ironically end up the last person standing in my team, as we first lost someone to a back and hip injury in September, the team leader to Maternity leave in October and then the last other person to Long Service Leave in November, which has meant an increasing workload for moi to take care of. The workplace has been good enough to give me some extra help as much as they’ve been able to, though staffing is difficult still – so we’ve still been 1-2 people down each day and multiple overlapping projects have had a lot of “only I know how to do this stuff” to them. There’s still 2 and a half weeks before we break for Christmas, and still a bunch of stuff only I can do, but with the onset of December, several of the major projects are now done and dusted, so I can at least take the mental(!) space to write up some posts now. December still has a lot of work to get done – and I’m still literally the last one standing – but at least it’s not nearly as harsh as November.
While I was absent from posting, I did try to keep up a little with people’s blogs by reading and commenting when I could, but more importantly, I tried to keep up with some painting – if only to maintain my sanity! So now that December is here, I’ll be posting up my November bounty, beginning with these “hardfoam” terrain pieces.
I More than 2 years on from my first Micro Art Studios terrain post, and I’ve finally gotten a couple more of the models from that same order done! (And off my side desk!) Because I’m apparently a fucking obsessive OCD mental case, I also bought two of them. I guess they’re not too bad a terrain piece to potentially have doubled-up. Despite being called “Crate Heap” they’re more like bunkers that have been built in the field from a combination of secure doors and …random crates and barrels. Just don’t look too deeply into the construction, as the layout doesn’t make a massive amont of sense. Perfect for something like 40k, in that case, amirite?
I’d naturally hoped to have these finished for Dave Stone’s terrain challenge …in 2021 …and then again this year in 2022. In the end, I just forced myself to get the fucking things done in early November. I wanted them to look weathered and worn – and I MAY have gone slightly overboard with the weathering products. I’d have been happier if the mud had dried a little darker in spots, and I guess I could go back, but I’m not sure I can really be arsed to tell you the truth!
As with the Vents from the same producer, these pieces certainly pass the 4-foot test, but once again up close they’re unfortunately riddled with literally dozens upon dozens of tiny (and less tiny) bubble-holes. I did add some orange rust to them, but in the end the weathering pigments pretty much overpowered any rust I’d added.
They’re large enough to make for some pretty decent rural “war zone hills”, and will break up LOS for most armoured vehicles while still being small enough to be climbed over by infantry and so potentially also have a place in smaller skirmish battles such as Kill Team and the like.
I mean, I could call this a “Review” but there’s not much to say about these things. They weren’t too difficult to paint once I got going, but the dirt between each box and barrel made it an unpleasant and tedious task – which is why it took me over two years until I basically forced myself to get them done. There was pretty much no pleasure in the process aside from the little endorphin hit when I got them done.
I also used some number decals I still had sitting on the remains of a transfer sheet from GW’s original RTB04 Rhino (triple) kit. Yes, the Blood Drinkers numbers! In honor of the Rogue Trader connection, I used Rogue Trader-era models from RTB2 Space Ork Raiders & Rogue Trader RT02 Space Orks against some RT01 Space Marines along with Jes’ 2nd Edition Space Marine Scouts to pose fighting over them.
Anyway, I’ll call this one done and dusted. Hope you enjoyed the post – more soon!
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Hope you manage through the ttough season at work, and it doesn’t burn you out too much.
Great work on the pieces, I like the amount of weathering you’ve done on them, and it covers up a multitude of imperfections in the model itself, and great that you have got them finished.
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Thanks Dave. The hardest part is done now, so the next few weeks won’t be as tough and the last fee- and these last two weeks were the most gruelling and are now (thankfully) done.
Very glad to have gotten these two terrain pieces done as well!! 😄
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Lovely job mate & good to have you back – congrats on surviving November with all of your limbs intact! 😁👍
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Cheers Alex! Now it’s just the limp to the finish line…
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You’re right, they look like bunkers! Very nice looking bunkers mind you! 🙂
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Haha thanks John. 😊
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They look cool
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Thanks, IRO!
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Those are great. Rather like the castings.
Sorry to hear about your work troubles.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete – Christmas break will be soon, so just treading water for a couple of weeks and then I can have a nice rest…
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Micro Art Studios has impressive looking bases that I’ve contemplated getting on many occasions but I don’t know if I’ve ever actually bought from them before. Regardless, I think this terrain came out very nicely and its something different from other terrain on the market. I like how miniatures have plenty of good resting places on it too. That is smart design. I’m sure it took a while to get through these two but the final results speak for themselves.
I hope work calms down for you soon! If it makes you feel any better, November was busy for me and now December is even worse. My company is doing a lot of organizational changes in January so it seems like it could be a while before things slow down for me.
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We have our Christmas/New Year’s/Summer break all in one chunk here, so my work is putting in a new organisational structure, but a fair bit of it is still missing, and so it’s going to be interesting. Also some renovations and finalisation of a new set of capital works in early January, so I’ll be on call for remote consultation for a bit there. Luckily the largest part of my role is now done, and so the next few weeks will be an odd mix of normal work concluded, extra work concluded but different extra work to get done.
The terrain pieces were actually pretty quick to get done once I forced myself to hunker down and really attack them with the brush. The main difficulty was that almost entire lack of fun while working on them!
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That sounds like a really long break. For your sake, I hope it is! You’ve definitely earned it. It sounds like your job is similar to mine in the level of changes happening. My company often struggles with changes and it is usually pure chaos when these things happen which is not my preferred mode of operation. Often, this means that Engineering and/or Product Managers go in business for themselves and release features without telling me or giving me the chance to document them which generally increases my stress level.
Your sentiment on terrain is exactly how I feel. If I can get going on it, I usually can’t stop until its done or I mess something up 🙂 Getting something done is definitely a relief for me in that sense!
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Yeah. Because of High Summer coinciding with Christmas and New Years’ we tend to have our longer breaks/annual leave/Christmas Holidays etc all at this time of year – so I’m certainly looking forward to it, especially after the year it’s been – and even moreso after the past couple of months!
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Well, congrats on surviving the work tide! Those staffing and workforce issues happen from time to time everywhere and can be exhausting!
Nevertheless, I love your work on these. I know the pieces and had them in my hand, so I’m aware of the awesome work you’ve done!! Seriously, congratulations 🙂
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Thanks mate! November is usually the harshest month, but doing it with two, then three down made it the most challenging one yet. Not unhappy it’s over now, that’s for sure!
Glad I (finally) got these pieces done, so now I don’t have to worry about them anymore aside from where to drop then down on the tabletop…
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Bunkers were my first thought on seeing them, and that make a nice terrain piece in a modern/future setting. Well done getting them so presentable. I’m going through the end-of-year work pile up too (and staff shortages), so commiserations!
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Cheers, Tarmor! Just a few weeks to go now…
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I absolutely love these, they are so cool!
Cheers Roger.
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Thanks Roger! 🙂
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Great figures and “bunker”. I think you spelt “amiwrite” incorrectly. I always thought the “i” was in front.
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Thanks! Also, no “w” in “amirite” as it’s a deliberate phonetic misspelling of “am I right” and has little to do with writing. Except for the fact that it’s written. 🙂
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Agreed! My mis-typing
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They turned out well, despite the long process!
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Thanks! Not quite as I’d pictured them due to how the mud dried – but more importantly, literally done, usable and off my table!
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