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!