Building the Astraeus Super Heavy Tank - Forgeworld

  So.  I did a thing when I went to the GW New Hobbyist Expo in Texas.  I bought a Thunderhawk.  Yeah, needed that like another bolter shell in the head.  But I have always wanted one, so I did it.  To lessen my feelings of guilt and shame, I made myself swear to finish the Astraeus I got for Christmas first.  So herein lies my tale of building the model and how the new ForgeWorld kits are.

Overview

  First off, let me say this.  This kit is a HUGE hunk of Resin and the quality difference between now and just a few years ago is amazing.  Nothing was warped that had any size to it.  A couple of gun barrels, and the main gun barrels needed a little straightening, but it was by no means like it used to be.  If you used to be apprehensive about buying ForgeWorld big ticket items, don’t be anymore.  This kit and the Thunderhawk are beautiful, detailed and needed almost no re-working at all.

  Next, assembly gaps.  Yes, there are gaps in the finished product.  You will have to green-stuff or putty little joins here and there.  This is a fact of life with these resin kits, and I’ll not devolve into the merits of resin v plastic.  These are fun models that need a bit more hobby proficiency than the shake the box kits that GW makes.  But half the joy is in the assembly, so it’s kinda what I paid for at least. 

  The new manuals for assembly are about 3257% better than the old photocopied crap instructions that used to be in these kits.  The new manuals are full color, they show the parts very clearly.  They also take care to overlay colors onto the areas you should glue, and areas where resin will need to be removed to make it look or fit right.  There are also notes and callouts where the assembly can be fiddly, or where something needs to be done to make the final piece have movement or elevate properly.  

  So, the grade for the kit overall is a solid A

Assembly notes.

  I would suggest magnetizing all the weapon options for the tank in a big way.  It’s nice to have options and this is resin, it’s easy to drill the holes and easier to mount the magnets.  If you don’t have the magnets, I would suggest either MagSavvy.com or the MagnetBaron.com.

  I also magnetized the sponsons into the side of the vehicle.  The fit is a little loose overall, and I did not want to glue the sponsons in.  The assembly itself has ‘ridges’ in the holes for the sponsons and the sponsons have splines that will hold them in different elevations.  They are reasonably thick, but I preferred to put a magnet in there to hold it better. 

Turret weight

  The turret is the first thing you build and it needs a few tweaks, at least mine did.  The weight of whole assembly is definitely toward the rear, and the guns are not long enough for the moment of inertia to equalize the weight.  So, they tend to slam down and always point up.

  Since friction is really cool, all I did was take some very thin plasticard (.10) and made 2 sleeves for the gun turret ‘holes’ to tighten it up and hold the guns in any position I put them.  See the picture. 

Glue…

  So, for most of the large body assemblies, I used bamboo skewers as ‘pins’ (the ones I have are nicely rounded and have a 3/32” diameter).  It was easy to drill with my Tamiya drill and then used 5 minute epoxy to glue it all up.  For almost all the littler pieces I just used thick super glue.

  Keep in mind that you’ll need to ‘score’ the mating faces no matter which glue type you use.  I just used an x-acto hobby knife to make lines in the faces.  It gives the glue (or epoxy) an extra surface to bite into as it dries and sets.

All in all, assembly was really easy and straightforward.  I’d have to give it a solid B+.  The manual and the new, clean lines without warpage made it a breeze and done in a couple of evenings.

 

Painting

  I left off all the repulsor plates, the engines and weapons.  These will be primed separately and be painted then applied.  Hopefully, I’ll get to show you a painted version soon.

So overall, the whole thing gets an A.   It’s a great kit.

Slowfuse gaming Bomb Wick brushes - a non-pro painter's review

  So, a few months back I ordered a set of these brushes from Slowfuse gaming.  I did it mostly because CK Studios recommends them for brush work.  After using them a while, I can see why.  They are really nice brushes, at a decent price and they have a lot of the things I like in a brush.

  Please, keep in mind, I am not a pro-painter, I'm just a tabletop ready kind of guy.  But I do like my tools to be good, and I do hope to improve my paint game as I go.  With the likes of Warhammer Community, Vince Venturella and others, I think my paint game is improving.  But you'll be the judge of that!  I say this so that you know not too place more stock in my review as opposed to a real pro painter.  But if Caleb recommends them, I'm certain I can't be too far off the mark.

The Shipping and Presentation

  The brushes shipped in a very nice, big tube, all had nice brush sleeves to protect the bristles.  No complaints on how they shipped.

  As you can see, I got 7 in total.  A #3, #2, #1, #0, #00, #000 and an x10.  I also picked up a tin of their brush soap.  Glad I did too, it's very good.  More on that later

  The brushes feel very solid, no loose crimps or manufacturing defects I could see.  They are light and have a good thickness to the handle that fits my hand well.

First clean

  Interestingly, there is a warning on the side of the tube that tells you to wash the brushes in a good brush soap before the first use.  This is because they ship them with a brush saver coating on them.  Brush saver is just a thick liquid that dries on the bristles and holds them in their pointed shape nicely and also helps keep the bristles free of moisture and contamination.  It's like putting conditioner in your hair.

  A lot of brushes ship this way, at least high end ones (Raphael, Winsor Newton etc.) but this is the first time I have seen the warning on the packaging.  Normally it's on a website or something.  Experienced painters know about this, but those new to the hobby might not, so I thought this was a very good touch.  Kudos to them for thinking of us 'little people'

Using the brushes

  As you can see in the picture, each of the brushes is long, and 'fat' and they come to a nice point.  The long and fat part means they can hold a fair amount of paint giving you more time 'on the mini' and less scooping up more paint.  The nice point means you can be accurate and, if you have a steady hand, get decent results with you brush strokes.

Snappiness

  One thing I look for in a brush is how 'snappy' it is.  I have no idea what the professionals call this, or if they even care about it.  To me, the snappiness is how the brush reacts as you finish your stroke and come off the mini.  Some brushes will snap really hard, sometimes even flinging paint at places you don't want.  Others will hang there limply in the same shape it was at the end of your stroke.  Then you find yourself having to 're-shape' the fine point before another stroke.   I'm not sure if that was a great description, but it makes sense to me.

  One of my issues with the GW brushes over time has been that they snap really hard when you end your stroke.  While this is ok sometimes, when I am blending or doing detail work, it's not great.  The Winsor-Newtons have a lot of snap also, less on the Raphael's. 

  These brushes seem to be a very nice middle ground between snapping back and retaining their shape.  The do return back to a nice straight shape quickly, but they also hold their point really well also.  It just seems to me to make them more enjoyable to use than other brushes in my stable.  Again, I'm not sure if this is really a thing, but with brushes, it's usually just a little thing that separates one brand from another.

  Using them also seems to be a very nice experience as well.  The paint flows well off of them (if it is thinned properly, of course).  The have a good feel in the hand and the hairs/bristles are fine enough that they do a great job without a lot of brush stroke marks (again, if you're properly thinned.)  I guess the best thing to say about them is that I keep going back to them to use rather than some of my others.

Brush Soap

  As you can see in the pictures, I also grabbed a tin of Jentastic's Drunken Brush Goop.  This is just a tin of brush soap, and if you know about caring for your brushes, you know brush soap is a must.  I have always used Masters Brush soap, it comes in a beige/brown plastic tub and is the almost universal go to for artists of all types.   Well, I tried the brush goop, and I have to say, it is different from masters (not just repackaged) and I kind of like it.

  It has a different look, and when you swirl a wet brush in it, it does not immediately lather up like the Master's does.  Instead it gets very soapy and slick.  Then when you whirl it around your palm, it lathers up nicely and seems to me, anyhow, to clean the paint out quicker.  Sometimes I have to soap, swirl, rinse and repeat with the Masters multiple times.  With the Jentastic goop, I was usually cleaned up in one pass.  It also 'seems' to me that the hairs are a little softer when they dry?  This is not a scientific comparison, it's all just observation and gut feeling, so you mileage may vary.  I would say if you don't already have Master's soap, then look into this.  If you have some already, you will never need more, so...

Reflections

  So, overall impressions.  I really like these brushes a lot.  They do everything you expect a brush to do.  They have great feel to them and they feel really good to use.  As a non Pro painter, I definitely give them a serious thumbs up.  And since Caleb Wisenback also does, and he is a pro, I can safely recommend them to anyone looking to step up their game.

  One thing I should add, I bought these and did not receive them to review.

Assett Drop Subscription box - Quick look Video

A quick peak into the Feb 2017 Asset Drop box!  Very cool painting subscription box (like lootcrate, but cooler)

Warhammer 40k, First Strike set - First look

Unboxing video and unboxing of the new first strike set from Games Workshop.  Very good box for the absolute beginner and it has a thing or two for the veteran gamer too.

Enjoy!

MacroMat Review video

I unbox and review the MacroMat from TableWar designs!  A must have if you want to photograph mini's well!

Enjoy!

Cmparing the GW City Mat to the FAT mat

Hey guys,

  Did a video comparison of the new games workshop Battle Mat: City Ruin vs the FAT mat.  All in all, I am quite surprised that they are so comparable.  Same density, thickness, print quality etc.  If anything, the GW mat may have the edge (literally) because the  edges are reinforced.

  Still, they come in a box... <sigh>.  I'll roll mine, thank you.

Enjoy!  Thanks to all of you fine readers!

Video review of the Shattered Dominion Realm of Battle Boards

Hey guys, posted a video review of the Shattered Dominion Realm of Battle Boards...

Enjoy!!

Imperial Knights Renegade Video unboxing and thoughts

Wow, this is a cracking good value guys.  2 Knights and a Sanctum Imperialis for $195 (US).  That's a savings of $152 from separate purchases.

Take a look;




Enjoy, and thanks!

Video Review of Forge World's Modeling Masterclass Horus Heresy Book.

  Did a short video review of the latest forge world masterclass book.  Not as good as the past ones, but still pretty decent...

Enjoy!

Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CR Plus 2 in 1 airbrush review (vid)

  Yes, a wish list item arrived today, and even though I'm a bit under the weather, I had to unbox and review it.  And this time, no compressor noise.  I'm getting better at this.  lol.  Hope you enjoy!

Horus Heresy Book 6 reviewed! (Video)

Here is my review of the Forgeworld Horus Heresy Book 6.  Another in a line of stellar offerings from the boys in the forge...

Enjoy!

Iwata HP-CS Airbrush, unbox and review

  New video up on youtube.  Had to get a replacement for my renegade Krome, something went wrong with it and it just bubbles now.  I went to Hobby Lobby and got an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS, and I unbox and demo it...  Enjoy!

Assault Dice - Software Review

  I have had this software on my iPad and iPhone for some time now, and realized I had never talked about it.

  Assault dice is available from the App Store for the iPhone and the iPad and it is actually quite a good program.   What is it?  It's a die roller.  It's a monster number of dice roller too.  It lets you save multiple layouts and dice setups so it is very flexible as well.  On my iPad I can roll up to 120 dice at once, so look out Astra Militarum!

  The way it works is relatively simple.  It has a built in tutorial that gets you familiar with the layouts and how to manipulate them. 

  You go to the main menu and open a new layout, then you add dice of the appropriate colors.  After that, it's a simple tap to roll the dice.  The program handles re-rolls easily, if a bit wonkily.  Once you have your dice rolled, you press and hold on a die to highlight all the dice, then you un-hilight the ones you want to keep.  The dice that stay highlighted are re-rolled when you hit the roll button.  At the top of the rolling screen you get a summary of the results making it very handy to count hits.

  Since you can have multiple layouts, you can have particular layouts for specific units.  Since you can add multiple color dice to each layout, you can have them separated by weapon type or whatever you need. You can also add new dice as you go in each layout, so it is very flexible and easy to use in a game situation.  You can also 'trash' dice easily if you go down a few hits due to casualties...

  There is also a scatter die screen with a pretty nice visual reference of the direction.  Kinda cool!

  When all is said and done, it is very handy, well programmed, even if the interface is a little wonky in certain places.

  As a side note, the first version of the program did have a problem on re-rolls, where the dice would hit other dice and change their faces, this has been fixed and it no longer does that, so have no fear.

  The roller is set up for 40k, but it is quite simple to use for other games with D6s as well. 

  Overalll, this one gets an A- from me.  Only because the interface is slightly odd in spots.  But it is very good in all other ways.  I only wish they had a D10 option.

Citadel Rangefinder - A review of perfection...

  Guys, it isn't often that a product jumps off a store shelf and grabs you by the collar, screaming "BUY ME NOW".  So, when a product does something like that, you pay attention, follow your gut and do what it says.

  Now, to be fair, I have told you guys many times that I am a far better collector than player.  I'm more at home crafting things up, building and painting than leaning across a table staring down an opponent.  That will all change. NOW.

  No more will I ever have to look at a game table and wonder, "will my Stormcast Judicator be able to shoot, should I move, should I stay, I just DON'T KNOW!"  That's usually when I have my breakdown and quit the game, flipping the table in a fit of rage and confusion.  (Lucky for me I solo a lot, so nobody has beaten the shit out of me yet.)

  Well, never again guys.  You tournament players will start to KNOW MY FACE as I start owning your pansy asses.  I have a CITADEL RANGEFINDER.  I know how far things are now.  I know where that Land Raider goes.  I know how to deep strike.  I know when you're in range of my Whirlwind!  I own the landscape, BABY!

  I cannot begin to tell you how cool this thing is.  It is just a tape measure, sure.  But it's a $33(US) tape measure.  You know the minute you pick it up, it's made of pure sigmarite (might be pot metal, not sure...).  It's heavy and it's big.  Too big to game with, that's it's major secret.  It's really heavy, did I mention that?  and Round... yes, round, so if you drop it, it kind of rolls...  Brilliance.  Did I mention it was too big?  The thing is like a hunk of sigmarite-sausage and it weighs 10 freaking pounds.  I think half my opponents fear the idea of me throwing it more than simply losing to me.

  When someone see's you come to the table with your Citadel Rangefinder, they will RUN.  (Someone said they were laughing at me, not running, but I thought I smelled fear).

  And get this...

" the diecast case holds a metal tape measure with markings at the half-inch, three-inch, 12-inch and eighteen-inch points – all the important measurements for combat in games of Warhammer Age of Sigmar! "

  What other tape measure has markings so carefully placed there?   I mean who knew?  Marking a tape measure with... ummm... measurements.  It's a fucking brain exploding idea there.  You're not going to find a tape measure with markings like that at any local freaking hardware store for $2, I'll tell you that right now!   Oh sure, they may have one with inches, and one with CM, maybe even one with both.  But who in hell ever thought of this?  CITADEL DID!  (All you GW haters are pretty envious right now, I bet, cuz you can't buy one.)

  This tape measure has changed my gaming life, I am here to tell you.  Where before I wavered at the sight of opponents, now I stride confidently into the gaming room.  With my Citadel Combat Gauge around my neck and my Rangefinder in hand, I have my opponents quaking in fear.  Most of them cannot bear to look me in the eyes.  (I thought I heard snickering once, but I turned quickly and saw them still shaking...)

Yep, I own the Meta now...

  All these years I have told my wife what 8 inches is like...  Now I can prove it. (Note... I think my own Rangefinder may be a little undercalibrated...)

To anyone who thinks I am even a little serious... Please.  This is a $33 piece of crap tape measure.  Go to a store, spend $2 on a cheap one and the rest on beer.  This thing is a fucking joke.  The worst part?  I actually did buy one to look at and do this review, so who is laughing now?  You guys and GW :)

Garro - Knight Errant - An Audiobook Review

  This is a bit of a departure for me, I don't normally review non-gamey things, but this was something I really enjoy(ed).

  If you're not familiar with the black library audio line, let me describe.  They have audiobooks, which are narrations of the different print books in their line.  A very handy way to 'read' a book if you have a long commute or other times that you have to devote to listening while you do other things.  The audio dramas, on the other hand, are small (1 hour-ish) plays like old time radio shows.  I find most of the audio dramas to be cracking good and I have my fair share of them.

  I'm also a big fan of Nathaniel Garro (a former captain of the Death Guard Legion, survivor of Isstvan III, hero of the Eisenstein and all around good guy.)  This boxed set is all 6 of the currently released Garro audio dramas, and I really enjoy each of them.  At $80 (US) it's a bit pricey, but the single dramas in the series range in price from $4 to $30, so you do a get a decent enough break on the 6-pack.  You also get the script of each drama and some bonus wallpapers.  All of the dramas are written by James Swallow, and he is a damned fine author, IMHO.

  The dramas take you along the path he treads after the events of the Eisenstein all the way up to him involved with the founding of the "secretive order dedicated to the eradication of chaos" *cough*Grey Knights*cough*...

  As much as I would love to tell the story of the Knight Errant, it would spoil it for those how have not heard it, let me just say that the story arc across the 6 books is at once exciting, uplifting and sort of gut wrenching too.  Garro has to make some weighty decisions along the way and some are pretty tough.

  Technically, these audio dramas show marked improvement along the arc.  They mirror the production value of all the black library dramas.  In the beginning ones, the sound effects are a little cheesey and the editing is a bit wonky here and there.  As they go on, they get better and better until in the final story, they are really very professional and well done.

  The stories pull you in and really make you root for the 'good guys'.  I have to say, my personal favorite is "Legion of One", mostly because of the really cool character who makes a come-back.  The stories are all set in the Horus Heresy era, so they fit in with the times nowadays.

  So, if you have put off these audio dramas, I would urge you to take a listen to one that covers something you like.  They are a bit pricey, but they are good, and you really can listen to them over and over. 

Warzone Damocles LE - Video unboxing

Latest unboxing video is up...

Warzone Damocles this time.  I got the Limited Edition, and it seems like a pretty good deal, overall.

Enjoy!

Betrayal at Calth - Video unboxing and Review

It's up on youtube...

Enjoy!

And to any of my readers/viewers from France, we all stand with you!

Shadow Force Solaq - Unboxing Vid

  New vid up on youtube, unboxing the Shadow Force Solaq;

Enjoy!

Tamiya Hobby Drill - Great tool for Pinning!

  Hey folks,  I like to share whenever I see a great item for us hobby crazed folks, and I have found one!

  This is the Tamiya Electric Handy Drill.  I bought it at a hobby store on a lark, thinking it might be a good tool for pinning.  Boy is it ever!!  It uses a regular hobby motor, but has a gearing arrangement that gives it a decent amount of torque.  I tested it on plastic, wood and white metal (Privateer Press minis) and it was great to very good on all of them.  It has a collet lock, trigger lock and even a spare collet for larger drill bits.

  It blasted through the wood and plastic easily.  Even with the small drill bit for pinning, it was very sure and precise.  On the metal minis, it was perfection in a plastic case!  This was the function I had most wanted to use it for, so I was very pleased with that!!

  Drilling metal is a pain in the arse.    Yes, I know, a pin vise works, as does the dremel.  But the pin vise is manual, and I hate work.  The dremel, meanwhile spins very quickly, but with almost no torque at all.  So you usually end up with either a broken bit (the really small ones) or a stalled dremel tool that you then have to work out of the hole it dug.  That and the fact that using the dremel can really heat up a mini.  This drill has a nice gear reduction set that gives it just enough torque to drill the metal, but not heat it up or stall.  Perfection!

  The downsides of this thing?  Well, it is a kit, you have to build it.  Luckily you don't have to drill anything, or you would end up in a Möbius loop forever.  Also, the gearing and everything except the motor and battery parts are plastic.  It is tough and durable, but it will not stand up to too much punishment.  (Take care of your tools, kids, and they'll take care of you!)

  Do be careful, if you run to get one... Amazon sells them for anything from ~$18 to ~$58.  Don't get caught with the expensive one.  Here is a shameless link to one from my Amazon store...




  So, if you need one, you really need one.  It's quite handy and I can give it an unqualified thumbs up!

Who knew, a kit to build kits...  LOL

Side view showing the tool, the trigger lock and the collet stop (Brass button near the shaft)

2 AA batteries required!

   So, if you do a bunch of pinning or anything that needs drilling, this may just be your tool of choice for the future!

Stormcast Eternal Limited Edition Battletome

  Quick review and unboxing of the Storm-cast Eternals Limited Edition Battletome!on YouTube!