Flameguard, Wracks, and a Thought on Customer Relations

Well, folks.  This week has been a big hobby week for me in regards to Warmachine.  I have been able to fully paint 4 more Flameguard + UA, a full Choir, and 3 Wracks now.  On top of that, the wife got really sick during the night causing me to take a day off to help out with the boy.  That means that I have had a bit of extra time to paint one more model, the Avatar of Menoth.  So far, I have the metallics about 75% done.  Let me say that I am excited about this dude.  He is the big bad when you it comes to Menoth units, so suffice it to say that I am really excited to get him painted and on the board.  His inclusion will also mean that I can comfortably field a fully painted 35pt. army with either pKreoss or pSeverius. 

So, here are some picture updates. 

Side #1.  That is quite the porcupine of spears.

Side #2. 

Here is the unit leader, officer, and standard bearer.  I love these models.  Privateer Press really doesn't scrimp on these models.  The standard is large and well sculpted.  The officer and unit leader have quite a few unique details on them. I'm really pleased with this unit.  I think they will serve me well as a tarpit with shield wall and defender's ward. 

Here are the wracks.  Man, these were easy.  I had an extra hour to hour-and-a-half last night and decided to get these guys done,from bare metal to fully painted and based.  I was able to complete them easily.  I think the ease of painting these guys comes from the fact that the wrack itself is all metal and easy to paint with a couple shades of metal and some wash and from limited range of colors needed to paint the rest of the model.  Easy.

Here's a closeup.  My recipe for easily finishing the wrack is as follows, base coat the entire thing, chains, weights, and wrack with a dark metallic color.  I used Reaper Master Series Blackened Steel.  I then added a heavy drybrush of GW chainmail.  I wrapped up this porton of the model with a heavy wash of GW devlan mud.  Voila! Easy. From there, the victim on the wrack was simple as well.

Hopefully early next week, I will have some updates that show off a completed Avatar. 

Now, I wanted to mention something, more of a soapbx really.  I started out as a GW gamer and still play their games.  I've played WFB and 40k for around 8 years now. In that time, GW has had a lot of chances to disappoint its customers.  It seems that they take the logical, correct method and throw it out the window.  Now, this is just my opinion.  Many people still love GW.  I mentioned awhile back that I have been really impressed with Privateer Press for its customer relations.  I was again pleased to hear that they were exhibiting some professional courtesy when I read a blog about some updates coming out from PP this year. Among Colossals, a new Bodger game, and the return of Infernal Contraption, there was a note in one blog that PP is coming out with their very own army builder app and that consequently iBodger was going the way of the dodo.  At first, I was a bit angry as I thought, Another game company silencing good work from a private individual.  However, as I read, it was explained that iBodger was created and upkept with the full knowledge and permission of Privateer Press.  Furthermore, it was being given away for free. 

What!?

This totally blows my mind and I suppose it does because I started with GW.  GW defends its IP like an overzealous watchdog, threatenin private citizens with IP violation whenever they got a wiff of a possible violation.  GW rules by intimidation.  Privateer Press doesn't.  With the release of their new army builder, they simply ask the individual who originally had their permission to stop updating the software he had.  He obliged in what seems to be a very cooperative manner.  No threats, no fear.  Wow.  I like it.  It just shows you why people are dropping GW's stuff and running to other companies like Privateer Press. They've got my vote.

Here are some other Warmachine articles:
Warmachine the Way I See It: Warcaster Study, pKreoss
The Harbinger of Menoth: Model Review
How Important is the Front Arc, Really?
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