Characters in 6th Edition 40k

Independent characters got 3 pages in 5th Ed rules. In 6th Ed Characters still  get 3 pages. But Independent characters get an additional 2/3 of an indented box page that summarises most of the 3 pages of rules in 5th Ed. While the  actual 6th Ed characters section introduces a significant fun change in the tactical game with challenges.  As a result the Characters section of 6th Ed markedly adds to and changes the way in which the game may be played. While the GW emphasis in recent years has been to build bigger, bigger and bigger and more complex battles, city fight, apocalypse, reducing points values for vehicles, flyers, reserves etc, the small addition of character challenges enhances the possibilities down at the smaller game level and markedly adds to the fun element of the game at this level.

Greater Daemon of Khorne and SoB Head Swap

OK the head swapped maiden is done. A reasonable effort I hope. Having completed this I am now wondering if its possible, and has anyone tried to swap either a grenade launcher or a shotgun on the classic Adeptus Arbites for a meltagun. If so what tools have been used?

The legacy ForgeWorld GD of Khorne has been progressing as well. The torso, wings and hands have all reached the point where they need the full assembly of the model, I won't call this one a mini, to finish them off. Back into the box to clean prime and paint all these strange little bits that are left over. Where do they go? Back to ForgeWorld to review a picture of an assembled GD of Khorne then. The painting of this one is quite enjoyable with all the washes, and dry brushing. Is a daemon out of place in front of a dolls house, or is it just the right sort of place?

40k Blog Types

There are several distinct types of 40k blog in the 40k blogiverse aren't there?
There is  Faeit 212 a rumour site giving advanced news of what GW is planning.
There is From The Warp a mainly tutorial site focused on painting. If you want to learn something about painting this is the place to go. Then there is BOLs. editorials, tutorials, mini dexes, several forums. Its the one site that has everything. Then there are the personal journeys through the 40k hobby. What niche does your blog fit into?

Photgraphing models

A post is not a post without a picture of some sort. Many 40k blogs post pictures of models finished or in stages to completion. Many blogs show extremely high quality images of the subject models of the blog. What do you need to make great photographs of models? In this blog Artificer's Workshop makes no claim to be an expert photographer although the images shown on this blog have, in the humble opinion of this blogger, improved since its early days. Partly this has been a better camera.  The original camera was a 1 megapixel Olympus, this has evolved through a 3 megapixel Fuji finepix to a 14.1 megapixel Canon IXUS which is the current camera. The canon makes sharp close up images easy to create.

The camera is obviously only one element in the creation of an image. Light boxes and dedicated lighting to eliminate shadows and give clarity to the model clearly have been used in some highly professional images published elsewhere. Here in the workshop we are amateurs. There is no room to store dedicated lighting or a light box here, so. Daylight is preferred and ideally diffuse sunlight has been found to be best. If diffuse day light is not possible then diffuse artificial lighting works sort of, the more lights ordinary lamps available the better.

Next there is the background for the image. A plain uniform neutral backdrop will direct focus to the mini. A more complex backdrop could enhance the model or perhaps tell a story. Perhaps the difference between a portrait image and photographic art for the model.

Here at the workshop both have been used, with no especial rhyme or reason previously. In the absence of a light box 2 pieces of art shop thick white card 3 foot by 2 foot have been used to give plain backdrops for "portraiture" while bits of scenery and lately some scifi scenery images have been used to try to create a bigger picture. The sentinel was photographed as shown with sunlight coming from the right across the model. In the composition of the photograph the natural light is incorrect for the light sources seen in the backdrop image. A quick transposition of the left and right in the image or the end of the desk that the model is resting on would sort that. The window and the sun are obviously immovable.

The floor that the mini is standing on is also important. Here there are only 4. The first is the neutral card base. The second is the road seen in the above picture and there is also the paved floor seen below from the warhammer movement tray set. Finally there is the incorporation of the mini into a bespoke bit of scenery. Some investment in scenery and bases will clearly improve the quality of the "art" type photographs bearing in mind that the lighting in reality and apparent in the backdrop needs also to be aligned for true versimilitude.

 

Allies for Sisters of Battle and head transplant

The reintroduction of allies to 40k has given a reboot to the Imperial Guard collection. Unfortunately the previous incarnation of IG collected was of an abhuman dregs of humanity hive rejects cannon fodder battalion. This contained Ogryn, ratlings and ratkin, penal legion and Chem Dogs. Probably not the sort of company that a righteous witch hunting Sisters of Battle Canoness would willingly ally together with except in extremis. The sisters were probably more likely to hunt down and exterminate that sort of force along with the planetary governors who thought it a good idea to assemble. Hence the need for some more IG minis to be recruited. As a starter a Steel Legion plasma cannon armed sentinel has been recruited and painted.

 To make the base a bit different, instead of the usual sand, bits of slate have been glued down to make an assembly of stone that the sentinel is marching across. The best way to get slate is not to buy from the GW. Instead find an old roof tile, take a hammer and pound it to pieces. Otherwise some redundant slate used to decorate driveways and flower beds can be handy.

 Finally the head transplant has been coming on. Its beginning to look cool?