My personal blog of random stuff https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/ Conversations With Small Children: POWER https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/conversations-with-small-children-power/ So last weekend we went for a family walk to the river Wye (down the road) for a picnic. As the child is still small, she requires a selection of accompanying toys to distract her from the monotony of a relaxing walk through the wood to the riverside...

After food, she went off to play with her "bubbles", after a little while, I asked her what she was playing:

Child: I have no power, I must pop the bubbles to recharge my power!

Me: Oh, OK. What happens when you run out of power completely?

Child: Then I will DIE! I have to get more POWER!

Me: Um, OK, how do you know?

Child: The bubbles told me...

...

Never trust the bubbles...

]]> Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:27:00 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/conversations-with-small-children-power/ Conversations With Small Children - A New Game! https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/conversations-with-small-children-a-new-game/ Today the child asked "Daddy, would you like to play a game?".

"That depends" was my response "How do we play?".

"Well" said the child "You have to shake this box (full of toys). I will come and ask you what food you like, then go and get it. Then, you take a toy out of the box".

...

"OK" I said "that sounds fine...".

...

So, two toys later, I say to the child "So, how do you win this game?".

"Easy", comes the reply, "you just have to get three food".

"Hmm, that sounds good" I say, shake the box again and get my food (a biscuit) and my toy.

"Looks like I win then" I say to the child.

"Yes you do" she says, with excitement.

...

It's nice to know I can still win at something!

]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2020 13:34:36 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/conversations-with-small-children-a-new-game/ Beware the Ice Duke! https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/beware-the-ice-duke/ Following on from the space wolves (and maintaining a "space viking" theme) I present "The Ice Duke". The ice duke is a commande in the Viridian faction, from VOID (for sale by scotia grendel).

VOID Viridian Ice Duke Axe
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Axe
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Back
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Back
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Front
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Front
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Side
VOID Viridian Ice Duke Side

The detail on this model is subtle, but nice. I likr the braided beard and animal skin cloak, I find it offsets well against the high tech armoured suit.

I thought it would be nice to add some extra detailing to this model, so I free hand painted the runes on his shoulder, axe and knee pads. I also went foor a more wintery look on the base.

]]> Wed, 06 May 2020 23:56:54 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/beware-the-ice-duke/ Come and Feel the NOISE (marine)! https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/come-and-feel-the-noise-marine/ If ever there was a miniature that I felt would enjoy this song, it would be the noise marine! I am not usually that interested in the Warhamer 40k Chaos faction, but when Games Workshop released this special edition model I had to buy it.

Then (as is the way in this hobby) he sat in a box for god knows how long! Eventually though I found motivation to paint him. After a few false starts I settled on the shocking pink (emperors children) and black, which i am really happy with.

Other effects, such as the flames and the shoulder pads were painted freehand. I am not too happy with the flames, at some point I will probably re-paint them...

40k Noise Marine Back
40k Noise Marine Back
40k Noise Marine Front
40k Noise Marine Front
40k Noise Marine Hair
40k Noise Marine Hair
40k Noise Marine Side
40k Noise Marine Side

]]> Wed, 06 May 2020 09:00:44 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/come-and-feel-the-noise-marine/ Conversations With Small Children - Part 1 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/conversations-with-small-children-part-1/ I thought it would be a good idea to document some of the entertaining conversations we have with our little one as she grows. She comes up with some pretty crazy stuff and getting it down somewhere seems like a good idea. Giving her a bath last night (she is four), we ventured onto this discussion:

Child: This looks like ice cream...

Me: Does it, how can you tell?

Child: Ice cream doesn't have legs...

Me: Oh, OK, so anything that doesn't have legs must be ice cream?

Child: Yes!

Me: Ok, well that makes sense I guess. Is that the only way you can tell it it is ice cream?

Child: Well, ice cream can't go on boats...

Me: Um, OK. Is that because ice cream doesn't have legs?

Child: Yes.

Me: OK, so only things with legs can go on boats?

Child: Yes!

 

So now I will have to bear in mind, next time I go on a boat, that I cannot take anything without legs with me!

]]> Mon, 04 May 2020 15:10:00 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/conversations-with-small-children-part-1/ Fear the Wolf Pack! https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/fear-the-wolf-pack/ I don't really play Warhammer 40k (I am not a fan of the rules, and I do find these days the setting has gotten a little to far up its own ass), on top of that, I have never really had a massive interest in Space Wolves. But, for some reason, after the new primaris range was launched the idea of converting some primaris Space Wolves was very appealing.

In the end I only used these guys for Kill Team (which I generally find more fun than full on 40k). So far they have served me well and hardly lost a game!

Primaris Space Wolves 2
Primaris Space Wolves 2
Primaris Space Wolves
Primaris Space Wolves

The Wolf Pack

The "Wolf Pack" are basically my standard infantry (or as close to standard as you can get with Space Marines). I actually used the standard primaris marines you get out of the First Strike starter box and swapped the heads and weapons with those from a Space Wolves box a friend of mine had. The wolf head backpacks are actually from Kromlech and (I think) work really well with these models.

Primaris Space Wolf Intercessors Back
Primaris Space Wolf Intercessors Back
Primaris Space Wolf Intercessors Front
Primaris Space Wolf Intercessors Front

The Young Bloods

The up close fighters of my Kill Team, the Young Bloods are converted reavers (again from First Strike). I swapped out the slightly contentious skull masks with two more traditional wolf helmets and give the squad leader a fantastic mo-hawk (all these bits again came from on of the standard Space Wolf plastic kits). I am not 100% sure where the axes came from, but I think they are leftover from a small Beastman force I put together a few years ago.

Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Back
Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Back
Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Front
Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Front

Primaris Lieutenant

Leader of the kill team, this guy was a lot of fun to create. I started with a pretty standard Lieutenant model and added quite a few extra Space Wolf details. The head seemed the best fit for a Space Wolf Primaris Lieutenant and I also swapped the basic weapon for a Space Wolf power sword. Again the backpack is from Kromlech.

Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Lieutenant Front
Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Lieutenant Front
Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Lieutenant Rear
Primaris Space Wolf Reavers Lieutenant Rear

A Final Word

I was really happy with how these guys came out, and I have considered adding more models. Maybe when Games Workshop decide to add some more interesting models to the Primaris range (bikes or land speeders spring to mind) then I will consider converting a few more. I should also really add some decals to the shoulder and knee pads at some point too...

]]> Sun, 03 May 2020 15:32:00 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/fear-the-wolf-pack/ The Painting of Major Icharus Trask and Commander X https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/the-painting-of-major-icharus-trask-and-commander-x/ One of the main reasons for this blog is so I can post up miniatures that I paint for others to see. Because of this, for the first post, I thought I would show up some pretty old miniatures that I have always really liked and painted up a few years ago.

Commander X from VOID 1.1
Commander X from VOID 1.1
Major Icharus Trask and Commander X from VOID 1.1
Major Icharus Trask and Commander X from VOID 1.1
Major Icharus Trask from VOID 1.1
Major Icharus Trask from VOID 1.1

The man in blue is called Major Icharus Trask, commander for the Viridians. I slightly converted this model by adding a jump pack (from Hasslefree miniatures), I have always felt that as he is very heavily close combat focused, it made sense he had an option to get up close and personal as quickly as possible.

The lady in black is called Commander X and is a commander for the VASA faction. She is suited up in signature black powered armour, jet pack and force lance.

They are both commanders from a very old wargame called VOID (originally produced by a company called iKore) that are now sold by a company called Scotia Grendel (https://www.shop.scotiagrendel.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=217_218_59).

I have always loved the style of VOID, the aesthetics are very hard science, with some slightly silly elements that for me really works (why can't a faction that wields high tech weapons also ride giant genetically engineered dinosaurs).

]]> Sat, 02 May 2020 10:50:00 +0100 https://the-book-of-mo.co.uk/blog/the-painting-of-major-icharus-trask-and-commander-x/