Dark Eldar Warriors: Update

I mentioned that I'm not really "feeling" the Warhammer thing right now. Truth is (and I think we all know this) this will likely pass before long. It's just a slump while other things are going on in my life. Whoopdeedoo. Anyhow, I just happened to be at my desk with some of the Dark Eldar Warriors laying around, and I snapped off a few pics of what I've done, particularly before the "slump":



In that first pic you'll see the Warrior I posted photos of here, only I changed his tabbard to a blue-ish color. The bleached bone/skull white look just didn't seem to go with the rest of him. It was like he was borrowing a tabbard from some other army because he forgot his at the dry cleaner's or something. Anyhow, you can see him in the back.

The new thing is that Dark Eldar Warrior with a Splinter Cannon. Very different look than the one you build from the standard Dark Eldar sprue. That's because I made him out of parts: Dark Elf chainmail skirt, Eldar Shining Spear torso, Eldar Dark Reaper Reaper Launcher (converted with the barrel of a Splinter Cannon on the end) and, to top it off, a sprig of good old Dark Eldar hair. I always find the Dark Eldar hair sorta makes the Warriors look like ponies, but that's a discussion for another time. I also slapped a blade on the end of the Splinter Cannon's barrel. I think I clipped it off one of the Warrior helmets and glued it on there.

I wanted the Dark Eldar heavy weapon Warrior to have a distinct look, and I like the way the combination of the Shining Spears torso and Dark Elf chainmail skirt work together with the Reaper Launcher/Splinter Cannon. I've prepared at least eight more of these for conversion so that I can load up my Warrior squads with Splinter Cannons and Blasters (the Blasters, btw, are going to be the Reaper Launchers, but with the old-style plastic Eldar Fusion Gun nozzle on the end. It looks good, honest). Thing is, I'm not mad for the guy's paint job. I was sort of making it up as I went along and, truth be told, I think it looks a bit chinsy. I will probably rethink that scheme before we're done with this army. Also, I think the bases suck so far... but I can fix that.

In that last frame you'll see a bunch of black blobs which are, in fact, more Warrriors. It's just a sample of what I'm working on. There are tons more Warriors in various poses like these, but I wanted to show the beginnings of the rabble that will eventually be my Dark Eldar army. Notice the one guy with huge spikes on his shoulders? Those are toothpicks.

More to come when I get the inclination.

To tell the truth...

I'm pretty sick of Warhammer right now. Totally limp about it. No interest. I did some converting of more Dark Eldar Warriors (I'm up to 21 now, and half-way through four heavy-weapon-totin' Warriors), but I just used up the last of my enthusiasm.

We'll see how long it takes to return.

Eldar On Eldar Kiddie Battle

If you have kids of pretty much any age and you play Warhammer (and by that I mean owning the miniatures and painting them, etc), you're going to run into an inevitable problem with the kids wanting to get their sticky little hands all over your precious army (or armies). Oh, you can kid yourself and say that you won't let them touch it or that they'll forget your models if you shove another toy in their face, but we all know that's a big fat self-deception. Sooner or later they're going to manhandle your painted models. Just learn to deal with it.

Today was one of those days when I busted open my box o' Eldar and all my terrain and my playing table and let the kids go nuts. I explained to them that models are handled by the base only, I didn't actually put any guns on any of them and I said a little prayer to the God of Purity Seal.

They tried very hard to contain their excitement and remember what Dad said about handling the models and making sure they're careful. I stuck around on the sidelines just to make sure nothing truly bad happened but, seriously... life is too short to deny your kids that much pleasure just because you don't want them marking up or breaking your little space toys (all of which are fixable).

The masses are assembled for the great War Of The Styrofoam Mountains And Plastic Buildings.


Ruth musters the warhost.


Ruth takes a break before issuing the wave of Eldar firepower forward to smite the Mon Keigh.


Dora, replete in tiger costume and face paint, assembles the milita of Guardians.


War is never so horrible that one can't pause to make a goofy face at the camera.


Two generals move the chess pieces into play.


Ok, just taking a moment here to admire one very fine War Walker. Oh, yeah, the kids are also playing well. They're actually cooperating, not warring, and they call that sniper's nest "Unity Tower", which they are banding together to save. It was cute.