Baldermort Examines The Humble Chainsword

HA HA, CHAINSWORD GO BRRRRR!

No piece of equipment encapsulates the grim darkness of Warhammer 40k more than the humble chainsword. This nasty little weapon has found its way into the close combat arsenals of most of the major races in the galaxy. The sound of this weaponized chainsaw ripping and tearing through the flesh of its enemies is music to many an ear in the 41st millennium.

Baldermort, everyone's favorite loresmith, has released a brand new video exploring the history of the humble chainsword. Are chainswords brutal weapons for an elegant age, or elegant weapons for a brutal age? 

Have a listen and decide for yourself.

Don't forget to make your way over to Baldermort's channel, Baldermort's Guide to Warhammer, for more Warhammer 40k lore.

Games Workshop Announces Good News...And Bad News

It better be mostly good news...

Games Workshop, like many businesses across the world, temporarily suspended operations worldwide at the start of the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic. Gamers around the world were shocked and saddened that the purveyors of plastic crack had decided to appease the Plague God (and the British government) by shuttering their retail stores, customer support services, and their manufacturing facilities.

Luckily, however, the situation was only temporary, and Games Workshop began the process of resuming normal operations at the beginning of May. Of course, things aren't 100% back to normal. Games Workshop's website still states that orders will arrive within 28 days (potentially longer) because of the Shanghai Shivers. I personally placed an order with Games Workshop that took almost a week to come out of pending status.

Games Workshop made yet another announcement via their Warhammer Community website on Thursday regarding future operations and getting back to normal. Honestly, though, the announcement was kind of a good news/bad news situation.

First, the good news:

We know you’ve been waiting patiently to get your hands on some new releases for weeks now. Well, the wait is almost over!

We’re pleased to say our factory in Nottingham has resumed operation, and after a two-month hiatus* new releases are set to return, available to pre-order from May 30th, with new models landing on shelves/at your door from June 6th.

The resumption of new releases is very welcome news. Especially since there's a whole slew of things coming down the pike that the community has been waiting (sort of) patiently for. 

Now, the bad news:

From the first of June, around 400 Warhammer products will change in price (there are well over 3,000 Warhammer items available right now). Most of the items that are hanging haven’t moved in price for years. 

The RRP on the majority of Warhammer will stay the same.

Games Workshop was courteous enough to let us know exactly which models were going to see a price increase. Looking at the list I see a lot of bigger kits-vehicles and monsters-will see a price jump. There are, however, some squads and troop types that are apparently going to see a hike in their pricing as well.

Obviously, no one likes to see any kind of price increase, especially when Games Workshop is already known as one of the more expensive wargaming companies out there. That being said, periodic price increases are also expected when it comes to Games Workshop. I've been in the hobby most of my life, and the one thing you can be sure of is Games Workshop will at some point raise the prices of their kits.

In the end, though, I'm not going to lose a whole lot of sleep over it. I'll grudgingly accept it as long as the price increases are reasonable. I think most gamers are of the same mindset. Really, what Games Workshop is doing is creating even more of an incentive for gamers to buy from their FLGS. These are the folks that are going to be more willing to offer discounts, deals, and promotions that will help to offset some of the cost of this plastic crack.

You're much better off buying from them than you are ordering directly from Games Workshop.

Tonight's Project: Some Happy Heresies

Get the flamer...

I have a confession to make: I haven't painted anything the last few days. It's not that I don't want to paint anything. Honestly, I do, but it's been a busy week for me. Once I'm off work I've found the only thing I want to do at the moment is sit around and veg out playing FFXIV.

I did, however, make some time last night for some hobbying. Specifically, I decided to put together a few Chaos Space Marine possessed out of some old bits I had lying around.

The first of my happy heresies is a rather massive possessed terminator made up of various bits and pieces.

Kill...me....

Here's a better picture.

Please...

You can see this giant of a marine has the body of an old school metal Chaos terminator, complete with spike racks. I've cut off the bottom half and attached the cybernetic legs of...something. Honestly, I can't remember what model I got those legs from, or what game it's from. All I remember is it's not Games Workshop. The right arm is from the old Chaos mutations sprue, while the left arm is from an old metal Obliterator.

I kind of like how the Obliterator arm makes him look unbalanced.

The head, I believe, is from an old metal Chaos Spawn.

The second of the happy heresies is a random Chaos Space Marine with a giant crab claw. Because why the hell not?

The claw is from an old metal Chaos Spawn. Probably the same one that donated its head to the terminator project.

Last, but certainly not least, we have a rather Tzeentchian heresy.

Again, we have a crab claw from a Chaos Spawn for the left arm. The bottom half was sawed off of an old Flamer of Tzeentch.

I was something of a kitbasher back in my younger days. Possessed were a particular favorite of mine. The forces of Chaos are such that you can literally take almost any bits you have lying around and combine them into whatever monster your twisted imagination can come up with. That's part of what drew me to Chaos in the first place. These Possessed represent a return to those kitbashing roots.

Honestly, I have no plans for these models. I might paint them up as part of a themed Kill Team. I might tear them down and start all over again. Either one is possible. I really just threw these models together for the sheer joy of it. Creating these possessed was a fun exercise in creativity. 

After all, isn't that the entire purpose of this hobby?

Baldermort Introduces Terminator Armor

Talk about heavy metal...

Like many Americans I've found myself working from home ever since the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic panic. Unfortunately, with my line of work there's still not a whole lot of work to be done, even at home. What's one to do when they're stuck at a computer doing nothing for eight hours five days a week?

Watch Warhammer 40k lore videos, of course.

One of the best loresmiths I've found has been one Lord Baldermort. I have to admit, initially I was skeptical of Baldermort's particular style of lore video. Eventually, however, I found him growing on me. I now count myself as one of Baldermort's "gentle listeners."

Baldermort's latest video has him introducing one of the most ubiquitous pieces of equipment in the 41st Millennium-Tactical Dreadnought Armor. Better known, of course, as terminator armor.

Have a listen:

Don't forget to stop by Baldermort's channel, Baldermort's Guide to Warhammer, for more in depth videos on the 41st Millenium.

Oh, and don't forget to make time for...FUN!

Tonight's Project: Old School Tyranid Terror

I've been considering starting a new Warhammer 40k army for quite a while now. Chaos Space Marines are awesome, but I've been playing them literally since I got into the game way back in third edition. My traitors will always have a special place in my heart, but I think it's time for a change.

Enter the Genestealer Cults.

Xenos heresy is still heresy...

I'll go over my reasons for choosing the Genestealer Cults in a future post. Suffice to say I have a very specific plan in mind for the Genestealers. Specifically I've got an idea to paint up a white and gold paint scheme. Rather than slapping paint haphazardly on a few brand-new models, however, I've decided to do a bit of practice before I get down into the meat of things.

To that end, I've managed to dig this happy little fellow out of the bottom of one of my many bits boxes.

Aww, so cute!

Yes, that's an old school Tyranid termagant with a fleshborer. I've got several of these guys laying around, and damned if I remember just where the hell I got them. I've had these old school Tyranids almost since I started playing Warhammer 40k. I'm sure I had some plan in mind when I bought them, but they've languished in my bin for over a decade.

Until now.

This little guy right here is going to be the guinea pig for a new Tyranid paint scheme. Essentially the plan is to do white flesh and gold armor plating. I've already painted Apothecary White over a Wraithbone base coat. Next step is going to be a dry brush of Army Painter Matt White. Then I'll probably hit it with strong tone for some more shading, then another dry brush of white. After that I'll move on to the gold.

Honestly,  I have absolutely no clue how this is going to look. I used a similar technique to great effect painting Rippa's Snarlfangs from Warhammer Underworld.

Will my planned paint scheme pop on this old school Tyranid? Or will it end up being a complete dud better off consigned to the trash bin of the Warp?

We shall see...

I'll see you later...

Why Is Warhammer So Invigorating

I love the smell of Nuln Oil in the morning...

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I had been up since about 3:00 in the morning with my autistic son. There was nothing wrong with him mind you. He's (more than) a little hyperactive, and a lot of things cause him varying levels of anxiety. As a result, every now and again he wakes up at an ungodly hour and refuses to go back to sleep. It's not something he can control, but thankfully it doesn't happen as much as it used to.

I spent much of yesterday keeping him entertained and out of trouble because, of course, the schools in my area are closed because pandemic. There was lots of running around, screaming, laughing, playing, etc. All in all it was a pretty exhausting day. Luckily he managed to fall asleep pretty early.

Most people would, quite understandably, want to simply lay down and pass out themselves. I have to admit that was my initial impulse as well. Instead, I hauled out my paint case, grabbed some water, picked up my brushes and set to working on my latest project.

This little guy right here. Look for him in a post later today...

Instantly I felt invigorated. The fatigue of the day melted away and I found myself in the zone. I found myself ignoring everything else around me. The show I was streaming, my wife (just kidding), nothing mattered except putting brush to model. Before I knew it it was after 10:00 at night. I ended up having to force myself to go to bed, and even then I was so wired up I had trouble getting to sleep.

This has become a common occurrence for me. Normally, I'm only able to paint at night after my son has gone to bed, and I frequently experience this invigorating effect. Stress and fatigue fades away as I concentrate on the most fun hobby in the world. Was it always this way, or is this something that's happened only as I've rediscovered the hobby? It's hard for me to say, really.

I posed the question to the Warhammer 40k Facebook group and received a few interesting responses.

Definitely. Warhammer brings me joy and rejuvenation. It breathes me man.

I have to be careful at night because I can get lost in assembly or painting and hours will fly by....then I have to get myself to a place where I can fall asleep since my mind is wired and still active. I usually steer away from the models when it's after hours because of this.

I do but not 3 hours sleep invigorating lol

Mentally restful. I zen out building models or painting

It’s called endorphins from doing something you enjoy.. 😉
... and yes.. you’re not alone.. 😉

It's called addiction.

Endorphins, of course, would be the scientific explanation for this effect. I'm sure there are reams of research on the subject that would be interesting to someone of a scientific background.

No time to read, though, we've got minis to paint!

 Addiction is, quite frankly, probably closer to the mark and the simplest explanation by far. I find Warhammer to be invigorating because, simply put, I am completely addicted to it. I'm sure my wife would agree with me.

Yeah, it's like that.

Hello, I'm the Happy Heretic, and I'm a Warhammer 40k addict. That's something I'll happily identify as.

What about the rest of you heretics (and Imperials) out there? Do you find Warhammer 40k or Age of Sigmar as invigorating as I do?

Finished: Old School Tyranid Terror

Job's a good one!

Last night I showed you the old school Tyranid termagant that I was going to experiment on.

Remember me?

My purpose, of course, was to test a possible paint scheme for an upcoming Genestealer Cults army I was going to be working on. Specifically, the Tyranid termagant's scheme was going to be applied to any purestrain genestealers I would have in my army.

I spent much of tonight finishing up this old school Tyranid, and I have to admit I like the look of what I came up with.

The first step was to undercoat the termagant with some Citadel Wraithbone spray. After that I applied a generous layer of Apothecary White contrast paint as you can see in the picture above. I know the prevailing school of thought with contrast paints is "two thin coats" rather than the "one thick coat" that Games Workshop initially advertised. However, I've found one thick coat to work better on the lighter colors like Apothecary White. The only thing you need to watch out for is some odd pooling that you might get.

Step two was a heavy dry brushing of Army Painter Matt White.

Now, I could have just left this termie as is. There's enough shading on him that the detail pops pretty well. I wanted to take it a step further, however, and get some more defined shading on this bad boy. I don't have any Nuln Oil handy, however I do have Army Painter Strong Tone. Step three saw me hitting the termagant with the Strong Tone like the fist of an angry god.

Now we have a bit more shading and some more definition. I couldn't just leave him that ugly light brown/black color, however. Step four (or five...whatever) saw me slapping another heavy dry brush of Matt White down.

The final steps in this process involved a base coat of Retributor Armor on the carapace plates on the back and the head, followed by another wash of Strong Tone to give it a bit of a bronzed look. Last, but not least, I did some edge highlighting with Auric Armour Gold, and just for giggles I hit the fleshy tubing of the gun with some Blood Angels Red contrast.

At this point I decided to call it quits. I may finish off the rest of this model at some point. Who knows, maybe it'll make a characterful addition to a future Tyranid swarm. The point of this project, however, was proof of concept. I wanted to see if what I had in mind would work. I think the results show that white skin with gold armor plating would work pretty well for Tyranid beasties.

Now I just need to figure out a Genestealer Cult army list that makes generous use of Genestealers.

Welcome To The Happy Heretic

Heresy makes me very, very happy...

The first blog post is always the hardest. The first post sets the tone for the entire blog. It's a rather arduous task to introduce yourself while at the same time not boring the crap out of everyone. After all, you want people coming back to you again and again while sharing your content far and wide in order to rack up those sweet, sweet clicks.

No, praying to the Omnissiah won't help...

Now, I could spend days agonizing over every word in this first post. The likely result of that would be a nervous breakdown that leaves me curled up into a hyperventilating ball in the corner of my closet screeching blasphemies as I descend into complete and utter madness. 

Rather than go through all that, however, I figured I would spend a few minutes telling you exactly who and what I'm about, as well as what you can expect from this blog going forward.

I've been involved in the Warhammer hobby literally all of my life. I became enraptured by the rich background of Warhammer Fantasy ever since my first game of Floorhammer at a friend's house at the tender age of 12. 

My first army was the Dark Elves-whichever edition was around in 1992. There was just something about them that appealed to me right from the start. Maybe it was the look of the models. Perhaps it was their sheer, unfettered evil. Of course, it could be the fact that I managed to get almost an entire army from a teacher of mine who was getting rid of his for about $20.

It wasn't until years later, however, that I discovered the grimdark universe that was Warhammer 40,000. Naturally, being in tune with the local gaming scene I knew what Warhammer 40k was. I had even played a game or two. I just never got into it for some reason. That all changed, however, the moment I walked into my FLGS and picked up the third edition Warhammer 40,000 set.

Oh yes...

By this time Warhammer Fantasy had grown stale to me. I wasn't having a whole lot of fun painting my Dark Elves, and even less fun playing with them. I was tired of the whole thing and looking for something a little different. Warhammer 40k, with it's vast lore and story of humanity defending itself against a vast galaxy of unrelenting terrors, was the perfect alternative. I was able to grasp the rules easily enough, and after a few practice games I was ready to start collecting a Dark Eldar army.

Or so I thought...

Eventually I found the Dark Eldar didn't really appeal all that much to me, and I switched for the tried and true Chaos Space Marines. I found that heresy made me very, very happy. The fact that the mutating influence of Chaos meant I could literally kitbash whatever the hell I wanted was appealing as well. I set about building quite the sizable Iron Warriors force.

Unfortunately, life went on and got in the way of perhaps the best hobby on the face of the planet. I went away to college and had to leave much of my beloved collection behind. Then I ended up getting married and, well, to make a long story short I took a break from Warhammer and modelling in general.

Fifteen years later, and I've recently returned to the worlds of Warhammer. Initially, I had attempted to make a triumphant return to Warhammer Fantasy. Those hopes were dashed completely when I found out that Games Workshop had literally blown up the Old World I had loved and replaced it with something called Age of Sigmar. After many a night furrowing my brow in a vain attempt to understand the current state of Warhammer Not-Fantasy I threw my hands up in disgust.

Fortunately, Warhammer 40k's grimdark was there waiting for me like a warm, comforting blanket. The Chaos gods welcomed me back with open arms as if I were a long lost friend. While the grimdark universe I knew and loved had undergone some changes-it had been five editions since I last played after all-it was still by and large recognizable. I felt like I could come back to the game without having missed...well, everything.

I also found that after all these years I really enjoyed the painting aspect of the game. Since coming back to Warhammer almost 6 months ago I've made it my mission to hone my painting skills. I've resolved to treat every model as a work of art, and I've had a ton of fun doing it.

I've rambled on about my history long enough, I think. It's time to tell you what you can expect from this blog. First and foremost I'll be concentrating on the painting and kitbashing aspects of the Warhammer hobby. I don't claim to be a world-class painter, and my skills are rusty in the extreme. I will, however, share the projects that I'm currently working on as well as any little tips and tricks I've stumbled upon along the way. 

Just don't expect Golden Demon levels of painting from me.

Beyond that I'll be sharing any little tidbits of Warhammer news that I find, my thoughts and opinions on various aspects of the hobby, and anything else that I can think of. I'm also open to tackling any topics that the rest of you happy heretics might throw my way as well. Hopefully we can get a few productive discussions going.

At its core, however, this blog is going to be about one thing, and one thing only: having fun with what is quite possibly the best hobby on the face of the planet.