MitGas

Well, it's likely he dislikes most of the people's armies he's playing against (most of them are very commonly used), so yeah, he kinda is. EDIT: Of course you are free to disagree, after all, it's thankfully not my problem anyways.

You're kinda in the wrong game if you dislike half of all the armies in the game. 😂 Edit: I dislike some of the over-busy Ossiarch armor as I believe less is more but I don't dislike them at all. They also quite nicely fit the whole "golem" description... except for the clay part.

"It is a self-perpetuating pattern" -now that's an even better term for it! I think that the special occasions minis are usually Marines or SCE could also be down to them being quite easy to do, especially now with the extensive 3d assets they have - they can pretty much copy/paste stuff (something we already see on a few things, most prominently that lion-face seal on all the buildings. That said, I loved "Not-Dillon" from Predator from Catachan (obviously, what was I thinking) and also hope for more cool/creative one-offs. That said, I think it's fair to say that this hobby has never seen better times all things considered.

I feel it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The armies they push/favor and create lots of minis for usually also get a lot of love (e.g. Stormcast, Nurgle, Space Marines, etc.), while those who are treated like red-headed stepchildren have fewer fans. I'd like to see the sales of Seraphon or Skaven if they got an update like Gloomspite Gitz... in the end it's only healthy for the game if other armies get shown more love than just the usual few (although that thankfully, like you've already remarked, got a lot better lately). Still, there's still quite a bit to be done in 40k.

Mix and match Tzeentch models (I'm talking about Arcanites and Daemons, maybe even StD) and you're far from broken and a lot of fun to play against if your group doesn't powergame. If they do, you're allowed to play cheesy lists as well. It really depends on the playstyle of your group but in general a relaxed setting leads to more fun for everyone. In our group they hate(d) certain aspects but either learned to deal with them, they got nerfed or I changed them.

Yeah, got for my birthday way back when.... The pro ones do usually begin at around 300 bucks. I'd seriously consider going to a dedicated dealer as they can help out so, so much when you're new to it all. Mine carries a very decent model called Sparmax TC-501N which is oil-free (never a bad thing, then again I got mine since years and didn't need to do anything other than fill in the oil once) and good for our needs as mini painters and can be found for around 150 bucks at times. They also have a very cheap model called DC-25 but that is only suitable for 0.2 to 0.25 (0.3 might work as well) of up to 30 PSI. (which should be enough). Perhaps you will find similar compressors in a store near you. The good news is that if noise and lots of PSI is less of an issue for you, you should be able to find a pretty decent one for a somewhat tolerable price.

Can't give any recommendations for a good cheap compressor... I got a Sil Air 20 A right from the start and that thing works like a dream. But it was also expensive...

Well, personally I can't recommend going cheap with a clear conscience. I've used 3 airbrushes extensively and bought the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity a couple of weeks ago... now my other ABs are getting treated like unwanted stepchildren (and they were more expensive than what you aim for). That said, I think it's illusory to think there's a somewhat cheap solution to airbrushing (not just the gear is expensive... but also thinners, flow improvers, cleaners and the like) unless you really only want to lay down base colors. You really get what you pay for and even cheap stuff will add up so it might be wiser to get decent gear right from the start. A good beginner's model is actually the Paasche Raptor IMO which I've mostly used so far - it lacks the sophistication of a better brush (especially the trigger is a bit unique in handling) but there are some very good deals for it around and it's extremely versatile (that's a huge plus, especially for learning) and will last you a long time - and you can get everything with it done, that can't be said for every airbrush in its price range. I've basically learned airbrushing with it and currently use it for more basic brushwork and priming as I switched over to the Infinity for detail work - that way I don't have to switch needles all the time.* That said, I'm sure there are other great choices in that price range around (a bit above 100 bucks) and I seriously recommend going for something like this, even at the start. It'll last you a very long time, so make sure that whatever you go for, you've got a dealer near you in case you need a spare needle or o-ring, whatever. * Although I'm still not a big fan of AB primers... they don't turn out durable enough for gaming pieces for me.

Perhaps you're seeing more than I do here. I usually just think that for a bit more I get way cooler stuff ingame. Still love the models though... I'll use them next time!

Well, less unification makes for more drama and possibilities... I like your idea personally as I also think that the background could use a more intimate setting at times. Single-minded, gigantic forces that each serve one specific God/GA clashing with each other is much less interesting that say 10 much more "grey" factions working against each other. Also, while Gods or God-like beings are much more involved in here, I think they should really focus lesser heroes (and villains). Something absolute (wheter good or evil) is terribly dull. I'm glad that the Chaos God aren't directly involved, as in having tiny avatars of themselves run around (like Nagash) - I know the greater demons could be seen as something similar but they do have their own goals, characters and minds usually and are thus servants.

Can't judge other armies but Screamers are pretty damn useless IMO. Which is a shame as I love the models!

Fabius (or Karl Lagerfeld in space) is an amazing sculpt - it's not often that a mini manages to evoke the style of a fashion designer. The new warband is amazing. The elf stuff is pretty amazing. I can only say positive stuff and congratulate them on a job well done. This feels weird.

Always be a nice guy to play against unless you can play Tzeentch. Then always play Tzeentch (****** being civil and fun to play with). If Tzeentch one day is weak in the meta (back in 40k Tzeentch used to be the worst choice by far for a LOOOONG time), you still always play Tzeentch. Cause it's Tzeentch. That said, if you mix and match units and don't run one or two particular builds, all is fine usually. Or take a pretty bad unit like Chaos Warriors cause at least they look sexy. It's true that we have a few viable tools at the moment but take a bad unit or two and your list won't be unfair anymore.

Funny, I see a lot of cannibalized models my brother and I did for the age-old DoW Thousand Sons mod in there... 😂

Erm, mix the colors and only use a brighter metallic color for the outmost edges. Or drybrush the edges, on scenery it usually looks pretty nice. Highlighting dark metallics is easier than going for a bright chrome color, where you got similar issues to white.

Messed around a bit with inks vs contrast paints through the airbrush today, both over metallics - contrast dulls the metallics more down than inks - perfect for shading them as shadows should be less reflective, less great for candy-coating or filtering metallics (depending on what you aim for). I believe this is quite interesting. Arguably thinned down paint would do the same but contrast's transparency and airbrush-ready consistency do give them a reason to be around in that regard.

Could also be Slaaneshi as it looks like those blade-bits from the DP* duo (Syll'esske or however you write it) but the soup thing is kinda making me think of something else. Slaanesh is all about the senses so anything related to food would be fitting but it would definitely be a first.Perhaps the mortal realms will be plagued now by Glut-Tony, exalted champion of Slaanesh. Thick is beautiful too as they say. *Daemon Prince, dirty-minded ones

DoK or a first teaser for Malerion. Most likely DOK for Beastgrave though.

That's a wonderful result! I guess using it sparingly through an airbrush works well as seen here. I reckon it's kinda like a filter through an airbrush, just like the contrast paints. Haven't tried it but I like the color definitely.

I'd probably mix those washes directly on the model to get some natural variation but would use that wash after the basecoat, not after later stages - it's just there to get that almost-black color if you start with a basecoat like the Panzer Grey. With pigments and the two drybrush stages (none of them are really bright colors), you won't need to blow out strong highlights to get that "muted" look. The pigments will do that by themselves as they'll make it dusty and the dusty surface won't reflect lights strongly. I'd rather get a few pigments (let's say a rust color, a sand color and an almost white color) and mix those and apply some more of the almost white pigments on the highest parts and then just blend them together. That is really easy and works remarkably well.

The Panzer Grey looks kinda Skavenblight Dinge-y with less brown in it (which is good here). I would use a wash/shade over it probably too to get a good off-black for the deepest recesses but it's probably a pretty decent starting point. I'd absolutely drybrush most of it with the brown before proceeding with the other drybrush and pigments. Cause the pigments will overpower all other steps anyways so you can be more liberal before. The best thing is that you can remove them easily though before you fix them, so it should be easy to get the right amount. Looking forward to your tests. You'll rock it!

1. I fear the Field Grey spray is a bit too light for your darkest tones (I don't own the color so I can only go by Google Images) - you'd need to add a shade on top of that (Could either be a black or brown to reddish-brown one, you could even mix em up to get some visual interest). But you still need enough contrast even if it's your goal to stay away from true black here. 2. Rhinox Hide is a bit dark, I could imagine it's actually darker than the Field Grey. Ideally your drybrush color is a bit lighter than the base. But if you're not against mixing colors, you could easily add a brighter color to rhinox hide to get a good color for this step. It doesn't even have to be exact as a bit of variation is a great idea for scenery or scenic bases. The darkest parts should stay off-black as else it's becoming too uniform once pigments get introduced. 3. I'd switch the strength of those two drybrushes around - the one at step 2 should be more pronounced, while this one should add color variation and be less uniform. Can be really patchy. 4 & 5 sounds cool and this is where the magic happens. The pigment will mask a lot of the work before it and unify it so you can be sloppy during those other steps. Which is always a plus! If you've got a spare base or two you should do a test model first before you try it on your favorite mini though!

Overall I like them, especially as a base for further work. That's not their intended use but they work really well that way. I think they are also viable as filters via an airbrush. Arguably you could also use inks for that but they're also a nice tool for that and quick to use. They work extremely well after a zenithal if you bother to use them as a guide and paint over patchy spots. They're great in combination with metallics. On their own, most of them don't give me a good enough result but that's not the paint's fault at all - I just prefer to work longer on minis and a single coat, no matter if contrast or not, isn't enough for me to be happy. That said, in many, many cases I'm not sure they're all that beginner-friendly actually. Yeah, they are amazing on Plaguebearers and stuff like that but as soon as you need to be very precise on a mini (trim and the like), they start to become cumbersome. And if you don#t wanna go over it with layer paints, you can't afford errors.

Either omit the last drybrush, just add a tiny bit of white so that your last highlight is still pretty muted or be generous with pigments, which would be my best bet - you could slap em on after drybrushing and use them to blend everything together. I think Battlefury is right on the money with those two colors - add a sand-colored pigment, maybe add a tiny bit of a red pigment as well (those images all have a slight reddish hue to them - the sand color looks more like a skintone than classic sand) and you'd be golden I think. A varnish can work but will change the look a bit usually - makes the pigments less visible. There are pigments fixers and white spirits for fixing them too and I've been told they work a bit better than varnsih but I think you best bet would be to get some cheap cork and a spare base and simply play around with it. It's very difficult to emulate exactly the lighting seen in game engines in mini scenery from my experience but I'm certain that you will manage to get very, very close in this case. Maybe this will help a tiny bit:

Depending on the mood, don't go for true blacks - but that is mainly the temple in the sand. Outside of that you should go for muted highlights (so no bright whites as the final drybrush etc.) and like so many others said, weathering powders are the perfect solution.