Hi guys, this is the start of hopefully many blabberingly boring blogs for my Podhammer Ogre Army. Firstly a huge thanks to everyone who contributed towards this project. A grand total of $450 was raised and there are just too many people to name, though I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how much it has lifted me back onto that horse. BUT your job isn’t over just yet; I would love constructive criticism along the way and for you to bear with me in times of nuttiness.
So while I wait for the remainder of the minis to arrive and post up images for what I have install for this army, I have included my thoughts that go through my head when deciding to start, prepare and construct an army. Hope you enjoy!!
Army Selection
Before playing style and even background fluff, I always look at the models. You will find you spend as much, if not more time preparing your models for the tabletop. So we may as well enjoy it. Select 2-3 armies you like the aesthetics of and then do a little research on the playing style of each of them and see if it appeals to you. Are you aggressive or defensive?? You will find that any successful army build will have a combination of both to maintain flexibility. Of course, the obvious exceptions would be Chaos and VC’s. Before you buy, borrow a copy of the army book from a mate. I then look at the conversion opportunities involved with these ranges. Can they easily be converted? Are they primarily plastic or metal? Are they already too busy? I personally prefer the weight of models though am in love with the opportunities presented to us with the new detailed plastic kits. Financial constraints also have an influence. How can I complete this army cheaply yet effectively? Do I already have the options for conversion in my bits box from a previous army? Is it a relatively new or popular army to influence my chances buying second hand models? All of these questions need to be asked before starting to put brush to model. Are you a painter or gamer? How much time am I prepared to spend on this project? If you plan on using figures from a different range, how will they fit aesthetically with the rest of the army? Will it cause confusion? Scale in proportion? Confused yet??
Colour Scheme
Next is one of the most important points of all and that is the colour scheme. This will influence how your army will appear on the table top as a whole and advertise/promote you as a hobbyist to the community. You could be a wonderful sculptor, have conversions coming out the wazoooo but if the colour scheme doesn’t fit then all the hard work will have been lost. Have a look around at various sites, in particular the army blogs section for your specific army online. Do a quick ‘Google’ search for “*insert army name here* Forums” and you will have several to choose from. CMON (coolminiornot.com) has some wonderful conversions and paint jobs done by very talented hobbyists. Though remember you are not restricted to just looking at your specific race. There are plenty of schemes out there that will suit most armies.
When considering theme and colour scheme also consider how the models will be based. Sandy, gravely, flocked or a combination of the three. Want them plain or scenic? If so, does it fit the theme? Get ideas from sites such as Back2Base-ix. How will they rank up and will they be uniform.
Army composition
Once you are happy with your preparation and have brought the army book. Sit down and go through a few initial lists. Research yet again is crucial here as you probably already now from reading this that the web is the best thing that has happened to allow us gamers forming close knit communities to share our ideas and experiences. By writing lists you will get an idea of the type and quantity of models you will need.
Assembly and Painting
There are a number of different ways to assemble and paint an army. They range from one extreme (mass production) and the other (figure by figure). I like to assemble my figs even to a base level (torso/legs) before painting as it allows me to get a few games in to generate excitement in the completion of the army and allows me to confirm what units work and appeal to me in game play before spending hours/days on a unit that you may never actually use. Though remember that with time, with experience and army build, these units will come in handy later in the armies gaming life. So DON’T sell them!! Hold onto them and use them as you grow with the army.
When painting your army make sure you follow these simple points:
- Find yourself a clean area for painting, preferably away from distractions.
- Put unpainted models away, as they only dampen your hopes to complete an army.
- Finally keep a colour diary. If you are like me and get distracted really easily ‘Ooooooh, shiny!’ When you go back to painting previous units you have a step by step colour description to continue with to increase consistency throughout your army.
And most important of all, is to invite your mates around for a few painting sessions. I can’t stress how much this will drive you to paint your minis. Turn it into a bit of a competition and discuss goals that you both will try and achieve.
Well, that is all from me for now. This definitely isn’t the be all and end all to constructing and starting an army, but it is what I have experienced since being addicted to this wonderful hobby. Next week I hope to post a few pics on what I am trying to achieve with this Podhammer Ogre army, so keep an eye out!!
TO BE CONTINUED……
