Blog Resurrection of an Army

Don't be afraid to mix white to get lighter shades

 

Not sure how well that'll work with the denser dry paints, but thanks for the reminder!

 

Okay, first pictures update! After trial and error of different things, I eventually found a modern paint the same colour as Ice Blue with which to drybrush my skinks!

A dry paint called Skink Blue. I don't know how it took me looking at three separate paint racks to realise it existed.

So now all (bar two) of the skinks have been drybrushed!



Not fantastic results, but then it's my first batch of models in years. Hopefully the Drakenhoff Nightshade wash as part of the next step will solve most of the issues, then all that's left is minor details that I'll keep simple:

• Claws, probably an Ushabti Bone coat with everyone's favourite Agrax Earthshade.
• Eyes, probably just White Scar.
• Gold bits, probably Auric Armour with Agrax Earthshade again.
• And I'm thinking of doing the sails in a yellow/orange scheme, not sure which would be better as the layer and which as the shade? I feel like putting and orange wash on yellow paint will make it all orange.

After that, it's onto the arms (Which will probably also just be a base-and-shade job) and weapons (which will just be gold and stone, really; I can always say they're ebony javelin hafts...).

So making good progress on the month's target, for sure!

 

Also, because I've still not read up on the actual rules; do any skink units have the option of taking a Standard any more? I like the ides of using one of the Stegadon pack ones, but if there're not actually able to take one mechanically it'll look a little odd...

The original intention of this set of Skinks was to combine with a third box to form a 48-strong horde with the second row being mostly Kroxigors, back in 8E where that was doable. The Krox even counted towards core unit requirement, if I read the rules correctly! I know the Skink/Krox interplay works differently in AoS (it seemed to change mechanics with every edition anyway, so no complaints here). Under those circumstances the standard would've played double duty of getting one for the Krox too, who'd normally miss out. Of course, AoS getting rid of block units seems to have also dropped Skink Warriors again in favour of just the Skirmishers, who historically don't get standards.

 

Aww, bummer! Alright, the general theme I'm getting is that Stegadons are now mostly for either the double flamethrowers or the Engine of the Gods (since Carnosaur and Salamanders seem to be much stronger against single targets than the mega crossbow), so using the totem on the steg is probably a good idea. Kinda already snapped one of the two flamers I had... (and the two totems I'd fitted to the back of the howdah snapped off years ago too, which isn't a huge issue if the Engine is filling the same space).

Has anyone had any luck setting up a Steg howdah crew so they kind of slot into place rather than be permanently glued? I'm thinking of drilling small holes into the howdah surface and having a peg on the skinks' feet that slots into it, but I'm not sure if there'd be enough room to drill into the Skink too or just find something to glue onto the underside...

 

Some people here have magnetized their steggy to switch from one build to the other... @Aginor for example turned out to be a skilled magnetizer...

 

Mmm, was originally planning to do something like that between the bow/engine builds. For now I'm going to build it just as Engine and maybe buy a separate one for the flamers later. Just been putting together the priest and the two totem bearers that stand in front of him. Rather nicely, that gives me three extra foot skinks, bringing me to 51 compared to my 16 Saurus Warriors. Similarly, I think I'm going to give the totem bearers shields in their other hands, from any spares in the skinks box.

Anyway, got to pop out to buy paints.

 

I do have the bow assembled, and will probably at least paint it even if I don't fix it in place.

As for not really using it... One of the things I've noticed is that the Engine of the Gods has a good likelihood, both on the 3d6 and after some wounds the 2d6 rolls, to get the giant laser effect. It's an automatic d6 Mortal damage instead of three d3s of regular damage that still have to hit (at 50%) and wound (at 66.66%, and only Rend -1) at exactly the same range. I'd say the two are fairly evenly balanced against each other, at which point the possibility for the Engine to heal itself and other units (increasing in chance the more damage it takes, to boot!) and pull in more units makes it the superior option.

Admittedly, the regular Stegadon is a much more fearsome melee beast, but then giving it a long-range weapon instead of two short-range weapons that can do much more damage seems counterintuitive. And if I really want a reliable, long-range tanky artillery unit, the Bastiladon with the Solar Engine looks like a wonderful choice. Plonk one down next to an Engine and park a Slann nearby to get better control of the Engines outcome to shoot or heal all three as needed...

I know the Great Bow has a long history as the Stegadon's primary armament, but I feel it loses out both functionally and in cool factor to the modern alternatives. Still, assembling and painting them is good practice, and you never know when you might suddenly need a scenery piece...

 

First, I love you skinks!
Second, I would still give them a banner. You might want to play AoS, and you would want the banner. It NEVER hurts to have options.

 

True! Will see what I can do with the standards that broke off of my Stegadon howdah, I'm a little set on using the two good ones on the front of the setg now.

 

Okay, afternoon update! The skinks have been shaded all over, after the final two were drybrushed!



I may drybrush the back scales to be a little lighter again, to match the sails. Other than that, that's the skink's main body done! Claws, eyes, and gold bits to go, before I start on weapons.

Also, because I wanted to get in some paint thinning and base coating practice, here's the stegadon's howdah;



After seeing the Engine of the Gods on the store page in all its "giant indistinct mass of gold that just kind of blurs into itself" glory, I felt the need to break down the colour a bit, so this is going to be effectively a stone construction plaque with gold inlays look. Nuln Oil and edge highlights to go on this at some point, but I kind of want to focus on the skinks first.

 

Ooo, that looks good! It's amazing how little needs to be done to break up the monotony a bit, really. I like the blue orbs!

 

Okay, big painting updates today; claws are done and the sails are based and washed. Just waiting for the wash to dry and I'll post pics.

EDIT: Here's the pics!