@Errhile Dark Fleshtone is from Vallejo correct? Anything else you add to the Dark Fleshtone to get the skin color you are looking for? I'll remember to get a bottle of Bronze skintone next time I'm paint shopping and copy your technique.
Yes, Valejjo Game Color #72.044 Dark Fleshtone for my Massai Murderers ;) Though I must tell you that tone difference between Dark Fleshtone and 72.065 Terracotta is minimal (though definitely there is a difference), especially if used with Citadel Sepia Wash / Gryphonne Sepia / whatever they call it these days (I'll check it once I get home, and alter my posts here appropriately). I recall there were cases when models meant for my Corregidor - where Terracotta is the default uniform color - that got painted with Dark Skintone on faces and hands - looked conspiciously like they forgot to put their pants on, so to speak... ;) Edit: yup, Seraphim Sepia is what they write on the pot nowadays.
Referring to the conversation with @Golem2God - as well as a bit of a teaser: I have started working on the Aleph Operations Action Pack. These are the two first finished models (no varnish yet, though. Weather went full winter here! :D). I think the Operations' general color scheme (as visible on the Deva and Shukra) is coming together well. Went for a different skintone, Valejjo #72.003 Pale Flesh (with conservative amount of Citadel Seraphim Sepia on top). In contrast to the earlier #72.036 Bronze Skintone (visible here on Axl Steel & Hippolyta), it befits the "artificial" feel of the OSS qite nicely IMO. It would make for a decent pale Caucasian type complexion, too, if not for the fact I was using the Bronze skintone for the last 10 years and simply got used to it rather heavily. I'll do the usual all-around of the OSS models once I finish the 3rd in the batch (a Dakini. It took me quite a while to get together a paint scheme for it, and well, I guess I'll end doing half a dozen of these in the end...).
So - I had a rather busy few days (in fact, I've finished the last models about 20 minutes ago :P). I was pretty motivated to get them done before New Year. Spoiler: More of the Deva, Yadu and Shukra and, also, the Dakini (I haven't put one with the two previously shown models, since i was using it as a reference for the other two Dakini): Spoiler: more of the Dakini The Naga, Apsara and Shaakti will be the next batch (and yes, I expect to start working on them tomorrow). Rudras GunBot will be the last of this box.
@Errhile And now we fully dive into Aleph's O.S.S.S. When do we get to see you go further into the sectorial? I don't think I've seen someone post the full scale of Aleph units at once. Though I'm sure it has been done. Do you intend to complete the faction and have it as a secondary force to your Haqqislam?
Please keep in mind it is not one of my armies - it is an ongoing comission job for a local player. Therefore: I'd love to complete the army. I have no idea when and if it will happen. It is limited by my customer's wallet: fronting up cash for new models (and, true, my work on them!). The ASS does miss a few models (eg. Ajax and Thamyris) my customer simply did not liked and thus never bought. As I mentioned elsewhere, I do own six sectorial forces already: Qapu Khalqi Hassassin Bahram Ramah Task Force Corregidor Jurisdictional Command StarCo Druze Bayram Securities and these are relatively complete and fully painted: as in, roll call at the end of the year resulted in 309 CB models. I'm fighting the temptation to start a 7th army (branching over to Dahshat Company would be relatively very easy) - and, so far, I'm winning. Main reason being - I lack time to play even each of those 6 armies as often as I would like to remaing adequately proficient. Though if CB releases Gabqar Khanate, I'll probably succumb to that temptation...
Oh yes now I remember. Can't believe I forgot all about that. I think you should delve into Dashat Company. It is a Haqqislam sectorial at least partially. The fact that it would be relatively easy to do so is plus. Then when the Khanate comes out you complete that sectorial. If you do make the jump to Dashat I hope you post your model work of the units. What would you need to buy of Dashat's forces that you don't currently own? I believe Zuyong would be one of them.
I cycle through my roster of 6 complete sectorials. I have managed to play just 1 game in December, and I'm not sure I was able to score 18 games last year total (3 cycles of my armies). Upping it to 7 (with Dahshat) or 8 (Dahshat & Gabqar) armies will mean the cycle would get even longer. That's the problem there. Oh, I have that worked out. I'd need: Terracota Soldiers Hulang Shock troops Zhencha Armored Reconaissance Liberto Freedom Fighters 112 emergency service (infantry & biker) Dozer Engineer Father Sforza Yaoxie Rui Shi / Yaoxie Lu Duan Traktor Mul (assuming they're worth anything. In N4, they don't look like they do, IMO) and possibly the Kum Bikers (if I'm not proxying them with Nazarova Twins & Kasym Beg). So, about 3 (up to 5) box sets and less than 10 blisters, depending on how complete set of options I'd like. I do have the rest of it already. But I fail to see the point, given I have so many armies at this point.
I can see and understand that. Since you want to remain unrusty when playing your armies. Still I do think Dashet will be a good fit for you. Out of those units listed above maybe only focus on the important ones or those with newer models. Zuyongs: the most important one of the bunch due to linkteam status. Hulang: only a single model is needed. Zhencha: only two minis for all the loadouts. Sforza: he is a wildcard character so if he plays to your liking in a proxy game then grab a model o represent him or wait until a new mini of him comes out. Bounty Hunters & Gromoz are also wildcard units for fireteams. Fiddler: apparently Aristeia's Fiddler is part of Dashat now. So that gives you another engineer to use. 112 & Dozer: should only be gotten if you want an extra set of engineer & doctor. If not then you can pass on them. Traktor Muls: you have better remotes and you are not Ariadna. So why would you use them? Yaoxies: you could proxie these remotes and see if you want to buy the actual models or grab another Yu Jing remote you like the design of. Keep using the Twins and Kasym for bikers. I heard that Kasym Beg's model & unit profile is discontinued/retired from the game. So his model is going to be used for proxing anyway. Libertos: have you used them? If you like them then I guess you could pick them up or use the Helots from the PanO box set for your Libertos minis. So if you did buy into Dashat I'd go for the Yu Jing stuff first then pick up anything that you personally wish for. Where in the world do you live? If you are from the USA I know Game Nerdz besides Ebay would be a good help in grabbing the models you need.
Geographically, I'm in Poland, if very close to the German border. So, basically, shopping in the US market doesn't make much sense for me :P Besides... okay, it is not like I could order all the stuff I miss right away, but I guess my hobby budget would cover a nice chunk of it. I just decided not to :)
Understood. How has the commissioner of this Aleph army been receiving your progress? Has it been praise for what has been done so far?
Well, he likes it so far - and trusts my artistic choices. Plus, he keeps coming back with fresh models when his hobby budget allows. So I guess we're good :)
Sounds like everything is good then. Has he sent anymore stuff over to you recently? Does he wish to fully complete the O.S.S.S. sectorial or just a part of it?
Well, OSS Action Pack is his most recent purchase, and from what he told me, he intends to have both Aleph sectorials. And then perhaps Kosmoflot. But, knowing the limitations of his hobby budget, it is going to be quite a while. After all, completing the Steel Phalanx was how long, a year and a half? And he did owned a good chunk of the models by that time. On the other hand, it is not like I'm in any kind of hurry :)
Well I wish him success at obtaining the minis he wants. And I hope to see the work Kosmoflot force whenever that project comes to fruition. Has he decided on a color scheme for the Ariadnans in space?
No, not to my knowledge. Also, I guess, once that becomes relevant, it'll be me inventing the scheme.
No, not yet. Yesterday I thought about going close to the WW2 Red Army theme (Russian uniform green etc), but that would be better suited to TAK, rather than Kosmoflot. I guess it warrants more thought. Then again, I doubt it would become relevant anytime soon...
True. One could go with a different color scheme for each Ariadnan faction's units in that sectorial. Though strangely USA only has one unit/character in the Unknown Ranger. You would think they'd have more presence in Kosmoflot than that. I personally like USAriadna's units in looks especially the Maraduers, Miniutemen & Grunts. You would think Maradauers at least would be in that space force roster or maybe another USA unit would be better?
Yup, that's one of the problems I have with it - or rather, one I'll have once it comes to painting Kosmoflot: it is a composite army, made up of elements of TAK, MRRF, CHA, USARF (if it is only the Unknown Ranger), some who are shared among several if not all existing Ariadna sectorials, and then some who are exclusive to Kosmoflot only. I'd have to give it more thought. Maybe have some elements & colors common, and some specific to the sectorial of origin...? Still, it is a stunning variety of the units in that list. I never thought about it, honestly. I assume it was mainly caused by the fact the USARF being shelved when the Kosmoflot was being released - so CB went practical. They used more recent TAK models they had in production rather than keeping USARF models in production too. Of course, that doesn't explain why there are CHA models in there, despite CHA being kinda phased out. Or why MRRF Paracommandos are there (with a resculpt), if, say, Spetsnaz would do the same job. There seems to be an intersection of two aspects: practicality of what is currently in production, and artistic license of the creators. I can't really tell...
