First of the First

One squad down, many more to go.

More painting action today, this time with a happy ending.  I'm calling the first Dark Vengeance squad done in spite of the myriad teeny details that scream to me for satisfaction.  The most valuable painting lesson I've learned over the last year or two is that eventually you have to put down the brush whether you're 100% satisfied or not.  (Whatever lesson applies to sticking by your resolution to not start a post by running down your own work is still one that I'm trying to learn apparently.)

Example marine.

To be fair to myself, I'm plenty satisfied with the squad.  90+ percent satisfied.  Considering how much I live up to the "you're your own worst critic" maxim that's a pretty good number.  Highlights look good, dark red is a thing that finally happened, the squad didn't take too long to paint, and there are remarkably few niggles left to quash.  Two bolter scrolls that need writing plus grass for the bases, then just the usual onslaught of varnish.  I'm holding off on squad markings for a while so I can mix up the poses between the DV and AoBR sculpts, plus the inevitable regular marine additions.  The plasma glow didn't work so much, though to be fair I didn't really push the issue, and I should really try to dot the eyes on the sergeant, but past that I'm pleased.  Of course the best thing is that I can check off the first thing on my DA painting list.  If I can go ahead and cut out the plasma pistol and replace it with a more appropriate bolt pistol (and perhaps swap the chainsword for a power weapon) I can even go ahead and prime the second DV squad as there's no chance of mixing them up now.  I won't do anything past priming in case I want to use them for a subsequent ETL painting vow, but primer is still paint and everyone likes painted models.

Plasma detail.  It turned out ok.

Speaking of future ETL vows, yesterday I realized there's an upcoming painting conflict.  The ETL runs through the middle of August, plenty of time for me to finish my first vow (two tactical squads) and do another vow or two more with plenty of time for completion.  The problem is that the latest round of the Journeyman league is starting soon, in the next month or so I think, and painting has apparently already begun.  While I don't plan on making a push for victory on the same scale as last year I still have plenty of things to paint and want to make the most of the incentive provided by the league.  I'm returning to the Motherland this year with a primary goal of finally getting Conquest assembled and painted.  This will be a colossal undertaking on its own, but there's still a stable of casters (one each of Vlad and Orsus, plus all the Sorschas, and more besides), character jacks, units, and merc solos to be done.  At first I didn't think I had enough Khador to make it more compelling than Legion (or even Menoth) for Journeyman purposes, but when I got to thinking about it I realized just how much Khadoran goodness is still waiting for paint.  Thankfully most of it is at least assembled, though the IFP I adopted from Ron need to be stripped and some parts need gluing, not to mention the possibility of magnetizing shields so I can swap between regular and Black Dragon flavor.

There was going to be more to this post, but time gets away from you sometimes.  Now I must pack and be off for Garypalooza, a tournament that I am entirely unprepared for.  Should be fun.