PTS 91 + Space Marines + Rogue Trader 40k

Old School plastic Space Marines with homemade rocket packs.

It's almost Saturday again and here is last weekend's Painting Table Saturday #91. The delay is due to a full schedule of being a dad, husband, music teacher and bluesman, with an event or two thrown in the mix. I may also be far too social to be a blogger. I'd rather be doing stuff with folks than writing about it!

With a week full of commitments, there wasn't a whole lot of painting going on. I did get a game in though. After a few Monday's of ITEN, Rogue Trader 40k took a break and I ran AD&D on Monday night. So, although I have made some progress on the space marines, they weren't required for the gaming table. Actually, we didn't need any miniatures for that game night. I was running it Old School.

Back to the painting table, I was having so much fun looking up Space Marine Chapters for inspiration that it seemed a shame not to paint my own with as many as different colours as possible. I made a decision to create a Rogue Trader Kill Team. A standard operating unit of experienced xenos-fighters, the best of the best (or perhaps a dirty dozen). Great warriors, exemplars of their Chapter, brought together for specialist missions. A squad of space marines that hearkens back to the glory days of Warhammer 40k. The days when I didn't play wargames that often. I was more into role-playing games.

I had a discussion recently about what the difference is and to be honest, you have to be a real gaming geek to know the history of how Dungeons & Dragons came about. Ironically the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons (1974) fantasy role-playing game was a set of "Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames Playable with Dice and Pencil and Miniature Figures". At least that's what it said on the box. Ten years after, Warhammer (1984) was more worthy of that title. Given that, you can still hold a different opinion as to what a RPG is and whether wargaming counts. I believe the real joy of gaming comes from the people you are playing with, not the game itself.

This time last week I was a judge at a regional school bands competition.

Following Saturday morning: Netball Dad. 

Last Saturday I also played at The Thirsty Dog (Auckland) for International Blues Day.

On Sunday the kids got kids. 

Monday, first lambs. Well, these were the neighbors. Our first arrived on the Tuesday.

Collecting 40k bits. Yes, that's a Chronopia figure in the middle.

With a few online purchases of citadel miniatures from the days of my youth, I have collected enough bits and bobs to make some simple conversions. There is plenty of work yet to be done. Scale is a minor issue. If you look at the above photo you can see that a new backpack is slightly bigger than an old backpack. Arms and armour are similarly guilty of power-creep. Bolter guns just keep on growing in size! When I have assembled and painted this ragtag band of elite warriors I hope to have a Kill Team worthy of the Deathwatch.

God bless you and have a great week!