Procrastination by Numbers

[Dave]

Just 5 knights matt, surely you need at least 2 units of 10, you know for symmetry...  Start of another 10,000pts army?

[cunningmatt]

Just 5 knights matt, surely you need at least 2 units of 10, you know for symmetry...  Start of another 10,000pts army?

Hush now. Stop it. Maybe. To be honest lances are a lot cheaper now so maybe worth it. Maybe. But how many do I need 40? A Horde of Knights too many? Stop.

[Undead Dan]

Remember this is a Tzeentch army so you ought to be sticking to the chosen number i.e. 9!

[cunningmatt]

Remember this is a Tzeentch army so you ought to be sticking to the chosen number i.e. 9!

But they come in packs of 5?!

[roland murat]

Two packs and convert 1 into an exalted. Job done

[cunningmatt]

An odd shaped unit, I can't do it. They have to be rectangles. I just can't cope!

[cunningmatt]

Procrastination by Numbers: Update 98 – Look Who Is Dropping In Monday 18th February 2013



Coming up on this week's Procrastination by Numbers:

• 98.1 – Meet the Team
• 98.2 – Tale of Gamers: Ultramarines – Month 3, Day 18
• 98.3 – Doombull and Minotaur Painting Guide
• 98.4 – Get In Touch

98.1 – Meet the Team

With Valentine's Day just passed Matty still needs a lot of counselling, fortunately there's many members of the Procrastination by Numbers team available to help him out:

Matty the Painter



Matty the Painter is the main writer on Procrastination by Numbers, and his brain represents the place where the other writers live. He is a prolific Shakeaway drinker, and he can be followed on Twitter at @ProByNumbers – go on he might follow you back.

This week Matty's had his wrist sewn back together by a specialist 24-hour carer, as he rocks back and forth in the corner of his room singing "All By Myself" in floods of tears – apparently Valentine's Day didn't go well.

The Resident Six-Year Old Artist



For all those things that can't be photographed, the resident six-year old artist has joined (read "been imprisoned by") the team. Bribed with Smarties and the promise of seeing daylight again, she draws all the pictures this blog needs. Her recent work includes the iOS6 maps.

This week the resident six-year old artist has been crying after someone explained to her she may have eaten a horse.

Mr Shakey Shakey



Mr Shakey Shakey is Matty the Painter's Wood Elf painting friend. He's been painting a Wood Elf army for about 24 years now. His name is nothing to do with the popular milkshake, but instead refers to his inability to hold a paintbrush steadily in his hands.

This week Mr Shakey Shakey actually got his paint brushes out for the first time in many months.

Sandra the Tactical Pot Plant



Sandra the Tactical Pot Plant is a brand new member of the Procrastination by Numbers team, not only is she's the independent adjudicator for all Procrastination by Numbers competitions. But she is a Warhammer tactical genius and can often be found revising the rules and coming up with the filthiest armies known to man.

Sandra the Tactical Pot Plant has spent the week perfecting drawing the question mark symbol with her branches. The dirty flirt!

98.2 – Tale of Gamers: Ultramarines – Month 3, Day 18

Last week I said...

Skullcrushers much like my jokes really should be Khorney. Get it? Get it? And if that joke doesn't get at least 50 replies telling me how clever I am, I'm stopping writing the blog. This is a peak – appreciate it people.

And what happened? Not a single reply telling me how clever I am. Not one. Philistines. So that's it I'm going on strike. No blog. Enjoy internet silence instead.
































































Oh ok fair enough I'll write something, you probably meant to tell me how clever I was but were busy receiving Valentine's Cards.

Sodding, stupid, ruddy Valentine's Day. Even Sandra the Tactical Pot Plant has been cosying up to her new boyfriend.



It's alright though I've doubled my Beta Blockers and can move on, it's fine. IT'S FINE!

Sorry where was I?...

With February half-gone it's about bloody time I got a wriggle on and got some painting done. Good news the Dreadnought which is making up a big chunk of this month's tasks is coming along nicely.



For some reason my Dreadnought seems to have a special filter on it like Thunderbird 1 which prevents me from taking any in focus photos of it!

Last week I finished the blue using my proscribed method from Months 1 &2 so this week I've mainly been picking out the detail and desperately trying to avoid just slapping a simple silver coat over all the mechanical gubbines! Given the simplicity of the blue I think it's important I pick out a few details in some other colours so the model doesn't appear too simple. So some black casing, gold plating and coloured wires will hopefully add a little character to my Dreadnought friend.

With the Dreadnought nearing completion it was time to turn my attention to the other chunk of models for this month. The technical problem here, which happens very infrequently is that I literally had run out of models to paint – the entire contents of The Assault on Black Reach boxed set have been done. Bar the Orks. Not sure if I can have Ork allies at this early stage?

So it was time to pop along to OG Games and purchase myself the much talked about Space Marine Battle Force. I also did a little shopping from Olbay, it's much like eBay but friendlier as I purchased various second hand bits and bobs from our illustrious leader at a very good rate. Ol sold me a pre-assembled, non flat-pack, Drop Pod – which everyone said I needed. Plus there was a box of unassembled Assault Marines, and an old Tactical Squad sprue full of leftover bits and pieces which will be useful for kitting out my Squads. And if you were about to comment Ol has "seen me coming" and "ripped me off", please kindly keep those comments to yourself. After all he only charged £845 for the Drop Pod, seems perfectly reasonable.



With new purchase happily unwrapped, I decided that this month I fancied painting up the Assault Marines as something new but different. Yes technically the other bits and pieces in the box would provide the other Troops choice I need to make my army legal, but technically I've still not played Warhammer 40,000 so can do what I like blissfully unaware of the rights and wrongs of my actions. So there 40k police!

In attempting to work out my points this month I've come up against a slight quandary, according to the Assault on Black Reach manual my Dreadnought comes armed with a Multi-Melta, Storm Bolter and a Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon and costs 115 points.





However in Codex Space Marines, same Dreadnought comes will all this kit as basic and costs 105 points. Am I missing something, or have points changed for the new Codex?



I'm presuming the 105 points is the correct one to go with. In which case Month 3's purchases will be:

Dreadnought 105 points
105 points

Assault Squad 100 points
+ 3 Additional Space Marines (54 points – 3x 18 points)
+ Plasma Pistol (15 points)
169 points

TOTAL:  274 points

I intend to add 2 more Assault Marines, including the Sergeant model (and probably a guy with a Flamer), to the Squad as part of Month 4's purchases.

Combining this with the existing army gives me:

Space Marine Captain 100 points
100 points

Tactical Squad 90 points
+ 5 Additional Space Marines (80 points – 5x 16 points)
+ Flamer (free)
+ Missile Launcher (free)
+ Chainsword (free)
170 points

Terminator Squad 200 points
200 points

Dreadnought 105 points
105 points

Assault Squad 100 points
+ 3 Additional Space Marines (54 points – 3x 18 points)
+ Plasma Pistol (15 points)
169 points

TOTAL:  744 points

Which puts me 6 points short of my requisite 750 points, so I've made my little short fall over the previous months.

So far the Assault Marines have been assembled, well it's one way to spend Valentine's Day I suppose:



I moped up the tears of loneliness for this photo.

Assembly wasn't too bad, though I'm wary of the fact they have limited contact with the base so will probably fall to pieces instantly! Obviously I used the Jump Packs, seriously what is the point in either the unit or the kit if I don't do that:



Currently they're being subject to my trademark Matty-copyrighted blue recipe before we start detailing the exhausts and the Plasma Pistol and the like!

Slightly scarily there's only 10 days (including only one weekend hobby opportunity) left of February so I best start getting a wiggle on with these people!!

98.3  – Minotaurs and Doombull Painting Guide

Back in Update 96 I promised you I'd showcase some of the final bits and pieces of my Beastmen army, that I'd recently painted up, over the next few weeks. As you can see I clearly lied because none of them appeared in Update 97. So to make up for it here are some Minotaurs – my second unit of this fabulous kit which I've enjoyed painting just as much this time round. And also finally after several years I've got round to doing a Doombull!

My first unit had great weapons, so this unit I equipped with extra hand weapons. I could have gone for the hand weapon shield option, but frankly even I am not that stupid. Sorry talk about sub-optimal but that combo really is, I loved the shields as modelled though so I've added one to the bases of the Minotaurs, and they'll also pop up on some of the other stuff I show you over the next few weeks! The Minotaur musician struggles to look scary, so I cut his drum off his hand – hollowed out the place where the hand and drum connect, and attached it to his belt. I then chose the appropriate weapon so he looks like he's both going to beat his drum and beat you. Obviously in reality he'll be shot to pieces before he's even left my army case but hey ho!



The Doombull is the Finecast kit, which regardless of what you think of Finecast is amazing. A really crisp sculpt which fits together very well, I used a tiny bit of green stuff here and there but no more than on anything else. And it's so lightweight and stable; I imagine the metal version of this would have driven me to desperation! I've added him a little tree stump on the base, which was a real-life wooden twig sawn flat on the underside using the Razor Saw. I then moulded on the roots using green stuff.





So here's some finished pictures:





And here's that all important painting guide!! You know you love it.

Minotaurs and Doombull Painting Guide – Stage 1





Base: Steel Legion Drab
Hooves and Horns: Steel Legion Drab
Skeletons and Bones: Steel Legion Drab
Flesh: 1:1 Scab Red/Dark Flesh
Fur: Drybrush Scorched Brown, then Beastial Brown, then Snakebite Leather OR Drybrush 1:1 Chardonite Grantie, then Adeptus Battlegrey, then Codex Grey OR Drybrush Codex Grey, then Fortress Grey
Red Fabric: Layer 1:1 Mechrite Red/Blood Red
Cream Fabric: Steel Legion Drab
Rocks: Chardonite Granite
Straps: Scorched Brown
Wood: Drybrush Codex Grey, then Fortress Grey
Silver Metal: Boltgun Metal
Tin Metal: Tin Bitz
Gold Metal: Tin Bitz
Tree Bark: Chardonite Granite
Chainmail: Drybrush Boltgun Metal, then wash Devlan Mud

Minotaurs and Doombull Painting Guide – Stage 2





Base: Layer Baneblade Brown
Hooves and Horns: Wash Badab Black
Skeletons and Bones: Wash Badab Black
Flesh:  Layer 1:1 (1:1 Scab Red/Dark Flesh)/Vermin Brown, then layer Vermin Brown
Fur: Wash Badab Black
Red Fabric: Wash Devlan Mud
Cream Fabric: Layer Baneblade Brown
Rocks: Drybrush Tau Sept Ochre
Straps: Wash Badab Black
Wood: NONE
Silver Metal: Wash Devlan Mud
Tin Metal: Wash Devlan Mud
Gold Metal: Wash Devlan Mud
Tree Bark: Wash Nuln Oil
Chainmail: NONE

Minotaurs and Doombull Painting Guide – Stage 3





Base: NONE
Hooves and Horns: Feather Baneblade Brown, then feather Dheneb Stone
Skeletons and Bones: Layer Baneblade Brown, then layer Dheneb Stone
Flesh:  Wash Gryphonne Sepia
Fur: NONE
Red Fabric: Layer 1:1(1:1 Blood Red/Mechrite Red)/Blood Red, then layer Blood Red
Cream Fabric: Layer 1:1 Baneblade Brown/Kommando Khaki, then layer Kommando Khaki
Rocks: Drybrush Fortress Grey
Straps: Highlight Scorched Brown
Wood: NONE
Silver Metal: Highlight 1:1 Chainmail/Boltgun Metal
Tin Metal: Highlight 5:1 Tin Bitz/Mithril Silver
Gold Metal: Cover Shining Gold, then wash Gryphonne Sepia
Tree Bark: Selectively drybrush Camo Green
Chainmail: NONE

Minotaurs and Doombull Painting Guide – Stage 4

















Base: Drybrush Bleached Bone, then flock Scorched Grass and Snow
Hooves and Horns: Feather Bleached Bone, then highlight larger areas 1:1 Bleached Bone/Skull White
Skeletons and Bones: Layer Bleached Bone, then highlight larger areas 1:1 Bleached Bone/Skull White
Flesh:  Highlight 3:1 Vermin Brown/Elf Flesh, then highlight 1:1 Vermin Brown/Elf Flesh
Fur: NONE
Red Fabric: Highlight 3:1 Blood Red/Vomit Brown, then highlight 1:1 Blood Red/Vomit Brown
Cream Fabric: Highlight 1:1 Kommando Khaki/Bleached Bone, then Highlight Bleached Bone
Rocks: Drybrush Skull White, then wash recesses Nuln Oil
Straps: Highlight Beastial Brown
Wood: NONE
Silver Metal: Highlight Chainmail
Tin Metal: Highlight 3:1 Tin Bitz/Mithril Silver
Gold Metal: Highlight 5:1 Shining Gold/Mithril Silver, then Highlight Mithril Silver
Tree Bark: NONE
Chainmail: NONE

98.4  – Get In Touch

That is it for this week, hopefully next week I will have some completed February Ultramarines to show you, plus some more Beastmen and very much hopefully I won't have accidentally bought a Stormraven kit and painted it blue!

The numerically literate amongst you can't fail to have noticed the fact that we are rapidly approaching the 100th update! So I shall hopefully be working on preparing something appropriate for such a tragically depressing milestone.

In the meantime why not get in touch, here's some things you could talk about:

• What points cost should my Dreadnought actually be?
• What do you think of the Beastmen models?
• Who should be the next Pope?
• Were Assault Marines a stupid choice?
• What should I be doing for the 100th update, other than giving up?

As always I am on Twitter @ProByNumbers so please find me and love me, retweet all my tweets and make me feel special!

[roland murat]

* Use the cost in the Codex
* I like them
* Me (if only they would drop the requirement of being Roman Catholic - as technically I'm part of the more universal type of catholic)
* Using an SM army is a silly chioce, and I should no, so on that basis all the selections are valid.
* How about a whole army giveaway. Too much?? Oh well!

[cunningmatt]

* Use the cost in the Codex
* I like them

Thanking you!

* Using an SM army is a silly chioce, and I should no, so on that basis all the selections are valid.

Fair enough, a good point to remember as I buy exactly what I fancy! 

* How about a whole army giveaway. Too much?? Oh well!

Nice try,... no.

[Dave]

What points cost should my Dreadnought actually be?
What do you think of the Beastmen models?
Who should be the next Pope?
Were Assault Marines a stupid choice?
What should I be doing for the 100th update, other than giving up?

105 looks right, AoBR being an out of print boxset is usually a pretty good guide to ignore it.
Like the beasts, unlike the GW ones the skin tone actually seems to work with the big hulking brutes.
What's a pope?
Look at the models, now imagine them all boosted up on bits of wire flying through the sky, cut them off the bases and enjoy doing silly poses of models on the end of paperclips, then realise they're far too top heavy and glue a bunch of 2ps to the bottom of their bases so they don't always fall over... Err I mean, yeah they are quite cool.
100th update should be a load of tosh with a bit of rambling and possible a smidge of relevance... Same as usual then.