Turning 23 on the 23rd

I will always have a soft spot for the Blood Angels. Exactly a year ago today, I entered my poorly painted Blood Angels army into a local tournament. I lost every game I participated in, but I learned a great deal of terminology and tricks that I still use to this day.

Here is a picture of my first tactical squad and some of the first terrain pieces I had made:



When you compare it to the picture at the top of this post, it is quite apparent that I have a vastly different painting style now. I knew nothing of highlights, or basing for that matter, but I still put a lot of effort into that first squad. My paints were offbrand, my brushes were too (and still are), but I still tried to pay attention to detail.

The picture at the top of this post is a miniature I have been painting as a gift for my good friend Anson, who has really taken me under his wing and introduced me to playing the game the way it was meant to be played. We never get ultra-competitive (although he does beat me every time we roll dice) and we ALWAYS have a good time. I learn something new every time I face his mighty Waaagh, and he is helping me to get down every aspect of the game without being condescending or elitist about it.

His method of mentoring is so successful, that he and a couple of his closest friends have opened up a "Nerd Community Center," as he calls it. It is called Kingdom Wargames and Comics, and it is located in downtown Palmer, Alaska. It is the only place of its kind in the area, and it has quickly become THE local hangout for many young folks. It is great for the kids to have a safe and drug-free environment to go to that is only a couple blocks from the junior high school. I personally think this store is a service to the community, and not just a local business.

Anyway, my friend also turned 23 this month, so I took it upon myself to paint up this fellow. I opted for a more codex-compliant color scheme, as he does not have a BA army, and this piece will likely just go on a shelf or display case. Either way, I wanted to paint it up to the best of my ability, so I spent a good six or seven hours painting this fellow as carefully as possible. Sad thing is, I like this scheme so much I wish I had done all mine this way. Ah well, live and learn. I might still be able to, we'll have to see.

So, happy birthday Anson! Mine is tomorrow, so anybody wishing to send me a free birthday present feel free to do so! Just kidding. (cannedflame2005@yahoo.com) Kinda.

So this blog turns 1 in a month or so. I'll check the exact date and announce it later. Almost 200 posts too! This has been a great year so far. Here's to the one ahead!

Until next time,
--FP135