Easter greetings.

Hello again and welcome to Inso's World.

Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate it... and for the more heathen amongst you...

Click the Pic!

This week has been a fairly productive one; with a few twists and turns along the way. I have been unsettled at night but have also managed to do lots of work in the garden and still have the dexterity for a little hobby stuff on the side. 

First up, I have got a little further with my Squat platoon:

Click the Pic!

As you can see, all of the arms have had the first coat of green stuff applied, ready for further sculpting work. Since the picture was taken, I have also filled in the gaps on the specialist trooper arms, added straps to comms packs and also blended in the gap between the medic's pack and his back. Obviously, I have a long way to go on these... but unfortunately, someone decided to put an idea in my head and I have been distracted. What by? This:

Click the Pic!

In case it isn't obvious, it is the start of a Ratling sniper in full ghillie suit. Unfortunately, it is a slow process because I have to let the previous layer of leaves dry before I start the next one... but it is ticking along nicely. One of the good things about a sculpt like this is that details aren't hugely important because everything will be covered by leaves so that makes it a slow... but simple sculpt. If it goes well, I will make a few more and get them cast up. The good thing is that Ratlings will fit in perfectly with my army (I have already included Beastmen and Ogryn in my list... so a few more abhumans are definitely in the theme of things) and will also mean that I don't have to have a veteran unit with snipers if I don't want to (I really wanted a sniper unit in full ghillie suits and the Ratlings will fill that void).

In another drastic change to the usual process of things... I saw these and couldn't resist:

Click the Pix!

It has been a long time since I have bought any human 28mm miniatures but these ones just have 'Agents of Shield' written all over them and they will look great as part of my existing superhero project. The big dog (Chip) will be joining the Pug squad:

Click the Pic!

...but that's not all!

Enclosed within the little parcel I received was some popping candy AND a rather interesting little bag with 'Happy Retirement' written on it. Inside the bag were some wonderful little surprises... that I will be sharing with you at a later date because... well... they are AWESOME!

I was extremely happy and it was a wonderful surprise so I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Hasslefree Miniatures for such a generous gift.

Well... that's it for today.

See you from the world of illusion!

Grymn Power!

Before I start, I'd like to welcome Maj. Dysst Rakkshun to Inso's World. I hope you enjoy the trip along the pathways here and gain something from your visit.

This week has been a continuation of my sleepless woes and I have really struggled to motivate myself to do anything... let alone hobby stuff. Insomnia is a real pain sometimes. That said, I have been setting myself little goals that have not required too much intricate detail and have been ticking along (assembling, filling and slapping on rough basecoats).

First up, I have been beginning the basecoating process on my Grymn Powered Armour platoon and have got this far:

Click the Pic!

I am actually quite enjoying the process at the moment. I haven't sorted them into units yet but there 7 units of 4 troops (one being the command unit, the rest being identically assembled fireteams). There is obviously a very long way to travel... but slow progress is better than no progress.

Continuing along the Grymn theme, I ordered five more Grymn in powered armour for a special little distraction. A while ago, I ordered some Air Strikers from Puppetswar Miniatures; mostly to see what the jump packs looked like 'in hand'. I decided that they would be perfect to lift a Grymn in powered armour off the ground so with a little bit of trimming and filling, I assembled the first five of a very special unit:

Click the Pic!

I think they look great and they will be perfect for newly equipped Torge's Tigers. If I get these painted the way I like, I expect that I will expand the unit in a rather random way... they are a single fighting entity and don't necessarily behave like a standard platoon might. Sometimes it is a healthy thing to be completely random.

Dare I say it? Speaking of random, I ordered 20 plastic spoons the other day. They are double ended and have a different size at each end. They will come in very handy for the other Grymn project that started this week. It all began with a very small delivery from E-Bay... but it wouldn't be fair to tell you everything all at once, now would it?

See you from the armoury!

Grinding forward.

Before I start, I'd like to welcome Tarkiss Broode and Joe Kushner to Inso's World. I hope you both enjoy your stay and gain a small amount of inspiration from within the grounds.

I am sorry to say it has been another slow week. I have been quite tired; what with going back to work and still not being able to sleep so my concentration hasn't been great. That said, I have powered through and set myself tiny goals which I have been meeting... so I am hoping that slow and steady wins the race. Unfortunately, the one thing I really want to be doing is sculpting but I am not able to at the moment... so I have been painting when I can  and assembling when I can't paint. As a demonstration, here are some WIP pix:

Click the Pic!

As you can see, the top row has three Grymn in Powered Armour with the new back-pack heavy weapons attached. They are freshly primed ready for base-coating. The lower row has the next four troopers all washed and ready for the highlight stage and basing. Looking at the fire team on the bottom row, one of the troopers with carbine and sword will be replaced by one with the back-pack. 

That means that all of the standard fire teams will have the following:

1 x Leader - Pulse Carbine and Power Glove.

1 x Trooper - Minigun and Power Glove.

1 x Trooper - Pulse Carbine, Power Sword and weapon Back-Pack.

1 x Trooper - Pulse Carbine and Power Sword.

The command squad will have the following:

1 x Leader - Pulse Carbine and Power Glove.

1 x Trooper - Pair of Power Claws.

1 x Trooper - Pair of Power Claws.

1 x Trooper - Pulse Carbine, Power Sword and weapon Back-Pack.

The Platoon will consist of:

1 x Command Squad.

3 x Infantry Squad (each having a pair of standard fire teams)

As I have always maintained, a plan never survives contact with the enemy and we should always be prepared to adapt and be flexible. The release of these new back-packs is a good demonstration of this.

So... hopefully, I'll get a bit more sleep this week and finish my sculpting, otherise I may start to panic!

Am I the only one who has noticed that Grymn have crept into my mindset again? It's funny because I may have ordered something to distract me further and put me firmly in the Grymn world again.

More about that when the said item arrives.

In other news, I came third in the Unofficial Diorama of Doom and received a lovely little Goblin as a prize. Thanks to No Hed Ned for that. I'll be kicking off the next Unofficial Diorama of Doom soon.

See you from the pilot's seat!

A Grymn start to 2014

First up, welcome to Lee Morley. He's the first new follower to be welcomed this year. I hope you enjoy your stay and comment on stuff you feel the need to.

So... this is 2014. Am I going to make any resolutions? No.

I often say that I will finish this or start that and just end up getting distracted... it is just how I roll. That means that any resolutions will simply be empty gestures.

That said, I am planning to thin down my hobby stuff, reduce the money I spend on new stuff and get working on some of the backlog that has accumulated over the last twenty-plus years. I have already made a start on this so part of the plan has already come to fruition. I have also sorted out a box full of stuff I want to sell and that money will be going to a very special project that is all about getting someone home.

Reptiliad will be getting worked on. Sci fi will be getting worked on. Sculpting will be done too (with a view to getting back upto speed to complete a few commissions... again to put the money towards the special project)... so I don't plan on being idle.

Well... before I bore you any longer, here are eight painted Grymn in powered armour:

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They are made up of the four that have been painted for a while (the command unit) and the second four that make up the first fire team. However, there has been a disturbance in the warp and that means that Hasslefree Miniatures has upset my plans again. Why? well, they have only gone and released these:

LINK 

So I have had to buy some and that means that I have had to find a way of adding them to my squads... which I have done. That also means that the squads in the pic above are now incomplete and will be changed to include some of the weapon back-packs.

In addition to the weapon back-packs, there is a conversion kit to turn your 28mm Grymn trooper into a smaller scale mini-mecha:

LINK

Seeing as I was sent a lovely little gift of a Powered Armour Trooper body and the new arm pack from Hasslefree Miniatures, I decided it would be nice to put together a fully up-gunned mini mech to show off:

Click the Pic!

I think it would work really well as a small mech for 15mm space Dwarfs... but regardless of that, it looks cool and the weapon back-packs will be perfect for my troopers.

I think that about sums it up. Happy New Year!

See you from the flooded plains!

Post Christmas Daze.

Christmas has now passed and since I have been away to Cornwall for a few days, very little has happened on the hobby front.

The Diorama of Doom competition is now in the voting stages so please pop along and vote for your favourite HERE (visitors are welcome to vote... and you get 2 votes).

My hobby station has been dismantled for Christmas so I will be unpacking a few things to be getting on with over the next couple of days. I have to finish my commission sculpts (which are rather fun)... here's a WIP pic:

Click the Pic!

I still have to 'chubby' them up and add some facial details but they are coming along nicely. Now that I am back at home it shouldn't take very long to finish them.

In other news, My next dragon has had a green base-coat applied and will be undergoing some further paint application over the coming days and weeks... hopefully, she'll turn out OK.

Just before Christmas hit, I was able to order a few of the brand new weapon back-packs from Hasslefree Miniatures. They are designed to fit in with the Grymn in Powered armour and can be found HERE. Here is a picture:

Click The Pic (From Hasslefree Miniatures' site)

As well as the back-packs there are some cool new robotic arm sets that can be found HERE. Here is a picture:

Click The Pic (From Hasslefree Miniatures' site)

The arms were designed to be used to convert the powered armour into 15mm mecha but they would work equally well in 28mm as replacement arms for injured Grymn.

When my parcel arrived with the 8 back-packs I had ordered, I also received some Christmas goodies including a powered armour trooper with the robotic arms kit, some cogs, stickers, sweets AND... 

Click the Pic!

It is a giant, 3D printed version of the Pug pictured in the photo. I am not sure what I plan to do with him just yet but I thought it was an awesome gift! I think he will end up as a statue for a piece of terrain but I may well change my mind and use it as a Pug Ogre! Who knows?

Well that is about it for now. I hope you had a great Christmas.

See you through the haze!

Breaking traditions.

It is Saturday but this is Sunday's post.

Confused?

Well batten down the hatches because things are a bout to get very un-Inso like around here.

Why?

There's fantasy afoot.

Once upon a time, I saw a dragon and it was the Reaper Pathfinder Red Dragon. Here is a particularly lovely one painted by my friend Gi6ers from the FoD:

Click the Pic!

Well... to cut a long story short, I have been writing a bit of background about a fantasy land filled with dragons and a few other races, in order to try and put some of my existing miniatures to use (even if it is just to act as illustration for the story). This has led me to think about what fantasy miniatures I have and the most obvious ones are my World of Twilight miniatures and my Hasslefree Dwarfs... so they have been woven into the story along with the dragons and some goblins.

Now... me being the obsessive person that I am and irrespective of how I am currently feeling about the hobby, I have gone and bought a Red Dragon from the very helpful Tim over at Miniature Heroes and will be placing an order for a selection of their fine Mirliton Dragons very soon. I also plan to use their facility for ordering Reaper miniatures to get a few goblins.

Whether or not I'll actually summon the enthusiasm to paint them will be a completely different matter but I am trying my hardest to 'throw my muse a bone' and am hoping that the complete change in direction will help matters.

One thing I can say is that packing away almost all of my sci-fi stuff and taking a break from the hobby has really improved my mood so you never know, it may just be a short break that leads to some different and unexpected things from me.

More information about the Land of Dragons will be coming soon so please stay tuned... it should be quite an interesting diversion.

See you from the start of the race!