Feed Me! - Kingdom Death Lonely Tree

The Lonely Tree is both the last expansion I've painted for a client or myself, and the last I personally bought. It's... a difficult model, but I'm pretty happy with how this one came out, even though it took way longer than I intended.

The Eyes of the Cat - Arena Rex Leo

It's been ages since I've painted an Arena Rex model, but I got the itch, and it was time to get out one of my few unpainted minis from the game.

I just love how they've handled animal design. Short (*ahem*) of some back legs that seem like they were sculpted last, and needed to fit the model on the base, the anatomy of Leo is just superb and natural. I think it has exactly the right movement and weight of a jumping/lunging lion, and manages to avoid the problem of many such models which look like they're tripping.

I'm quite happy with the texture I got on him, with the only real issue being that I had a little more depth on the mane, but it kept getting scratched off through basic handling (it's been a while since I've worked with how sharp resin edges can be) so I needed to flatten down the highlights a bit so the color would stick. I normally don't like this sort of scarring, but I think I got some nice, subtler stuff that clearly reads as scars, but not as completely fresh ones.

The Halls of the Past - Silver Tower collected, complete painted box

I realized recently that I've actually completed my Silver Tower collection, but never remembered to consolidate them into one big, snazzy post, so, here's a little trip down memory lane.

Surviving - Early Kingdom Death Survivors, and some characters

For me, Screaming armor still embodies the best parts of survivors in Kingdom Death.

Traditionalist Radicals - Blackstone Fortress Black Legion

I've painted lots of red & gold & black, and I'm personally a fan of jade, so I decided to do my own take on Black Legion, that heralds back to their Sons of Horus days, which I just find so much more stylish.

Boss Rush - Kingdom Death Nemeses, Watcher, Smoke Knight, Twilight Knights

This version of the Gold Smoke Knight is one I'm quite proud of.

We are the Earth-Intruders, We are the sharp-shooters - Amalynn Shadowguide & Spindle Drones

Eldar were actually my first serious army, in any game with miniatures at all, so I wanted to do something special with Amalynn Shadowguide, a model I thought was so close to being awesome, but had ended up a bit flat.

In Fearful Day, In Raging Night - Kingdom Death Nemeses and Gorm set in blue

I think I used all of my better "blue" references up in earlier titles. This one is a bit obscure. (Nerd cred if you get it.)

The Faithful - Taddeus the Purifier & Rogue Psykers

Taddeus is... probably my least favorite of the Blackstone heroes. I don't really like playing cleric-type characters (I actually often do

, trying to make it work, but it rarely does), and I think his face is, well, one that only a mother could love.

Om Nom Nom - 1.5 edition Screaming Antelope & Friends

There's a special place in my heart for the fleshy, gross monster that is the Screaming Antelope, and it was the first of my Kingdom Death monsters that I was really pleased with, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't improve on it, too. While it's been slow progress, with 1.5's release, I've taken the opportunity to tune and update my own collection, too.

Flame and Shadow - Pious Vorne and Ur-ghuls

Pious Vorne is one of my favorite recent models.

I will wander through the pines and make my way to nature's shrines - Abyssal Woods set, Part 0

So, this was a lot of fun: with the Abyssal Woods campaign coming... uh... some time in the future, I was happy that my client went with my suggestion that all his expansions that would integrate into the campaign be a single palette.

Sailing the Seas of Cheese - Blackstone Fortress Explorers: Espern Lorcarno & Janus Draik

 My group has been slowly making our way through Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress. Crawling through the space-dungeon, if you will.

The Plants and the Animals Eat Each Other - Kingdom Death Lonely Tree and Slenderman

So, the Lonely Tree marks the very last Kingdom Death "monster" I had left to paint, before completing the first wave of expansions, and is one of the trickiest things to paint, since it's a modular kit.

I Wanted to Build an Empire to House the Machine to Kick His Ass - Astral Claws Armenneus Valthex

So, I decided not to let it stop me that Valthex has one of the dumpiest and most static character models that Forge World has ever produced.

(Next time, I'll tell you what I really think ;) )

A Light at the End - Kingdom Death Nemeses, etc. Also, custom gear.

Starting off, the Twilight Witch is one of my biggest disappointments with Kingdom Death's 1.5 Kickstarter: I think it, and the non-pinup "Twilight Cloak" survivor model, could so easily have been included as part of the postgame mechanics/gear, with a more interesting survivor addition than the young and old survivors, neither of which are especially mechanically relevant.

I liked this old design so much that I actually made a gear card for it:

(Already on?) the Bandwagon - Vindicare Assassin

Okay, I'm going to admit it: the leaked White Dwarf rules were exactly what got me painting my Vindicare.

Starting Small - Test Tyrant's Legion / Death Korps squad

My first Imperial Guard collection was the original Armageddon Steel Legion released in third edition the regiment raised to defend the system's central world, and I guess I'm finally returning to my roots.

Darkened Dames - Kingdom Death Flower Knight and Allison

I was very happy with another departure from my lighting-heavy Kingdom Death painting.

Definitely Human. Definitely. - Genestealer Cult Magus and Acolytes

The Genestealer Cult Magus is one of my favorite updates on a 40k model in quite a long time.

Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown - Kingdom Death Lion God

I have to admit, I've never liked this model. Rather, I think it's actually one of the more dramatic compositions, but think it was one of the first Kingdom Death models* that strayed into hyperbole, with a weird phallic... head? Chin? whatever, that's justified in the narrative, plus another penis-tail growing out of its butt and no regular tail, and finally a regular old phallus.

However, I'm very happy with how this paint job came out, since I think that it highlights the drama of the composition itself. I'm happy enough with this one that I'm planning on mostly repeating it on my own (somewhat resculpted) Lion God when I eventually paint it.

* especially when it comes to actual game content

Who's Laughing Now?! - Harlequin Wraithknight Conversion

So, this guy started as just a simple re-pose, but became something far more elaborate.