Hi all,

And so it begins: Friend of mine for my birthday gifted me my first Warhammer miniature - this guy
http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Abaddon

I've stayed clear of the addiction hobby so far because I just know it could become a huge time and money sink (especially for winter when the motorbike is out) but I guess there's no longer an excuse.

What I'm wondering about:

1) Can I use the normal "model kit building glue", the kind that "melts" the plastic togehter, with the Warhammer models? My friend gave me some super glue but I'd rather use something a bit less quick. However I assume this plastic is "resin", not the normal stuff found in aircraft model kits?
2) Acrylic plastic model paint will also work?

Both of these things I have plenty left after my short comeback into normal aircraft model building last year.

3) Is a small brush and some glue really all that I will need to build most of the small miniatures? It seems this is a hobby more suited to my small apartment than the large plastic aircraft kits
4) From the little I know about the Warhammer universe, this guy seems to be Imperial Army. What would be my next best "small" purchase to form a small unit for actual gaming?

Thanks for the primer,

RS

Colonel, I used to love painting these miniatures as a kid, but I stopped about age 17. Good little hobby though. I used 'Polystyrene cement' to put them together as I remember, which worked very well. Most kinds of superglue will work just fine though I think.

I remember a little bit more about the painting of them though, and I was quite good at it if I do say so meself hehe. Yes, you'll want to use acrylic paints and I used the "official" games workshop colours and shades, things like "Mithril Silver" and "blood red" etc....loads to choose from. For shading, I would often use "Ink washes", which get into all the nooks and crannys and give depth. I'm sure if you google it there will be loads of painting guides out there. I remember I learnt from guides by a bloke called "Mike McVee" i think his name was. For highlighting there are techniques like "dry brushing" (good for raised and textured area like fur etc) and "blending" etc. I would use the blending technique most as it gives the most 'natural' looking highlighting progression though its time consuming it looks better in the end.

For brushes, it depends obviously how much area you are covering and whether you want fine detail or not. The brushes I used most were '000' "Winsor and Newton" fine sable brushes which I used to buy from an art shop in the Toon. If you can't get these where you are, I'm sure you can find a good equivalent. I remember them being pricey at the time (but remember I was only a little kid...and erm, frankly poor at the time, they probably aren't that prohibitive really and well worth it anyway.) There are different sizes of these fine sable brushes (can't remember all the number codes just the trusty '000')

I painted all sorts (Warhammer fantasy battle too) but regarding "40k" I liked the Space Marines and the "Space Wolves" Chapter in particular, but painted them all......Eldar, Orks etc.

You'll also want to varnish your hard work to protect it hehe......depends on what you are using them for. A gloss varnish will obviously give more protection than Matt if you are gaming with them (I never really bothered with that, just liked the 'Art' of it), but I liked the more subdued finish of Matt and found it more pleasing.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful as it was so long ago and memory is hazy (I'm 36 now and was at the peak of my painting powers at 16 lol)....but I remember it fondly it was a good little hobby. Hope this helps a bit.

Hi Biggles, it's a good start, thanks!

The "Polystyrene cement" sounds exactly like the model glue I'm used to using, but if the newer Warhammer models are Resin I think it won't work. Maybe best to test with pieces of the spruce.

The painting sounds similar to what I did for fine details on normal models. I can use an airbrush but easier if normal brush does the job. Good tip on the varnish too, I guess that's where a spraycan might come in handy.

From reading up on the "Abbadon" figure I realized to flesh out the set I'd be looking for "Black Legion" Chaos Space Marines next. I guess there's waaaay too much backstory to the universe to pick it up quickly, as I'm already hopeless confused between all the kinds of races and units available.

Hi Colonel,

1) If your Abaddon figure is from the newish Finecast series, then it is indeed resin and your normal plastic cement won't work. You will need to use superglue.

2) Acrylic paints are fine, but with resin, it's a good idea to first clean the model (assembled or still in parts) with water and soap. Also you will need to first apply a coat of primer to have any chance of getting your paint to adhere correctly.

Hopefully your acrylics are of the water-based type? It's so much easier to clean your brushes using only water...

3) If you don't already have one, it's a good idea to invest in a hobby knife, preferably of the X-Acto variety.


FT

Do the come cut out or inside the mold frame? If the come framed just dice part of the frame apart and test the glue on two pieces of the frame.

Aye! Very important, I should have mentioned this but thought it too obvious lol. you must always apply primer/undercoat. I usually used white, but for different results if I wanted a darker overall look I would sometimes use a mid grey primer. Depends on the type you are painting and the effect you want. Great tip with cleaning the models with soap and water first, I did that too. It's all flooding back hehe.

Watch out Biggles, it's incredibly easy to get sucked back in. Just a few more exchanges in this thread and you could very well find yourself outside the door of your local hobby store holding a 100£'s worth of miniatures....


FT

Hhmmm... my friend supplied the official citadel colors for this figure. They still gonna need a primer?

I admit I never worked with resin parts on previous models.

Will clean toroughly.

Any recommendations for a starter rulebook covering this Black Legion? I guess I'll need a 'Codex' to get into gaming?

The Chaos Codex and the main rulebook are needed. There aren't any rules for the Chaos Legions with the present codex so you have generic chaos space marines painted in Black Legion livery.

Yep, even Citadel paints need primer.

(which needs not be expensive, BTW: in the CoolMiniOrNot forums, many painters swear by automotive primer cans bought at WallMart or other such places)


As for getting into gaming, you would theoretically need both the rulebook and the codex appropriate to your "army". Probably the cheapest way would be to find a group to play with whose members already own those.


FT

[darned - beaten to it by Allaire :-)]

I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in I will not get sucked back in

I'm not going to paint 130+ Imperial Guardsmen, 12+ tanks and heavy weapons crews, all decked out in WWII German Ambush camo again. No sir.

But its so much fun!

I've gotten into collecting GI Joe action figures again, painting vehicles and figures. I've gotten a little disillusioned with PC gaming. It's fun, but it's a huge money and time sink if you really go whole hog, which I don't.

Plastic models are also making a comeback with me. Assembling a 1:48 scale F-106 right now.

One extra warning about the resin stuff - when it's being poured in the casts it's extremely toxic. Once it's hardened out it should be pretty much inert (it's a two-component material) but please only saw and sand it in a well-ventilated area and if you have them, wear a surgical mask to prevent sanding dust entering your lungs.

For gluing the parts together cyano is OK but over time it tends to become brittle. Epoxy glue may be better in the long run.

He reminds me of my third "addiction", tabletop wargaming, my wife and I share this passion, I have even written a few rulesets for american civil war, world war two and modern warfare.
Currently my significant other and I are painting 15mm napoleonics (Figures curtesy of essex miniatures) I am working on forst a french corps, my wife a british.
the plan is for me to scrounge some rules for ancient warfare, my wife has a thing for the egyptiians and why shouldn't I make a assyrian or roman egypt bashing army as a response.

regarding Games workshop, their figures can be glued with a decent modelling cement (I use Tamiya extra thin) and for painting I usually prime with a rattle can and then hand paint.
When I started with their figures, it was metal figures, and they could be utter nuisances.

Abbadon the Despoiler by the way is as far as I remember my stories chaos, and maybe even in the 40k universe, which is kinda nice. and well polished.

To put figures into perspective, back when I had just started in the gaming club I was in for 6 years we had a tyranid player that couldn't afford the bigger monsters so he off course used Lego to create them in.

Very long winded reply sorry about that.

Staffan

I think this could become addictive - oh well I needed a winter hobby anyway.

I've been playing WH40k on and off for almost 20 years, if you have any specific questions, fire away.

BTW a great source for background info about the 40k universe (the "fluff", as it's called):

Lexicanum

Thanks, that site should get me going as far the lore is concerned.

BTW soon the new 'starter box' will be released, containing a force of Dark Angels and Chaos Marines, together with a short version of the rulebook (without background section) and some gaming material. The box comes at 78€, while the 6th Edition rulebook alone already costs 60€. It's a good deal and you can sell/trade the stuff you don't need.

Okay, just so I get it right from what I just looked up:

Dark Angels are Space Marines loyal to the Emperor.
Chaos Space Marines are "traitors".

So the two could be played as opposite sides of a game?

My Abaddon guy would fit in with the Chaos Space Marines colored as "Black Legion" I recon?

So maybe I should get the startet set when it comes out.