Death of a Rubricist

+inload: Dire times+

+ Further paintwork on the Dire Avengers, which aren't far away from being ready for the table now. Can't tell you how much of a sense of relief that is!

+ It's surprising to me how little I actually play with an army once it's complete. I'll tend to have games as I'm building an army, but once it's done, I move on to the next project. I'm looking forward to the Scallop Stars as an opportunity to pull some finished armies off the shelf and enjoy some gaming without continually looking to the next piece.

+ I'm pleased with how the scheme has come out on these Dire Avengers. While they share elements with the rest of the force, I've upped the amount of blue (using it across the gemstones as an accent as well as for large areas of the bodysuit) and reduced the purple to hints on the loincloth and metal of the shuriken catapult. This latter detail's a nod to the Eldar Titan the great Mike McVey painted when the old metallic paint set came out back around WD140–150.

+ I've written about this Exarch before (see earlier in the blog), but I'm very happy with how he's come out. Its not a stellar paintjob – he could certainly do with a little tidying – but I think that shows off how a well-selected scheme can make or break a model. 

+ That said, I think Eldar have been pigeon-holed into an idea that the only aesthetic that works for them is very clean and polished. Perhaps it'd be worth experimenting with dirtying them up. +