So close...

Hello Gentle Readers,

Today I'm feeling pretty darn good. Over the weekend I pretty much finished my Bolt Action Italians. The basing was done over a week ago, but I still needed to finish up on my M14/41 and the Autoblindo armored car. I brushed the medium army painter dip on them, gave them time to dry, and then finished up the painting detail. Added some slight rust color to a few pieces based on historical photos and amazing models I saw, plus I hand painted the licence plates on them (Warlord didn't provide those decals) and then did apply the few decals that I had. Then I finished up with the flat coat to take off the shine and protect my little beauties. Now, I'm no great painter. I am purely a table top painter. But damn, these guys are sexy.

Now sure, I can already feel the skepticism seeping through the screen. "Pics or it didn't happen!" I get it. Well I was so proud of these guys that I went online and ordered a photo box. It isn't fancy or anything, was under $15 actually...but it should work great for my models. Thought if I was going to share, then I better make sure I share them in the best way possible.

I know I'm all excited about them...but you have to realize this is the first army I have finished painting in years....years....like "holy shit....it was a really long time ago" years. And again..its a table top ready army....not GT best painted or slayer sword level kind of stuff. This is "hey, he's got a fully painted and based army that will suffice for any event level painting requirements."

But I still feel like a proud papa. Just finishing something like this is awesome. Bolt Action rules. I mean honestly, I have a real finished army that I can use and I didn't have to paint up 100+ minis. I can count the number of painted armies I have on one...okay, two hands.

First there was the Wood Elves...and I did that to enter a Seattle GT way back in 2000 maybe? The next army was Vampire Counts for the local Rogue Trader scene...which I finally did win one. That was pretty awesome. Probably Flames of War Italians came next...and then DAK....then I went back and did a warhammer Dwarf army for the last GT I ever played in. And then came a Necron army I did so I could be part of the OFCC in 40K. Despite being the first GW wargame I ever owned, it never got a painted army until a good 20 years later. Oh, and then I added more Wood Elves to my army so that it was current. And now I have a Bolt Action Italian army to add to that list. Oh whoops...I did forget, I also have a painted Warmaster Undead army...that gets tucked in there when Warmaster was popular. So eight armies...thirty years of being in this hobby....and I've only painted 8 armies. But you know what? I think I finally turned the corner on this hobby. It always used to be about playing...and winning. And that is horrible...the winning part. That should never be the goal. The goal should be to have fun, regardless of the outcome. Well, now I've just had a great time painting an army that has only even been played once. I have no clue how it will do on the actual battlefield...it wasn't built for any sort of meta. It was just built because I love my North Africa Italians and wanted to see them in painted glory.

So...photobox should get here in a week...and then its new pics! And now I gotta pick my next project.. More Bolt Action? Perhaps a new DAK army I got? or should I paint up some US paras? Or...do I go back to my Warmaster and get another one done there? I'm betting on paratroopers. :) Until next time!