Guest Post - Dave Pauwels - The Road to AdeptiCon

I've recently mentioned quite a few times that things are really busy at the moment with 

work and family, so there aren't too many new models of my own to be posting on the blog. Fortunately I have some talented friends who have offered to step in and fill the void. 

First up is my good friend, Dave Pauwels, who has his own infrequently updated blog here. 

I'm looking forward to catching up with Dave next month at AdeptiCon. It should be epic!

When Dave mentioned he might do a short series of guest posts about what people are working on for AdeptiCon 2015, I figured I had to get onboard. It’s my favorite hobby blog. EVER. For the record, I like Tom Schadle’s blog too, but man, you can only take so much Infinity. Anyway, I am very honoured to guest-post. I hope it turns into a John Oliver thing and I get my own HBO miniatures blog.

For the first time, maybe since I’ve been attending AdeptiCon, I am pretty prepared for the convention, at least relatively. I had a bit of a painting hiatus since mid-2014 when we moved to a new house. But the last month or two has seen a flurry of hobby activity. My main preparation has been towards compiling the information for my one class I’m teaching this year, Liber Titanicus: Painting Knights, Titans, and other Lords of War. I’ve woken up my Warhound from her year-long slumber to add some finishing touches. She’ll be accompanied to Schaumburg by a Cerastus Knight Lancer that I’m currently about 23% finished with. These two (cumbersome) models will be center-pieces for my class, but I’m hoping I also get to play with ‘em at some point during the weekend. If anyone has a 30K Apocalypse game that needs a Legio Mortis engine, hit me with a scrap-code PM.

I also finished a small Bolt Action Tank War force. I blame Brad Pitt for this project. I considered playing in the Tank War tournament on Sunday of the convention, but I am not a particularly adept tournament player; anyone who played against my Sisters of Battle in the 2006 40K Team event knows that tournaments are challenging for me. So these are coming with for some friendly games. I just need to learn how to play Bolt Action. I have the order dice, though, so I’m like halfway there I’m guessing.

Finally, I wanted to do a model specifically for the Crystal Brush painting competition. I haven’t done any competition painting for a couple years - back at the Privateer Press GenCon contest - so I feel pretty rusty. Plus, the Crystal Brush is very intimidating. Which is a good thing, I believe. I do occasionally miss the old Rogue Demon days, though. As a Rogue Demon judge, that competition was the highlight of the convention for me. I think, at one point, we had about 400 entries, with a wide range of skill levels represented. It was definitely the “gamer’s” painting event. The Crystal Brush is a very different animal, not better or worse, really, but different. But I digress.

I wanted to do something “small.” Meaning something I could manage in a month or so. But instead of over-thinking what categories might be tougher than others, I went with Chris Borer’s famous advice and I painted something I simply wanted to paint, without worrying about how stiff my competition might be. So, after consulting my daughter, I decided that it was finally time to realize my long-planned Steampunk Necro-Pony. She’s my take on what a Cryx Warcaster would look like, if she were an adorable unicorn!

She’s an Impact Miniatures pony, with some modified GW wings. I had to elongate the legs to give her a little more height and sculpted a new tail and wing harness. The base is one of Jeff Wilhelm’s excellent offerings and the little Chibi skull is the work of the nefarious Chris Borer. I’ve started some base-coats, with the help of a new airbrush. I’d love to have her done by the end of February, so I can focus on my Knight for a few weeks before the big show.

That’s it for me. Just have to keep painting. EVERY. NIGHT. AdeptiCon is always a great time. And, as always, while the gaming and painting competition stuff is fun, seeing people I don’t get to see very often, like Dave T., is what makes it one of my favorite weekends of the year.

Thanks Dave! See you soon at AdeptiCon!