Relic Blade

I love these objective markers. And yes, I often start my dive into a new game with objectives. I think I went a bit too dark/red on the flame. Painting fire is something I still struggle with.
My collection currently stands at only 17 figures (though I have a bunch more coming from the latest KS at some point) so I may be able to get these done relatively soon. Of course, I’ll have to get all the base toppers done first (he says as he smacks self in head).

I got a bunch of Micro Arts Studio Arcane based awhile ago. I airbrushed them with Vallejo Golden Brown and then threw some Liquitex “Transparent Raw Umber” ink over them (this will likely replace the last Citadel products I use as its almost a mix of Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade). Then successive dry brushes with the four pictured paints. Now to get to adding some details and other accent colors.

I try to do as many bases as I have when I do these, even when, as in this case, I have many fewer minis than bases. That way I have choice over what minis go well on what bases and I’m ready when I get more figures for the same game.

I shall admit that I am inordinately pleased with how these turned out. I often buy things based on how they look painted up in pictures. Then I’m faced with A) whether I can come close to executing that appearance and B) whether I want to do something different. In this instance I knew I wanted something like how the bases were depicted but wasn’t sure how to achieve the glowing look.
Long story short: I decided to see how far dry brushing, something I’ve heretofore done little of and almost all that to create a stone look, could get me. I learned a good bit along the way and will definitely be deploying dry brushing more. I shall confess I thought it was a lazy technique and I now know that it is absolutely the best technique in some situations.
Process: I pretty much just inked with a dark blue and then did successive highlights with the colors shown. (Same for the blue wells but that I did with a normal brush). I painted the metal (I may still grime that up a bit) and the leaves and they’re ready for their permanent residents.
I have magnetized them all. That’s easy as long as you drill through the black base before you put the topper on. I may even go get a step drill bit for this purpose as normal bits can get pretty grabby.

Pretty much just dry brushed this fine fellow the way I did the bases. I did throw a really thin blue wash over at the end to tamp down any dry/chalky look. I like the idea that this one is emerging from the dias/pool below it.

These guys are really fun to paint. Right up my alley with their chunky, cartoony aesthetic.

That’s it for the Moldorf faction. I’d share the lore but I really don’t know it yet as I got all my Relic Blade stuff pretty much because I really like the style (and because there are battle pigs!) and because Joel Eddy of DriveThroughReview on YouTube said it was a solid game. Now on to the  rest. Maybe I’ll pull out the rule book and start to learn a bit more about the world.

I shall, of course, just think of this gent as Treebeard.

This is the form that the druid (pics to follow soon) can take. The model has some fairly obvious seam lines and it is also showing up as really glossy for some reason. I’ve been using Army Painter matte varnish and I was really pleased with it. It may just be a bad can or maybe it’s the temperature or humidity but it does seem to be rather less matte of late. I may have to do the sensible but rather more time consuming thing and switch over to airbrushing the varnish on.

Any suggestions/recommendations for how to address the issue are welcome.

This was just a succession of drybrushes from dark to light brown with a dark brown wash over at the end to remove the chalky look.

So the junkie in me couldn’t resist more Relic Blade and, while I’m not even halfway through what I own of the game and while I have yet to play a single game of Relic Blade, a package came today with the new shiny. I justified the acquisition with the truth that the most recent KS of this that I backed comes with one character from each faction. So of course I must have each faction—despite the fact that there are really only two factions (Advocate and Adversary) and everything within those identifiers work just fine together. Like I said: I’m a junkie.
This time it was:

• Lone Guard
• Wilderkin
• a bunch of card packs (relics, upgrades, wild monsters, etc.)
• Lone guard commander
• Pack Yak (because awesome!)

I would have also picked up the Apostles of the Deep and the Bone & Darkness but they were sold out. Result: they and the resculpted Temple of Justice will be coming with the rest of the KS goodies. Because yes, I’m a junkie.

Side note: for anyone who likes Sean’s style check out the graphic novel Bone. I keep meaning to ask him whether it’s an influence of his or not but I’ve thus far forgotten. If not he has an aesthetic doppelgänger.