Chat: Hey, who let the Yank in here?

Yellow everyone. I am Ricky, but from now on you will know me as Xoxtile, a new contributor here on Tale of Painters. As you may have noticed the blog has been very 40k focused for the last couple months. Well turns out the guys of Tale of Painter noticed too so I was asked on to add some good old fashioned Warhammer Fantasy flavor to the pot. While the others here are all self confessed power armor addicts I prefer my armor unplugged and mounted firmly on a square base. 

I now call Seattle, WA in the beautiful north west region of the USA, my home. I grew up in a tiny town in the high mountain desert of New Mexico. There, I spent my days chasing lizards, snakes and staging mass combat with Lego figures. I tried combining the two but the enslaved reptiles would have no part of it. My community was fairly isolated and I had no clue that Games Workshop or Warhammer even existed.

It wasn’t until I moved to Seattle that I got started in the hobby some time in 2002, just before that year’s release of Lizardmen. Being new to the area, I decided to explore one of the local shopping malls. There, glowing in bright red and yellow letters, I beheld my first Games Workshop sign. It was love at first sight. That very day I bought my first box and rushed home to tear off the cellophane. The first model I ever painted was a Skink with short bow and I was hooked. How many poor reptiles would have been spared my torments had I discovered them as a child? The next year or two I collected and painted well over 3000 points of Lizardmen. Over the subsequent years, I have added more models piecemeal as new books and sculpts were released and now sit closer to 4000 points. The most recent model release for Lizardmen is incredible and at least one of each of those new kits now await my brush.

My second army was an Orcs and Goblins force themed around Night Goblins and featured my first conversions. I quickly became obsessed with this army and kept adding to it until it sat around 3500 points of fully painted green skin goodness. In the 6th and 7th edition era of small and elite units, my four blocks of 40 Night Goblins, and all their supporting units fully painted in their purple and yellow robes, was quite the sight and, paired with my obsession to paint more, earned me the title “The Goblin King”.

These first two armies were painted with two very basic techniques, dry brushing and washes (or inks back then). The few exceptions were the checks, dags and banners on the Night Goblins which mark my first attempts at free hand. Even so, I took my time with them and I felt pretty proud of what I had done but wanted it to be better somehow. I was very intimidated but I knew it was time to push myself to learn blending. This is where the Wood Elves come in …

I had been toying with the idea of a new army for awhile but nothing, save the Dwarves, really called to me. I finally had collected and painted all the goblins I was into at the time, which happened to be more than I could ever field in a game anyways. Plus, I’m pretty sure my gaming group had their fill of fanatics tearing through their lines. So, after I picked my jaw up off the floor when the 7th edition Wood Elves were previewed, I was sold. IMO they still, to this day, hold most of the best sculpts in the fantasy line. Thinking back on it, I am not sure exactly why I decided to do the winter theme with no tree spirits but, in the end, it is what I choose to do. This meant that the entire army had to have fur sculpted on it. My color scheme would be a stark white with cool blue hues in the shadows, warm brown details and black lining to break it up. I would allow my self to dry brush only the fur sections and the rest was brush blended up from a black primer. And here is my first tip, if you plan to paint a white army, don’t be a masochist like me, prime it white. Overall I feel I did a pretty good job, learned a lot and even took 3rd Best Paint at the 2007 Las Vegas GT.

My affair with Dwarves was a short one. I am ashamed to admit I never painted more than one unit and one character. The rest of over 3000 points sit there grumbling at me every time I open my cabinet. I did make my own mold for their bases which was fun and worth noting. I may even do a tutorial on this in the future.

There are several models that made me want to collect Skaven. The Screaming Bell, the HBA, (it actually would be shorter to list the models I don’t like) but above all, the new Stormvermin plastic kit. An armies core troops is the first thing I consider when contemplating them and with Stormvermin as core that clenched it. It was when I started this army that I first found Tale of Painters, the ol’ Google directed me to Stahly’s amazing work. It was because of him, that I decided to use Army Painters brown primer. It was his Warlock Engineer that I copied for my own. And it was his tireless dedication to the project that bolstered me to get through 300 core infantry models. I was only a lurker on the blog and I never properly thanked him so permit me too now. Thank you Stahly 🙂

Well this brings us up to my current work, a complete redo of my Night Goblin themed Orcs and Goblins army. Once you get green in your blood it is hard to get it out. Not long after I moved on from my first Night Goblin army the Night Goblin models were redone for the 7th edition release. Then again, 8th edition saw the release of Mangler Squigs, new character sculpts and even Forge World gave them some love with the Colossal Cave Squig and easily my favorite model* ever, the Squig Gobba. I started this project December 2012 with a Squig Herd and now can field 3000 points of completely new models fairly easy. Unlike the first army which incorporated Goblins, this is strictly Night Goblins, Squigs and Stone Trolls. I made a strong showing at the U.S. Games Day, Armies on Parade and even though I didn’t place I loved participating at that level. As of today’s posting I am finishing up the last few character models in the line and my collection will be complete … again.

That’s me, hobby-wise, in a bushel of nut shells. Again, a huge thanks to Stahly for both his inspiration in the past and the invite to join the ranks of such an incredibly skilled and prolific group here on Tale of Painters.

Happy painting,

Xoxtile

*Subject to change without notice. Void where prohibited by law.