Hazat for a Fleet?

[Stormrider]

Okay, aside from the REALLY bad title. here's the the start of my Hazat fleet. I also have an Al Malik one which arrived at the same time but I think I'll start with this one and try to get it all cleaned up and ready to face off with Rick (my regular opponent) in the near future.

So, without further ado, here's the unboxed shot...

I reckon I have a long night ahead of me cleaning up the flash and edges, I'm quite the perfectionist and time spent now will pay back double when I start applying paint. I've got a couple of clippers and 2 sets of files (one large, one fine) which should make short work of it. As I don't expect to be using the carrier right away (partly because Rick is waiting on his carrier and partly because I need to get it clear in my head how they will work in the game) I can put that and the fighters to one side for now.

The destroyers are beautiful and will be taking a strong role in my fleet along with the frigates (best ship in the Hazat fleet I reckon, but then as seen in an earlier thread... I love frigates...). I can see my standard layout being something like teams of: a Destroyer supported by a Galliot and 2 Frigates. I looking forwards to seeing some variants appearing for each class and might have to dabble with the stats myself, but I'm getting ahead of myself....

...time to go scratch at some metal while I think of a paint scheme

 

[lastbesthope]

Good luck stormrider, your prgoress thread has begun.

LBH

 

[Rick]

Aye it has, and he's already experiencing problems with his balls.... :shock:

 

[Stormrider]

Quick update:

All Hazat models cleaned up, bar the carrier/fighters/bombers, and loose fitted on their flying stands. There were a few minor casting issues, mostly with the Galliots but some careful working and a little chopping and you'd never know anything was missing.

As Rick rightly pointed out, I have problems with my balls. I just can't get them to wiggle how I want and once I've popped them in, I can't get them out again. In short I think my balls are more trouble than they're worth. The wife took a look and agreed, she tried to waggle them but informed me that 2 were permanently lopsided and stiff. General consensus, basic flying stands and a bag full of ball joints for Rick (have to pay for all the coffee I drink somehow!)

Now I need to beg/borrow/steal (or god forbid buy!) some superglue and black undercoat. Meanwhile I think I'll get the Al Malik out of the bag and give them the once over. Can't believe I don't have glue and undercoat, I really am out of practice with modelling...

 

[Greg Smith]

I have problems with my balls. I just can't get them to wiggle how I want and once I've popped them in, I can't get them out again. In short I think my balls are more trouble than they're worth. The wife took a look and agreed, she tried to waggle them but informed me that 2 were permanently lopsided and stiff.

:shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[MongooseMatt]

I think I can help you with your balls (I know, I know ).

Two tips;

1. Make sure the actual ball is smooth - take a knife to it to clear the little wisps of sprue that might be left on it.

2. Glue the ball to the stem, and the coket to the ship - and then leave them both for a few hours (or overnight). A smidgen of glue getting into the ball and socket joint will not help...

The end result should be stiff enough to support a dreadnought without moving, and yet loose enough or you to move the ship about with the merest of force.

 

[lastbesthope]

I'm not sure I'd glue the ball to the stem, but then I have never based a ship before

LBH

 

[Stormrider]

Another update before I pass out for a while.

Managed to get the Hazat fleet glued (thanks Rick, provider of sticky fluids) and undercoated today. I even used the delivery box from Mongoose as a spray stand (if you unfold it all the way it works really well, might have to take a pic for you guys).

I would take a picture of the undercoated models but whether it's the lack of light in here or just the blackness but all you see are black blobs, might take them in the other room before I put brush to paint while it's lighter tomorrow morning and take a snap.

I decided against the ball joints in the end mainly for the reason that I planned on spraying the bases black too and trying to avoid paint in the socket would be a pain. I am thankful for the advice though re: my balls, I don't think my wife has ever laughed at me as much before...

I'm in two minds on the painting, not sure whether to follow my standard layered highlights approach or give wet blending a go, it's an interesting technique but not one I'm used to and I don't want to make a mess of the models. Have to give it some thought...

 

[lastbesthope]

Photos or it's not real, just like my painting

LBH

 

[Rick]

Guess I may have to post piccy's of the 6 Mantis' and 6 Reapers I was busy painting while you were sticking your mini's together!

 

[Stormrider]

Rick - yeah yeah.... slow and steady

Anyway, as my honour was called into question by the lack of photographic evidence I used the light of day to snap some better pics. Photos late at night just plain don't work here... So, here they are undercoated.

And tomorrow I'll take and upload a photo of them base-coated, since I've just painted the first coat of deep red onto them (after touching up those hard to reach areas the spray undercoat missed with Coal Black). For those interested the base coat is a combination of Vallejo Gorey Red and Coal Black heavily watered down. They will need a second layer of the base coat before moving onto the next step, most likely pure Gorey Red, while being quite dark I may add a tiny bit of black to it still.

I also need to think about highlight colours for sections of the ships like gun barrels, windows, engines etc. A lot more work to be done yet though.

 

[lastbesthope]

I have got all bar my 2 Griffins and my Vlad now residing in white and blue.

Not sure whether to post pics or not, don't want to reduce thw shock factor when I show up at the tourney. Plus, you know, they don't look all that neat as I'd want them too, even for a first go.

LBH

 

[Stormrider]

To those interested in following my progress (slow though it might be!)... Here's the Hazat part way through their multi-layer red armour plating.

You should be able to see that the Destroyers are just about done and ready for some recess/highlighting and the fronts of the Frigates are coming along quite well. The Galliots are a bit of a pain with all the dips to avoid filling with paint, especially when painting thinly as I do but should be there soon. All of the black on the models was drybrushed with a very dark grey to take away the undercoat 'shine' and tone it down, also giving some depth to the models.

Once they are all well coated (up close the red shimmers between tones and gives a nice bright look without looking too clean) I'll start working some darkness back into the recesses and highlighting the edges. Then I'll begin picking out details on the ships in tertiary colours, gun barrels, windows, detail on armour plates, engines etc.

I really must learn to start painting in the daylight though, the lamp I'm using forces the paint to dry far too fast which is a serious issue but does mean I can cycle through them pretty quickly with multiple coats. Great drying lamp but I need something for better light...

Oh, also loving my new 'wet palette' which keeps the paint from drying out on the palette, cost just over £2 and my paint from 2 days ago is still usable.

 

[Clanger]

They are looking good sir

 

[lastbesthope]

If I had my Hazat done to the level you have there, I'd call it quits while I was ahead, though my skills are somewhat less than yours.

LBH

 

[Stormrider]

Quick update. Took a sneaky pic while the sun was shining, will get the wife to take something better later though (she has a setup for photographing the jewellery she makes - stealth plug...)

These are where I've focussed my efforts recently and all they are really missing, aside from a little tidying is the engines. I drilled the engines out before undercoating and I've painted the inside blue but I'm not sure what to do with the outside of the exhausts. Being black they look too much like the upper deck area but I don't want them to be metallic shiny. I reckon I might drybrush them grey to lighten them up a bit without going metallic. Ideas?

Oh yes, and I think I have a talking point in saying my Hazat fleet is blue (Vallejo: Sick Blue, Magic Blue, Electric Blue) and lime (AKA puke) green (actually Vallejo: Livery Green)

 

[godsgopher]

My, I'm very impressed, the little bits of extra color really sets everything off. Very well done, also the colors appear to have been applied very evenly. And exceptional job!

 

[Greg Smith]

They are awesome.

 

[lastbesthope]

They do look good, they almost look textured on the flat panels...

LBH