Fritz 40K: Let’s Paint And Play Island Of Blood

Let’s Paint And Play Island Of Blood

I’m willing to bet many of you reading this article have purchased the Island of Blood or Assault on Black Reach depending on your preferred addiction.

Why did you buy it?

Probably for something other than an intended introduction to the game. You either wanted the models to jump start a an army or the rulebook to take with you to tournaments, etc. That was my initial purchase.

But what about the game itself?

Did you ever consider playing it as intended, or with the knowledge of wargaming that you have?

While these sets are marketed as an intro to the game for complete rookie players, in the hands of a creative vet they really shine.

So, dig out that copy from the back of your closet and let’s get it on the table!

Both IOB and AOBR sets offer a nice range of models to play, incorporating most of the standard and “cool” units of the game- vehicles, artillery, basic troops, etc. so the forces are a bit more dynamic then a standard small point army using a force org chart of core rules.

Being a small starting set the added bonus is you can play five or six fast paced games in a single 2000+ plus game. Think of them as an introduction to an opposite gaming system, or a welcomed fast and fun break from your regular competitive diet.

Let’s talk about painting for a moment before turning to balance and mission…

My goal here is to create a gaming experience that is going to get some heavy use. We are going to play a ton of games with both vets and newbies so I expect lots of miniature friction and drops, so I’m going for a functional tabletop quality with room to grow later if I have the time.

Is there ever an excuse to play with unpainted model?

Even less of an excuse with such a small force- which really stands out more than every if it us unpainted since there is less to focus on. On the other hand a small force, with a nice gaming mat, and painted terrain actually looks really nice to play with.

For the project, and those to follow my goal is to speed paint the units as fast and efficient as possible. I started at the club on Monday night for three hours (with Brother Captain James helping with a few elven cavalry) and finished up Tuesday afternoon for a total of nine hours from primed to painted.

The painting method I use is the pass method- line up all the guys and your colors and do one at a time down the line- by the time you get to the end the first model is dry and you start over with the next color, rinse and repeat.

Painting this way looks overwhelming at first since you are staring at such a huge batch of models, and after the first pass when only one thing is done you are ready to quit, but continue on, and after a few passes things will really shape up.

Skaven first…

For the Skaven I wanted them to be a dirty horde or rats, just like, well, just like they are. Prime black, and then go through and pick out the red cloaks, wood poles and shields, arms and armor, and then the fur- which I decided to go with grey on most of the models, followed by a few brown, and even black models to break up the ranks.

Final step is to literally wash these guys with a wash of Devlan Mud which in this case is your best friend! Literally everything looks better with a wash!

The wash blends and tatters down the red cloaks, rusts the armor and weapons, ages the wood, and overall blends all the colors nicely.

Tabletop done, ready to play, and time permitting in the future I can dry brush some of the fur, pick out the eyes and teeth, etc.

Elves next…

Just the opposite for these guys- light ethereal, and lots of shiny bling! White primer instead of black since most of it will be a blue wash, followed by silver and a gold wash. Elves don’t like to be dirty!

Same thing down the line, done and done.

Bases for the entire set I’m leaving just black since the minis won’t be in a case and I expect lots of handling- no sand or grass to replace or wear off, but again, options for later If I want to go back.