Between the Bolter and Me: 2018, a year in review

War has changed.

With 2018 over, Between the Bolter and Me has turned 6 years old! Like past years, 2018 has proven to be a very different year from those past. We were not able to attend any collaborative Inq28 events, but we sent models to a few (Lesotho 2-12, Mare Solum, and the Thorn Moon Crusade), and started working on a few more (Mordheim 2019, Rise of Phaeton). We did a lot of other random things, including starting to stream our podcasts and hobby sessions on Twitch and YouTube! In this post, we wanted to review all of the hobby projects that we worked on during 2018!

Adeptus Titanicus: Warlord titan build

By the manner of their death we shall know them.

Games Workshop recently released an updated version of Adeptus Titanicus, complete with new rules and multi-part plastic models. We talked about the quality of all of the components contained in the Grand Master boxed set, but didn’t actually assemble any of the warlord titans it came with. I recently finished assembling the first and wanted to talk a little about my thoughts of the model!

Imperial Guard: Painting a close quarters specialist

These Skies are Dead.

For over a year now, I have been converting and making molds for some Imperial Guard models with a focus on realism and scale, rather than ostentatious “grimdark” elements. While Eric quickly assembled and painted a few for Iron Sleet’s Thorn Moon Crusade, they were more of a proof of concept rather than my final vision of the models. After a lot of consideration, I decided to paint my first of the Imperial Guard models as soldiers who excel in urban warzones. Although it was a slow process, I completed the first model and wanted to talk about the painting process!

Imperial Guard: Painting an infiltration expert

Only in death does duty end.

Recently, I converted a reconnaissance soldier out of one of the newly released Van Saar models. The Van Saar armored bodygloves seemed ideal for converting a oberative that engages in all manner of espionage and infiltration missions. I am happy to say that I was able to find the time to paint the model recently, and wanted to talk a little about it!

Rise of Phaeton

I have dulled.

Imperial Guard: Building an infiltration expert

“I'm just a man who's good at what he does. Killing.”

With the recent release of the plastic Van Saar for Necromunda, the hobby community finally has plastic models that are wearing body gloves (armored in this case), something ubiquitous in the background (and was popularized, and maybe coined, by Dan Abnett) but curiously absent in model form. Having spent much of this year converting and casting Imperial Guard, I thought these new models would make an excellent foundation for converting a recon specialist for them (taking suitable cues from Metal Gear Solid, of course!). What started out as a relatively simple project rapidly escalated as I attempted more and more sculpting, both to distance the model from the Van Saar and to make the model fit its role as a master scout.