Distracted! Angels of Absolution Mix and Match Week.

Early last week I had a really hard time focusing. I went into the week knowing I had two weeks to get ready for the next AWC Tournament here in Chicagoland and I needed to come up with another 100 points. I do have more models than what I used in the last tournament, but I'd basically just be adding another Tactical Combat Squad. One of the things I learned at the last tournament is that my army doesn't have enough dedicated killing power that isn't just the modest boltgun. My army is basically a big blob of Tactical Squads without a lot of heavy weapons or close combat potential.

Some of the bitz that were staring me in the face when the week started that I completely ignored - a half complete Warden bike squad.

I had gotten back from the last tournament the week previous and spent a couple days using weathering powders on a Tactical Squad, a Dreadnought, and a Rhino. It dawned on me that I only had less than 3 weeks to get ready for the next tournament and I really needed to get something else done. I grabbed an unfinished Assault on Black Reach Dread that I figured I could plow through rather quickly. Then I realized it was going to take me longer than I planned. I finished the stage I was working on and then put him back in the drawer unit where my unfinished vehicles spend most of their time.

I spent a day and a half of the week making the Bleached Bone nice and opaque and then highlighted it with Screaming Skull and White Scar and then filed him back in one of my 3 AoA vehicle part drawers.

Then I thought to myself, "No one uses Techmarines, and a Techmarine would eat up that extra 100 points." I dragged out the Techmarine I started in the early 2000's to see if he was up to snuff and then I pulled out the 3 Servitors I had with him. They'd actually make a pretty threatening close combat unit so I decided to put them on the painting table and do some work on them. I worked on them all Tuesday and then thought, "What are you doing? You'll never get these done in time." Once again I completed the stage I was working on and then took them back off the table and shoved them back in the figure case where unfinished infantry reside while awaiting their turn on the painting table.

This is an old batch of conversions and paint jobs. The servitors used to have Blood Red pants but a year or so ago I dabbled with changing them to Graveyard Earth/Khaki to match the robes of my army. The whole group needs some serious work though some of the conversions are pretty cool. On Tuesday I worked on base-coating the back two servitors and covering over their red pants. I started switching over the Techmarine's robes to Graveyard Earth/Kommando Khaki from Bleached Bone/Bubonic Brown/Bestial Brown. Finally, I put some Chaos Black on areas that will eventually be metal on all the figures before I said, "Enough!" and put them back away in their carrying case.   

Last night I was thumbing through my Codex, the recent FAQ, and reflecting on the Veteran Squad Load Out thread on Bolter & Chainsword. I was moments away from pulling some robed leg/torso bitz I have cleaned up and ready for priming out of the aforementioned figure case and it dawned on me again, "Nick, what are you doing?" I needed to get myself focused on a more realistic goal.

Oooh Veterans! I definitely want a squad of these guys, but I have one started and one body cleaned. There was no way in hell I'd finish a squad that isn't even really started. I just paint way too slow.

You see, I started that Warden Bike Squad back in August and its halfway done. I could finish it in 2 weeks. I just need to force myself to focus and get it done. That's the problem with project A.D.D and the reason why its taken me 18 years to get where I'm at with the Angels - I just can't stay focused long enough to get a model done when there are so many models I want to add or complete. My energy is spread over 100+ unfinished projects.

Here's that bike squad again. They were staring at me all along and I just needed to get my head on straight. I'm just too easily distracted.

Over Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I got focused and I turned some of that pile of bitz into this model here. This is my second complete biker and I'm fairly confident I can finish the 3rd and final necessary biker by this weekend's tournament.

Warden biker with Meltagun. I feel like I'm getting a better hang of the sword on black shield logo that I came up with for them.

I love the skull with the X on its head. Like I mentioned before the right shoulder pad with get a squad number when I get further along on the squad. Also, the mistake down by the front wheel wasn't fully covered because I know it will get covered by weathering effects, otherwise I'd never allow it to be shown on the internet as "complete" because I'm a nerd.

The final bike as of this morning. The legs are pretty much done. I need to put metal on the buttons onf the keypad and I need to put the Wardens logo on the knee pad. The Purity Seals also need script. The torso is about a 1/3 of the way done and same for the bike and backpack. His arms are still up in the air.

Alternately, the base is pretty much ready to go. I hope to have this model done by Thursday morning so I can work on my army list and send it off to the AWC Tournament Organizer.

Thanks for reading!
-Nick