Hello and welcome back to this week’s accidentally Street Fighter II themed update of Hammer the Backlog, your weekly dose of that weird feeling you get when your brain releases the chemicals associated with repetition and reliability! Are you ready for a new challenger?
SCORECARD
As you can see, there is not much to report on this week’s scorecard, thankfully. Another 5 models finished and everything else chuggin along nicely. On weeks like this, with only 5 small models to paint and no disasters, I sometimes manage to get a little bit ahead. So I have also managed to get all the remaining skinks stripped and ready for next week, and even performed a little bit of field surgery on one of the injured ones.
THIS WEEK’S MODELS
Another batch of skinks was added to the growing lizardmen collection this week. These guys were painted with exactly the same skin recipe as the lighter green saurus warriors from a few weeks ago, with the orange crest being the same colour as the previous orange skinks, for some degree of consistancy.
Little did I know (or maybe I did?) that I was painting them in the exact colour scheme of beloved 90’s fighting game character Blanka! At least he is supposed to be from the rainforest of Brazil, and my lizards are from the tropical swamps of Lustria. Maybe convergent thought rather than subconscious copying?
I’m not sure I’m as in love with this colour scheme as I was with the orange ones. Maybe it is because this scheme is a lot more common? Maybe the recipe just isn’t as nice as the orange? Maybe they are actually better, but they just don’t feel as unique to my army? Too much green?
One of the reasons that I went with green for these is to establish green as the ‘core’ colour of the army, with occasional deviations for some units. If I ever make these a full army, these little fellas will be ranked up around a dark green kroxigor. I just don’t think orange skinks ranked up around a dark green kroxigor would have worked very nicely.
The other reason that I went for this precise scheme was that it was the scheme that I attempted to paint them in when I first got this set in the 90’s. Well, I attempted to paint one, wasn’t happy, gave up and shoved them all into a box for 25 years. He did survive down the years for this comparison photo though. After which he was promptly dumped into the alcohol bath and stripped to be repainted in the next week or so.
With these five done I am well over halfway through the lizard half of the boxed set.
A QUEST
I got an absolutely killer bargain the other evening. Around 8 o’clock on Sunday night I got a notification from my local ads app that someone had posted a Warhammer listing. I like to keep an eye on local ads for fun ‘deals’. I am lucky enough to be able to afford more Warhammer than I could likely ever paint, so there is very little excitement for me in going to a Games Workshop store and buying myself a whole new army, no matter how cool the models may be. But a good deal on something with retro appeal, and the thrill of the hunt? That is a totally different story.
I jumped in and made an offer straight away, then me, my lovely lady friend and Fiona the Unpaid Intern hopped in the car and drove to the other side of Dublin to pick these up.
Guys, a brand new, complete in box, set of fifth edition Grail Knights for 20 euro cash! I was actually shaking with excitement! The two ladies could not have been more confused, but were kind enough to indulge me with only some mild ribbing. Now, I know these can be had for about 100 euro on ebay, but actually having them is not really the point.
The excitement of getting them for pretty much what they originally sold for, with the decals, banners, instructions and fliers all still intact was the real thrill!
Now I just have to decide what to do with them? Add them to the tray for the next set of rocks? Or do them in spare weeks as part of the Bits and Bobs series? Much excitement!
I would like to think of Grail Knights as a unit of characters, so I will be dedicating 5 Hammer the Backlog points to each of them, for a total of 15. With 5 points painted this week, that puts us at 10 points added to the backlog! Let’s not be making a habit of this!
(Unless there are more great deals.)
SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
I hit 40 instagram posts and 1600 followers this week! I guess I have a medium sized instagram account now? Growth was definitely helped this week by posting the Green Knight. Bretonnians, as I have said ad nauseum, are definitely so hot right now. If I keep sprinkling Green Knight work in among the lizards, I will probably hit 2000 followers by the end of the quarter. I’m thinking of having a little giveaway to celebrate, but that needs a little bit more thought. I’d love some suggestions for a good prize, leave them in the comments below if you are that way inclined.
WHAT’S DRAGGING?
I have really slowed down on the production side of the Youtube channel which I said I was going to launch. All of the material is filmed, I have just been dragging my heels on getting it edited and uploaded.
That’s why, as you see above, I am going to publish the first video next Monday (Halloween!) come hell or high water.
Although I am loath to admit it, I think it is fear that is holding me back. I have all of the footage I need, but am not sure that I have the video making skills to make something I am proud of, so I have been putting it off and putting it off.
That is where accountability comes in! I have a deadline, you guys know about it, now I have to deliver.
Thanks for reading this far, you’re good eggs!
See you next week for six more skinks.
Hammer the Backlog 
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