Now taking Commissions!

I am proud to announce that The Thirteenth Company is now taking painting and modelling commissions!  You can find all the relevant information on the "Hire Me!" page, but in summary:

The Thirteenth Company offers  full-service painting and modelling for gamers without the time or desire to paint their own models.  I can take on projects of any size, from a single model to an entire army.  I pride myself on high quality painting services at a reasonable price.

One of my first commissions was for some Dungeons and Dragons miniatures for a friend of mine.  Here are some examples (with an Ultramarine for scale(:

I've considered offering commissions for a while, but it took some time to figure out the logistics and economics.  I'm excited about the opportunity to paint something other than Space Wolves!

I hope you'll take a look at the "Hire Me!" page and consider my services!

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments and critiques are always welcome!

Dave

Njal Stormcaller and Canis Wolfborn

A bit late posting this week, I've been busy with a D&D miniature commission for a friend (update forthcoming!)...

This week, I thought I'd show off a couple of Space Wolves special character models.  First up, we've got Njal Stormcaller:

This actually one of my oldest Space Wolves models, and the first metal model I ever painted.  Finecast wasn't even rumored at the time, but I wish I'd knows it was coming.  I find metal models a real pain to work with, and I like the sharpness of the Finecast models.

I played a 2000 point game recently, and fielded Njal in place of a vanilla Rune Priest.  I had 2nd turn, so a couple of his buffs weren't in effect, but he was pretty valuable anyway.  Unfortunately, he took wounds in the game when I rolled perils of the warp, killing him in turn 4.  Statistically, I don't think that would happen often in a game, but I'd like to field him a few more times before I make a final judgement call.  The model is great, though.

I went a bit heavy on the snow effects for Njal.  I really wanted him to look like he'd been in the elements for a while, fighting implacably for the All-Father.  

In the same 2000 point game, I fielded Canis Wolfborn, too.  I've played with him a few times, and he seems to die a lot before he can get into combat.  Truthfully, I think the size and look of his model make him a target in games, but he was really valuable in this match.

Again, I wish I'd waited for the Finecast version.  He's a seriously heavy model!  I learned in this last match that, if he survives to make in into combat, he is SUPER vicious!  A minimum of 7 rending attacks on the charge, with a 19"-24" assault range is a pretty tough combo.  Ultimately, I think he is probably only worth it against horde Orks or Tyranids, where his attacks can decimate a larger squad, and he is more likely to not die to shooting.

I really love the level of detail on Canis' model.  The fur looks amazing, and he is positively huge!  He even has his helmet hanging from his belt!

That's it for this week.  Next week, I hope to have some updates to the gallery page, and to get my commissions pricing and policies up as well.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments and critique are welcome!

-Dave

Logan Grimnar Conversion

This week, I've decided to show off my Logan Grimnar conversion.  I posted some WIP shots a while back, but I've since completed him.  Here he is in all his glory:

I really, really dislike the official GW model for Logan, and when I started this model it was only in metal.  Finecast wasn't even a rumor yet.  I didn't want to try and kit-bash a metal model, so I decided to make my own.  I used some arms, legs, a torso, and a head from the Space Wolves Terminator box, but I sculpted his bear from green stuff.  I used the fur cape from the Chaos Terminator Lord box, and added a wolf pelt from my bitz box to the top.  I then sculpted the arms of the pelt by hand as well.

I wanted Logan's Axe, Morkai, to be special, and stand out on the table.  I used 2 Chaos Power Axe blades, which fit the fluff about the weapon nicely, and attached them to a Power Weapon arm from the SW Termies.    The double-headed wolf icon is cut from plasticard, and appears on both sides.  

I decided to paint the Power Weapon effect in green, since my Space Wolves Army has no other green in it.  This makes the Axe Morkai, and Logan, really stand out when I field him.  I am really pleased with the Power Weapon effect, as well as the free-handed shoulder pad icon.  All my other Space Wolves feature Ragnar Blackmane's iconography (except for Arjac Thunderfist), but Logan deserves his own pack marking on his shoulder!  I think it is officially supposed to be white, but I painted in in Chainmail, so it would look a little cooler.  You might have noticed the Hormagaunt in Logan's left hand:

I use Tyranids as details for several of my Space Wolves HQs and Special Characters.  I like the flavor it adds, and it is another awesome detail that helps powerful units stand out.  Logan is grasping this 'guant in his fist, which was an interesting modelling challenge.  I ended up using my Dremel Stylus to drill out holes for the fingers of Logan fist to fit into, then sculpted some "guts" oozing out, to add to the effect.  I also added the wrist-mounted Storm Bolter, which Logan Appears with in some illustrations.  

A bit of bark to make the model taller, and some snow to finish the scenic effect, and he was complete!  I'm really happy with how he turned out, and I love having a unique model for this character.  He's always a conversation starter in games, too.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments always welcome!

Dave