Grave Encounters

Thanks to one of my gaming resolutions, I have finished my first painted minis of the year. I haven't been quite reaching the 2 hours a week mark, but the resolution itself has at least inspired me to get off my ass, and I suppose that's really what resolutions are for.

The first thing I want to show off are some gravestones:

They aren't anything special, just extras from Games Workshop zombie sprues from almost a decade ago. I've had them forever and always wanted to do something with them. Strange Aeons calls for grave markers in some scenarios, so I figured I'd use these. They were basically free, plus one penny each for the bases. The pennies are great because they take up much less space than a 25mm base and are low to the ground, which is wonderful for small terrain pieces. Plus, you know, they cost a penny.

Of course, you can't have graves without something to come out of them:

I had 3 very creepy zombies from my Reaper Bones Kickstarter and it seemed like a perfect time to get them painted. I really love how Bones minis paint up and I didn't even bother to prime these. The undercoat went on like a dream and seems to be pretty tough on it's own. Not necessarily something I would do all the time but it's good to know for simple pieces like these.

The zombies I also painted up for Strange Aeons, but they have a hundred other obvious uses. I gave them blue glowing eyes to try for an arcane feel, rather than a virus or disease. These are zombies raised for purposeful mayhem, not a product of mere random chance.

You way notice the bases are a little different than my usual work:

On the left is the basing technique I have used for years. It's fine model train ballast held down with school glue and liberal layers of paint. It generally takes forever to dry but creates a nice, solid base with more texture than regular sand but not overwhelming chunkiness.

On the right I used The Army Painter's Brown Battleground Basing. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, the bases get done in a single layer and no extra paint is needed. On the other, it's quite a bit chunkier than my usual basing and the color isn't 100% to my taste. The lack of a top layer of paint also makes it a little more fragile.

Here are the two materials side by side:

If you clicked the product link above, you may notice a big difference in the color. I was a little disappointed, as I was expecting a more even coloration that I could then drybrush with my chosen highlight. The way it is, the highlight is sort of included. Now, I could always add more paint but that sort of defeats the purpose in the first place. Still, for about 4 bucks it's an interesting alternative. It would be good for quick and dirty jobs, like the zombies, and I could keep the other basing for more detailed jobs. Of course my laziness may win out in the end and all my bases may end up covered in it.

So there you have it: gravestones, zombies and a mini basing review. That's all for now and happy gaming!