For the most part unlike many of the other models I’ve gotten for Firestorm Armada, the Terran cruisers are kind of ‘blah.’ They really don’t have the detail of other models from the Terran fleet line (sadly I think the Terran carrier model is a little lacking too). Because of this, I opted to try a two color scheme.

To speed up the washes, I put down varying base coats for different parts of the mini and then applied a black wash to the entire model. For the metallic base coats this worked well, especially the gold portions near the engines. A little less so for the other sections of the ship, however. I really need to pick up some inks. I think they will likely have a much more uniform distribution of color compared to thinned out paint washes. I’ve tried gathering up much of the wash that pools on the upper parts of minis with another dry brush but I still get some spotting.

To get around the excess pigment from the black wash, I’ve done some liberal high contrast highlighting. It’s given the models a very weathered look. I like it, but I’m not sure how the entire fleet will look doing something similar. Likely it’ll look almost too much of a rag tag fleet. I might tone down the dry-brushing for the other ships a bit and stick to just the raised edges.

Slowly finishing off my Sorylian fleet so I got my next fleet prepped and primed. Usually when I pick up a minis game I work on two forces. I do this so in a pinch I have the models on hand to teach someone else how to play. Typically I’ll go a bit deeper in one force.

I had not gone through the rules of Firestorm Armada extensively and didn’t read up on the fluff of the game before picking up my forces. So I came to realize later that in the FA universe the Terrans and Sorylians are allies. Hee, looks like I might have to stick to the ‘first contact’ timeline if I wanted to play out truer scenarios to the official canon of the rules.

It’s not a big deal as you can easily play and fight how you want, however I do think that certain fleet doctrines and technologies are directed towards more traditional enemies. I’ve got a few games under my belt and don’t think it much of an issue, but I might try using one of my fleets as a proxy for another race to see how they match up. One nice thing I like about having 2 different fleets is that I can plop down anything and call em whatever race I want. Definitely some room to explore the different races and fleet types.

As for the Terran models, they are pretty nice. They have a fair amount of detail. I especially like the battlecruiser. It’s a nice model bristling with guns. The other ships are a bit blocky and I like the contrast to the Sorylian models. If I’m disappointed with anything, I’d say the cruisers are a bit weak-looking. They just don’t seem to have the detail of the others.

The frigates are pewter, so they can hold a lot of detail despite the small size. However I’m surprised for the resin cruiser models that they don’t hold similar detail to the battleship (which is also resin). I have a Terran carrier and have to say the model is also bit blocky and sort of bleah. Might have to consider doing some alterations for that mini.

Not quite decided on the color scheme, but likely try a simple 2 tone paint job. Some of the models will need a little extra to make them stand out. The Sorylians had a nice overall shape and enough details that a wash and dry brushing could bring out. So I was happy with using different shades of green as base coats and an overall single color wash. For the Terrans, I’ll have to mix it up for certain.

Got my Sorylians wrapped up finally. Overall I am pretty pleased with the models. I have to say I think I did not give the battleship justice though. It really is a lovely model.

It’s been a learning experience with vallejo acrylics. I’ve gotten down maintaining a good consistency for base coats. However, I’m still not working out the washes quite the way I like. Bit too much pigment adhering to the elevated parts of the model and a tad too much pooling. Trying to get the excess off just right. However the highlights from drybrushing manage to make for a good touch up.

I’m excited to get this on the table. Will have to try and get a game in sometime, but my regular wargame partner is off for a long holiday in the next few weeks. Till then, I’ll likely have to sit down and get around to writing up my thoughts on Firestorm Armada (short version, some kinks in the game but a lot to like). Looks like a second edition will be out soon, so I’ll have to make that a priority.

It’s been slow going with my fleet, but I’ve managed to finish up my Sorylian cruisers for Firestorm Armada. I’m satisfied, not quite overjoyed, but satisfied with the paint job. There is a little more detail to eek out of the figures, but not sure if I have a steady enough hand to really bring those out.

I’m using Vallejo paints, which is new for me. Base coats are no longer an issue, however I still am getting some muddied results with the wash. Hard getting the right consistency. Might have to bite the bullet and get some ink washes (been hesitant with the shipping costs, so I might see about making a run up to a gaming store in Seoul).

Still have to finish off my battleship and then move on to my Terran fleet. Sort of disappointed with the lack of detail in the smaller class ships for the Terrans, so I might have to try something more fancy to make those figures really pop. Not to mention, I need to get a few more games under my belt too!

Note: I’ve thrown in one of the frigates to give a bit of relative scale to the figures.

I’ve finally finished my Sorylian frigates. The models have a fair amount of detail, but I went through a few color schemes before I found something I liked which might have muddied some of the models a bit. I’m working with Vallejo acrylics which is something new. I like the paints but you have to water them down a bit and in the end the color can bleed a bit. Takes a few coats if you’ve thinned it out too much, and it took me a few tries to repeatedly get the right consistency.

Still I am fairly happy with how they turned out. I might have to try and work on some more dramatic color selection to bring out other details, but for now I wanted to give the frigates a uniform look. Still have to play a game. Might have to break out the models for a spin soon.

It’s been ages since I painted minis. Moving to Korea I had to pack up a lot of my miniatures and hung up painting for a while now. But the bug has crept up again and I’ve had a long hankering to get back into painting.

I recently picked up Firestorm Armada and really like the miniatures. I’ll post my impressions on the game once I get a few games under my belt. For now I thought I’d share my painting exploits. Below are a few pics of the Sorylian Collective fleet I am working on.

The figures are pretty nice. A mixture of resin and white metal, they have a fair amount of detail. Some of the miniatures are pretty big. Notice the battle cruiser with the coffee mug in the background as scale. I’m looking forward to finishing these guys up and seeing how they do in the vast reaches of space (which also happens to be my living room floor).