The Hammer hits 50 posts!

Today's WIP post below, marks the fiftieth article for The Hammer of Wrath!

When I started the blog in September, I didn't know how long it would last. But, I'm having great fun writing about our shared hobby, and think the blog will continue for a long while.

A special thanks is due to Dieter, who took over posting duties on wednesdays, taking some of the weight off me, and providing us with great articles on his Tau and Grey Knights work.

And, of course, thanks to our three readers. Without you guys, it would be just me and Deet reading our blog, along with the countless bots who spam page views on a daily basis.

-trip

WIP: Unit upgrade

My Tau forces get some much needed defense and markerlight support.

SHOWCASE: Tau Pathfinders

Recently completed and ready for viewing, a small gallery of final shots.

SHOWCASE: Tau Piranhas

A gallery of the piranhas I completed in November for my Tau mega-painters project.

SHOWCASE: Tau on the battlefield

Just a quick update today to post a few images of my cadre in play. Snaps after the jump.

WIP: Grey Knights, part 231

Finally have some space to paint and back at it, but with so much freehand work to do, this has been slow going.  Still, some good progress after the jump.

H.O.W. TO: painting Tau Pathfinders.

A step-by-step guide to painting the vengeful eyes of the Tau army. Photos and instructions after the jump.

WIP: Tau Pathfinders

The pathfinders move to completion! Pics and details after the break.

WIP: Assorted Grey Knights Projects

Not a massive amount of painting progress this week, but I thought it was an opportune time to show some of the tricks and tools I've picked up over the years- hopefully excusing my glacial painting pace.

SHOWCASE: The Hammer of Wrath is featured on Tale of Painters blog!

FAME! FORTUNE! GLORY!
Okay, so maybe those things didn't follow, but we are featured on the Tale of Painters blog today, and the recognition of such a talented group of hobbyists is just as rewarding.

If you Haven't been to ToP blog before - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? It's an invaluable resource for hobbyists of all experience levels, and has been a direct inspiration for this site. Click the image above to see our story, or go to the main page HERE.

And if you're joining us from ToP for the first time, WELCOME, and have a look around. Previous articles are archived on the right. -->

-trip

WIP: Tau Riptide

Time to bring a little heavy firepower to my growing Cadre. Early pics after the jump.

WIP: Grey Knights Dreadnought

Here's the one unit I've almost actually completed from my Grey Knights army.  All. Most. There.

WIP: 2,000pt Tau Army - November Recap

The greater good surges forward in a November that makes up for lost time. Pics and details after the break.

WIP: Tau Pathfinders

Nothing says "Thanksgiving" like pathfinders, right?! Progress after the break.

WIP: Grey Knights Terminators

Well, I've been crazy slow about painting lately, but I finally got a few hours put in to my long-neglected Terminator squad the other day.  They'd been sitting in pieces for months, so it was nice to get them put together finally.  Coming along nicely. More pics after the jump.

WIP: Tau Piranhas

Having completed GTA V, (a masterwork, BTW) I return to my hobbying full force. Pics and progress after the break!

SHOWCASE: Fire Warriors

At long last I'm showing off my Fire Warriors.  This was the first unit I ever painted.  Tons of room for improvement, but a pretty worthy first attempt, I'd say. Tau'Va.

RECAP: Clinton Jones' Tau VS Tyranids!

Writer/Director Clinton Jones makes his debut at the House of Hammer, and his Tau stand strong against the Tyranid onslaught. Pics and links after the break.

WORKSPACE: Studio Cleanup

Man, What a mess. A messy workspace can be counter productive. It's time for a cleanup at Casa de Hammer. Images and details after the break.

REVIEW: Instant Mold

For hobbyists looking to get in to serious customization, the ability to duplicate parts can be incredibly valuable.  There are a variety of methods available ranging from easy to hard, cheap to expensive. How does this lower end product stand up?

WIP: Space Marine Devastators and Sargent

I've decided to finish a second set of bolter marines and a sargent, so I can split my devastator marines into two distinct squads. More after the jump.

SHOWCASE: XV8 Commander

This figure was my first HQ unit and first real conversion attempt.  I've had a love/hate relationship with him, but more on that (and more pics) after the jump.

WIP: 2,000pt Tau Army - October Recap

Hey, lookit that, it's a huge pile of unpainted parts!

As predicted in my September recap, progress wasn't so great in October. Details after the jump.

SHOWCASE: Space Marine Razorback

This Space Marine Razorback was the first vehicle I painted for my Chapter, "The Sons of Titan". Pics and words after the break.

SHOWCASE: Fenrisian Wolves

I did. I let the dogs out.

SHOWCASE: Hammerhead with Longstrike

Railguns?  Yes please. Who doesn't love (or fear) the Hammerhead? It's a great model, and this latest addition of commander Longstrike to the Tau arsenal makes it all the more powerful.  More pics after the jump.

SHOWCASE: Tyranid Venomthrope

Oh finecast, why do you suck so badly? Or, "How I made a venomthrope and liked it, despite finecast's shite quality".

SHOWCASE: Space Marine Devastator Squad

As promised, more of my Space Marines; "The Sons of Titan". Pics and words after the break.

SHOWCASE: Kroot!

These guys are the second squad I ever painted, right after my Fire Warriors.  Love how they came out, (especially for a noob) and look forward to painting many more as my skills improve.  More pics after the jump.

VIDEO GAMES: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

What would have happened in the sequels to THQ & Relic Studio's Space Marine? The game's director reveals the plans that never came to be. Link to the story and more after the break.

SHOWCASE: Tau Stealth Warriors

Here are the completed Stealth Warriors detailed in September's WIP post. I really enjoyed putting these models together. There's a surprising amount of detail in these miniatures that you normally don't see because they are often painted dark colors in the official photos.

SHOWCASE: Tau Fireteam #2

As detailed in my WIP post, the second Fireteam from my growing Sept is finished! Here are a few pics of the completed squad.

SHOWCASE: Space Marine Dreadnought

Dieter pointed out to me that I have over 2,000 points of Space Marines, and haven't posted a single image of them yet. So Here's the first of what should be many Space Marine themed showcases in the coming months - a Dreadnought from the Assault on Black Reach starter set.

REVIEW: Scibor Miniatures

Picture property of Scibor Miniatures

I thought I'd start a new segment on HOW, reviewing the products we use or experimental things we're trying out.  For this first post, I'm reviewing my recent purchase of a model, some bases, and conversion parts from Scibor Miniatures. Check out my thoughts after the jump.

SHOWCASE: Tyranid Tyrannofex with Fleshborer Hives

Who DOESN'T like a giant monster with living beetle hives for arms, really?

Greymantle gave me the Tyrannofex/Tervigon kit as a birthday gift a few years ago, and it was the first monstrous creature I ever built, and the first model I ever magnetized. I snapped some photos of it before I mounted it on a proper base. More pics and words after the jump.

SHOWCASE: Tyranid Swarmlord

The Hive Tyrant / Swarmlord kit was the one of the first monstrous creatures I assembled when I got into the hobby in 2012. It's a fantastic kit with tons of options. More photos after the break.

2,000 page views!

Wow. I'm not even sure what to say about this. The site has only been up for three weeks, and we've hit more than 2,000 views. I've never blogged before, so I don't know how "good" this is, but it's about 2,000 more views than I expected to get!

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by. You keep reading, and we'll keep writing.

-trip

WIP: 2,000pt Tau Army - September recap

I set a pretty high goal for myself, and September came and went. Did I complete everything I said I would? Pics and words after the jump!

H.O.W. TO: Preparing Forgeworld tiles

There's no denying how awesome the forgeworld cityscape tiles are. For most, it's the pinnacle of tabletop terrain. But if you're planning on purchasing these for your collection, there are some important steps to follow to insure you're getting the best out of them.

H.O.W. TO: Magnetization

Monday's SHOWCASE featured my Trygon/Mawloc conversion with magnetized parts. I've written a small article on how I did it, so you can make the most out of your kits as well.

RECAP & GALLERY: Tyranids VS Tau 1,000pts

Drive me closer! I want to poke him in the eye!

Last weekend, Dieter and I had the chance to play a quick 1,000pt game... and it devolved into a knock-down, drag-out slugfest between the Tyranids and the Tau. Details and pics after the jump!

Dieter's First Post- WIP: Grey Knights Terminators

Hey there, this is the first of what I hope will be many posts on H.O.W. (and indeed my first blog post ever- do I get a cookie?).  For my first foray in to the blogosphere I decided to show what I'm currently working on- the first units of my new Grey Knights army.  These Terminators are crazy cool models and a lot of fun to work on.

SHOWCASE: Tyranid Trygon / Mawloc

This Trygon / Mawloc kit was the second monstrous creature I ever painted, and the first I ever painted with an airbrush, and includes some of my first conversion work.

WORKSPACE: Sub $100 airbrush setup

Using an airbrush is essential to bringing your hobby painting to the next level, but many people put it off because they think it's prohibitively expensive, or too difficult to master.

I've included links to the exact setup I use... and it costs less than a new battleforce!

WORKSPACE: Lighting

Hey, look at that - it's my messy workspace!

Despite its sloppy appearance, this image of my workspace illustrates an important point - the necessity of a good light source.

SHOWCASE: Ork Nobz

These Ork Nobz from the Assault on Black Reach starter set were some of the first Warhammer miniatures I painted when I started the hobby in January of 2012.

SHOWCASE: Tyranid Warriors

I painted these warriors as part of my growing Hive Fleet; Unending Maw. They contain numerous, small conversions to modify the poses and add story elements to the bases. (note the ultramarine helmet at the feet of one of the advancing warriors.)

SHOWCASE: Cadre Fireblade

Part of my "Mega Painters" project, I completed this Cadre Fireblade. It's a great model, and I'm happy that GW chose to make it as a plastic kit, and not finecast. The level of detail is fantastic, and the face has much more expression than the heads found in the Fire Team kit.

SHOWCASE: Tau Fire Team

This 12 man Fire Team was the first squad I painted for my "Mega Painter" project. I'm pleased with the way they turned out, and I'm excited about the color scheme I've chosen for this army.

WIP: 2,000pt Tau Army

(Not pictured is a second battleforce & a Skyray gunship)

Thanks to a friend, when the new Tau product launched in May, I was able to get a substantial discount, and I bought DAMN NEAR EVERYTHING. It was the first time I purchased an entire army at once, and even with the discount, I still cringed at the total on the receipt.

The idea that I could return them if they were still wrapped, and the intimidation factor of having an entire army that needed to be painted, kept them untouched in a box in my hobby room for most of the summer. But, inspired by the "mega painters" series on the Tale of Painters blog, I cracked the plastic wrap and started on the largest project I'd tackled since painting my forgeworld terrain tiles.

The Hammer of Wrath is born!

(And so, I stagger, bleary-eyed and clueless into the world of blogging.)

Hello everyone, and welcome to 'The Hammer of Wrath', a Warhammer 40K hobby blog. Here I'll be posting various articles focused on the hobby aspect of 40K, including tutorials, works in progress, showcases of finished miniatures and scenery, and product reviews.

I'm an experienced miniatures painter and hobbyist, having completed several armies and multiple terrain tables, as well as commissioned pieces for friends and clients.

Generally, the blog will be updated every monday, wednesday and friday with the latest projects I'm working on, or showcasing pieces I've completed in the past. I look forward to sharing my hobby progress and knowledge with you, and hope you're inspired as well.

- trip