Anthony's Minions of Chaos

Hi all, and thanks for taking an interest in my blog post. I am a 34 year-old Oldhammer enthusiast from central Pennsylvania, in the US. I have been obsessed with miniatures since the age of 7 in the early 1990s. My first encounter with Citadel miniatures occurred when I lived in Ilford (in Essex, in he UK) - I remember rummaging through an assorted box of blister packs in the local train/hobby shop and picking the ones that caught my eye, for further mental short-listing. I remember the shop employee shrugging his shoulders when I asked him what Games Workshop was. Being rushed by my mom who had errands to complete, I quickly paid for the blister pack and left. Through some research (no internet at the time!), I managed to find the closest official Games Workshop store and, more amazingly, drag my parents and younger brother there (albeit with a lot of complaining). For the Brits or ex-pats reading this, it was the Oxford Street store, located within "The Plaza" in Central London. The store is still there today, and I made a pilgrimage to pay homage to it a few years ago when I visited London, this time dragging my wife there with me instead.



My first Games Workshop purchases were completely random. I bought what caught my eye at the time - figures ranging from the Skeleton Horde to the Space Orks box and Epic models. I then proceeded to try to assemble them with plastic glue, and melted off half of the models in the process. My favorite models were definitely goblins, but alas a 7-year-old's budget doesn't stretch very far when all the models are metal! My most vivid memories of the hobby as a child are of looking at the armies facing off on beautiful terrain on the back covers of White Dwarf. How I wished that they could be mine! As hard as I tried, I could not get my toothpick-painted models slathered with Humbrol enamels to look as good!

Unfortunately, I did not start playing Warhammer Fantasy until 5th edition. I have played Warhammer on and off from 5th edition until 8th, with the mandatory hiatus during college. However, I have always prided myself more in the collecting/painting aspect than playing. With a young family, my wargaming has pretty much ceased completely. Nowadays, I spend my hobby time pursuing a self-monitored project that I first heard about on a podcast, called the "100% painted" project. As the name implies, it is an attempt to paint one's entire miniature collection. Insanity, perhaps. But I am cataloguing my progress on my blog, theleadcollector.blogspot.com. I eagerly signed up for this Oldhammer painting challenge since it also furthers my personal goal of painting my lead mountain before I die.

I have committed to this particular challenge with what I am calling an army of chaos minions. They are the lowly acolytes, the henchmen who are hoping to catch the attention (good or bad) of the chaos gods and furthermore hoping receive their blessings, however they may manifest. I was going to do the challenge with my forest goblins, although the points vs. time constraints were unappealing. Also, I have just come off a year of painting greenskins (my night goblin contingent) and needed a break from Snot Green. Pictures of my most recent work can be found HERE on my blog as well as below:

My army list its simple and consist of the following (no model pics yet, sorry they are still being purged of mold lines and are strewn all over the desk):

• 15 beastmen: 150 pts
• 15 beastmen: 150 pts
• 20 thugs: 160 pts
• 20 thug archers with long bows: 220 its
• 10 chaos centaurs: 320pts

We'll see how it goes. I look forward to seeing everyone else's progress and helping to motivate others with my own.