Back injuries take months to heal. The slow realization that I wouldn’t simply bounce back like I always have initially sat very badly with me. Soon I realized that this was actually a great opportunity to delve into new interests. I’ve had the chance to try out lots of new things in the past few months, but one of my favorites is more of a rediscovery. I became interested in Warhammer 40000 after playing some of the PC video games such as Dawn of War, Space Marine and Battlefleet Gothic. Being drawn to strategy games since I was a kid, Warhammer seemed like an awesome new series to get into. As I played I began to research some of the other games that were available. I discovered that Warhammer was originally a table top game before becoming digitized, and having been raised playing with Lego, I was immediately drawn to the miniatures. Soon I made the 90 minute trek to the nearest Games Workshop store and became the proud owner of a box of tactical space marines. I painted on occasion for a few weeks before the demands of school and work drew my attention elsewhere. Even though I didn’t have to time to paint, I continued to purchase boxes of space marines. After several months I had amassed a rather sizable stack of unopened minis. The “plastic crack” addiction was real, again owing the deep set need for more to my indoctrination at a young age to Lego.
About a month into my back’s recovery I noticed the stack of Space Marines looming in their corner. Dealing with the sudden redirection of my life course I sought something to distract from the chaos of my life. The stack of space marines was the solution. I picked up a brush, put paint to plastic and have enjoyed every moment since.
Anyone who does a quick search on Google for Warhammer 40000 painted minis will find thousands of pictures of awesome creations. Some are so well done that at a certain angle they appear to be lifelike. One day I hope to be a fraction as good as these painters, but for now I accept my mediocrity. In upcoming posts I will be chronicling my progress on my space marine force as well as any tips I discover or learn. I hope that if you are interested in painting that I can help you learn some things from a newbie’s perspective. Or at the very least, show you what not to do.
Allanson Accords 