Big Z - Addicted to tiny things...

When I started this hobby my philosophy was always "Bigger is better!". Master Grade Gundam kits were my target acquisition and soon my stockpile had reached epic and gaudy proportions. When questioned about 1/144 scale kits I laughed and shrugged them off, "Haha! My massive, Ogre like fingers could not possibly manipulate those puny pieces! I need substance! I need Perfect Grades and beyond!!".

Enter John..John is a good friend of mine that would toss in small jabs here and there about how awesome 1/144 kits were and from time to time would even mention actual miniatures. "Miniatures?!" I would scoff, "You mean those crappy metal things that look like a melted slug? My huge hands and old eyes have no time for these things. I need resin! I need G-System kits coming out of my ears!".

Over and over again John would point me to smaller things, and eventually even went as far as letting me get my hands on a 1/144 Byarlant Custom. Suddenly I began to realize I might have been wrong. After building the kit and getting a feel of the simplicity of it when compared to a MG I started to understand John's way of thinking. Then he went on at that point and started to explain to me that miniatures, especially from companies like Games Workshop and Privateer Press, have came a long way since the old days of crappy, low detail mini's and have now become super detailed plastic and resin pieces that rival most other models on the market for pure quality and extreme detail. Sure, they come at a premium, some would even consider it price gouging for what you are actually buying, but when you get one of these tiny pieces of modeling gold in your hand you truly start to realize the majesty of these newly designed miniatures.

For my first attempt in this new realm I wanted to do something slightly larger than your standard troop, but still a "miniature" and not a vehicle or large monster. I decided to go with the Ork Warboss. A steal on Ebay at $8.00 shipped, this little beauty has a gun, a giant claw and a little skull. What more could I want? By modeling standards it's a joke. 4 pieces, a couple seam and mold lines and boom, ready for primer. From a paint standpoint however the challenge is quickly revealed.

Now I'm officially bitten by the mini bug. I've talked to my local game shop about starting a small army and joining them for a game night and I have already added more miniatures to my collection than I care to think about. Sure I still want to build huge resin kits and my hunger for copious towers of Master Grades piled to the ceiling of my basement is as powerful as ever, but I must admit a large amount of my free time will be spent squinting, wet blending and trying to figure out how to make a damn base look good.

p.s. f$@k you, John.