Karl

@karlplays

Slow painter with too many projects. Just here to chill, and share some wargaming and the occasional cat pic.

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Karl@karlplays· 24d

Artist! Quote with your yellow art! 💛

Human Blood Bowl team, from the 3rd edition starter set, standing in front of a Forge World well and some trees.
The team is wearing a yellow kit with silver armor. Helmets, boots, and gloves are brown, face masks, helmet plumes and belts are blue.
The well has a red roof and grey bricks. The backdrop shows trees, a hill, and a blue sky.

Warhammer 40k miniatures. An Imperial Guard platoon command squad and its attached commissar just exited their Chimera in front of a destroyed yellow building with brown windows.
The commissar raises his red power fist, while reading from the Uplifting Primer; he is wearing a white uniform with a black greatcoat. The soldiers are wearing urban light grey uniforms with grey armor. The guardsmen are equipped with meltaguns in red, the officer has a red power fist and a black laspistol.
The Chimera is painted in a grey urban camo scheme with light grey stripes and blue triangles.
In the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing ruined buildings.

Karl@karlplays· 26d

"I only hope that there is as much to see as what I seen last time."

A photo showing Games Workshop's miniature "Marco Colombo" from the Sixth Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
In my paintjob, Colombo is wearing a yellow tunic, violet and yellow puffed sleeves, golden plate armor with silver and red ornaments, and a red and blue coat. He has a black full beard.

Karl@karlplays· 26d

Inspired by reading the WIP document of the War is Shell rules, I built a little egg tank… sort of. At this size it probably is just an egg car. An EGGS-UV, or a JEEGG maybe? 😁 It's for @geekylina.bsky.social to decide if this vehicle could be used on Ovonosolo.

Front view crafted vehicle made out of egg carton. I trimmed a box sized for six eggs down so it only fits two. The wheels are metal screw caps. All around the vehicle are bits from my Guard toolbox, most notably "headlamps", a radio, two autocannons (one on each side), and a hatch and a heavy bolter on the vehicle's roof.

Rear view of the same egg vehicle. Aside from the previously mentioned bits there are also tail lights, some extra skirts, and the backpack bit of a flamethrower to add some greeblies.

Karl@karlplays· 27d

It's guinea pig appreciation day. I had eight of these adorable fellows over the years. After the last ones passed away 10 years ago I wanted to make some sort of memorial for them. Bad Squiddo Games has some really cute guinea pig minis, and a set of them found their way into this terrain piece.

A large forest terrain piece for tabletop wargaming, roughly the size of an A4-sized paper (as indicated by the white sheet of paper below). It consists of five tall, broad-leaved trees, several bushes, and has a gravel path right true it.

Close-up of the first group of guinea pigs. Their fur is painted in the colors of my late piggies.

Close-up of the second group of guinea pigs, also painted in the style of my pets.

A quick little collage of photos showing the five real guinea pigs from the second group.
There are Perry and Blacky having a gentleman-y dispute whether hay is a snack or a bed, as the former is not amused that the latter has chosen to lie in the hay rack; Daisy is chilling out underneath a wooden ramp with a leaf of green salad in front of her; Sammy (and Daisy again) having a snack out of a bowl of dry food; and Ellie spotting her reflection in a shiny surface while going for a stroll.

Karl@karlplays· 27d

Awesome paintjob! The metal commissars from that time are really great, so much character in these sculpts. Mine's this older one, so stoic and yet ever so watchful. A real "love at first sight" mini for me. Close second is from the same series as yours, the one reading from the Uplifting Primer.

A miniature for Warhammer 40k. A commissar armed with a red power fist and a blue energy sword, which he lets casually rest on his shoulder. His uniform and his peaked cap are white, his boots are black, his great coat is black with a dark grey inner lining and red shaped facings. Around his waist is a purple scarf. His uniform is ornamented with several golden decorations.
He ist standing in front of a sandbag fortification. In the background, barely visible, a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing a destroyed cityscape.

A miniature for Warhammer 40k. A Commissar standing on the balcony of a destroyed building. He wears a white uniform with a black greatcoat with grey inner lining and red facing. He raises a red power fist, while his left hand is holding a blue book, the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer.

Karl@karlplays· 28d

Not every officer of the Guard has what it takes to lead under pressure. That's okay, the men and women of the Commissariat will take care of them. #warhammercommunity #warhammer40k #40k #miniaturepainting #ImperialGuard #AstraMilitarum #nerdlings #jhbackdrops

A little diorama with Warhammer 40k miniatures. A commissar aims his bolt pistol, smoke still coming from its barrel. Blurred in the background lies an Imperial Guard officer with a bleeding head wound, one hand on his copy of the Uplifting Primer.
The commissar wears a white uniform, black boots, and a black greatcoat with red facing. The dead officer wears an urban grey uniform and grey armor.
The scenery consists of sandbags, crates, ruins, and cobblestone paving. The backdrop is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing burning ruins.

Karl@karlplays· 29d

Me then vs Me now. Marneus Calgar 2004, with an experience of 20-30 painted minis, and Marneus Calgar 2025, a long hiatus and several hundred minis since rejoining the hobby later.

A side-by-side comparison between Marneus Calgar's metal model, originally released during 2nd Edition on the left, and the 2025 retired plastic version in Gravis armor on the right. Both are painted with blue armor (the older with yellow ornaments, the newer with golden ones), and red bolters.
I painted the metal miniature in 2004 as part of my first army, and it obviously shows. It's way less elaborately painted, with a limited color palette and only some edge highlighting. The paint has been applied to thickly, and occasionally the white primer shows through. The base is dark green without any kind of basing material. But: It does have a printed out banner which has been colored with pencils.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 13

Most of the base coat on Spectre Squad is done. Some details left and then on to washes. I swear, this camo pattern works against the 'Nids. 😂 The commissars and company are a bit further along. #warhammercommunity #warhammer40k #40k #miniaturepainting #ImperialGuard #AstraMilitarum #nerdlings

WIP miniatures for Kill Team/Warhammer 40k with base paints on it. They're the new Cadian Spectre Squad.
The uniform is in a red urban camo scheme, armor is red, the cloak is blue with lighter and darker triangular shapes on the back. The regular lascarbines are painted tan, the autostubber is black metallic and the rocket launcher is in olive green. Their backpacks are of a canvas color. Bases and basing material are in grey.

WIP miniatures for Warhammer 40k. Shown are Commissar Yarrick and Commissar Graves with her retinue.
The commissars are wearing white uniforms with black greatcoats, their armor is silver with golden emblems. Graves' retinue is wearing black uniforms with yellow facings. The banner is mostly red, silver, and gold with a white Imperialis symbol in its center.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 11

Since I dug it up from its box: This mini also got some abs to show off. One of my older paintjobs, roughly from 2005. #warhammercommunity #warhammer40k #40k #miniaturepainting #ImperialAgents #OfficioAssassinorum #VindicareAssassin #nerdlings #jhbackdrops

A Warhammer 40k miniature, a metal Vindicare Assassin, first sculpted in 1995 (?), here shown from the front.
They are hiding in tan-colored ruins and are looking through the scope of their rifle, waiting for their target to arrive. The left foot is standing on a skull.
Their stealth suit is green with the belt, harness, and holster in black. The belt has a bronze skull. A red and orange dagger is in a black sheath attached to the left leg. The spy mask is in silver, the mask's visor is orange. The Exitus Rifle is black with silver details, and has a scope with a red lens.
In the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing similarly colored ruins.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 11

Old mini, but the sculpt of this butt still holds up imho.

A Warhammer 40k miniature, a metal Vindicare Assassin, first sculpted in 1995 (?).
They are hiding in tan-colored ruins and are looking through the scope of their rifle, waiting for their target to arrive. The left foot is standing on a skull.
Their stealth suit is green with the belt, harness, and holster in black. A red and orange dagger is in a black sheath attached to the left leg. Cogitator unit and spy mask are in silver. The Exitus Rifle is black with silver details, and the holstered Exitus Pistol shows a bronze grip.
In the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing similarly colored ruins.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 11

Apparently I'm not the only one enjoying apricots. 😂 This bumblebee used one as a resting place and stayed just long enough for me to take this picture.

A close-up of a bumblebee resting on an apricot.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 10

Ah, midsummer. Nothing better than enjoying the night outside, maybe warmed by a campfire, some soft music, and pleasant company… or was it just a dream?

A diorama with miniatures. In the center is Bad Squiddo Games' "The Serenade", two female soldiers in green Soviet uniforms sitting on a tree stump. A soldier with blonde hair is playing the guitar and singing a song, a soldier with brown hair is leaning against the singer's shoulder. In front of them, in a circle of stones, are a few remaining logs of a camp fire that has burned out.
On the left is a Forgeworld cottage with grey stone walls and a thatched roof with yellow straw. Aside from red and yellow flowers there is some firewood, a chopping block, and an axe underneath a window with green window shutters.
On the right side of the picture are an apple tree and a maple tree with red leaves.
In the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's More Skies backdrop book, it shows a sky with red clouds.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 10

Something I just noticed: if anybody read the alt text and wondered why I'm talking about this being about 3000 points… That's because the list I took this number from also includes this old Baneblade from my collection, while the photo only shows the new stuff.

Picture of a Baneblade model. A long neglected kit from my pile that finally has some primer on it, with the intention to add it to my Krieg army.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 9

One year ago today, I bought my first Krieg minis. And while I've been procrastinating on this project a little bit too much lately, here's what the 212th Siege Regiment currently looks like. #warhammercommunity #warhammer40k #40k #miniaturepainting #ImperialGuard #AstraMilitarum #nerdlings

A WIP Warhammer 40k army, about 3000 points of Death Korps of Krieg, a mixture of infantry, cavalry, tanks, and artillery.
So far there are 100 battle ready infantry models. The three Leman Russ tanks are in a rather advanced state as well. Several other models are only base-coated, at least partially so. A Tech-Priest Enginseer and a Primaris Psyker are only primed.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 8

Closest thing I did was repainting my ruins from old starter sets and battleforce boxes. Didn't even bother to strip them, but painted right over the existing colors.

Blurry in the background one of the terrain pieces in question: Grey columns, bricks in a dark green color and white ornaments. Not pictured are floor tiles which have been the same color as the bricks. All in all a rather plain look.
In front are some Imperial Guard miniatures in various states of completion, from unpainted to painted.

The same terrain piece and others used as setting for a photo. Two Imperial Guard recruits are ambushed by a Tyranid Termagant. The terrain has been repainted to have khaki columns, desert yellow bricks, and bonewhite ornaments. Floor tiles are now of an anthracite color.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 6

Woohoo, my favorite fruit is in season. Tasty apricots, and those from the tree in my parents' garden are the best. 😋

Apricots on a tree, their color having a gradient from yellow to light red.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 4

Small update on the Graves-mobile: Drybrushed the vehicle, applied a filter and washes. I'm quite pleased so far. #warhammercommunity #warhammer40k #40k #miniaturepainting #ImperialGuard #AstraMilitarum #nerdlings

A photo of WIP miniatures for Warhammer 40k, specifically Commissar Graves custom Centaur. It is mostly black with VGC Sombre Grey highlights, with details like Aquilas, exhausts and the plow in the front in copper, the gatling gun is silver. Graves coat of arms is a mixture of both colors. The vehicle's deck has a metal floor and bonewhite walls.
Graves is standing next to the vehicle, she is wearing a white uniform with a black greatcoat, and is armed with a red power fist and a blue power sword.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 4

Look what I found in the house yesterday. New secret weapon for my Guard? Or is it a Tyranid? 😂

A female great green bush-cricket sitting on a green plant.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 3

Aren't Custodes the pure definition of shiny?

A photo of a Horus Heresy/Warhammer 40k miniature, an Adeptus Custodes Shield Captain in front of some ruins. She has golden metallic armor and shield, a purple cloak, blue gemstones and red aiguillettes. The emblem above her head is silver metallic. Her sword has a silver metallic blade and a purple metallic guard and pommel. I've built her in the version without helmet, so her brunette hair and some slightly tanned skin color are visible.
The base has a grey painted tactical rock, a sandy texture paste, and some green and light brown tufts and little red poppies.
The ruins and the cobblestone street they are standing on have a beige color. In the back is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing a destroyed building.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 3

If you see this, drop a hero with a sword!

A Lord Commissar leads a group of Imperial Guard hardened veterans through city ruins.
The commissar is wearing a white uniform with golden armor, a purple sash, and a red cape with brown for on top. He is armed with a bolt pistol with golden ornaments, and a blue power sword. The veterans are wearing black uniforms with grey armor. Their unit leader is armed with a plasma pistol and a power sword, the other veterans visible in this photo are carrying blue shotguns. Behind them is a grey Chimera covering their rear. The ruins are of tan color, and there are also sandbags and wooden crates on the cobblestone street.
Barely visible in the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book showing a partially destroyed multi-storey building.

Karl@karlplays· Jul 2

WIP look at the Graves-mobile and the gang. I like that she is a commissar with a retinue, even if it is only shown on the vehicle. Wouldn't mind if her on-foot model also had one. #warhammercommunity #warhammer40k #40k #miniaturepainting #ImperialGuard #AstraMilitarum #nerdlings

A photo of WIP miniatures for Warhammer 40k. Shown are the models of the Commissar Graves box. Her custom Centaur is black. Graves' retinue is wearing black uniforms with yellow facings, Graves is wearing a white uniform with a black greatcoat.
Further in the back are a WIP Spectre Squad and hobby supplies.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 28

Post a mini you're proud of Mini? What mini? There's just some floating weaponry to see here. 😅

A boltgun and an axe, both very orkish looking, are floating through the air.
In all seriousness: An Ork Nob with purple skin, standing in front of a sandbag fortification and barbed wire obstacle. He is wearing a tan vest covered with some rusty armor plates, brown pants, and shoes and an eyepatch of red leather color. His black hair is tied with a red hairband, on his wrists are red bracelets. His slugga is red, his big choppa has a wooden handle and a metal axehead. with blue to white sparks
In the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing a destroyed landscape with more barbed wire obstacles.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 28

She has survived Virmire, the Cerberus coup, and now even my first attempts of painting 1/15 scale: Ashley from Mass Effect. I didn’t add much since the last pic, just some highlights. 28mm definitely is more like my comfort zone, but I’m glad I tried this. #miniaturepainting #nerdlings

A 3D-printed 1/15 scale miniature of Ashley Williams from Mass Effect, designed by h3llcreator. She is wearing her standard outfit from Mass Effect 3, with blue and dark blue being the dominant colors. She is holding an M-8 Avenger assault rifle in black and grey. The miniature is standing on a grey tactical rock (which has a destroyed Geth drone at her feet, but it is out of frame for this picture).
The backdrop is a concept art of London as it appears in the final missions of Mass Effect 3, its buildings - part historic part futuristic in ruins. A bright white beam, the Conduit, is visible in the background. This artwork is taken from Ben Galinas, Bioware: Stories and secrets from 25 years of game development (Milwaukie 2020), p. 257.
(Not the biggest fan of this outfit - Ash looks better in armor - but speaking as someone who doesn't have a 3D printer it's difficult to find a model of this character that is both available and affordable.)

Karl@karlplays· Jun 28

I wasn't in the mood to paint, but I built some of my starter set Tyranids. Primed them in an early morning session before the heat strikes again. 40 Termagants left to do, but before doing those I want to make some progress with my Guard. #warhammercommunity #40k #tyranids #nerdlings

Built and primed Tyranid miniatures for Warhammer 40k. 8 spore mines, 3 infestation markers and a hive node from the 4th Edition starter set, as well as a Winged Tyranid Prime, 5 Bargbaunts, 3 Von Ryan's Leapers and a Psychophage from the 10th Edition ultimate starter set.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 26

A live depiction of how I feel like:

A Warhammer Fantasy miniature, an Empire Bright Wizard engulfed in flames. His hair and beard are grey. He is wearing a red tunic with orange pants and black shoes, he holding a silver sword and a bronze staff with a skull. Around his belt are several brown pouches and satchels as well as a blue flask. Around his neck is a silver key.
Behind him are a red maple tree and a birch tree, the background is a blue sky from Jon Hodgson's More Skies backdrop book.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 25

If you see this post, post a soldier/knight!!!

An Empire Knight for Warhammer Fantasy Battles. It's a Reiksguard Preceptor, mounted on a white horse. While he is following a gravel road through a forest, he spurs his horse into a fight against an unseen enemy. His sword drawn, and he yells a battle cry.
His and his horse’s armor are silver of color with golden ornaments, he also is equipped with a white shield with a red skull. His tunic has red and white stripes, so do the plume on his helmet and the horse’s head piece. The horse a caparison with a red and white checkered pattern.
In the background are a guinea pig, a tower, and a backdrop showing a forest on the horizon and a blue sky above it.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 24

I finished six Genestealers today, painted in what will at some point be the color scheme of my Tyranid army. Maybe right in time for 12th Edition. 😂 #warhammercommunity #40k #tyranids #miniaturepainting #nerdlings

Six Genestealers for Warhammer 40k, the pushfits that came with Battle for Macragge. The exoskeleton of each is painted in a bone white color, the carapace plates are pink, and their claws are in dark grey. They are standing on bases with plenty of tufts and yellow flowers, the base rim is in a brown color.
Behind them are WIP miniatures for my Imperial Guard: Spectre Squad in red urban uniforms with red armor, blue cloaks, and tan guns. And the retinue of Commissar Graves, wearing black uniforms with yellow facings, and metal armor.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 24

This trio of dwarves from 2007, 4 years into the hobby. While I was happy with my results for a basic infantry mini at that point, this was the first mini I felt really proud of. Out of these three, I'm still very fond of the paintjob on Josef Bugman in particular.

A photo showing Games Workshop’s White Dwarf 30th Anniversary Model from 2007 from the front. The White Dwarf, Grombrindal, with his defining white beard, is raising his axe while standing atop a round shield. The shield is carried by Gotrek Gurnisson (the dwarf on the left side of the picture, with an orange colored beard, and carrying an axe in his right hand) and Josef Bugman (the dwarf on the right, with a cream colored beard, and a large mug of beer in his left hand).

A photo showing Games Workshop’s White Dwarf 30th Anniversary Model from 2007 from the back. The White Dwarf, Grombrindal, with his defining white beard, is raising his axe while standing atop a round shield. The shield is carried by Gotrek Gurnisson (the dwarf on the left side of the picture, with an orange colored beard, and carrying an axe in his right hand) and Josef Bugman (the dwarf on the right, with a cream colored beard, and a large mug of beer in his left hand).
From this side on can get a better look at the White Dwarf's red coat with elaborate gold ornaments, Josef Bugman's blue coat with red ornaments, and Gotrek Gurnisson's yellow pants with white and black stripes, and his green belt.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 23

Post something fast 🏍️🏎️

Proxy miniatures for Warhammer 40k: Imperial Guard Rough Riders on bikes. So, Rough Bikers I guess. (Though they are not tall enough to really proxy their counterparts.)
They are on a cobblestone street, behind them is a red brick wall with a blue door. Bikes and riders are painted in the urban camo scheme of my army.
Their leader has stopped the bike and points forward with a power sword, the others - armed with lances with frag tips - are charging. One rider, the one with a guidon, performs a wheelie.
In the background is a page from Jon Hodgson's World War Ruins backdrop book, showing several ruined buildings.

Karl@karlplays· Jun 23

Is it just me, or are the bots getting quite good with their replies? I checked the profile. Writing multiple replies to many different posts within a minute, and only sharing AI-generated pictures in their own posts, looked off. Could have fooled me. I hope I don't sound like that. Am I alive? 🤔😂