Church Agent (male)

Unit number 70 - done!

These Agents are the special forces available to the Church's highest circles of power. Many are trained from childhood to hunt down and destroy supernatural threats to humanity, while others use their divine gifts to further the work of the Church.

I started this mini along with another Church Agent and a couple of non-Anima Tactics minis at the same time, to take advantage of the fact that all were using red as a predominant colour. What that meant was that in a few days I managed to paint 3 minis, and so I have inched further forward with my Anima Tactics painting total. This mini was started once previously, and stripped of paint when I was unhappy with my progress. There is some pitting at the back of the mini I am unhappy with, but that will stay as it is, as I just do not want to strip and repaint it again. More importantly, it is my first Church unit completed (since Alis Testarossa) in almost 6 months!

As mentioned in a recent post (click for link), it looks like Agents may get a change to their rules, so I am very interested to see what will happen with Church Agents. once all the Agents cards have been revealed, I will probably get a set printed via Artscow until such time official cards are printed.

As the year draws to a close, I don't think there is any hope of achieving my target of 36 Anima Tactics units this year. However, I may get a couple more painted possibly, and if I can match the same total next year and the year after, the project will remain steadily on course. That may need me to paint 'smarter', doing what I have done with Deimon and Luther Delacroix and painting a couple of units in tandem for speed,

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 164 (added: nothing and still no sign of that pre-order from months ago...)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 70 (66 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 42.7% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 discrete units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he *still* is due for presumed release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 43.4%
Year to Date Target: 29 of 36 units (3 per month target; 81%)

Deimon

Deimon is described as the head butler and guardian of the Steiner family, a man of inflexible will and indomitable skill.
  I started this mini ages ago, long before really getting stuck into it properly in the past few days. After a productive first few weeks in November, I was determined to see if I could finish another couple of models, so I decided to crack on with Deimon and Luther Delacroix since they would use a lot of the same colours. I really wanted to try and get 4 Anima Tactics units finished for the month since I have dropped quiet a way behind my target of 3 per month. While I have had some motivation going on, it has been really nice to 'get stuff done', especially that I have painted 14 minis across a number of games and ranges in the past two months.
  Deimon has some interesting special rules, and they epitomise the synergies that Black Sun seems to have between the various unique units. In game terms, he has an interesting risk-reward trade-off that allows him to be accurate and hard hitting. The downside is that maximising that opportunity is not without risk (in his case acquiring Negative States), which for me makes for a very interesting game management mechanic.
  In terms of Advantage Cards, Fate Clock offers great synergies with his Negative State-enhanced Fate Clock runs the risk of inducing Doom on its user, and Deimon is just the unit to do that with since he can potentially transfer all Negative States to his target. I love his rules, and while I don't think he will be 'easy' to use in-game, I think he will definitely be a lot of fun!

Attacks and his need for AP.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 164 (added: nothing and still no sign of that pre-order from months ago...)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 68 (64 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 41.4% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 discrete units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably 'imminent' release, and has been for a long time)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 42.1%
Year to Date Target: 27 of 33 units (3 per month target; 82%)

Samael Agent (male)

Forming a shadowy network of operatives, Samael Agents are tasked to unleash chaos and confusion across all of Gaia in the name of the Fallen Angels of Samael.

With this mini, I have been painting it bit by bit through the week, desperately clinging on to my often fleeting motivation! I wanted a quite muted palette, to create a sort of 'fantasy ranger' look to him; green, grey and brown as the main colour blocks all fit that kind of vision I think, with some contrasting brightness from the stave and magical effect. When I finished Dagger, this Samael Agent was only under-coated, so it has quickly leap frogged a number of part-done minis, which is okay - at least something has been finished! It may be a bit rough in places, but I can live with it. The most important thing for me is getting another mini done, and it has also been a useful exercise in  working with the green colour I used here and which I am using for another non-Anima Tactics project.

Until I get a more substantial Samael force together, I think this Agent is most likely to  be used in games as created by an Al-Djinn as an Ash Slave. Samael Agents belong to either Light, Dark or Neutral Faction depending on the abilities. This can have slight impact of things like choosing Advantage cards, as well as how a few units do or do not get bonuses against specific Factions.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing, but I *still* have two minis on pre-order <sigh>)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 65 (61 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 39.9% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably imminent release, and has been for a long time)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 40.1%
Year to Date Target: 24 of 30 units (3 per month target; 80%)

Dagger

Dagger was started at roughly the same time as Claude Valmore, but I have been busy completing a final assignment for a course, which has drastically impacted my painting, and meant a delay in painting Dagger. Some sudden painting momentum from Zomtober on one of my other blogs has helped me get Dagger done, so that was very pleasing, especially as it has been a month since my last Anima Tactics unit was finished.

It is funny that in the last couple of months or so I have managed to add 3 more units to my Azur forces. That certainly wasn't planned, but then there really is not too much planning to what minis I paint and in what order I paint them!

Dagger looks to me like a more selectable proposition than Claude Valmore; they have some similarities in their durability (Defense, Armor and LP), yet Dagger can be used more offensively than Claude, and is much less dependent on enemy Actions.

Given that all of Dagger's Actions use 3-4 Actions, then with his 3 AP recovery I think he really needs Advantage Cards that help AP recovery, which for me means his best options are Clock of Cronos or Fate Clock. I think it will be tricky to use him, as his Actions work best when used at full AP (4), which means that getting him into the right position is vital. I hope that before too long I can get around to putting an Azur Party in battle so that Dagger gets some game time as I love the model and find his Actions very interesting, even if it may take a while learn to to get the best out of him.

For the year I am way behind my target for Anima Tactics, and I hope that in the next couple of months I start to recover some of that. I currently have less than 100 units to paint - at my current rate I am still looking at just under 3 years from now to get that done. I feel that I also need to add more Samael and Summoners; Samael especially is the only Organization that I cannot really get a decent Party on the table for at present, and something I feel I really want to rectify.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing, but I still have two minis on pre-order)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 64 (60 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 39.3% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably imminent release, and has been for a long time)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 39.5%
Year to Date Target: 23 of 30 units (3 per month target; 77%)

Claude Valmore

Claude Valmore is a former member of the Cerberus Division, thought dead when they disbanded. A devout follower of the Arbiter Arkeid, and now serves the Azur Alliance when once he was a soldier of the Empire.

Finishing this model this week this surprised me. I started him as an afterthought when painting Dagger, since I decided they would share some colour scheme similarities. Once I got under-way I found I had done more and more, and it was useful to resolve a couple of colour problems on them both. Claude had been assembled for some time I know, because he was under-coated in black which I haven't done for quite a while. So a long wait after assembly, but a fairly quick turnaround (in my terms!) once painting was commenced.

I cannot see Claude getting much game time, unless his rules get fixed at some point. He has a reasonable trait line for his costs and looks quite tough, however even as a 'tank' type the problem for me is his Actions; they are all dependent on your opponent's Attacks, which means that Claude can be largely ignored in a straight fight. Unlike similar units, he does not have a Special Attack or Charge. Since basic Attacks can be  used by everyone, there is nothing really advantageous for him or a compelling reason to choose him over other units at the same cost. Individually his Actions are not terrible, it is just that they are all reactive and enemy-dependent which is a big flaw in my opinion; if he had his own Special Attack or Charge he could be an excellent choice.

Maybe he will get trotted out in a themed Azur-'Armor force', but even that seems unlikely. It could be that I am missing or overlooking something very significant about him, but I don't think so.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing new but I still have two minis on pre-order)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 63 (59 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 38.7% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably imminent release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 38.8%
Year to Date Target: 22 of 27 units (3 per month target; 81%)

Arias Vayu

Another Summon, I wanted to finish this as a counterpoint to painting my first Al-Djinn and the second. I had actually started Arias Vayu before both the Al-Djinns, completing the Elemental Crystals first, then started tackling the bulk painting on the main mini at a later date. Of course things didn't work out as planned, and the Al-Djinn's have been finished for a while. Suffice to say, I found parts of this unit very tricky, fiddly and frustrating to paint, and I also struggled the skin, which I tried to do with a different colour to my usual choice to create a sense of difference. All of which means that while I may double up on many or most Summons, I have absolutely no plans to paint another Arias Vayu. Ever. And yes, that is despite the fact that I do think it is a lovely model!

The five minis (Arias Vayu and the Elemental Crystals) are treated as a single unit for rules, although the Elemental Crystals are treated as distinct and separate models. Obviously I have not yet tried out Arias Vayu, but I suspect there will be a little bit of understanding required of best strategy needed to get the most out of this particular unit. At 55 Levels, the indication is that Arias Vayu is one of the more potent Summons, yet there is an inherent unpredictability at the same time.

Arias Vayu is able to (randomly) call upon one of five abilities of the Elemental Crystals each Turn, so positioning is key to minimize the impact of pure luck; Gnosis is pretty much a must-use with Arias Vayu, I think, to help try and achieve favourable results, and a unit like High Saint Eleinai (Church Leader) can really help here with her ability to use Gnosis after a die roll is made.

I need to get more Summoners painted up to make the most of the growing array of Summons I am painting, but i have been saying that for several months now. Covel and Belith seem increasingly much-needed! Embarrassingly, both have been part done for months.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing new but I have two minis on pre-order)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 62 (58 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 38.0% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably imminent release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 38.2%
Year to Date Target: 21 of 27 units (3 per month target; 75%)

Alis Testarossa

This mini has been in the painting queue, part-done, for quite a while now, so I am happy it is now finished. I am also chuffed as it takes me past 300 Levels of Church units.

Her background describes Alis Testarossa as a scion of a  prestigious dynasty, one the most influential noble houses of Argos, the rebellious and stubborn Alis was always a source of problems because of her impetuous behavior. Aged thirteen Alis began to manifest supernatural talents, and was sent by her family to the tutelage of the Church where she joined the Knights of the Saint Order.

Alis Testarossa benefited from a cost reduction in the Saga III & IV update, and at 35 Levels is one of the least expensive Warrior units in the game. She is not the hardest hitting, but with Speed 8/12 (meaning she Runs or Charges 12 inches), the option to sacrifice LP to gain Flight, and an Action that removes her from the board to be placed in contact with any enemy unit in the following Turn as a Charge, which means she can be the scourge of back-line units, which tend to be weaker support types, or of units that have exhausted AP so have no Dodge.

There really is only one Advantage Card choice in my opinion, which is Raphael's Gift. The reason being that three of her four Actions require her to be Flying, and to be Flying costs 3 LP per Turn. Raphael's Gift partially off-sets this, allowing her to recover 2 LP. That said, I expect she will still be a little tricky to use, so maybe she will get some game time in the next few days....

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 160 (added: High Arbiter Aizen; and female Azur Agent)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 55 (53 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 34.4% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 151 units (including 2 LE minis; added September as he still is due for imminent release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 35.1%
Year to Date Target: 14 of 18 units (3 per month target; 78%)

Lilian Virgil

Woo-hoo, another one done! I am not thinking my slump is completely broken, but getting a few minis painted in the past few weeks (across a couple of game lines) is a step in the right direction. In around a week's time I should be able to crack into painting a couple more I hope.

Lilian Virgil adds to my Empire ranks which is good, pulling me towards having a third Organization with more than 300 Levels of units available (with Church not too far off either - one more model would do the trick there). She is also one-half of Team Weapons of Azrael, with the other being Macbeth (who is in the painting queue). Although not the most powerful of Warriors, also being a Mystic allows Lilian Virgil to take the Control Bound Advantage Card which increases the Effect value of her primary Attack (a bad thing for enemies, as they roll against Effect using their Resistance). In essence Lilian is a kind of utility fighter, with a State-inflicting Attack called Sacred Seal; this inflicts Seal naturally), a Healing ability and an Action that reduces the cost of Charges for Party members within her Control Zone. She is not the most powerful of units, but certainly offers a few options, and she gets a lot better if working as part of her Team.

She is described as a talented fighter talent who combines sacred powers with martial skill to serve the Empress.

I hope to get Macbeth finished soon (which will likely mean that I actually paint something completely different instead!), and if I can get one or two Church units painted soon too, that would be ideal. I still have a number of units in advanced stages of painting that I just cannot seem to get myself to finish. I also hope to get some more games in later this month.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 158 (added: nothing, but I still have 4 minis on back order....)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 54 (52 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 34.2% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 151 units (including 2 LE minis; added September as he is due for imminent release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 34.4%
Year to Date Target: 13 of 18 units (3 per month target; 72%)

Janiel

My fiftieth painted Anima Tactics mini, and really not the one I expected to get finished to achieve that milestone. I picked he up while waiting for some paint to dry on another mini and quickly got to work, doing more than I planned to in short order.

Janiel Ul Del Valiem is a formidable spell-caster and fighter. Her mystical abilities allow her to invoke a guardian spirit named Enjeil, who takes the form of an enormous eagle made of energy, through which she manifests her powers.

My Samael units don't have an identifiable colour scheme, and so will have more in common with my Wanderers than the other Organizations; I am guessing they will quite a colourful bunch by the time they are done. It is going to be quite some time before I have enough units to filed a substantively Samael-filled Party (although I could probably do it already with Wanderers and Summons, three Samael units would not feel 'enough' for me), but this is another one done which is the main thing.

Looking at Janiel in game terms, she looks like quite a bit of a utility character; she looks like a mixed fighter and support character, not excelling in either category, but providing some options in both aspects. Her actions are a mix of close combat Attack, Ranged Attack, Healing, attack buff (to ranged attacks against a single target) and Seeking (used against Hidden for characters with Stealth). When I eventually get a Samael Party together and try and get to grips with them, I think that utility of varied Actions will be useful to cover some short-comings. Of course utility characters generally don't excel with Actions, so may not be as good or effective as a unit with a narrower focus. Pluses and minuses.

For Advantage Card I am thinking Control Bound to maximise the efficacy of her Action that buffs ranged Attacks against a single target, however that would be contingent on having a few Ranged Attacks in the Party.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 156 (added: nothing)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 50 (48 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 32.1% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 150 units (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 32.0%

Sho

Another Anima Tactics unit finished, and my 36th mini from the range in 2013.

This was yet another mini I loved from first seeing it, so much so that Sho sneaked up the painting queue from when I acquired him! I have been struggling with two other Empire models for quite some time, one of which may go into the stripping bath, and so it is a good feeling to get at least one more done.

I had thought that my Empire Party would be larger than it is by now, but as I say, a couple of models I have struggled with.

At first examination Sho does not look too hard hitting; his 3 AP Bushu Special Attack is at a basic Attack 5 Damage 5, although it does give him Healing if it hits. Compare that to Celia's Tear of Illusions which is 10/3, or Drake's Dragon Overdrive at 8/8 and it looks lacking, except that Sho adds Damage (and Attack with Bushu) the lower his Life Points total is thanks to his Kurokami rule). That sets up a situation where he benefits from being Damaged, but with Defense 9, Armor 2 and 13 LP, Sho is not particularly durable. Which in turn makes me think he will take a bit of working out and getting used to, if I am to use him effectively.

The mini comes packed with an Advantage Card that buffs his LP (Heart of Gold; adding to the utility of Kurokami). Another synergistic option would be Last Stand, adding to his Attack and Damage at below half LP - functionally that means at 6 LP for example he would add +3/+3. Something else for me to ponder.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 147 (added: nothing, but still awaiting that recent order)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 41 (40 different models)
Painted Minis Percentage: 27.9% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 148 (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 27.0%

Cenette

I am glad this is finished at last. It has been stuck in the queue with no motivation from me to finish it for what has seemed a long time. As soon as it arrived (some time before early May) I prepared it for painting, and started some base colours - then just lost all motivation to finish it. It has only been in the last week that the motivation resurfaced, so bit by bit this week I have been working away on it and now it is done.

This is my first attempt at a 'sheer nylon' type effect, and I am quietly pleased about it (even if the images don't show it off that well), while other parts less so - but they are unlikely to be changed now. There are some really fine parts on the mini as the images no doubt show, which I struggled with, but this is as good as I could probably manage without losing patience. And to top it off, the mini has been dropped or knocked over at least twice, requiring repairs and touch ups, so to be honest, I will be glad it is the cabinet!

Cenette is one half of Team The Condemned Lovers along with Drake (who was finished back in March), and finishing her represents completion of my first Team proper (since Bella and Aqua are a special case anyway). Cenette's history describes that she chose to leave Rose Island to its fate and pursue the man she loves. And blessed with angelic blood and incredible martial skill, she and Drake make a deadly combination.

In game terms, Cenette looks a little light in the Attack/Damage department, at 5/3; however her actions change that perception dramatically. Her 3 AP Attack is at basic 10 Attack, meaning most models are auto-hit unless they Dodge or have a buff in place. Her special Charge is yet more devastating; it adds +3/+2 and gains +2 from being a Charge, for 10/5, meaning she is very likely to hit due to rolling 2 dice, even if targets elect to Dodge, especially if she can get a buff from another Party member (not to self: I really must paint up Sophia Ilmora), and her Charges can have a single direction change, meaning she can if used right avoid intercepts and tank-like characters acting as speed-bumps.

If using her alone, the usual thoughts come to mind with regard to choice of Advantage Card: Primal or Elemental Weapon are obvious options. However, maybe Clock of Cronos to ensure she can use her special Charge just when needed.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 142 (added: nothing since the last painted mini!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 30
Painted Minis Percentage: 21.1% (percentage of minis owned and painted)

Saint Astraega

Click to enlarge-icate

It seems like ages since I finished an Anima Tactics mini so I am glad to rectify that right now. This month has not felt too productive, although I have now painted in just two months (13 models) what I painted in each of three months (January to March; April to June) across all ranges I am working on, so not too bad I guess!

I have turned out 4 Pulp City minis this month so far, which has impacted on my productivity with Anima Tactics. So as I stated up front, I am pleased to have finished another.

Saint Astraega is one half of Team Saint Council with Saint Evangeline, and very much a support unit. As the number of Church units I have completed grows, so to do my options. I am now at a stage where 3 models (Grey; Luzbell; and Saint Astraega) would likely be vying for 2 'slots' in a level 300 Party, and looking at Astraega's capabilities, I think she is edging out Grey, since she may be the model to keep Lostaroth Marchosias in play since I have struggled to keep him alive against Rob in the games we have played; he has definitely been a high priority target!

Since the two key Actions I imagine using require 4 Action Points apiece (Astraega's limit), I think a likely Advantage Card will be Clock of Chronos, although once I can field the Team Saint Council, more options will become viable, since Astraega will be able to replenish Action Points through that card.

This one was started a while back painting wise, but kind of got left behind as I was inspired to finish sundry others. I even made a mistake by starting to paint the stems of her flowers magenta before I actually realised they were not flames!

I have started work on a couple of other Church models (Damaris and Saint Evangeline), so as soon as the next one is done, I will do an updated Church Party picture. In the mean-time I hope I can sustain some momentum as I do love this range of minis.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 137 (added: Medeus; and Alis Testarossa; more on order)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 27
Painted Minis Percentage: 19.7% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

Empire Agent (female)

Okay, okay; I did paint more minis for Anima Tactics than I hinted at near the beginning of June.

It has been a productive month for me, with 4 Anima Tactics minis, and 4 Freebooter's Fate minis painted (see here for my Freebooter's stuff), taking me to 34 minis for the year so far - I only painted 24 in the 12 months of 2012, so far so good then in terms of my productivity.

This is my second Agent, and means I am up to 155-175 Levels of Empire depending on how the Agent is configured. It looks to me that the Empire Agent can be made a very solid unit, with Armor 5 a very attractive option (I think my go to set-up will be to recover 3 Actions per Turn; +1 Attack and Damage; +3 armor for Armor 5).

With this mini I am up to 4 Empire units so far, and I am hoping to add Lilith as a Leader model making a potential 250 Levels, which in turn will be fairly easy to round out to 300 Levels with a Wanderer or an appropriate 50 Level Empire unit added.

For Advantage Cards, while it might me tempting to add Supernatural Armor, I think that is too costly to justify, so probably a simple Elemental Weapon to make an okay close combat unit. If taking a risk that I am fighting someone without decent anti-Armor, maybe Raphael's Gift to 'tank' the Empire Agent up a little.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 135 (added: nothing new arrived yet, but one or two on order)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 26 (a few more are in the dreaded queue)
Painted Minis Percentage: 19.3% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

Erika

Click embiggen this image

Considering I thought I would not get many Anima Tactics minis finished this month (even having finished Hamadria when I posted that though), this is my second for July, and I have a third 95% done. So more than I initially thought then!

Erika is a teenager who wields incredible destructive power through her hammer, Mjolnir, and is the youngest member of the Empress' Hand.

I love this mini; it is such a fun pose that I think it is one of the best in the range, and since I rate the bulk of the Anima Tactics range very highly, in turn that makes this one of my favourite mini concepts ever.

I really do love this sculpt.

That said, I wish they had either opted to cast in resin, or had chosen to sculpt a grip onto the hammer so the haft could have been easily replaced with brass rod - as it is I do not think that will stand up to too much handling, and so it may only be used sparingly as a gaming piece. I am not even sure it will keep the mini in position even without handling as the metal is pretty soft. That said, it is a brilliant model in my opinion.

Game-wise Erika has some of the usual traits of Empire units including Armor; high-ish Damage value. These are complemented by a fairly decent Speed value and some pretty unusual Actions, including Action Point removal; small radius area of effect; one-shot Taunt which induces Berserk - useful for disrupting units that work outside of base to base or use non-damaging Actions.

Did I mention that I love this mini by the way?

Erika has the colour scheme seen on my other Empire units (Janus Faith; Odin Goldsmith), and I think it should look effective in contrast to Wissenschaft and Church Parties. There will be a second Empire scheme for the likes of Samiel, Iosara etc., but I am still trying to work that out since I have a few Organizations with predominant use of black.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 135 (added: Bridget Setsuna; Kujaku Hime; Raziel Archetypum; Type 009 Deathhead; another Al-Djinn; and another Shinobi)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 24 (with another almost done)
Painted Minis Percentage: 17.77% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

Hamadria

You may have spotted Hamadria in the battle report preview images I posted and she was finished quite quickly for that game.

Although very quickly painted, and certainly not my best work, I am reasonably happy with the end result, how this Summon has turned out.

A Hamadria appears to be some kind of nature spirit, but far less destructive than the Wrath of Nature. Using here the other day has changed my mind about Sarah Reindhold; the two worked well together as effectively a 55 Level pair of units, with overlapping healing Actions. When I used Sarah Reindhold with Elhaym, Maiden of Light as her Summon I thought it was an expensive combination, but this combination worked well with their stacking healing actions synergising very well. add to that that Hadria has a cheap basic ranged Attack to throw into the mix, and she is a very effective, if fragile, unit.

As a Summon Hamadria cannot have Advantage Cards attached to her, so no specific strategy there.

After posting about the upcoming battle report I thought it could be a while before I finish any more Anima Tactics, but I finished one mini today and almost finished another, so I am on a bit of a roll.

I really, really need to paint up some Dark Summons soon, but honestly I do think that painting what I feel like seems the best way to go for now instead of frustrating myself and losing all interest from trying to do a specific mini.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 129 (added: Hamadria!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 23
Painted Minis Percentage: 17.8% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

Luzbell

Click to make enlargified

Another unit completed and my fifth Church model. I am starting to get near to a point to have more flexible options when thinking about Party-building

Luzbell is a slight change to most of the line in my humble opinion, especially the Navarro Perez sculpts, since she lacks the finer detailing of many other models, having simpler areas to paint etc. Still a  nice change and she fits well with the range. Sticking with my Church palette, since she is clearly intended to protect her Party, I feel she is a shield-maiden type even though she is a Mystic; so I decided that she needed some black to tie into the Church Warrior units.

Luzbell possesses a very good Dodge Action; Holy Reflection which is a useful Action to reflect Ranged Attacks onto other models; a basic Ranged Attack; and an option to re-position a friendly model - this latter Action should be especially useful to help manage any Friendly units that struggle to manage their Action Points, as well as those that do not rely on Charge (I am thinking Azriel for one in that regard). Functionally I think she is a good alternative to Grey, but only if there enough other hard-hitters in the same Party. I still need another Level 50 Church Unit I think.

In terms of Advantage Cards I would be thinking of one of the following: Afterimage (a Power that makes her harder to hit at range preserving her Dodge response); Talisman of Eriol (re-roll one die); Bell of Fortune (discard to add +1 to a roll made by the character; the understanding from the Forum is that this may be after the roll is made - useful for her Holy Reflection and Dodge Actions).

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 128 (added: Limited Edition Celia)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 22
Painted Minis Percentage: 17.2% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

I have a number of part-painted minis, and one very close to finishing. Of the part-painted and undercoated/assembled minis there are 46 minis ready to be completed! July is set for doing some minis for Freebooter's Fate, so I may be able to manage 1 or 2 Anima Tactics minis next month. I have another project lined up for August, so I suspect my next big run will be in September, with any painted between now and then as 'bonuses'.

Odin Goldsmith

My second Empire unit, and this is a big one.

For those not familiar with the mini, Odin Goldsmith is mounted on a 40 mm base. He is a big beast of a model, even if he does not look it at first sight. Nowhere near Wrath of Nature size, but still 45 mm tall, and his weapon? That is approximately 2 3/4 inches long!

Like I said - he is big!

Odin Goldsmith is the warrior incarnate; his background describes that for over thirty years he has been present in every documented conflict and involved in hundreds of secret special operations, that he is an unstoppable fighting machine.

Colour-scheme wise I wanted to stick with what I laid down with Janus Faith, but having no tunic I substituted the blue onto his cloak. Even though there is an established official colour scheme for Empire which I *think* varies by rank, I want a more uniform look for my Empire so I will be sticking with the combination with some exceptions like Samiel.

I am looking forwards to unleashing Odin Goldsmith in some games as he has a couple of cool Action, but a really cool special ability (Chain of Blows), which can keep going with the right amount of stupendous luck. It could be interesting to see that ability explode as it were.

Stats wise, he has very high armour, a lot of Life points and attack 5/Damage 6, so pretty hard-hitting. Definitely one to sue Gnosis on to maximize the chances of Chain of Blows.

His main drawback is that he has a relatively very low AP regeneration, but this improves as he takes more damage, although for the best 4/4 he will be close to being taken out, so it maybe worth considering Advantage cards that offer synergy with how he is set-up such as Last Stand (+1 Attack and +1 Damage at below half LP); Talisman of Eriol (re-roll one die); Primal (since you are likely to be using Gnosis etc anyway, he should hopefully hit, and Primal stacks that up); and any of the usual suspects like Supernatural Weapon, Elemental Weapon or Supernatural Armor.

Ultimately he looks like he can be a heavy hitter, but one that is fallible. Definitely want to get some games in with him as soon as possible.

Getting this finished was a little surprising as I had started work on Luzbell at the time, then thought I would do 'a bit' on Odin while she was drying at some points, Then I carried on, and on, and eventually finished him. I really have little control over what I finish and when sometimes! Luzbell is nearly done and I have a few more Empire (Vayl; Veronica; Erika; and Female Empire Agent) in the possibly infamous 'queue', so I hope more will be done soon. That said, I have a painting challenge for another game next month, so that may slow things down a little on the Anima Tactics front, same for August, but rest assured I will keep plugging away.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 127 (added: nothing!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 21
Painted Minis Percentage: 16.5% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

Janus Faith

Click to enlarge-ify

Been a while hasn't it? At least it feels that way to me. I hit a brief painting slump (back pain limits my motivation and capability to paint from time to time which is what happened over the past week or so), so this took longer to finish off than I hoped. I say 'finish', as I have just realized there is a little more to do on the sword pommel (10 minutes wok tops).

Janus Faith is a master of numerous fighting styles, who has been granted lost loggia technology in the form of his sword and armour, and who know serves at the behest of the new Empress, albeit with some reservations about the Empire itself.

His abilities make him more of a 'tank' than anything, designed to receive an Attack and then hit with with his Special Attack. Keeping his Action points topped up while maintaining his defensive Upkeep ability (Absolute Defense) will take some consideration I imagine.

Janus Faith is painted as the blue-print for my Empire colour-scheme: blue tunic; white trousers; gold armour and trim. The fluff cites the highest ranking Empire as wearing white, but I am going to keep the blue/white/gold on all as far as possible (with some exceptions like Samiel) simply as I like the combo.

Getting him finished makes me enthusiastic to get some more done soon and hopefully get some games in before too long. I have a load more figures in the pipeline for Anima Tactics, including a lot of Empire. I hope to finish basic Empire and Black Sun Parties within the next few months, while adding to other stuff I have also.

In terms of Advantage Cards I am thinking of things like Supernatural Armor; Primal; Clock of Chronos.

Janus Faith is a member of Team Cerberus Division with Vayl and Daniella Meris, so I guess it would be a good idea to get cracking with them sooner than later. However, being a painter of whim rather than determination, 'sooner' could well turn out to be 'later'...

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 119 (added: another Type 005 (blister); High Arbiter Arkeid; Claude Valmore; and Luzbel)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 18
Painted Minis Percentage: 15.1% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)

Elhaym, Maiden Of Light

The Elhaym, also known as Maidens of Light, are light elementals, believed by some on Gaia to be angels.

This one is my second Summon unit, (after the Wrath of Nature), and to be honest I am less pleased with the painting on this one than the previous Summon. I believe that sometimes a mini just does not turn out how you want or expect, even with awareness and acceptance of one's limitations as a painter. Maybe it is the choice of painting in pink, which is a colour I am still learning to work with, but I found this a struggle to finish. Admittedly I did rush it a bit at first in a desperate bid to finish for those recent games, but even so I found it a struggle and want to paint another to do a better job (hopefully!). Whatever the reason I just wish this was better.

I really like the model (and before you ask, yes I have dropped it already, and yes, the wings did fall off...), I just don't think it is among the best Anima Tactics minis I have painted so far (not that there are too many to choose from...).

As I start to accumulate more painted Summons, it highlights the need to get some more Summoners painted up. I currently have Valis Ul Del Vilfain and Sarah Reindhold, but the latter is a poor Summoner choice in my humble opinion, so more options are necessary. I do have Genma, Covel and now Belith in the painting queue, however that can be a movable feast as to what gets to the front of the queue and gets finished, so who knows which will be finished and when.

I think Summons are one of the cool things that sets Anima Tactics apart from a lot of other low-model count skirmish games, so are very much something I want to make use of and have a variety of options for.

Game-wise I have yet to see enough yet to judge how effective I think the Elhaym may be. I was very impressed with the Wrath of Nature in the game in which we used the Summons, but it may be that the Elhaym is trickier to use effectively - time will tell!

Not too much to say on Advantage Cards, except that while Summons cannot usually have them, Familiar is probably a must-have in most situations (Optional Leader Covel and maybe Genma excepted).

On the painting front, well despite me wanting to get some more Summoners painted, I reckon the most likely unit to be completed next will be Janus Faith as I managed to get quite a bit done with him over the past few days.


Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 115 (added: Anna Never; Aoi Inukai; Azur Agent (Male); Belith; Celia; Cenette; Duncan Reid; Empire Agent (Male) x2; Odin Goldsmith; Shinigami Ayl; XII; and Lilith - yep another splurge or two...)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 17
Painted Minis Percentage: 14.8% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted; this has dropped due to the big influx-  time to get cracking!)

Wrath of Nature

My first Summon!

Not that I have painted up a worthwhile Summoner yet (I do not see Sarah Reindhold as a useful Summoner at this stage of my understanding of the game), but hey, it is a start...

The blurb for Wrath of Nature describes them as 'an incarnation of the unleashed power of Gaia'.

Summons are non-unique, meaning a Party can include more than one of each type subject to the Levels limit. Summons do not start in play, but are brought to the battle-field by the Summoner they are attached to. Summoning has an Action Point cost according to the Summon's rules. In addition, most Summons have a choice of Level cost which they can be bought for, with a lesser and more powerful version available. That difference may be in characteristics, or Innate Abilities or Special Actions. The Level cost of Summons is accordingly lower than perhaps an equivalent model with the same abilities (if there was such a thing), and this is reflected in their Atman rating, which is their relative worth. In addition they can be used within an Organization Party without taking up the Wanderer slot.

The Wrath of Nature is a bit of a lumbering beast with a lot of Life Points and Armor, but not too mobile. The fact that it is huge should be evident from the third photograph alongside Sarah Reindhold.

I would like to get at least one more Summon and a decent Summoner painted up before my planned games later this month.

In the mean time the painting queue changes randomly as ever, and Yuki had some work done today: not even a Summoner! So whether I get done what I want is anyone's guess...


Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 89 (added a lot since the last update: Kerberos; Veronica; Deadmoon; Jerome; Justine; Cordelia Rosalind; Damaris; and Momiji)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 12
Painted Minis Percentage: 14.6% (yep, it has gone down! That splurge has dented my progress, so time to get splashing those hairy sticks onto minis!)