Sharsha 'Friedegunde'

Months have passed, and I have finally completed a new Anima Tactics unit! Spurred on by my Zomtober painting exertions, I was determined to use this month as a spur to getting other tangentially related stuff painted, and for me, Sharsha 'Friedegunde' fit the bill. While she is not an Undead, she has abilities that reference life after death and I thought it would be interesting to use my zombie-skin recipe on her with her patchwork body.

Sharsha is of course one of the four recently released but long-awaited final minis from Cipher Studios/Ninja Division, and I was pleased that they finally surfaced - although two more minis remain yet to be released: Legion and the new Limited Edition Celia.

The initial painting was pretty quick as I went back and forth between this and other minis I have tackled for Zomtober. I am hoping that in the last couple months of 2015 I can at least get one or two more Anima Tactics units finished.

I haven't played the game in quite a while, with enthusiasm seriously dampened by the Cipher decision about the game, but hope to maybe play a game or two soon or early next year. It would be nice to get Sharsha onto the table if I do. In game terms, Sharsha is having to compete with Organization-specific units as well as other Wanderers for the coveted Wanderer slot in a Party (except Black Sun who she cannot work with). Therefore she has to offer something exceptional, and with her Power Token management adding extra options such as instant AP recovery (theoretically allowing for 7 AP expenditure once per game), Healing, coming back from being reduced to 0 Life Points, and increased Speed, then I think arguably she does.

For Advantage Cards, I think the ideal choice is Orb of Power so she starts with 1 Power Token, and meaning she should be up to 2 or 3 Tokens by the end of her first Turn if she also uses her Pure Anger Action twice - that sets her ready to use Limit Break (AP recovery) and just 1 Power Token short of being ready to use Beyond the Grave which allows her to return from being reduced to 0 LP.

Running Totals

Anima Tactics Units Units Painted/Owned: 74/169 (43.8%; added - Sharsha, Nimrod, Anaximenes, September and another Ahriman. Lord of Darkness)

Anima Tactics Discrete Units Painted/Range: 70/163 different units (42.9 %)

Year to Date Target: 4 of 18 units (3 per month target; 13%)

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%)

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%)

The Colonel

The Colonel is the head of Les Jaeger, and a man whose power and influence extends across the entire world.

The Colonel is the third member of Team Les Jaeger that I have painted, and leaves just one more mini (Kirsten) to finish the whole Team; Team Les Jaeger is currently the only Team comprising 4 units.

In game terms, The Colonel is formidable prospect, with hand to hand and ranged Attacks, as well as the option to steal Life Points from allies and a defensive Action, meaning he is potentially quite durable. However as a member of Team Les Jaeger he gains Arbiter status, adding bonus Actions to his Team. Looking at the Team, I really cannot see a good reason to not invest the 5 Levels Advantage Card cost to get the benefits. He also has the Initiative ability which helps with the Initiative Roll each Turn.

This mini has been assembled for several months, and I think it would have remained unpainted had I not finished painting Reindhold so close to having some time off work. I had some motivation and was able to get him finished over three to four sessions. I may go and do a little more tot he flame to create greater hot to less hot contrast. Please forgive the ropey photography.

This takes me to four Anima Tactics units for the month, and with a few days left I hope that I can get at least one more done before the end of August. It will help me recover some of the deficit that has built up!

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing new since the last unit, but I am hoping for another couple of releases soon...)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 61 (57 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 37.4% (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: 37.5%
Year to Date Target: 20 of 24 units (3 per month target; 83%)

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%)

Raziel Archetypum

My rate of painting has fallen off a cliff once again. This month has required a lot of attention for the course I am doing and as part of the Pulp City creative team. For some reason, I just have not made even the odd five minutes for painting to keep things ticking over.

I started this one at the beginning of May to try to rectify that, but soon lost all momentum. With the bank holiday weekend I decided I needed to get a mini finished, and this made the most sense in terms of stage of completion. My enthusiasm for painting, which is limited at the best of times, has pretty much gone out the window.

The Raziel Archetypum is a step up in raw power from the weaker (lower Level) Undead that Black Sun can draw upon. As with most other non-unique Undead, there are some options in terms of upgrades, and when assembling the mini I chose to give it Dual Raxxors (the huge swords). The paint scheme reflects my usual approach to Black Sun foot soldiers.

I am hoping to get some games in in the next month or so, so a Black Sun Party could well get a run out before too long I hope!

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 158 (added: another Hellhound and another Wrath of Nature; also I have 4 minis on back order....)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 53 (51 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 33.5% (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: 33.8%
Year to Date Target: 12 of 15 units (3 per month target; 80%)

Tiamat

Tiamat is described as the youngest of the four 7th Heaven Knights that serve the Empress, and as a lazy womanizer, but with a peerless talent for fighting.

He is also my fifty-first completed mini for Anima Tactics as my painting rolls on. Tiamat utilises the same basic Empire colour scheme that I have used elsewhere (although there will come a variation when I eventually come to the likes of Samiel and Iosara), with the addition of red as a flourish which should help him stand out a little against the rank and file. I may repeat that red flourish on other Empire Leaders as it should help keep them looking a little distinct.

Tiamat offers me a bit of flexibility for building up my Empire towards a reasonable size Party (i.e. 300 Levels), since he is an Optional Leader, meaning I could still add a unit like Griever if I wanted. With Tiamat I now have around 275 Levels of Empire, so a couple more units are probably needed to make viable Party configurations. It could still be a while before I play a game with Empire, except maybe at a lower Level game such as 200 Levels (usually around 4-5 units).

In game terms, Tiamat looks like a decent fighter, although not in the class of some more combat-focused units; balancing that he has some support capability, with Actions that can disrupt enemies (World of Wires and Starlight Romance - and the latter is an area effect which is very potent) and has an Action that offers exceptional Haste for a paltry cost of 1 AP (basically better than most if not all Neokinesis). He has a fairly low Armor compared to some Empire units, but is very mobile so covers some of their perceived weaknesses.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 156 (added: nothing, but currently several mins are on order...)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 51 (49 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 32.7% (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: 32.4%

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%

Ahriman, Lord Of Darkness

My fourth Anima Tactics mini finished in March, and this was done from base colours to finish in a few hours, and completed in one day - something my haphazard painting process normally forgoes!

I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do for this mini for a while, but never made a start. Then I changed my mind, picked up the mini, and wanted to try a couple of new-ish paints in my collection from Reaper. The final scheme then formulated pretty quickly and I quite enjoyed doing a 'quick and done' paint-job. Nothing fantastic about the painting here, but done quickly to a satisfying standard, and yet another mini finished, and a step closer to number 50.

I am particularly chuffed to get another Dark Summon finished as that then frees up more balanced options for games.

Ahriman, Lord of Darkness is a unit that has benefited from the points costs revisions in the 2013 Saga III & IV Update. Costs have dropped to 35 and 45 Levels for the two differing forms. But in all honestly I can see no good reason to use the lesser form as the greater form has 1 extra point of Attack, but more importantly has an extra Bind Point, meaning it can stay in the game longer. Mitigating that Bind Point difference requires for more  than the equivalent cost in my humble opinion, so a no-brainer. And there is more; the higher level version benefits from Intangibility, meaning only enemy units with Magic or Ki Attacks or Effects, or of a Level higher than Ahriman, Lord of Darkness' Atman of 60 (so characters of Level 65 and above), can actually harm this particular Summon - pretty nasty then.

In the background, the Lords of Darkness appear to be the elemental opposites of the Maidens of Light. Since I am planning to eventually paint a second Elhaym, Maiden of Light, it would make sense to paint a second Ahriman, Lord of Darkness. Another purchase to make then!

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 155 (added: nothing, but thinking of ordering a second Arhiman, Lord of Darkness...)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 47 (45 different models)
Painted Minis Percentage: 30.3% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 150 (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 30.0%

Type-020: Verrier

It has been a long lay-off from painting for me (due to working on the recent Pulp City Kickstarter), at least relative to my productivity in 2013. Therefore I am pretty pleased to have painted a few minis over the past few days.

I have managed to paint some Anima Tactics and non-Anima Tactics stuff that I hope will ignite some overall painting momentum, with a view to getting back on track.

This weekend I finished three minis including this one, and in the past few days I have prepped several other Anima Tactics minis: Luther Delacroix; another Al-Djinn; and Freya. While I already had a lot of stuff prepped, I am hoping completing 'some things' right now helps spur me on to getting some serious painting done in the next few weeks and months - time will tell of course, as ever!

This model has been in my pile of blisters for a few months, but having some time off work this week freed up a bit of painting time, so I had a small surge of motivation and assembled and painted this quite quickly by my standards; it effectively 'jumped the painting queue', but having not finished any painting for several weeks I am okay with that. While not my best work, I am happy with the results especially for a quick turnaround.

In game terms, one Type-020: Verrier can be taken per every 150 Levels of a Party. As an Undead unit you cannot attach Advantage Cards to them, so the key choice regarding the Type-020: Verrier is which upgrade to use. I suspect my primary choice will be the Queen until I get to grips with Guidance Points and Controllers; the Queen option allows lower-Level Undead to ignore the Uncontrollable rule. The options allow this unit to be fielded at Levels between 30 and 40. I have another Type-020: Verrier waiting in the wings (pardon the pun!), although not yet assembled, but with this unit finished and the next (to be shown in a few days), my Black Sun force is really growing; I expect to show a new Party picture very soon, and hope to get them on the table in the next few months.

I am also closing in on having a complete collection of the minis. There have been a couple of recent releases which I have yet to pick up (Gear Mk. Trithemius and October), so by my count I need five more minis for the complete set. Getting closer, although the paint total still falls short!

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 155 (added: Luther Delacroix; Mijhail Mashen’ka; a second Type-020: Verrier; and a second Type-004: Hellhound/ Hellhound)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 44 (43 different models)
Painted Minis Percentage: 28.4% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 150 (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 28.7% (this includes the two new releases)

XII

Phew, painting slump averted, I hope! Especially as it was three and a half weeks since Rayne was finished (well except for fixing her eyes).

He is described as the reserved and solitary supervisor of the Crows of Wissenschaft. The majority of Agents of the organization have never seen him, much less know him. He is a shadow that crawls in the dark, someone who appears inexplicably in different places of the world and leaves without a trace. Many say that he is no more than a ghost, a legend whose mantle is taken up by a different person over and over again.

I like this mini a lot, but then any regular reader knows I say that about most of this range, so nothing new there! I blocked out the base colours a couple of weeks ago then just struggled to paint anything. Finishing a Pulp City mini in the past couple of days helped reignite my motivations, which meant I was able to paint the majority of this in a couple of hours. I love the sword gun type weapon, which is a staple of some Japanese console rpgs.

If the picture looks a little odd at all, it is because I needed to do a quick fix to sharpen up the image. I also noticed I need to tidy up the purple sleeves where they meet the gloves.

In game terms, XII is naturally an accurate model with good Attack value. He also has a potential two to three hit combo of Actions he can use, so even lacking high Damage, against low Armor units I imagine he could be devastating. For Advantage Cards I am thinking either Supernatural Weapon or Piercing Weapon and Clock of Chronos; the former will add to his overall Damage potential, while the latter will try and ensure he can maintain those aforementioned two or three hit combos. No Primal on this guy, as the Damage boost would most likely be wiped out in a single Turn.

He is also a member of Team Assault Group, and the last unit I needed to paint for that Team, so it is nice to have another Team finished. I am hoping I can get some more games in of Anima Tactics in the next few months, and hope XII takes to the field alongside the rest of his Team.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 151 (added: Hecatondies Zero Sigma and a second Elhaym, Maiden of Light)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 43 (42 different models)
Painted Minis Percentage: 28.5% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 148 (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 28.4% (this is going to look different as I go forward with some new releases due soon)

Rayne (XXI)

My first painted mini of 2014, and my 42nd Anima Tactics mini in all.

While it is not my best work (the face is disappointing), I have enjoyed painting this model (the jacket is pleasing and looks better in hand), and that is always a bonus! I hope it bodes for a good year ahead on the minis painting front.

Rayne, also known by the designation XXI, is a Wissenschaft Warrior who forms part of Team Assault Group, along with Lorenzo Cortes (aka VIII) and their mysterious Leader, XII. As I have been finishing Rayne, I have been thinking more and more that I want to get this Team finished sooner than later, although to make things  a bit more balanced, I also ought to try and finish a Church or Black Sun Team too.

In game terms Rayne looks to have an amazing Charge among other abilities; it does not have an especially high Damage value, but it is Attack 13 without enhancements, meaning with Gnosis or buffs, pretty much any target is fair game, even Dodging enemies.

In addition the Team option is an excellent return for 5 Levels of Advantage Card, and she also has Neokinesis, suggesting synergy with Dereck Shezard and Celia if they then take the Neokinesis Magnus Plot Card. I can see a Party with those characters featuring in a game or two this year (probably in Rob's hands since he has enjoyed playing Wissenschaft).


Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 149 (added: Lilian Virgil; and Dagger - one of which has now been assembled and undercoated...)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 42 (41 different models)
Painted Minis Percentage: 28.2% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 148 (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 27.7%

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%

Celia

Gotta paint 'em all! Yet another Anima Tactics mini painted by me, hot on the heels of Genma, and this one feels like more of a milestone than any of the preceding 39 did. I know that sounds obvious, but 40 minis painted seems like a nice, substantial number (heck, it is more minis by far than my last WH40K Grand Tournament army which was a meager 27 models; all Terminators mind you...). There is a sense of satisfaction having hit 40 minis painted for the range where just over a year ago I had been stuck at painting none of these.

So this is Celia; there is also a limited edition version, but that will be purely for painting and is never likely to be a gaming piece (except maybe at home). Celia is a Wissenschaft Warrior and is, I think, one of the older models in the line. That said, despite having quite a simple selection of abilities and Actions, and being an older unit, she still looks pretty useful to me.

In line with many non-Gear Wissenschaft units, Celia looks potentially quite fragile (no Armor, fairly low Life points), but this is made up by a decent Defense value and an excellent enhanced Dodge. Her special Attack looks a very good option too. She suffers from low Damage value, but using her main Attack she is likely to hit most targets, and using a Gnosis roll will have a good chance even against many Dodging targets. So using her against against targets with decent Armor or Life Points is less than ideal, but against more vulnerable options she looks like she could shine. I am also rubbing my hands at the thought of eventually trying her out with Dereck Shezard and Rayne as masters of Neokinesis; a true speed team with great Action Point recovery potential in the right circumstances. And compounded that both Celia and Dereck saw cost breaks in the recent update from Anima Studios Project/Cipher Studios/Edge Entertainment.

Speaking of 'circumstances', a Party featuring heavy use of Neokinesis demands that the Neokinesis Magnus Plot Card is used to maximize returns; I really need to think about the game-based timing issues required for that!

This year I have painted quite a few Anima Tactics minis (by my standards that is!), and if I can get another one done before 2013 concludes, that would make 36 for the year, or an average of 3 per month which would be a nice achievement I think.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 147 (added: nothing, but still awaiting that recent order)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 40 (39 different models)
Painted Minis Percentage: 27.2% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 148 (including 2 LE minis)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 26.4%

Ignis, Fire Demon

This has been stuck in the dread 'painting queue' for rather a long time. Bits of work were done on it, but very haphazardly from the outset. For example it was initially undercoated in black; then I realised that was a big mistake, so used some yellow spray to re-undercoat  it. Then some of the red base colour got slapped on and I noticed there was some extra gap filling to be done as the red was painted. So it simply got put to one side due to encountering those problems (mostly of my own creation). After very recently painting Maximo Ligori, I had a little bit of renewed motivation, so did a bit of work on Genma (also a very long time in the painting queue - as can be seen from this post here from 20 months ago), but thought to myself, I really had to finish Ignis, Fire Demon.

I did a quick bit of dry-brushing and washes on the red body, and set to work on the flames, before some final highlights to the body of the model. The flames have been the most time consuming, and although a bit of a challenge (reversing the usual progression of dark to light to light to dark from recesses to out aspects of the flame does take a little getting used to for me), I am actually reasonably happy with the results, and very happy it is finally done and finished. Not brilliant, but done, and a real change of palette from the recent Black Sun Undead units and Faust Orbatos and Maximo Ligori.

I had originally envisioned having two or three of these, but given how long it has taken me to get around to finishing it, I think I will stick with one. It is quite a tall model, approximately three and half inches from the base to the tip of the flames, so matches the Wrath of Nature in height (but certainly not bulk!).

With finishing this one, I have painted over 25% of the models I have for Anima Tactics. The next one I finish should take me to exactly one quarter of the available range, unless they suddenly release some more in the next few weeks!

Having more Summon options now means I really do need to get some more effective Summoners painted up (specifically Belith, Genma and Covel), and probably at least one more Dark Summon for a little bit of balance. In game terms Ignis, Fire Demon has seen a cost reduction from the 2013 Update. I know from reading the Cipher Studios Forums some players did not view it as a particularity effective unit previously, but there seemed to be some strong points about it that looked good to me (high Damage, base size, its special abilities), so with reduced cost it does look tastier than before. As a summon, there are no Advantage Card issues to plan for, so the primary decision is whether to take the super-cheap lesser form or the slightly more expensive greater form.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 147 (added: still not added anything for a while, but that may change soon-ish)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 37
Painted Minis Percentage: 25.1% (percentage of minis owned and painted)

Maximo Ligori

I do rather like this mini; well I like the range immensely. but this one really appeals to me. There is a lyric from a Cult song that goes something like "He's a real heavy dude, in a killing mood" which to me sums up Ligori very well. I think the imagery is just right (sharp edges, asymmetrical armour, brutal looking weapon, chains etc.), and the name is just perfect in my humble opinion. In other words he looks like a 'bad mutha'.

This was a fairly quick paint-job, although broken up into sessions of downtime from some course-work I am doing. The only real tie-in to my planned Azur colour-scheme is the dark/black cloth, but I hope he will still fit in nonetheless. However Azur are definitely down the pecking order of my painting right now, so it will be a while before more are done. At least I think so...

On his Actions and Abilities is where Maximo Ligori gets very interesting if you ask me. This unit is now a few years old, but still fits a useful niche. All his Actions and Abilities are geared to him getting stuck into close combat. One of the key interactions is his Raxxor Slayer Action, which doubles Damage on a Critical Hit; combined with Critical Mastery and a decent base Damage value, and use of Gnosis means he has something like a 36% chance of doing double Damage if I have worked out the probability correctly. Line him up against targets with no significant Armor and less than 16 LP and he has a good chance of taking them out in a single attack unless they Dodge.

The downside for Ligori is that to function optimally he needs to take Damage in close combat, and although he has good LP, his Armor value is not huge. So keeping him alive is important. That makes me think that taking Raphael's Gift or Heart of Gold as Advantage Card would perhaps be the best option. Alternatively good old Elemental Weapon or Primal adds to the one-shot kill capability he can muster.

Not sure when Maximo Ligori will actually get a run out, but I look forwards to it when he finally does.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 147 (added: continues to be nothing!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 36
Painted Minis Percentage: 24.5% (percentage of minis owned and painted)

Faust Orbatos

Sudden change of gears here! Black Sun unit after Black Sun unit, then...a Wanderer. Faust Orbatos is one of the earliest models in the range, and one of the few not sculpted by main sculptor Juan Navarro Perez, instead sculpted by Bobby Jackson, and the difference shows. The chunkiness of the sword would not be out of place on a 1990's GW Chaos Warrior IMHO, and does not really do the original concept art justice. That said, it was reasonably quick to paint by my standards (which as ever has the caveat of not saying much!), and allowed me to try a variation on my 'gold' outwith my Empire units where I will stick to my usual approach as far as is possible.

In game terms Faust Orbatos is one of the earliest models rules-wise I would guess, since he was an early model produced, but looking at his card he largely stands up well I think. He has a Ki action which is unlikely to see use, simply due to its relatively low Effect value compared to the typical range of Resistance and alternative units' Effect values that now abound in the wider game. However his two Attacks look devastating. The old version of his card lists these two Attacks as +5 for 3 Action Points (which is great), but apparently the errata says it should be +6. Either way, opponents are pretty much forced to Dodge or be hit. He has good Armour, reasonable Damage and LP, and is pretty fast. At 60 Levels he is quite expensive to include in a Party, but is is a mobile 'tank' with deadly Attacks which is unusual to say the least. I will be very interested to see him in a game sometime.

Advantage cards that make sense to me are Raphael's Gift (keeps in the game longer, and mitigates one of his actions); Supernatural Armor; Alinor (to keep him in contact with foes); Heart of Gold (extra LP - nice!); and the usual standbys for Warriors of Elemental Weapon or Primal. Supernatural Weapon seems a little redundant I think.

Faust's background posits him as the last member of the renowned Orbatos lineage, a man marked by a dark destiny. After the destruction of his entire family, he now wanders the world looking for his destiny, even if it takes him to the depths of hell.

Not sure what will be painted next, as painting this was purely down to sudden inspiration, but I hope that either Kira, Genma or Covel could be finished soon, but time will tell on that. Still, more than anything, another one down!

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 147 (added: still nothing!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 35
Painted Minis Percentage: 23.8% (percentage of minis owned and painted)