The MonsterPocalypse is a coming

[Ratty]

As I said in another thread I'm going to pop up my MonPoc models for people to see. I wasn't entirely sure about this game when it came out, mainly due to the prepainted models and the fact it's collectable.

Strangely neither is really a problem. The models actually come up really nice if repainted and take paint really well. The second thing is due to the size of each set/faction it's not hard to get what you need. Also it's not entirely random, in a case you will get every monster and a even spread of the minions so if you have friends that want to get into it or a LGS you can normally swap to get everything you need especially if everyone chooses a faction at the start. (it's also quite easy to order off line)

They have just released a 2 player starter which is an amazing deal and gives you 2 playable factions.

The Gameplay is inspired, it's very tactical. I've seen a lot of the collectables like Heroclicks played and a lot of them seem to lack any subtlety (generally ending up with the 2 most powerful models slugging it out with one power for 100s of turns, YAWN). MonPoc is different. You have minions (which you can constantly respawn) and your Monster (which has 2 forms Nomal and Hyper, Ultra or Mega [the last 2 are LE collectors versions which can replace the normal Hyper version, generally they are no more powerful than the normal Hyper version but they play a bit differently]).

You have a pool of 10 white action dice, which move back and forth from the Minion pool to the Monster Pool. When it's your turn you choose whether your activating you Monster or Minions most of the time which ever one has white dice in it's pool, however you can be sly and only use half your white dice in a turn, which can allow you to take two Monster turns in a row, this can be really useful.

Your Minions job is to hold building, Power Up zones which allow you to get red dice that allow your monster to do their best attacks, they are also really important to shield your monsters to stop them getting smashed into multiple buildings.

Monsters are your main powerhouse to do damage to your opponent, the game is over when a player have lost both forms of their Monster. Monsters can use power dice to both power up into their Hyper form (which can most of the time do more damage) and do Power Attacks (which are really cool). To do a Power Attack you must be lined up edge to edge which is where the minions come in to potect you edges. If you can get into the right position you can smash a monster back through multiple buildings which can kill a form in one shot so you have to be really careful to make sure you don't get into a position where this can be done.

Anyway it's a very enjoyable and very strategic. I would recommend finding a friend that has it and trying it out.

Also Tim Burton is making a film of it... Giant Monsters destroying things, should be cool.

Anyway this is Ancient Osheroth, he's a bit wierd as instead of having a normal and Hyper form, he has 4 tentacles which work a bit like minions that combine into a Huge tentacled Cthulite monster... *gribble, gribble, gribble*. This is how he's supplied. My major issue is that all the tentacles have different abilities, but the models are all the same with just different colour tips.

So I converted them, The one that spawns minions has little alien style egg sacks on the base and Slime. The one that can pick up minions an throw them at people has just grabbed a Martian UFO out of the air. The one that is Vampiric and has Armour piercing has large blades attached to it's tentacles and blood dripping of. The last one that can Hit and Run is chasing a human.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Ratty

[thetang22]

Those did turn out very nice

All the colors balance out well together.

[Ratty]

ta tang.

I collect Fiends which are your basic Evil Gribblies. Each Cycle they are do a different faction for each Agenda. The first cycle was Cthulhu type monsters. The Second faction which is still being release for Fiends is Subterranean Uprising or as most people call them MOLE MEN. I mean what's not to like about giant moles with drills for hands that want to blot out the sun and turn the whole surface of the world into their dark domain (They also have smaller moles with vacuum cleaners to collect humans, they are also quite cool) .

[KirigakurenoHaku]

Wow! What a huge difference! You've just turned something average in appearance into something truly worth being proud of! I commend you for your work; very nice! ^o^

[the keeper]

that Ancient Osheroth is pure win

[oozeboss]

Although I'm not tempted by the actual game (I have enough difficulties focusing on one, so it's my issue rather than the game's), I am in awe of your work. The molemen especially, as they are the most attractive non-Neverborn minions in our game.

The standard of your superb downloads is sustained here. Kudos!

[Ratty]

Yasheth and some minions. Really haven't got the hang of using this one. He's meant to be a vampiric model so he keeps healing himself, but he really can't do much damage, and more importantly his wings don't work so he has to walk everywhere.

[Ciaran]

How long have you been painting? Everything you paint and share blows me away.

[Ratty]

Since I was 8 so about 23 years.

[Ciaran]

Nice! Is there a specific style that you use to get your results?

[Ratty]

I think the trick with painting is to everytime you get a chance try out new styles. I worked for GW for 5 years and if we had a customer come in that painted diferently to the norm I would always try to sit down and get a painting lesson from them. The best thing to do is have a really big collection of tools (styles) and then choose the one that works in the given situation. For example I had a painting lesson from a french painter. The french paint very differently to the English normally off a white base. I almost always work off black, but if I want the colours to ping I sometimes rebase coat and work in the french style in an area.

[Ciaran]

I noticed that with the French as well. Bonamant's style reminds me of a watercolor painting, ironic considering that's the type of brush he uses.

I'm going to have to buy a ton of models and just get to painting again I think.

What paints do you use? Any preference?

[Ratty]

I like the GW washes. Valejo made some wonderful paints and I'm more and more moving over to them over time. Some of the GW foundation paints I use a lot others not so much, Charadon Granite and Khemri Brown are really useful, I used to use Tallern Flesh a lot but I've just moved over to Valejo Brown Sand and I'm finding it's got good coverage and flows much nicer than Tallern Flesh.

[Ratty]

I still use the old GW inks, I really need to find a replacement before the brown runs out. I believe Winsor and Newton Inks might do the job, anyone tried them?

[Ciaran]

Thank you! I should have asked a few more questions. If you don't mind:

Do you use extenders?

What sorts of brushes do you prefer?

Do you use magnifying glasses?

I ask a ton of questions, it's my researcher mentality.

[Ratty]

I'm aweful about preparedness. I generally use which ever brush I have handy. The majority of my Kirai force was painted with a GW Basecoat brush. Generally I get cheap brushes and get new ones once they die. I don't use any extenders or magnifying glass, just water and licking the brush.

[Ratty]

This baby is Ulgoth, I wanted him to look very bright and pestilent. The other really cool thing with this model is all the transparent plastic in the boils and the area under his chin.

[Shadeau Gorgon]

I still use the old GW inks, I really need to find a replacement before the brown runs out. I believe Winsor and Newton Inks might do the job, anyone tried them?

Try P3's inks. I have used them and I like them...

[Ratty]

Try P3's inks. I have used them and I like them...

They don't seem to do a colour that matches the old GW Brown. The smoke is a bit black.

[ispep]

MonPoc never really picked up around here. Our Henchman is also a pressganger, and was doing demos for a little while, but it was never more than a handful of people buying, and I think the most I ever saw playing were 2 people.

It looked interesting, but I never gave it a try. I blame Dreamblade.

Regardless, your repaints look really good. Nice work.

[Monkey]

I still use the old GW inks, I really need to find a replacement before the brown runs out. I believe Winsor and Newton Inks might do the job, anyone tried them?

The Winsor and newton are good inks. I used them over hte GW one for years.. even when working for GW. Ahhh good memorys of pouring the Winsor ink in to the GW pots so we could use them on the shop floor.

That said Devlin mud one of the new GW inks are fantastic.

I use them neat for a heavy wash and then they thin well with just water/paint for tinted glase. I now use them over the winsor stuff

If you mix the mud with the blue ink you get a great smoke for silver metalics.

[Svenn]

Those look great! I didn't think they'd take so well to being painted.

[Ratty]

The silver is a pain to cover the paint runs off it like water on oil.. but after a few coats it works.

[Ratty]

Some more of my Molemen minions.

[Ratty]

The Winsor and newton are good inks. I used them over hte GW one for years.. even when working for GW. Ahhh good memorys of pouring the Winsor ink in to the GW pots so we could use them on the shop floor.

That said Devlin mud one of the new GW inks are fantastic.

I use them neat for a heavy wash and then they thin well with just water/paint for tinted glase. I now use them over the winsor stuff

If you mix the mud with the blue ink you get a great smoke for silver metalics.

I agree about the GW washes, but sometimes I want a stain not a wash, you can use the old inks in a really different way. I find it's great if I want to build up a much deeper less smooth finish, like rust.