Task Force Gold ready for shakedown cruise!

It's been a very short week again as I'm just a sleep time away from going to work. I wasn't able to get too far in hobby time this weekend either. Projects with my kids, running, and saying goodbye to my best friend a fuzzy companion. My St Bernard mix had to go to a better place as the tumor in her mouth removed all the teeth from her right side of her face and began to fester. It seems the bigger the dog the more of your heart they take, and I'm still missing my faithful companion. It's not the same running or hiking through the woods without her loping besides me. Still I'm thankful that I got to see her when my deployment ended, and we have made a lot more happier memories since I've been back home and before she got cancer.

So, Task Force Crimson is still broken, chipped, and generally roughed up. I still have to repair them; however, I did get Task Force yellow repainted(except for metallics and engine-glow). I also ran into a problem as not only am I using P3 blues since my GW blues are gone, but I also have changed my painting style.

A very rough photo, but the cruiser with the red prow was dry brushed with an off white where now I use an over brush of a color specific highlight such as a light blue, light gray, etc.

I also decided that the smaller escorts would look much better with prows that matched the larger ships.

Another comparison shot of the cobra destroyers. I now have 20 of these ships which will form 5 squadrons of four ships.

I used red for the weapon batteries and yellow, red, and green for the running lights. The red and yellow are really good spot colors for the fleet. Yet, I want another Imperial battleship and some more cruisers; therefore, at least two of the new cobra destroyers and all four plastic cruisers from the "new" game are going to form the smaller(for now) Task Force Black.

The Retribution class battleship is the flagship of Task force Gold and is flanked by it's subordinate cruisers. The two ships to either side are Gothic class cruisers. The large turrets painted red are lance batteries which cause lots of damage and are also why I like the cobras so much. A broadside from these two cruisers will knock out shields and perhaps cause significant damage, without shields a squadron of cobras can usually put the enemy craft out of the fight.

the name for these destroyers is very apt!

All the ships ready for battle, after a few more hours work.

Hopefully it will be of decent temperature next week. If so, I might be able to get the chaos, ork, and new imperial ships primed and ready for the brush. I gotta go and get the kids ready for school, so we will see how far I get next week!