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I'm really digging the collar on that cultist. c:

 Pandlers wrote:
I'm really digging the collar on that cultist. c:

Thank you!



I did a quick little blurb in the Organization and Leadership section of the background information on the main page. It's not much of an update, but it's something! I'm certainly not done with that section yet but I still have to work on the semantics of an actual Legion organization tree a la the one seen in the first Horus Heresy book from Forge World. Maybe I'll even draw up an actual picture/graph thing. That'd be cool.

I'm seriously gonna have to take a closer look at the Black Ark Corsair kit. Figured it was mostly only useful for Alpha Legion types, so I never paid it much mind, but that collar would really spice up a WB cultist... Looks just fine on #8, though. Nicely done.

By the way, the photos are definitely better with the plain background but you might still want to play with exposure if your phone has that option, and maybe fiddle with contrast and brightness in whatever photomanipulation program you prefer (AutoCorrect is wrong more often than it's right, in my experience) - in some cases (Cultist #8) the photos seem a bit dim overall, and in others (Axios/Malcates) the white is overpowering while the mini is very shadowy.

Sorry if I'm being pedantic about the photos, I'm hardly an expert... Anyway, the minis are still great!

 RazakelXIII wrote:
I'm seriously gonna have to take a closer look at the Black Ark Corsair kit. Figured it was mostly only useful for Alpha Legion types, so I never paid it much mind, but that collar would really spice up a WB cultist... Looks just fine on #8, though. Nicely done.

By the way, the photos are definitely better with the plain background but you might still want to play with exposure if your phone has that option, and maybe fiddle with contrast and brightness in whatever photomanipulation program you prefer (AutoCorrect is wrong more often than it's right, in my experience) - in some cases (Cultist #8) the photos seem a bit dim overall, and in others (Axios/Malcates) the white is overpowering while the mini is very shadowy.

Sorry if I'm being pedantic about the photos, I'm hardly an expert... Anyway, the minis are still great!

You totally should, man. It's a really great kit. I totally get what you're saying about the contrast, especially in the last pic. I'm still working on getting a proper hobby lamp both for modelling and photography so hopefully that will help when I get one.


Anyways, a quick question for you guys because I need an opinion. My first thought for basing and setting for these models was to do an urban rubble/cities of death theme centered around the narrative that the Legion is bringing a hive city on an Imperial world into compliance. However, though I'm pretty sold on the idea, I'm totally open to other ideas for how to theme my bases. Desert? Swamp? Snow? Mars-y red sands? What ideas do you guys have? Right now all the models have plain bases so I'm pretty much open to anything.

Definitely think the urban bases would be the best choice.

Well, this is awesome. Subbed,

I think an urban setting is the way to go.... you've already got some really cool models and you could hack some apart for some more dynamic poses on rubble and cover and such. Plus it goes along with your vision that they are taking over an Imperial world.

Take that, loyalist scum!

Fantastic Work Buddy.... Im happy to see you on another cool project.

Check out this guys basing idea, they're quite jaw dropping.

Go ahead on the urban look, can't really go too wrong with that.

I mean you can also add in desert dust, red martian ashes or whatever building up in the recesses of the rubble to add some colour to what otherwise would be quite a lot of greys, oily browns and black.

I do like the idea of the Alpha Legion's final victory-giving attack on an Imperial hive. The phase of patient long-game infiltration and breaking it down from within has ended, and the Legionnaires and agents have risen up to claim what deserves to be theirs!

I don't know if you've considered scraps of Imperial propaganda littered around, perhaps a wall desecrated by Alpha Legion symbology and slogans here, a torn-down pro-Imperium poster there? Something like that to add to the "liberated city" feeling I'm getting from what you've said?

Good work all round I should add as well. :

Thank you everyone for the praise and advice!

@Insane Smile, thanks for the link. There's some really nice stuff on there! Gives me some good ideas....

@Mister Feral, not bad ideas at all! I really like the idea of Imperial propaganda litter and the Legion graffiti. I'm definitely going to look into that.

+++

I definitely think that, given the response, urban is the way to go! Just a quick update for today, but I've started on the Cataphractii Terminators. I've gotta say, these are really cool models but they are deceptively difficult to put together. The limbs are quite heavy and the base connections are rather thin, so I've pinned this one (and likely all the rest) to all hell (arms, waist, feet-to-base); he shouldn't come apart any time soon. I also did a nifty little ruined urban path on his base, just to try my hand at some urban basing. With Mister Feral's idea, I may add a little ripped up poster to it at a later time but, regardless, the base isn't done. He's getting an autocannon and I still need to glue his head on, but I'm not sure which head I want to use.



In other news, I did some minor work on some of the cultists that I already posted. Cultist #1 "Shiv" got a few more strands of green stuff rope around his arm to make the blade and the arm blend more seamlessly. Cultist #3 got another little patch of scales on his back. Finally, Cultist Leader #1 had an unfortunate accident. I dropped him while moving a group of them and he landed on his claws, bending them to all hell. I clipped his hand off and gave him a hand with an autopistol. I actually prefer the way it looks. I also drilled out all the gun barrels on the cultists you've seen so far. Anyways, that's all for today!

I really like the weathering on the base, any chance of getting a close up of the details?

 Pandlers wrote:
I really like the weathering on the base, any chance of getting a close up of the details?

Ask and you shall receive!



I also started working on another Cataphractii Terminator. I used the shaved-down Berzerker head and a pair of lightning claws (these things are ludicrously fragile). I really like the way he looks. I still gotta make him a fancy base and pop on a grenade launcher for his back.

Brother Alessar

So, a quick update today about something I've been pondering after having a PM discussion with RazakelXIII.

When I first went into this thread, it was my intention with the fluff to demystify a Legion that was purposefully mysterious and unknown. I thought that by doing this, it would help readers and myself to give a defined character to a faction of Space Marines whose background was left intentionally nebulous by their creators. I now realize, while I do have faith in my ability to write really cool background information with lots of breakdowns of the various aspects of their inner workings, that by doing this I am kind of spoiling what makes the Alpha Legion so great. They are a Legion dedicated to the idea of secrecy and discretion, misdirection and mystique. By giving them a defined character, I am eliminating the very thing that makes them such a brilliant faction in the first place as well as the main thing that drew me to wanting to collect them. So I have decided, with RazakelXIII's advice, I will be writing and rewriting the majority of the fluff blurbs in this thread with less definitive material than I have been. Each section will be a collection of theories and vague subjective references about the subject rather than definitive information about it. I think that this will allow you, the reader, to formulate your own view of who the Legion is rather than being forced to accept my view of what they're all about. The only exception to this rule will possibly be the History section, which I do want to cover in a fairly substantiated manner.


Anyways, that's all for today.


Hydra Dominatus

Hello, fellow agents of the Legion. I come today with a fairly substantial update for today. The first two Cataphractii Terminators, Alessar and Raskus, are finished and ready to be painted up (eventually...). I really, really, really love the way the bases come out. I tell you what, it may be expensive but that urban basing kit from Games Workshop is actually really nice. Also, you can't tell but that's a little broken I-beam sticking out of Raskus' base. I'm really happy with the way that little detail ended up. So without further ado, here they are:

Brother Alessar


Brother Raskus



Enjoy!

Hydra Dominatus

Looking good, looking forward to some paint.

Very nice work. I love the scale cloaks on the basic marines. Were those just cut up from the Dark Elf Corsairs?

 l0k1 wrote:
Very nice work. I love the scale cloaks on the basic marines. Were those just cut up from the Dark Elf Corsairs?

Yep! They come with the back part of the elf torso attached, so you have to file and cut that part out and try to cut it so it fits fairly flush with the torso. You also have to clip and file off the part where the backpack attaches from the SM torso.

Ah I see that! Were you able to find those backs separately (and where)or did you buy a couple boxes of dark elf corsairs?

 l0k1 wrote:
Ah I see that! Were you able to find those backs separately (and where)or did you buy a couple boxes of dark elf corsairs?

Generally speaking, the bits are kind of expensive; like $2.00 to $2.50 per cape. So to get enough for a box of ten marines, you have to spend $20 to $25 to get capes for all of them plus shipping. At that rate, it's more bang for your buck to just buy the set of Corsairs since the box set is only $25 from GW. You get lots of nice bits for almost the same price as it would cost to get ten of just the capes.

Looking good so far mate.

What's up with the bit of greenstuff on the rear of the autocannon? Gotta assume it's there for a reason.

 Snrub wrote:
Looking good so far mate.

What's up with the bit of greenstuff on the rear of the autocannon? Gotta assume it's there for a reason.

The cast on the autocannon was pretty miserable. It's there to cover up resin bubbles and imperfections.

Good blog so far DB. Lookin forward to see how you're gonna do the Colour Scheme.

This is a very awesome blog so far, I'm definitely looking forwards to seeing what you do next.
The Corsair cloaks look very cool, I've been thinking about using them with some of my characters and those pics might just give me the inspiration to go and do so.
Also you keep asking for names for the cultists and I'm quite surprised nobody has come out with the suggestion of "Bob, Agent of Hydra." I thought it was quite an apt and clichéd suggestion but might just work.

l love it so far! I hope it just keeps getting better.

I love it keep going !

@ShenloanneMade: Thank you, I'm definitely playing around with some color schemes in my head. I do love to paint models but I am notoriously slow about it. On top of my recent accident with all my paints, it's put a bit of a stifle on actual paint going on these guys. It's coming though, hold tight.

@Adamski Alders: Hahahaha, I'm a huge Marvel comics reader. However, I cannot stand Deadpool and related characters, so Bob, Agent of Hydra is definitely out.

@legolooney & ghostmaker: Thank you very much!


I've been slow going the past couple of days. Went to some bars with a bunch of friends and had Easter festivities over the weekend, so I didn't really get much done. I did, however, base some of the guys you've seen in the thread. I'm trying to change the bases up so they don't look too uniform but still have a unifying look. This week's pretty busy but I'm going to try to cobble another Power Armor or Cataphractii Legionnaire before it's done.

That reaper auto cannon cataphractii looks awesome

Hey Darth Bob, your models are awesome, and you seem to spend a lot of time & energy to kindly comment on other people's threads, but...

When the **** are you going to paint those great models ?!?

Keep it up

Really awesome blog! I feel exactly the same as you do about the Alpha Legion, and the nebulous nature of their allegiance(s). So I love the background section, and I think that having "spoiler" there will allow people who don't want any demystification to avoid it. At the same time, I like the thought of collecting vague suspicions and rumours as well. I think it would fit with the Hydra ethos.

Anyway, I too am looking forward to some paint.

I would also be really interested to hear what other units you are considering running with this force, given what you said about the multi-pronged attack, misdirection, attack from within mentality.

Scouts make sense (and would be cool to model), as do Bikers. What about Warp Talons/Raptors--descending from above? Can Chaos armies run Land Speeders?