Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Well Ultramar anyway!
For my 1000th post I wanted to do something special, so here it is. Yay 1000th post!

This is my first blog, so be kind to me. I have decided to re-do my Ultramarines. I will be using an ancient Rome/ Greek theme for my army hence the title of my blog.
I will try to update this on a weekly basis.

Here is my army list

1500pts list
Vulkan He'stan-190pts
Sternguard squad- 4 with combimeltas, melta bombs and Razorback transport TL -heavy bolter- 190pts

Sternguard squad- Sergeant with power fist and bolter, 4 with combimeltas, melta bombs and Razorback transport TL heavy bolter - 215pts

Tactical squad- 10 men, sgt with combi melta ,1 with Missile launcher, 1 with melta gun, melta bombs Rhino -225pts

Tactical squad, 10 men, sgt with combimelta, 1 with missile launcher, 1 with melta gun , Rhino-220pts

Assault Terminators-5 man TH/SS - 200pts
Land Raider Crusader-MultiMelta -260pts

Additions for 1750pts list

Predator- autocannon, lascannons- 120pts

Predator- autocannon, lascannons- 120pts

Upgrade: 1 HF for a sternguard squad 10pts

Additions for 2000pts list

Chaplain Cassius-125pts

Predator- autocannon, lascannons- 120pts

Upgrade:meltabombs for other tactical squad- 5pts


Right now I am working on my counts as Vulkan He'stan, it’s very WIP at the moment but I couldn’t wait to post some pics. I am still waiting on a couple bits for him like some Dire Avenger helmets for his helmet crest. Sorry for the REALLY bad pics at the moment. I can’t find my camera and had to use my phone. I will update them when I find my Camera.
Here he is. I might write up some fluff about him later.






Questions, C & C appreciated.
Thanks for looking!

Looking really good so far. Really like the Greco-Roman style, harkens back to the old days of the Ultramarines, when they evoked that style a lot more. Can't wait to see what else you produce.

Looking good that shield is awesome !

Thanks for your comments. The sheild is a spartan shield from scibor. Next in my production line is a squad of sternguard with the roman looking tabards from the FW Sevrin Loth Honour guard set then a TL auto-cannon Dreadnought.

I'm an ancient civ freak! Fantasic man, looking forward to seeing more of your work!

You should take a look at the Chapterhouse spartain marine heads... I think they'd fit your theme perfectly.

Chapterhouse Spartain Heads

I have a set for a special project and they are quite nice.

looks great, love the shield! So the entire army will be Roman - greek -based?
ps: pretty descent pics for a phone!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
looks great, love the shield! So the entire army will be Roman - greek -based?
ps: pretty descent pics for a phone!

@aranciatadaoc- Thanks!

@Gitsplitta- Thanks, I've already seen those I quite like them. I might use them for a few Veterans.
Here's What I'm using at the moment http://www.bolterandchainsword.cnom/index.php?autocom=ineo&mod=article&op=printable&id=504.

@specialforces88- I’m planning on converting the sergeants and veterans to make them look really Roman/Greek as for rank & file troops I might only have a couple minor conversions. And my phone is a Nokia N-8 12 megapixel. It just doesn’t take good macro photos.

Update time!
I have started work on my sternguard squad and I have finished assembling my Sergeant. I have also come up with an easy to make combi-melta conversion which is good because I have to make 8. I am still painting my counts as Vulkan; I’ll post pics when I’m finished.
I still haven’t found my camera so I will have to be apologising for some bad pics again. Without further ado here is my seargent.

A view of his bolter.

And my Combi-Melta conversion.

Questions, C & C appreciated.
Thanks for looking!

I like the melta, you might try carving off the "feul" drum from the side of the melta that you cut that barrel off of. If you use a realy sharp razor and lots o care you should be able to attatch it to the side of your bolter. I did that for combi meltas on my chaos terminator and they turned out nice. Yours looks substantially easier than what i went through though. jobs a good un so far.

@sennacherib- Thanks for the tip. I deffinatly do not have a sharp razor at the moment my current one is as blunt as a spoon. I have ordered a new one online. I might try this when it arrives.

I like your combi melta so far. A lot of homebrew combi weapons look super bulky, but yours is looking good! Is there a bolter barrel on there somewhere that I can't see? Bolter barrels are quite small, I think. You could fit it under the melta barrel maybe? You could trim the barrel off of a bolt pistol also and use that...

Let's see that He'stan!

Cheers,
Rawson

Nice! I was thinking of doing something very similar for some BA vanguard vets. Your pictures definitely attest to how well the concept looks as an end result. Very cool and sweet job, can't wait to see the rest. I'd also suggest looking into chapterhouse's spartan heads or max mini's if you want really large crests on your helmets.

@Rawson- Thanks for reminding me to put the bolter barrel on I had forgotten. I had to cut up a bolt pistol to get it. I might show mere pics of He'stan when I paint a little more of him. He's the first guy in the thread if you didn't notice.
@White wolf- I have looked into getting Chapter house and max mini heads. I think I am going to use the chapterhouse ones for my terminators and dire avenger helmet crests for the rest. I’m only putting them on veterans and sear gents.

Looking great so far man! Cant wait to see some stuff painted!

lipsdapips wrote:Looking great so far man! Cant wait to see some stuff painted!

You don't have to wait too long.

After 4 hours of nonstop painting, here is my counts as Vulkan He'stan. I am really happy with how he turned out. These pics really don't do him justice. I am still waiting on some dire avenger heads that are arriving in the mail that I will use as a helmet crest for him.







C & C appreciated.
Thanks for looking!

Hmm, I don't know if it is the camera or what, but the loin cloth and cape look a bit glossy and uniformly one color (i.e. no depth). Perhaps you should try a wash with baal red and then drybrush whatever red you use over it? A sepia wash on the gold parts might help as well. Other than that it's looking good!

I agree with WhiteWolf01 in that the red looks a little glossy. Pehaps combining the wash with a very, very fine dry-brush of white would give it a more material-esque look.

EDIT: Oh, how rude of me! I forgot to say that in general it's looking really nice! Didn't mean to give just the criticism without the compliment.

I love the look of your model!!

I agree that it needs some detail work. I personally like using Baal Red to wash gold, then highlight it with your gold color then go over it with Orgyn Flesh. It gives it a nice deep color and make the gold look older.

And for the tabard, i would go over it again with the red and wet blend some orange into it for highlighting. Then a baal red wash. and Maybe if your Lucky and still have some laying around a Chesnut ink coat to keep with the shiny look you have going!

Also, try some Shadow gray for highlighting the armor. Its a subtle blue color without being as obviously bold as a white highlight or drybrush.

Looking forward to seeing more of your minis!!

Cheers,
FireCancer

Thanks for all your comments guys.
@WhiteWolf01- Thanks for your comment. It's defiantly the camera. I used baal red and chestnut ink on the cape and watered down chestnut ink followed by a devlan mud wash for the shield. I also painted the shield over an ultramarine blue basecoat so it has a slight beaten bluish tinge look to it.
@htj- Thanks. The red is a bit glossy I agree I'll give it a coat of matte varnish later maybe.
@ FireCancer- I gave the gold a watered down chestnut ink followed by a devlan mud wash I also painted the shield over an ultramarine blue basecoat so it has a slight beaten old bluish tinge look to it. I am really lucky to have some Chestnut ink don't know what I'd do without it. As for highlighting I have given it a subtle first stage ultramarine blue highlight it looks maybe a little too subtle I might do a second highlight of 1:1 ultramarines blue and skull white if I can be bothered. That's how I usually do it.

I just found my camera. YAY! I have taken better pics of my counts as Vulkan He'stan (need to five him a name anyone have any Ideas?). I have painted a lightening effect on the spear (my first wait second try).

Here are the updated pics. My camera did not pick up the red too well.






All questions, comments, C & C are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks for looking.

Captain MepHestan? Erm... I dunno about a name. I've gone about it more finding which captain said named character works best as (Shrike as captain of the auxiliary assault company, or something like that), if he's serving in a captain like role. Though for yours...Captain Caecilia (referring to an arbitrary goddess of the hearth/ fire I found in a .2 second search with google. Now how's that for screwing history?) could be a pretty cool name. Otherwise Captain Hephaestus would fit with the Greek portion of what you're looking for. Or, of course, Captain Prometheus, referring directly to bringing the fire to the enemy.

I vote Captain Prometheus (even if it is a bit too used these days).

Kaesar II

Thanks Lord Kaesar. Captain Prometheus sounds great.

Definitely looks a lot better seeing it with much clearer photos! Looks great!!!

The highlights look pretty good, though as you said it is a little too subtle. For my HQ and hero models i use the 3 Inch rule. As opposed to the 3 Foot rule.

Yeah i have about a pot and half left of chesnut ink. That stuff is amazing. I am dreading the day i run out!
NO idea why GW stopped making the Inks... sad days indeed.

The red was done over with the Chesnut?

Thanks Firecancer. What is the Three Inch rule?
I only have 3/4 of a pot of chestnut ink. I have heard that Coat'd Arms' Ink Wash Chestnut is exactly the same. That's what I'm getting when I run out.
GW washes replaced the Inks, they are thinner and some say better.
Yes the red all has been done with Chestnut ink.
Link to the Coat D'arms Chestnut Ink; http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/index.php?act=pro&pre=cda_hob_fcl_ink_137_000

THe three inch rule, is if the model looks crisp and clean, and pretty at 3 inches, its good. Its more of a Painting competition styled paint job instead of a tabletop paint job.

Hmm, I will looking into picking up some of that and see how i like it compared to the GW ink.
Yeah, i Love washes, don't get me wrong. Though i think the Inks filled a nice role. The washes don't give you as Deep and as Rich of a color. They also whatever color you went over a shade of the ink, which I liked for certain things. The washes are too thin IMHO.

Update Time

@FireCancer- The three inch rule sounds great, I'll keep that in mind when painting Characters. I’ve also never really liked the washes as much as the Inks. I haven’t tried that ink yet but I think I’ll have to when my chestnut ink runs out.

So I’ve finished putting together my other stern guard sergeant, well not really its just blu tacked together at the moment because I like to paint them partially unassembled so I can get paint everywhere. I might finish painting him by the end of today. If you’re worried he doesn’t look Roman or Spartan enough I still have some bits I need to get hold of to finish this conversion. The online store I usually get my bits from isn’t stocking them at the moment. Anyone have Dire Avenger heads or the roman type tabard from the commander kitand want to da a trade?

Anyway here he is.


I was bored and was not that motivated to paint. So I wrote some fluff instead. I hope you like it and you don't die from wall of text.

Julius Prometheus (my counts as He’stan) was born on Calth into a wealthy family and was trained by the best in warfare and military tactics since the day he could pick up a sword. Noticing his unique leadership skills, his combat skill and his firm grasp of military tactics he was selected and inducted into the ranks of the Ultramarines 6th Company very quickly. Under the watchful eye of sergeant Telion he served with distinction in his role as a sergeant in a scout squad. He then served flawlessly for 20 years as a tactical squad sergeant and then a stern guard sergeant. The inquisition noticed his unique talents and recruited him into the ranks of the Deathwatch. He served under the leadership of Librarian Shaidan of the Mantis Warriors for a decade. After the death of Librarian Shaidan he became the sergeant and led the squad. Serving flawlessly for another half decade he was then inducted into a special deathwatch squad created by the Ordo Hereticus to combat the heretic threat growing on the world of Protus IV. While serving in this role he gained a strong hate for heretics. He was given special equipment by the Ordo Hereticus; a master crafted Nemesis Halberd called Demon Bane and a master crafted hand flamer called Purgery. Upon his return to the 6th company he now performs the role of shadow captain of the 6th Company.

Brutis Antarro (my Sternguard Sergeant pictured above) was born into a noble family with a long line of space marine inductions. He is Julius Prometheus’ lifelong friend and has served under Julius’ leadership since induction. They have made it out of many dire situations together and Julius has come to rely on Brutis’ keen eye for shooting, sound logic and tactical advice. Brutis’ uncontrollable rage has also helped them scrape through impossible odds. He also is a fanatic who quotes the codex fervently while slaying his foes. He may make a great Chaplain one day. Upon his return to the 6th Company he was made a stern guard sergeant. His stern guard squad acts as Julius’ Honour guard.

The usual C & C is Appreciated.
Thanks for looking.

Looks great that veteran! A little like my Company champion >.> hehe great work, keep it up!

Thanks lipsdapips. I hope mine will look as good as yours painted.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Another Update

I stated painting Brutis after dinner (at around 8pm) and only realised it was 1am in the morning when I had finished him. I'm really in holiday mode now . Im really happy with how he came out.

Anyway here he is.





Just realised I missed a mould line.^

The usual C & C is Appreciated.
Thanks for looking.


EDIT: STUPID Automatically Appended Next Post. Now no one gets to see this.

That looks great! Fantastic work. The only thing I could reccommend is if not already used is to use some of the Citadel washes, like devlan mud for the gold, or badab black for metal, it would really add some depth to these already fantastic models! Great stuff nonetheless!

LDP

Thanks LDP. I have since given him another couple of washes in the places that were lacking depth. The change is noticeably better. Thanks for your comment.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
A quick update
A whole heap of bits arrived in the post yesterday from trades that I made in the swap shop. So I have heaps of bits to do some wicked conversions with. First of all I have decided what parts I will use for my Chaplain.
Here he is my counts as Chaplain Cassis. He is blu tacked together at the moment for ease of painting.
Could someone please help name him?

The usual C & C is Appreciated.
Thanks for looking.

EDIT: Damn Automatically Appended Next Post AGAIN.