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So, back into the hobby. Never quite left completely, but I'm paring down my gaming materials to just a very small set of games and armies.

For CSM, I've had an assorted warband for ... decades ... around a core of 50-60 metal RT Chaos Renegades. The issue that provides is that, while cool, it's not very WYSIWYG friendly and plenty of the models just don't make sense (and haven't) for several releases as far as gear, etc.

I've started down the path of converting those (via trade or sell) into some other things I can use. I'm somewhat of a cut and glue junkie, so one thing I've really been looking at are the DV Chosen models, and then using them as a base to create other units. They are relatively cheap (I can swap one older RT model for a handful of these) and I'm pretty sure in can (with enough intertial momentum on the models) have enough to create relatively useful units.

Since the ... early 90s ... I've always called my chaos dudes the Prodigal Sons, mostly due to their victory in one of the large campaigns we ran back in the early days. At the time they were "unbound" and while I won't be running them vanilla CSM, I do intend to build them in configurations that can run well as bits and pieces of specific legion detachments.

I'd started with my old Rhinos, but now the the first of my trades and purchases are rolling in for actual miniatures, and I've started - and would love some feedback.

Q1: Chosen as a Warp Talon, yea or nay? I think I can repose the arms enough for some decent variety within the unit. Here's a first-pass .. thoughts?

That first guy looks stunning! I must admit, I've never been one for the blingier iterations of CSM, but this may just have converted me. He looks like a proper Angel of Death. A harbinger of doom and destruction.

Awesome

Great name for a "chapter".

Thanks - the name originally started as a joke - in the campaign there were "battles" and then "map stuff" and the map stuff basically unlocked larger point values, units, etc. I won the map stuff early, with a large conquest sweep around the outside - and joked that just like a prodigal son I'd eventually return to the middle where everyone else was fighting. They beat each other up, and I showed up with essentially a single force bigger than the rest of theirs put together.

We changed the rules for the next iteration ;-) ... live and learn.

It grew from there into just the name I always called my CSM. They were a mixed bag anyway, so I just had it in my head that they were either rejects from the others, or maybe half-way repentant.

Here are a few more.

One thing - I'm a bits-bin addict. If someone is ditching their old, broken bits for C/SM I grab them. I'm also always looking for cheap deals - which is way Chosen make a nice base. There are plenty of them in DV and you can find them on eBay / other places for a decent $/mini - same with some of the other minis from that set you don't typically need lots and lots of like the DA librarian.

I love the pose on the first, and need to find a small skull for him to hold. He looks to me like an actor ... or more likely a villain delivering a monologue. His base is the DV chosen w/ the large mace holding his helmet.

The second is the standard DV chaos lord, but w/ some arm swappage.

The third is the DA sorcerer, with a bits-bin force staff / axe.

Finished my Warp Talons last night - the modding part at least. Very simple and easy, with just a bit of snipping and rearranging for the most part.

Color scheme I'm thinking of is copper and blue/green.

You've done an excellent job of reposing those chosen. Might we get a peek at how you plan to paint them?

You totally can, once I figure it out ;-)

For my SM it was easy - I resurrected an old pattern and style and re-taught myself how to do it ... what ... 20 years later. Paints and techniques have changed, so mostly learning there.

It's raining here today, but once it gets a bit dryer I'm going to prime a few 2nd tier minis and try out a few different paint schemes. Black, copper and blue/green are going to be the core of it - but specifics ... still don't know.

BTW, one of those chosen - far left - is the aspiring champ model. That's a super easy model to re-pose and re-gear, as its arms are fully separate.

I picked up someone's already painted chosen, which I've decided to convert to a plasma instead of bolter dude and figured I'd try out a basic color scheme.

This isn't cleaned up, this isn't shaded, washed or high-lighted - and mostly I've painted over someone else's job as well so some detail has lost. Color-wise, do you like the brighter copper, or the more dark copper? This is kinda what I'm thinking - though I may change the green highlight on the gem, etc. to another color - the green is washing out against the aqua. Ignore the mess - it's a test for color comparison. Is it too bright?

Alternatively I considered a dark one - like a darker copper ... brownish base, highlighting to a copper then a brighter copper, then with aqua, green and blue picked out like corrosion on parts. I've not mocked one of those up yet.

Now that's a nice scheme I like the idea of a darker scheme, but mainly because my personal preference is for gritty and realistic...

I think that color scheme would awesome on some noise marines.

Debating on making the fleshy and bones bits metallic or offwhite...thinking of the more organic offwhite. Chiefly, that's the spurs and stuff on the shoulders, etc

Hmm

Some very very nice work here! I especially like the Warp Talons!

Tho I was thrown off a bit by the name in the title since the Prodigal Sons actually already exist in 40k lore, it's the name of Ahriman's rogue cabal after they were exiled by Magnus.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Prodigal_Sons

Btw, that one is my simplistic swap from a bolter to a plasma .. those models I plan to use for "actual" chosen squads .. leader plus a bunch of plasma. The kit comes with two of that model, I must have 5 or so kits now, so that's two squads of chosen there.

CSM vanilla, raptors and havoks I'll use normal standard CSM models, but the DV chosen as chosen, warp talons and characters (incl aspiring champs). Anyone with a cape (basically) is going to be ready to fill the role of some sort of char.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Deloth wrote:
Some very very nice work here!

Tho I was thrown off a bit by the name in the title since the Prodigal Sons actually already exist in 40k lore, it's the name of Ahriman's rogue cabal after they were exiled by Magnus.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Prodigal_Sons

Heh, well the name is too .. iconic .. to not have been used. I may stick with it anyway, because I've called my chaos that since about 1990 ;-)

Of course ... copper and aqua is quite close to blue and gold ...

Here's a darker version test - I toned down the green center gem and eyes, though I'm not sold on the darker blue. Threw a quick wash on the copper and aqua / cracks.

Fact - while we consider word "prodigal" most often in regards to the biblical parable where the prodigal son returns home to the father, the true meaning of the word isn't the "returning" but more one of excess and extravagance.

I think I'm going to change the spur on the left shoulder and others to be bone instead of artificially copper. Here's what I'm thinking using these as a baseline:

Enameled-surfaces - aqua / teal

Raised metalics - copper

Base metals (rings, chains, bolters, chainmail) - black, w/ light edging (unsure if using a gunmetal or a non-metallic, though I'm digging the metallics) or a

Eyes - TBD - may keep these dark blue ... or a sick green

Highlight / gems ... I need to figure out what to do here. I'd like it to pop, but there's a lot of pop already ;-)

Bone-work will be ivory

Fabric I'm thinking dark blue (so a black / charcoal / blue build up w/ light highlights)

Also unsure on leathers (scabbards, holsters, pouches) - maybe a mid/dark grey

YEah this guys looks fantastic I really like this scheme

I think the blue wash on the teal helps distinguish it from verdigris and makes it a stronger cool contrast to the warm copper; the previous image could be of a bronze statue that has had some parts polished and others left to corrode. Since the teal parts are enamelled, I'd definitely recommend a gloss varnish for them and a satin varnish for the copper - it would help further distinguish the two colours from their architectural association.

I like your Talons, I've got the same Chosen guy earmarked for a Nurgle one and looking at your squad I might just do a few more.

Thanks - I'm still getting the hang of painting again and re-learning some of the tricks. "Oh crud, yeah that's what I should do" is becoming fairly common.

I'm quite happy with the scheme, but do like it better once a few washes have been on and another coat as well; the contrast is helpful on both the teal and the copper.

Still struggling w/ the highlight colors and finding combinations that look good. Of particular struggle for me is deciding how to approach their very organic shoulder plates, some of which have faces, etc. that aren't meant to be simple metallic decorations and instead I think warped organics. In particular, the first chosen I pictured (the one with two lightning claws native) has one side that has two bone bits and another w/ a face. I'm thinking a bone / ivory color, but I do lose a bit of the color explosion if I reduce the teal.

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Here's another w/ a second I've started to mock-up for paint. I'm trying to take notes to remember the steps so I can replicate it a few dozen times. I'm still not sold on the left shoulder - that's the organic-ish part that I'm really not loving the way it is. I may go full-ivory/bone on those shoulders (though I kinda hate to lose more of the teal) ... alternative is more copper. Opinions?

Loving the colors on these guys, as for the shoulder I would do organics or copper, the silver looks out of place in my opinion.

You've got some killer conversions dude, loving what you've done with the Lords!

EDC

Here's today's ... putting some damage on his helmet and armor a bit - not quite finished, but thought I'd get a different mini to about 75% and see how it looked.

Latest ... two aspiring champs or mini-lords for the raptors / talons.

Also working on two new chosen w/ plasmas in the model of the others. Hopefully will have a squad done soon and can post a pic of the whole squad.

Really struggling with accessories and colors. Does anyone have a good resource they use for palette construction? I'm trying to figure out what looks from a tone / color perspective - and I'm seriously lacking in that brain capacity.

First group nearly done, but I'm away on a business trip for a week so the rest will have to wait.

New picture, need to clean these up ... Havoc squad from DV chosen.