Tobber1202 wrote:This is some seriously wicked stuff, makes me wanna run down and buy all the ork kits I can! Cant wait to see more from you
Hey, thanks man! Please come back for more.
ThunderFury 2575 wrote:I couldnt help but notice we both go through bouts of converting orks and taking a break from our chaos at the same time O.o Can't wait to see these updated man!
Hahah I know. Great minds think alike, eh? Your Orks are looking mighty fine too!
Jehan-reznor wrote:You're crazy, i love it!
I'M NOT CRAZY, YOU'RE CRAZY!
evildrcheese wrote:Those battle wagons are off the hook! Amazing work! EDC
These are amazing. I've been so intrigued I read everything from page one! Those Chaos models are nice, but my favourites are definitely the Ghazghull Thraka and the Battleships... Even if they are Ork! xD
As promised, I'm starting to take pictures of my armies to capture a "State of the Army" as it is right now. You'll see some finished models, some glaring grey plastic and green stuff, and everything in between. There's a lot of stuff sitting in my hobby closet that never saw the light of Dakka. The goal is to post photos of my whole collection. Up first are the most recent: the Chaos Wolves.
Started working on some custom Necron Destroyers. Never really liked the old ones, but the Destroyer Cult Formation is just too good to pass up. So, we'll make our own!
Spyder carapaces, Praetorian bodies, some extra ribs, and a few orbs to finish it off. Still need to figure out the gun-arm (though I'm thinking of using the Guass guns from the Tomb Blade kit).
well, I made some progress on my Dark Mechanicus Cabinet.
It will look a lot like my Wild Crusade Cabinet:
Spoiler:
Remember the start of this back in May 2016? It sat on the shelf for a long time (no pun intended) and just recently got started up again.
Spoiler:
Empty Cabinet constructed, ready to go!
Layout for the new cabinet
Well, here all all the new photos! The theme is supposed to be an Imperial Hive City under siege by the Dark Mechanicus. Still have a LONG way to go with detailing but the big pieces are all set!
Made some progress on the cabinet. Specifically, I added some more wall plates as well as some ceiling features. Gives the whole thing a little more depth. The downward pillars and spires also resemble stalactites, adding to the cave-like feel of a hive city. A couple of my centerpiece models are showcasing today! Let me know what you think so far!
Amazing work! It's got a lot of depth and character and it's not even painted yet. This is going to look awesome all done up and filled with models. Great work.
Thanks, Guildenstern! I'm really happy with how the Destroyers are turning out. As you can probably tell, though, I bump around from project to project a lot!
Just put the spray base coat down on the cabinet. It's already coming together nicely. Used Krylon water-based spray so the pink foam didn't melt. Got a long way to go though!
Couldn't wait until it was finished... I just had to see the army in the cabinet (and figured you all might too). I think they look pretty good!
For the record, the Dark Wolves consist of:
2 Wolf Lords on Thunderwolves
2 Iron Priests on Thunderwolves
8 Cyberwolves
7 Thunderwolves
6 Wolf Guard on Bikes
20 Fenrisian Wolves
1 Murderfang
1 Drop Pod
5 Wulfen
1 Land Raider Crusader
1 Imperial Knight
JeffyP, I think chaos/dark mechanicus and orks call to all of us equally. I myself swing between my brotherhood of steal and my dark mech.
I love your cabinets. I myself have always been trying to solve the problem of easy storage while looking good. I'll have to keep in mind your idea of a display. I assume your built even the outside drawer from scratch? Because your pictures only showed the modding inside.
Lastly, back to your orks. I know people have used the name before, but what do you think of the Red Orktober?
Definitely watching this thread with great interest...
Inevitable_Faith wrote:Amazing work dude. These cabinet builds you do are absolutely awe-inspiring.
Camkierhi wrote:That cabinet is so awesome, really fantastic idea and execution is perfect.
Thanks for all the great feedback, guys! I really appreciate it.
KernelTerror wrote:Brilliant ! And I find impressive how you even managed to fit up to the knight inside, while keeping a natural flow to the scenery !
Thanks! The Imperial Knight and the Land Raider gave me fits while trying to plan the layout. There's a lot of wasted vertical space on the second level but it also gave me an opportunity to use the cool 40k terrain pieces which are really tall.
kakita wrote:JeffyP, I think chaos/dark mechanicus and orks call to all of us equally. I myself swing between my brotherhood of steal and my dark mech. I love your cabinets. I myself have always been trying to solve the problem of easy storage while looking good. I'll have to keep in mind your idea of a display. I assume your built even the outside drawer from scratch? Because your pictures only showed the modding inside. Lastly, back to your orks. I know people have used the name before, but what do you think of the Red Orktober? Definitely watching this thread with great interest...
You're right about that, Kakita. Chaos and Orks are just the best. THE BEST I TELL YOU!
Yes, the cabinets themselves are built from scratch. I think I posted some more in depth build pictures for the first one several pages back.
"Red Orktober" is a great name for my final battlewagon, which will be a submarine theme. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions!
Ok... I saw the interior build but I don't rem seeing the external construction. It probably was the awesomeness and me scrolling through an entire thread in a period of 30-60 min that caused me to miss it.
I'm doing a modular AOP (that may eventually end up being my kill team board) as my space saving thing, but the idea of a display drawer or box will definitely be on my list of future projects.
Heck yeah, man! Make one of your own. I love my Chaos Wild Crusade cabinet. It's on the wall in my basement/hobby area. The great thing about it is that it puts the models in sight all the time (rather than stored in some box or foam).
ThunderFury 2575 wrote:How much did it set you back? I need to mimic this immediately! Excellent work mate, can't wait to see it finished
P.s. I'm redoing my thread so that's why i've been a bit covert lately.. You'll like the new stuff
I've missed your posts on here, Thunder. Get on it! As far as the cost goes, it's hard to say. I purchased a few model kits for the city terrain, plus the foam, wood, glue, sand, etc. Maybe $250 total?
Well, it's almost done. Just need to pick out a few details and hang the door. I think the ice and snow turned out great and blends into the models bases pretty well. Hope you like it!
That looks absolutely amazing dude! I don't know what you do for a living but you should totally quit your job and make these things full time. I'd definitely buy a few for my armies
genom.cor wrote:Been following this build with excitement and all I can say is that's it's absolutely brilliant!
Camkierhi wrote:Absolutely amazing work. Really beautiful piece of art. So inspirational. Brilliant.
evildrcheese wrote:Looking amazing. The snow and ice are brilliant.EDC
Thanks, everybody! Really glad you all like it. Hopefully I can get the acryllic door cut and hung on soon. Pictures to follow!
Inevitable_Faith wrote:That looks absolutely amazing dude! I don't know what you do for a living but you should totally quit your job and make these things full time. I'd definitely buy a few for my armies
Hey, thanks man. I'm actually an attorney if you can believe it. Picked up 40k as a hobby during law school and haven't been able to quit! Though I'm more of a hobbyist/builder than a player now.
Well, I got the door hung and it fits nicely! Really excited for how this build turned out. Took a few photos of the finished product as well as some shots of both cabinets side-by-side. You can really tell the improvement from the first to the second!
Thanks, guys! Always appreciate the great feedback.
I'm slowly but surely finishing up the army now that the cabinet is done. Got a lot of the models based with ice and snow, which unifies the army much better than just the color scheme alone. Maybe I'm being too artsy or dramatic, but I really think the cold snow clashes really nicely with the hot flame and metal of the Chaos Wolves. Plus, it ties in the underlying "Counts-As Space Wolves" a bit more.
Do you guys remember this Chaos Lord of Skulls Land Raider?
JeffyP wrote: I've wanted to use the Lord of Skulls kit for SOOOOO long. Just never had a reason. But these Chaos (read Space Wolves) guys need a pimp ride to get up the battlefield. The original idea for the army had the Chaos Knight as the centerpiece. Now it may be thus puppy (pun intended). Very much WIP.
whalemusic360 wrote:That's neat. Always thought it would make a cool land raider. Turns out, it does.
I had that same thought the instant the Lord of Skulls first came out. I had to shoehorn the bits to fit with a landraider's size and shape but the actual base to the lord of skulls could be a cool tank all on its own.
Camkierhi wrote:That is a wonderful monstrosity excellent work. Does it fit in the cabinet?
Yep! It fits on the same shelf as the Imperial Knight and the two tall Wolf Lords. Part of the Landraider is hidden behind ruins.
Well, I started a Necron army several months back. Not too many conversion opportunities but there are some subtle ones which hopefully will set this force apart.
First is the paint scheme. I was going for an oil-slick surface, with metallic purples and greens. Each model is sprayed silver, then black bits are picked out (like shoulder pads, guns, etc). After that, a purple wash followed by green paint for the Necron lights (like orbs , eyes, glowy bits). Next, a turquoise wash over the whole thing which dulls down the purple, combining into that oily irregular surface. Finally, all those green bits are hit with a bright lime green. It all comes together to make a classic Necron paint scheme that's just a little bit different.
I like how they turned out. You can best see it on the Wraiths below (which are otherwise left unconverted).
Next are some basic Necron Warriors. I chopped off the long barrel of their Guass rifles to give them a smaller, more infantry-like gun. Never did like those huge barrels!
No conversions on these guys otherwise. Each warrior is basically the same default pose with only slight variations.
To break up the monotony of the warriors, I did convert several into different poses. Raised arms, pointing, holding the gun differently, etc. There's even a guy taking a knee to aim!
Thanks, guys. Rotten, I have to agree with you about the bases. I think the brown I used to line the rim is too cool and dark. I need a warmer, lighter reddish brown.
The tones on the Necron metalwork is beautiful, gives a slightly titanium feel to them, really like that. I am guessing but I think you are going for this Martian red dirt feel to the bases, I think you are a little orange at the moment, clashes too much with the green, been making that same mistake myself lately. They just hit off each other too much on this I think, maybe taking the dust down a notch with a thin purple wash. And agree about the brown rim, bring it closer to the main base colour will help a lot.
Can't believe I am trying to give you tips, your work is stunning as always.
Not at all! Please continue, feedback is always great. I have to agree with you both: there's something slightly off about the bases. A purple wash is a good idea. I'll try that out.
Lych guard looks fantastic dude. The crowns look great too. Theyy look like one of the weapon options from the Dark Eldar Wych kit, is that what they are?
Here are 4 different variations of the basing color, with the original up front for comparison.
1) Purple wash as suggested earlier in the thread
2, 3, and 4 are just different rim lining colors.
Definitely like the one on the left that was washed, adds a lot of depth to the base. I'd probably either leave the rim black or go with the Jokaero orange.
They look great dude, really dynamic posing and the gun mods make them really unique from typical warriors. The basing is looking great too, fits the necron theme well and is much more than simple sand on their bases.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. The army is just about done so big photo dump incoming!
Here are the Immortals for the Decurion. The only conversions on these fellas are the crests above their heads. I think they're Dark Eldar bits? Can't remember. But they add a little flair so we'll roll with it.
Also rounded out the Wraiths to an even 6 to fill out the Canoptek Harvest formation. There are some minor conversions with the poses (both the tails and the pincer arms) but otherwise they are pretty standard. I never liked the whip coils hanging off the front claws so I instead have them coming off the body parallel with the main tail.
Can't have a Canoptek Harvest formation without a Necron Spyder! This guy is mostly the standard Spyder, just with the thorax flipped upside down. I also used some Robogear spider legs instead of the teenie-weenie Necron legs.
He's mounted on a nail and raised up about 2 inches from the base. I picture him as a slow, floating monster just lumbering up the field behind the Wraiths.
Alright, now for the HQs. These guys are where the conversions start to fly.
First up is a Lord, armed with the Veil of Darkness and the Solar Staff. The cloak is made from an Overlord's cape and a bunch of the Lynchguard loin cloths. He teleports the big unit of Lynchguard right into the thick of it.
aaaaaand now for the MAIN ATTRACTION! Well, two really. Orikan and a Destroyer Lord. Really proud of how these guys both turned out.
For Orikan, I wanted to capture the feeling of Zenyatta from Overwatch.
Spoiler:
In the game, Orikan can get buffed up to be S7, T7 with AP2 attacks. I wanted that combat prowess to show through while also retaining a space-wizard monk feel of a Necron Cryptek.
Wow dude those are amazing, Such great conversion work and painting. The destroyer lord and Diviner models especially are simply mind-boggling on how much you've change the normal silhouette of the models. Great work.
Sorry, Rotten. No more pictures right now. Almost done with the Necron Destroyer Cult. Just need to finish up the green glow on them all.
Haven't thought of my Nurgle CSM in a while. What do you have in mind? I couldn't get anywhere near your level of work!
I did play my first games in probably 7-8 months yesterday. Did a tournament at the LFGS. Went 2-0-1. We called a draw for time but both agreed I probably would have had it in the end. Oh well!
Meant to comment earlier, the Necrons are looking stunning bud, really great work. Your Chaos look fantastic on the table, good enough results, and did you have fun, that's all that matters.
JeffyP wrote: Started working on some custom Necron Destroyers. Never really liked the old ones, but the Destroyer Cult Formation is just too good to pass up. So, we'll make our own!
Spyder carapaces, Praetorian bodies, some extra ribs, and a few orbs to finish it off. Still need to figure out the gun-arm (though I'm thinking of using the Guass guns from the Tomb Blade kit).
Well, the Destroyers are done now! Please let me know what you think. I'm excited to see how these guys do on the table.
Very nice! They're much beefier and deadly looking than the current destroyer line, GW should absolutely hire you as their model designer for future projects.
Not only do they look so cool but the conversion is also flawless, you can't tell that this isn't how the models were designed to go together. Loving your Necron force so far and can't wait to see what you come up with next.
Thanks, Faith. I'm really happy with how the Destroyers turned out. Your praise is unearned (but appreciated nonetheless)... there's no way I could stand up to the modelers at GW!
Last up will be the Tomb Blades, which I still need to paint.
He looks positively menacing, I love it. That's going to be one hell of a mean boss all painted up. The bike tire is a real standout success in modelling to me.
Yep i agree with Inevitable_Faith in 100%. It looks fantastic !
Are You going to add some stuff on a base? What do you say about mud mix with scrap-metal, and maybe a corpse in the middle. And the big mud splash after back wheel
Thanks, guys. You're right, Rotten: the base definitely needs something. I'll be adding some dust billowing outwards from both the front and back wheels but there will still be room left in the middle. A trampled Space Marine might do the trick!
That bike is spectacular, as to the base just adding tyre tracks in the sand can make a difference. Though I would always go the route oif a trampled marine. Preferably of the blue variety.
Well, the hobby ADD set in again and I skipped back to the Dark Wolves for a bit. Don't worry: there's still a lot more Nurgle, Necron, and Ork stuff on the bench!
I played in a tournament not too long ago and came up against the Wyrdstorm Brotherhood formation for Space Wolves. Man are they great! Can't resist adding those to my own collection. Going to run 3 on bikes and 1 on foot (maybe in a drop pod). I already had 6 wolfguard bikes for the Dark Wolves that I've never been happy with on the table, so..... POOF! Convert a few into Rune Priests! The last guy is just a kitbash of cool looking parts. Hopefully they all feel like space wizards once painted up.
G'day! Figured I'd pop in again and see how you're doing, love the progress so far! That sorcerer type fellow really speaks to me with that pose you've got going. What was the torso from?
My hobby hiatus is nearing an end so don't worry. I know I've said that before but I've been unable to do much lately as I'd hurt myself at work.
ThunderFury 2575 wrote: G'day! Figured I'd pop in again and see how you're doing, love the progress so far! That sorcerer type fellow really speaks to me with that pose you've got going. What was the torso from?
My hobby hiatus is nearing an end so don't worry. I know I've said that before but I've been unable to do much lately as I'd hurt myself at work.
Still can't wait to see more!
Hope you didn't hurt yourself too badly! Really excited to see more stuff from you.
Quick update: I was able to get a game in at the FLGS. First time the Necrons have seen the table. And they did great! Despite so many tables, terrain, and mats, I always end up playing on the plain greed table. Oh well.
A long time ago, I started a Grey Knights army for ONE SINGLE REASON: Mordrak. Who's Mordrak, you ask? Well, I have no idea. Not really down with the fluff. But in the game he was a badass Terminator HQ who was accompanied by a Terminator Honor Guard of sorts. But wait, there's more! They could perfectly deep strike anywhere on the map! AND THEY WERE MOTHER FRACKING GHOSTS!
GHOSTS! Awesome!
Anyway, I loved the idea so much I started an army. Of course, those Ghosts couldn't just be regular old terminators. So I made these guys below. Unfortunately, about a month later, GW released a new Grey Knights Codex which completely removed Mordrak and his ghost brothers. ARHGHG. So the models have just been sitting on the shelf, only used once in a game. As President Trump would say: SAD!
Anyway, I'm going to convert these guys into Obliterators like in the spoiler tag. But figured you should all see some models first.
Spoiler:
JeffyP wrote: And FINALLY the whole cult together! Please let me know what you think.
Thanks, Camkierhi. I just have no use for them and they take up shelf space... so they got to go!
Here's the unit ready for primer. I'm happy with how they turned out, especially as they didn't take too long. A few shots with the old Oblits as well. Rounds out to a full cult of 9.
I've been cleaning out my 40K collection in anticipation of starting a new army for 8th Edition. So far, I have large (mostly finished) armies for:
1) Chaos Marines
2) Chaos Daemons
3) Necrons
4) Dark Space Wolves
5) Orks
so.... I need more room. Time to sell a few models so if you're interested, please PM me. I started on a boring old Space Marines army a couple years ago and it's just sat on the shelf unused for a long time. They were gold and black, with DaVinci-like sketches on their armor. Here's a drop pod:
And a few Dreadnaughts. Tried to make the sarcophagus look like an old knight's stone tomb cover. Please don't judge me too harshly: these were done YEARS ago! I almost didn't want to post them!
AAAAAAAND unfortunately, in a fit of rage/creativity one day, I decided to Nuke the gold army and start an Ultramarines force. But instantly after spraying, lost any interest in doing so.
So, if you're intersted, these Blue guys need a new home. 6 Drop Pods, some HQs (all custom builds, including a Termie CM, a Termie Librarian, and Tigurious himself), 9 Sternguard with magnetized weapons, 2 Assault Squads, and a ton of Tacticals.
Oh, shoot. Forgot one. Dreadknight for the allied Grey Knights. The plan was to have a drop heavy Space Marine army, allied with Grey Knights led my Mordrak (the perfect deep striking guy) and his retinue of ghost terminators. You saw earlier in the blog what happened to those guys (now Obliterators, yay!) so this is all that's left of that allied force.
evildrcheese wrote:The freehand on that drop pod is/was amazing!!!
EDC
I kept that single pod. The rest weren't anywhere near that finished so they got sprayed blue. Still regret it though...
EmberlordofFire8 wrote:Sorry man, Switzerland here . Too bad you sprayed over those freehand. Although i would like to see you take on Smurfs, if you decide to continue.
I doubt they will ever get touched again... just don't have the interest to continue. That--and all the other projects--means they just need a new home.
Kurnost wrote:I really like/d those gold marines; might I borrow the scheme?
Brought two armies into the shop the other day to take photos. Shout out to JAC Games in Akron, Ohio. It's a great place to game! You already saw the Wild Crusade. Now I give you:
Camkierhi wrote:TOO >>>>MUCH >>>>AWESOMENESS, just beautiful sir.
Thank you, Camkierhi! Really means a lot to me.
Boss Salvage wrote:Awesome to see the armies assembled! Lots of classics in there I haven't seen for a while. Also Dark Wolves ftw ;D
- Salvage
It's been a while since some of these models have seen the table! Felt really good seeing them all out at once. I hope the Dark Wolves stay relevant with 8th edition... they're just so much fun to play!
whalemusic360 wrote:I really need to get up there to get some games in. Maybe once 8th hits, I can get my ass kicked by one of your armies.
Come on over, man! Can't say I'd beat you (I'm not very good) but I can guarantee a fun game.
Well, on to a new project. This time it's back to the Orks. I've had a ton of great weapon bits laying around forever that needed to be used. What better way than to make some Loota guns?!? 1 box of Lootas + 1 box of Boys + bits = 15 Lootas! Gotta love Ork math.
Each guy is very different from the next, with hobbled together guns. However, I tried to make each roughly similar in shape and size. Hopefully they come across as mean, walking, talking gun platforms!
Well, with 8th Edition here, I think now is a great time to start a new army. Yes, there's still a TON of work left on my Orks... not to mention the Necrons and Dark Wolves are nearly finished! BUT I CAN'T RESIST THE TEMPTATION!
Now that Eldar are no longer a "you're THAT guy" army, I can finally play them. The wraith units are so cool. My plan is to make an exodite-like wraith army by blending the Eldar models with bits and pieces from the Sigmar Slvaneth line. To start, I did a quick mock up of unit sizes to give me a better idea of how each model could use pieces of others.
Sounds like a really cool idea dude! I'm stoked to see it come together. For some inspiration might I suggest looking at a fellow Dakkites plog who goes by Ynneadwraith. He's done a lot of mix and matching with the Sylvaneth and Eldar bits to make his Exodites and they look great. His plog is here .
I'm super excited to see what ideas you come up with.
Thanks for the advice, guys. After wracking my brain for a couple of weeks, I just don't think this army will work... Just can't seem to get a good theme conversion for the vehicles (wave serpents, mainly). So, I'm going to shelf that army idea for now.
All of that being said, I still plan to make a new Eldar army. It will be a Ynarri army mixing units from Craftworld, Dark Eldar, and Harlequins in a "traditional" Exodite army. MOTHER fething DINOSAURS! YES! However, I may still go with the treeman style for the wraith units (wraithguard, wraithlords, wraithseer, and wraithknight).
Ideas so far: 1) Wave Serpents based on the Lizardmen Carnosaurs
2) Shining Spears based on Dark Elf Drakespawn Knights
3) War Walkers based on Lizardmen Stegadons
4) Beastmaster on a Terradon
5) Razorwing Flocks of small converted Pterodactyls
6) Kymera based on Lizardmen Cold Ones
Infantry will be a mix of the Eldar/DE/Harlequin lines plus all sorts of WHFB bits. I'm really excited and have already ordered models from my FLGS plus ebay bitz stores. I'm also going to try to take more WIP shots throughout. Wish me luck!
First up are the Wave Serpents. These models are so cool. I was able to pick up two for pretty cheap on ebay ($20 and $25). I also ordered some wave serpent bits off ebay, including the large hull sections. The plan is to cut up the pieces of the hull and rebuild them iso they fit on the back of the carnosaur in a way that still says "hey, this is a wave serpent." If an opponent doesn't like it, I just wont play with that guy. These are all built for "the rule of cool" rather than any attempt at abusing LOS/cover/etc.
The first step was to cut off the heads of the carnosaurs (which is how I bought them used) and replace them with Trogolodon heads (ebay, again). I'll be using the carnosaur heads in the future. Anyway, here we go!
Hell yeah exodites! Man after my own heart I can also confirm that Carnosaurs are truly kickass models
Personally if you're going mixed DEldar and CWE I prefer the big honkin dinosaurs to be things like Taloi. Having them as tanks does work, but it seems a little odd that this monstrous creature is defenceless in CC. Having it as a S7 T7 murder-machine on the other hand fits rather nicely
Looking forward to what you come up with either way
Yeah, I hear you. The vehicles have been the hardest part to wrangle into a themed exodite force. I just REALLY like the idea of giant dinosaurs acting as troop transports. It's going to be a lot of fun to build and hopefully I can convey that--although it's a dinosaur--the dinosaur is:
1) a vehicle
2) an ELDAR vehicle
3) a troop transport
4) has a ton of deadly weapons
Started on the Wave Serpent hull this week. As stated previously, the goal is to turn Lizardmen Carnosaurs/Trogolodons into my exodite wave serpents.
First, I bought some Wave Serpent hull bits off ebay. Next, started cutting! It was nerve-wracking to say the least! Keep cutting, keep cutting..... Eventually, I whittled the hull down into a few manageable pieces that will be used to make a back carapace/armor for the Carnosaur.
Got the carapace in place after a long time fiddling with the different wave serpent hull pieces. The first picture was what I tentatively glued together but--after coming back a day later--ended up scrapping for the more streamlined design. There's still a LONG way to go but the basic build is taking shape!
The front will have two riders, the sides will have the weapons, and the back ridge will contain a few wraithvanes (bits from the wraithknight...again, Ebay FTW!).
This looks very promising. I pretty much missed out on your chaos army, so i'm looking forward to your forray into Exodites.
Also - is there any relation to this guy here?
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Somebody just had to post a Dino Riders reference and by the gods, this was my day to shine!
In any case, your conversion already looks very promising. Breaking up a tank like that takes some nerve and getting used to. I'm delighted to see where you will take us and look forward to your next update.
Camkierhi wrote:That has come out fantastic. Really does blend in well.
Thanks, guys! Lot of work left to do on him but I'm glad to hear your initial thoughts.
VyRa wrote:This looks very promising. I pretty much missed out on your chaos army, so i'm looking forward to your forray into Exodites.
Also - is there any relation to this guy here?
Somebody just had to post a Dino Riders reference and by the gods, this was my day to shine!
In any case, your conversion already looks very promising. Breaking up a tank like that takes some nerve and getting used to. I'm delighted to see where you will take us and look forward to your next update.
Glad to have you here now! You're absolutely spot on with the Dino Riders reference. Actually, I have a ton of photos/artwork from Dino Riders in my inspiration folder for designing this army. Just too good to ignore!
Still waiting on some parts for the Wave Serpents so we're moving onto another unit. Although I'm going to be posting more WIP shots throughout this army build, I'm still me... and I jump from project to project to project without finishing. Gotta follow your muse at the time, you know?
Anyway, the ultimate goal is to have an Eldar/DE/Harlequin Battalion force. The easiest way to fill out the 6 (SIX!!!) troop slots are DE Warriors. But we can't just simply use the DE Warrior models without a little conversion work, right?!? I kept being drawn to the WHFB High Elves Shadow Warriors because they have such cool cloaks. However, the WHFB Wood Elves units are also great. In the end, I went with the Wood Elves as they fit the Exodite theme a bit better. A quick size comparison of those models + DE Warrior heads and arms gave me a pretty neat idea of where my troops were going. I'm using the Wood Elf bodies with DE heads, arms, and guns. I think they blend surprisingly well.
Trying to take pictures each step of the way. Let me know what you think!
Camkierhi wrote: Now that is brilliant. Just looks right. Perfect.
Thanks, Camkierhi! The Wood Elf bodies do blend pretty well with the DE bits. Better than I had hoped!
Got a full unit of 20 done. The only thing left is to texture the bases with sand, then off to get primed. 14 of the 20 are standard rifle bearers. However, 6 of them are a bit more spruced up with poses, holding knives, etc. Breaks up the units without being too distracting.
I think this conversion was a success. These guys are pretty recognizable as Kabalite Warriors while still being very unique. The cloaks and Wood Elf armor give the Warriors a bit more class, while also making them feel at ease in the wild. Please let me know what you all think!
Camkierhi wrote:Conversions look spot on, and that little haul looks really nice, looking forward to this.
Inevitable_Faith wrote:Beautiful work dude, they blend perfectly and have come out as such characterful models.
youwashock wrote:The Warriors look great. A nice mix of high and low tech.
Thanks, everyone! The good feedback means a lot. I'll keep the WIP photos coming.
Ynneadwraith wrote:I really like them I've always leant more towards the DE-look for Exodites, and these are a great recipe for line soldiers Any ideas for fluff yet?
Nope, no ideas for fluff. I'm much more a a hobbyist than a player and I know very little of the fluff. In fact, my opponent last game had to explain to me what a "geneseed" is (and I've been playing since 2012)... That being said, I'd love to hear what you come up with if you'd be inclined. Your exodites kick ass!
This wouldn't be much of an Exodite army if there weren't some Dragon Knights. AND THAT MEANS DINOSAURS! Here's the infamous (and often posted) dragon knight photos that seem to be the inspiration behind so many exodite forces:
Spoiler:
Like many before me, I'll be basing these guys on the WHFB Dark Elves Drakespawn Knights (aka Cold Ones). That being said, I do hope to convert these up a bit more than often is the usual case. I've purchase a ton of eldar bike bits on ebay in hopes of not only making them feel more Eldar(y?)(ish?), but also recognizable as Eldar bikes for my opponents. First step was to get the Cold Ones cut out and ready for construction. Then add the Knights legs on. After that, I started fiddling around with various bits to see what worked best. I knew I needed the Shruiken guns mounted on the dinosaur somewhere (rather than just have the elf riders holding guns). Ended up settling on cutting the bike gun bits in half and mounting a single gun on each side. Got a LOT of sculpting to do on top with Greenstuff. Still undecided on how exactly to connect the guns and round out the top.
After the guns went on, it was time to focus on the back area immediately behind the riders. Ended up using the bike bits pretty much how they are on the actual Eldar models, with some slight tweaks. Still a long way to go, but very excited how these guys are taking shape!
I bought a bunch of Drakespawn knights at a flea market once. I later realised the box contained every single part, still on the sprue, except half of 1 cold one torso.
whalemusic360 wrote:Looking sharp man. Have you played 8th yet?
Not yet. I don't even know where to begin... and haven't gotten the rules down yet. I keep meaning to swing by the FLGS but something always comes up. How about you?
evildrcheese wrote:Such amazing conversion work going on! Subbed. EDC
youwashock wrote:Those guys are looking RAWRsome.
Thanks, guys! Appreciate your long time support, EDC. Please keep coming back.
EmberlordofFire8 wrote:I bought a bunch of Drakespawn knights at a flea market once. I later realised the box contained every single part, still on the sprue, except half of 1 cold one torso.
Well... that sucks, man. They are fantastic models though!
Inevitable_Faith wrote:Those conversion are coming along great dude, amazing work.
Sigur wrote:Woo, Exodites! These look brilliant so far.
Thanks a lot, guys! It's been a really fun build so far.
EmberlordofFire8 wrote:Beautiful work. What bits are the riders from?
The legs are from the Dark Elf Cold Ones kit itself. The torsos are Eldar Dire Avengers.
TheEldanariPrince wrote:Great work on those Exodites. I was considering shadow warriors as a basis myself, but i like your eternal guard better.
Yeah, they turned out much better than I would have thought. The Shadow warriors are awesome models, though.
Ynneadwraith wrote:Really nice work what's the plan for a colour scheme?
I'm thinking royal blues and purples, with gold armor. Very similar to Startcraft Protoss color pallette. The blue/purple skin tones would look great on the dinosaurs and also give them a really otherworldly feel. The orbs, crystals, energy pulses, etc. would all be a very bright blue. The wraithbone sections would be golds, bronzes, and yellows. Clothe and leather sections would be brown. What do you think?
Got the torsos on the riders. Went with Dire Avengers torsos to add some more "eldar" to the fantasy cold ones. They have a lot of small orbs and crystals built in to really make the futuristic part pop.
The autarchs for the two units were a bit different, using the standard cold one knight torsos. They add a bit more intricate armoring than the dire avengers torsos. Hopefully they will come off more regal and higher ranking than their counterparts.
Thanks, everybody! Got some more updates coming in.
Shining Spears have a 3+ armor save and a 4+ invuln save (against shooting) in the game, so it was really important to represent both of those on the models themselves. I'm a huge converter but still recognize the importance of WYSIWYG. Anyway, the 3+ armor save shouldn't be much of an issue with the riders carrying shields. Fairly straightforward. The 4+ invuln is a bit trickier. I ended up settling on a doohickey from the War Walker kit mounted on top of a War Walker foot (paw? hoof?). They matched up surprisingly well. A bit of plastic shaving with the scalpel fit them right on top of the Cold One torsos. After the various bits get connected with some green stuff, they will look like a cohesive front armor carapace that supports force field generator, aka the 4+ invuln.
Oh, and in the photos you can see where I connected some stuff with green stuff on the back behind the rider. Here's hoping paint can fix my sloppy green stuff work.
And here's the green stuff applied. It looks a bit bulbous in the photos but in person is pretty sleek. Again, I'm not the best with green stuff so I'm pretty happy with this result. The shuriken and war walker bits fit together great.
And now the full group of six. You can see the one top left model has some more bits attached. I pushed forward with this guy to be a test subject, trying out various things before settling on the design. Once I lock something in, I duplicate it for the group.
Here, specifically, I'm using Eldar Windrider Vane (little fins) bits to further embellish these guys while also making them further resemble their actual model counterparts. The vanes break up the large flat surface of the green stuff.
Thanks for coming back, guys. I really appreciate the support.
Got the group of Shining Spears just about finished. I really like how they all turned out. Can't wait to start getting them painted up! Still don't really know what to do with the 2 Exarchs. I used the Dark Elf torsos (which I think fit nicely and separate them from the pack) but I haven't yet figured out how to make their Star lances. I don't want them to be the same as the regular lances carried by the standard troops. One is S6 where the other is S8. Again, the goal is to leave as little "this counts as this" explanation when I play. The Star Lances should feel beefier. Ideas?
With the Shining Spears just about wrapped up, I moved onto the next project: War Walkers.
I'm using the Lizardmen stegadons as the base for these builds. However, the stegadon heads themselves are a bit to "dinosaury" for me. I want to keep these Exodites more themed around large, alien-like dragons rather than recognizable earth dinosaurs. In a stroke of luck, I had a few spare Carnosaur heads lying around from the Wave Serpent conversions. Slap on some green stuff to connect the two and, voila, we have some different looking alien dragons!
The plan is to make three of these guys. Unfortunately, I didn't have the top armor plating nor the teeth bits of the final Carnosaur head so I had to fudge it a bit. Turned out okay.
Made some progress on the war walkers. I'm using the cockpits from the actual war walker kit as they are so recognizable. In addition, there's also a trimmed down weapon battery platform. Connect the two with a few bits and we're off!
Still have a long way to go. Hopefully my greenstuff work will bring it all together. But the basic structure is taking shape.
I've see plenty of people try and do exodites justice, but yours is by far the best/most cohesive idea I've seen done to date and your greenstuff skills along with kitbashing is leagues ahead of the competition.
Thanks for all the great feedback, guys! Some very high praise! It really means a lot to me.
Got a little more built and started on the green stuff. The plan is to have a gunner mounted up high behind the cockpit. Not sure where the guns will go but still have the freedom to change the build at this point. Likely spots would be on the very top, or right on the sides. Anyway, let me know what you think!
Started up on two more War Walkers. Haven't quite decided where to put the guns yet but figured it was time to get rolling on these guys regardless. Plus, here's a group shot of some Warriors and Shining Spears so you can see how it's all coming together.
I also updated my blog signature with some links to various projects I've done (or am still working on) here on this Dakka blog. Let me know what you think!
Inevitable_Faith wrote:Your force is growing at an amazing rate dude and with some downright amazing conversion ideas all told. I'm loving watching this all come together.
Thanks, Faith! Glad you keep coming back to check up on it.
insaniak wrote:Awesome stuff.
youwashock wrote:Ball. Right out of the park.
I'm flattered! Hopefully the finished models will live up to the WIP shots.
Taking a bit of a break from the War Walkers for now. Still need to figure out how to mount the big guns on them.
Up next are some wraithguard. The original plan long ago was to make a wraith heavy army using a lot of treeman bits. I still like that idea but it just won't fit nicely into this force. However, I still want some wraiths! The issue is how exactly to make these guys look like exodites with the dragons running around... and then it hit me: they should wear some dragon pelts! Not only should it look neat, but it could be fluffy too! Follow with me:
The exodites pride themsevles on their deep bonds with their dragons. After all, there are a lot of dragon companions in this army: the shining spears, the beastmaster, the war walkers, etc. Wraiths are ancient honored warriors in any Eldar army and same goes for my exodites. It stands to reason that when they were alive, those warriors grew bonds with their dragons. Their companions either died with them in battle, or I could even imagine that after a warrior fell, their dragon was sacrificed as part of the ceremony to become infused into the wraith armor.
Anyway, let me know what you think. Still a lot of work to do!
And here are some shots of the cloaks coming on. Using the WHFB Dark Elves corsairs, just shaved down to fit on the wraith torsos. I plan to add a lot more, including lizardmen heads, tails, talons, etc. to make each pelt really resemble a fallen dragon. A lot of green stuff work ahead!
Those cloaks are a fantastic idea dude, they fit in the theme of Exodites very well but maintain the iconic look of the wraithguard. It gives the whole group a very revered and noble silhouette that helps solidify the theme of the wraithguard. Can't wait to see the finished product on these.
Thanks, guys! Here's a few updated shots. I decided to cut off one shoulderpad on each wraithguard. In it's place is a lizardmen warrior head which will end up being the head attached to each pelt. Green stuff is on it's way to connect the bits into a single the pelt.
Thanks guys. Quick update: got the green stuff on. I think the cloaks came together very nicely to connect the various bits. Hopefully a few coats of paint will really make it seem like a single dragon pelt.
The whole group of 10 is ready for some primer (after I add some sand to the bases).
They really came together well and I love the fluff behind them. They'd pass anyway because of the rule of cool but the fact you can legitimately explain why they have those dragon cloaks is great.
I bought some sprues on ebay of those corsairs for the cloaks as well. I really hope GW never stop making those! They're too good!
youwashock wrote:Awesome unit. The savage/serene juxtaposition is really working with these guys.
Wow, that's a great way to describe them. You hit the nail on the head!
boundless08 wrote:They really came together well and I love the fluff behind them. They'd pass anyway because of the rule of cool but the fact you can legitimately explain why they have those dragon cloaks is great. I bought some sprues on ebay of those corsairs for the cloaks as well. I really hope GW never stop making those! They're too good!
The Rule of Cool is the only rule that matters! JK, JK to all of the powergamers out there.
Inevitable_Faith wrote:Those look amazing dud, I can't wait to see some paint on them.
Have a lot of spare bits left over from the wraithguard kits. Fortunately, they will be put to good use on the next project: Dark Reapers!
Dark Reapers are probably one of the best Eldar units in the game currently. They are walking, talking death machines with amazing long range guns. So I need to make these guys look the part. Plus, the name "Dark Reapers" itself should be incorporated. After all, conversion armies are neat but I don't want my opponent scratching their head the whole game asking "what's what" over and over. It puts them at a huge disadvantage. So... long story short: these models need to look like "Dark Reapers". Queue the Dark Elf Executioner models.
Spoiler:
They look like Reapers, right? Right. But they need a lot of work. First step is to cut off and shave down a lot of the linework, spikes, and shoulders. Then I'm popping the Wraithguard hip guards on these guys as shoulder pads. Finally, remember how I cut off one shoulder on each Wraithguard (check the blog above)? Well, those shoulder bits are now being used on these Dark Reapers as backpieces/crests. After a little green stuff, hopefully they come off as large, intimidating armored Dark Reapers.
But wait, there's more! The Dark Reapers need guns, right? For reference, these are the actual 40K Dark Reaper models:
Spoiler:
See how they are kinda large, under-slung missile launchers? With sort of bulbous, tapered barrels? I think that's the most important thing to convey here. Yes, I'm cheap-skating out by not buying the actual weapons but... hey, that's just like your opinion, man.
Anyway, I have 10 Wraithguard D-Cannon bits just lying around minding their own business here. They have largely the same shape profile. Also using the Dark Elf Corsair right arm bits (swords). Cut it down and it's a nice handle and guard for the weapon. With a little clipping here, a little shaving there, some green stuff applied to cover up some gaps... BAM! Dark Reaper Launchers!
Update: got the green stuff work done, plus the heads and bases. I think overall that these are a success. They're heavy infantry with good armor and huge guns. The heads and ornate armor plates I think do service to the name Dark Reapers. Hopefully when I play, I can just point to these guys and say "these are Dark Reapers" and my opponent says "that makes sense." We'll see.
Oh, baby. Dark Reapers are my favorite aspect, and these look just awesome. Inspired modeling. Love the built-up armor on the back and shoulders. Gives them a real presence and the guns worked out very well. Gotta get these painted up.
Kid_Kyoto wrote:Nice! You've a good eye for what bitz will work together.
Thanks, man. Just a lot of trial and error. And a huge bits box! Though I have learned over time that, when making a new army, to make most of the purchases up front. Every box has potentially useful bits for the whole army, not just that unit.
BobtheInquisitor wrote:Those are amazing. You come up with so many good conversion ideas!
Thanks! Some are mine, some are stolen. I get a ton of inspiration from my fellow Dakka bloggers as well as the online 40k scene. So many great conversions floating out there!
youwashock wrote:Oh, baby. Dark Reapers are my favorite aspect, and these look just awesome. Inspired modeling. Love the built-up armor on the back and shoulders. Gives them a real presence and the guns worked out very well. Gotta get these painted up. Color scheme?
Thanks a lot! Hopefully the armor will look more cohesive once its painted. As far as color scheme? I'm thinking royal blues and purples, with gold armor. Very similar to Startcraft Protoss color pallette. The blue/purple skin tones would look great on the dinosaurs and also give them a really otherworldly feel. The orbs, crystals, energy pulses, etc. would all be a very bright blue. The wraithbone sections would be golds, bronzes, and yellows. Clothe and leather sections would be brown. What do you think?
Thanks for all the praise! It keeps me coming back to post more stuff! I finally hit a lot of these exodites up with base spray a few days ago. Went with GW's Zandri Dust spray. They turned out great. Hope to get some photos up soon.
In the meantime, I've been modelling some more stuff. Up next is an Autarch on a Skyrunner. In the game, he's on the same jetbike as all the other Eldar jetbikes. However, I wanted this Autarch to stand out a bit from the other dragon knights so, rather than just mount him on another cold one, he will instead be on a bit bigger dragon. He will be a bit different while still feeling at home running around next to the other Dragon Knights.
Found this thing for relatively cheap on ebay. It's a third party brand, can't remember the name. Essentially made for Dark Elves in warhammer though.
Yeah, it's an odd model for sure. Hoepfully the armor plating on him blends in with the smooth Eldar lines and contours. We'll see. In the meantime, made a bit of progress on him. I cut up some of the Eldar Heavy weapons to build up the structure of the jetbike.
And then connected the bits with green stuff. I also used the jetbike wings/fins to make it more recognizable.
Also finished up with the torso. I really like the WHFB High Elves for their intricate, regal armor. Perfect for this Autarch HQ. Still undecided for how to proceed with the right arm (as what weapon to use in game)... maybe magnetize him? The front of the bike is a counts as Reaper Launcher. Thoughts? Still a lot of work left.
Finally got the exarchs figured out. The Star Lances needed to be different looking from the regular jetbike lances, but also make these guys unique from the normal riders too. After the banner worked well for the Autarch (see above), I went with more banners for these guys. After all, they are the individual leaders for their units.
Thanks man. I think they are ready for some paint!
Also got some work done on the war walkers. I've decided to mount the weapons on the top, though I need to do some green stuff gap filling before then. Pictures to come soon! But in the meantime, figured it'd be good to show the unit update. Got the crew's heads and arms on too.
Haha, yes they really are. They turned out a little bit bigger than I was anticipating. But, hopefully they are still easy to recognize as War Walkers in game.
Also: I finally got some of these models base sprayed! I think they are looking pretty good. Started painting up the Kabalite Warriors and am really digging the paint scheme so far. I even rushed ahead and did a full test model complete with flocking the base. I'm really excited for the bases on this army! Lots of different types of grass and some flowers too. The serene, meadow look is a breath of fresh air compared to the bases in my past armies (sooooo grimdark).
Forums are a poor medium to express how awesome those warwalkers are.
Painting is nice and crisp, too. Really does the models justice, also just noticed the saurus head peeking over the shoulder of the wraithguard. Badass,
Solid progress. I like the unconventional basing, too. Dinosaur riding space elves charging across a meadow is something one rarely has the chance to see.
Inevitable_Faith wrote:The force has gotten pretty big in such a short time frame, great work.
VyRa wrote:Wow, that's some fast progress. Glad to see your Dino Riders come along so nicely!
Thanks, guys! It's been a fun project so far. The big guys are yet to come!
TheEldanariPrince wrote:Forums are a poor medium to express how awesome those warwalkers are. Painting is nice and crisp, too. Really does the models justice, also just noticed the saurus head peeking over the shoulder of the wraithguard. Badass,
Ynneadwraith wrote:Great to see some paint on these guys love the warm bone colour you've made
I appreciate it! My painting is probably the weakest part of the hobby. Hopefully I can do these smooth surface, bright Eldar colors justice.
youwashock wrote:Solid progress. I like the unconventional basing, too. Dinosaur riding space elves charging across a meadow is something one rarely has the chance to see.
Rare, but wonderful. I just hope all the bright colors will pop on the table.
Well, with some of the builds wrapping up (being ready for paint), I went back and did some work on the Wave Serpents. Specifically, I cut up the hull of the second serpent and make the basic carapace armor for the dino. The second one went much more quickly! I also started to gap fill a bit with some aluminium foil. Once the superglue sets, I'll hit it with green stuff to smooth it out and make it look nice. The first stage is all about eliminating the gaps and holes though.
Also made some progress on the side gunners. The thought is that each serpent will have a rider/driver mounted on top with two gunners on the sides. All three will essentially be riding in jump seats attached to the large armored section.
The gunners are made mostly from the Eldar Heavy Weapon platform with a few cuts and modifications. The brightlances were cut down to fit better in the gunner rigs. They are also magnetized for if (WHEN) I want other loadouts.
Thanks a lot, guys. Got a bit more done on the green stuff work, including building up the scaley areas around the neck and head, as well as filling in the various holes.
That's a fantastic idea. I've been planning on using the Bastilidon dino for one of the large jetbikes (vyper, venom, or starweaver). Never even considered using the large jewel but, you're right, it fits perfectly for a fire prism.
i want to live in Your cabinet ;P. Great job Dude !
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