Unique space marine chapters are, well, everywhere. Some have intricate back stories. Others see every single model converted in some way. I have done it myself with my breakaway faction of Space Wolves that only use beaky armour and earlier and bear no Imperial insignia...every model was converted. Rich backstory...

I have never played with them.

New rules have since been produced. A whole new game edition. This one has 'Assault on Black Reach' as the beginner box. I bought it for the cut down rule book and the glut of models that come with it. But these are codex/ultra marines. No special powers. Nothing weird. A balanced deal. Easy to learn and play.

I hate painting blue, so the Ultramarines are out. Instead I have come up with my own Chapter. Again. They are probably an Ultramarine successor chapter. Brand new. Keen to make their name in the universe. In short, eager, idealistic rookies (much like me). They are keen, but inexperienced (well as inexperienced as space marines get). They are not ultra bad ass. They are learning. They are BASIC! They are the Angels of Seraph and they want you to stop whatever bad things you are doing right now.

So, here is the deal. A basic codex chapter. Not overdoing it on the conversions. No mysterious origins. Simple but nice paint job. An army to game with. The effort to create such a thing will be chronicled here. Let it begin.

Preparation is everything. At least for me. When I am about to embark on a project I want to know that I have everything at hand to complete it. Nothing is more annoying than having to down tools mid flow to seek out something that I have suddenly found that I need. I want to just reach over and pick it up. Not spend an hour rummaging about in toolboxes and drawers.

So, things I feel I need for construction.

1: Plastic clippers
2: Box of scalpels and spare blades
3: Files
4: Pin vice and drill bits
5: Tweezers
6: Glue, both plastic and super
7: Metal rod for pinning
8: Filler
9: Decent lighting
10: Cleared down workspace



Now with all my essential bits and bobs gathered, I pop on some music and inspect the goodies.

The goodies in question are the Space Marine portion of the Assault on Black Reach beginner bargain box. A captain, a tactical squad, a terminator squad and a dreadnought. All basic, fixed pose 'snap fix' kits. For what they are, they look fantastic. I remain just blown away at how much detail has been lavished upon these plastic starter marines. They really look rather nice.




Unfortunately the Black Reach set I picked up was second hand. Somebody had already removed the marines from their sprues. They had not used clippers or a knife. In an over eager frenzy, the previous owner had twisted, pulled and pushed the plastic components from the sprues with pudgy and enthusiastic fingers. This has left damaged surfaces everywhere. Damage that can be fixed with a bit of filler here and there. A minor niggle but annoying all the same. Figuring out which bits went with who comes next. It took all of two minutes.

Assembling the Tactical Squad:

The basic trooper comes in three parts. Body, gun and backpack. The only real work was to clean up mould lines and fix the areas where damage has occurred from the aforementioned sprue plucking exercise by the previous owner.



Now I know some people use files for this. I prefer to use a fine scalpel blade. The scrape-scrape of my knife on plastic has more than once earned me a dirty look from the wife when I used to hobby away in the living room. Screeching sounds and plastic whittling aside, I find the scalpel to work better and get into hard to reach spots far better than the smallest files in my arsenal.

The damage to the figures is mostly limited to the shoulder pad areas. This makes fixing it a doddle. A dab of filler and a quick bit of sanding and hey presto. Fixed.



Weapons Drill:

I have received a lot of stick and gentle mockery for my OCD tendencies when it comes to gun barrels. I prefer not to paint on the maws of my doom chutes. I want them hollow. So, pin vice in paw, I set to work.



Now when I drill into a wall, I bang a nail on the target point to ensure I hit the mark with the whirling drill bit and don't jump off target when I get going properly. The same stands true even at this scale. I use the pointiest of my pointy scalpel blades to twist a small guide hole dead centre on the gun barrel. Then I drill. Not too deep, and I take great care not to destroy the barrel by using the wrong sized drill bit. And bingo...your mates look sidelong at you and worry about your mental state.


Basing:

Next comes the base. I was overcome with nostalgia when I saw that they were the old slot bases. This joy vanished when it became clear that there was to be no tight fit. Not that I should care, I was going to glue them anyhow. I was just expecting them to fit snugly into place for added strength. I remember needing strength like Hercules to pry the ancestors of these plastic marines from their slot bases to make their bonding (more?) permanent with a dab of glue.

Penny for your thoughts:



Not exactly. When all is said and done these models are for gaming. A handy trick I have picked up involves gluing something like a metal washer to the bottom of the base. This stops your miniatures drunkenly nose diving to the floor if someone bops the gaming table in passing or the piece of terrain they are stood on is on a slant or not perfectly level.



It helps stop breakages. It also gives you a few millimetres height advantage with which to intimidate your foe. The validity of the last point is open to debate.



Rather than use washers, I use a good old British tuppence (2p coin). It fits perfectly, does the job marvellously, but I do it mainly because this shrapnel is everywhere. Why toddle off to the hardware store when a quick rummage down the back of the sofa supplies what you need?

With all the parts cleaned up I match them up and pop them to one side. I am not going to permanently assemble them just yet. Painting will come first so nooks and crannies can be easily reached.

So, just like that. One finished Space Marine. Plenty of rinse and repeat ahead!

And done. One tactical squad ready for base coating.

I like the coin idea. Alot of my minis seem to have suicidal tendencies or have consumed too much during happy hour. Consistently toppling over. Thanks for the tip. Eager to see come color on these fellows.

More than welcome!

And so for the captain. Up to a whole four components now!



I cannot believe just how good this character looks, considering how simple he is.



I think my characters should all sound Arthurian in their naming. Angels of Seraph. White knights all.

I will call him Cador. Alliteration with his rank, Stan Lee would be proud.




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Ok. Now for some of my favourite GW designs. Terminators.

I have loved these guys ever since I first terrified myself into insomnia as a child with the original Space Hulk video game. Stamping down corridors as a member of the Deathwing, nearly wetting myself as steam hisses from a cracked pipe...then having my face ripped off by a Genestealer. Happy times.

Now you get them right off the bat in the starter box. Kids these days are being SPOILT! They get a 'My First Terminator' straight away! I had to wait for nearly a decade to get a decent plastic Terminator kit! Frassa, rassa...lucky gits.

Anyway. First off the sergeant. Four pieces again.



And with two shakes of a lambs tail...one finished Terminator sergeant.



WAIT! NO! Hold everything. I can't do it.

Terminator armour is the best personal protection a Space Marine can get. It is rare, it is awesome. Layers and layers of armour on a powered exoskeleton. And YOU LEFT THE HELMET OFF! Cool as it looks, that is a fundamentally stupid thing to do.

So, a quick rummage in the bits box and lo and a plan forms. Off comes the helmet-less front of the sergeant.



On goes the leftover front piece to some Terminators that were upgraded with Forge World resin parts.



Add a helmet and BOOM! One slightly less foolish Sergeant, now without his gleaming bonce a tempting squishy target for all around.



More rummaging about and I realise that I also have the bits to upgrade one of the Terminators into carrying a cyclone missile launcher...saves me buying another set for a while to add more punch. And at £28 quid a pop for five, Terminators are very low down on my shopping list.



More bang for my buck. Geddit? BANG?

And there we go. One squad of Terminators.



Next up, we have the Dreadnought. Now this model has a special place in my heart. Way back when metal models were made of Lead...I got one of these for my birthday. It was so heavy and had no base. I used super-glue for the first time and stuck my fingers together a great deal. It never stayed together for long. A foot here, a grenade launcher here...

It was my first real Citadel Miniature, bought for me by my Grandfather. He helped me make it, watched me slather it with thick layers of far too much paint and never complained whenever it fell over with a thunk and left marks on the table. It was the beginning of my interest in the hobby.

And now here it is. In glorious plastic. The same weapons and shape. The pieces are so insanely well thought out and far more detailed than that original lead model.



Put together, and the results are stellar.



Glorious. And that is the starter set built and ready for painting.

Ok. Painting time.

First off, undercoating. Chaos Black spray by GW is my preferred base coat. The finish it leaves has yet (in my experience) to be beaten.



Then a quick drybrush of the new 'Astronomican Grey' foundation paint. Good colour, horrible finish. I shall water it down for the future batches.



Then comes white. These guys are pure as hell, so I thought a mainly white colour scheme would do nicely. Here is a tip. Dedicate one of your brushes to white painting only. Nothing worse than a mucky finish caused by white mixing with paint you thought you had so thoroughly cleaned off your brush!



As an Ultramarines successor chapter, I thought a quick nod to their forebears might be in order. So, blue shoulder pads it is. Then comes detailing, but I am not lingering too long on these chaps. I want them basic, simple and ready for gaming!



Assembling after painting up the rest of the parts and hey presto, nearly done.



On go some decals and the flock for the base. Then a quick spray of 'Purity Seal' matt varnish to finish off the job.





And there, nothing fancy. And easy to do en masse. Best look to doing that then!

Very nice and simple, I like your white, howeveer your blue looks slightly thick, I think. The coin added to the base looks excellent, I've used smaller coins before, but never larger than the base to create a 'rim'. I would suggest painting the coins sides in blue, to tie all of your models together. One thing I cant stand however, is the grasss explosion on the base, its too basic and 'un-warlike'. There are loads of great base ideas floating around, even just soome sand or gravel would look better, or even buy some, check out the warmill if you decide to do that. What other units do you plan on doing?

Very nice and simple, I like your white, howeveer your blue looks slightly thick, I think. The coin added to the base looks excellent, I've used smaller coins before, but never larger than the base to create a 'rim'. I would suggest painting the coins sides in blue, to tie all of your models together. One thing I cant stand however, is the grasss explosion on the base, its too basic and 'un-warlike'. There are loads of great base ideas floating around, even just soome sand or gravel would look better, or even buy some, check out the warmill if you decide to do that. What other units do you plan on doing?

Hmm, I am not keen on buying in bases. If I choose to, I will create my own. Duly noted about the grass, but I rather like the look of it. I shall probably mix it with patches of sand though. Variety is the spice of life.

Yet to come from these fabulous boys in white are so far:

Captain
Terminator Squad
Dreadnought

More will follow, once I have mastered the basics of the game.

After a little watering down, the foundation paint is actually pretty damn good for dry brushing and does not leave that horrible finish that blighted the prototype tactical marine. All the chaps are now sorted out with their first coat.

How did I not see this thread sooner! I really like the direction you are going. Great work all around and the idea of drybrushing before doing details really sets you up for some nicely shaded recesses. Keep up the good work and I cant wait for more updates.

One evening of work and here we go, one squad of nearly white knights ready for detailing! Watering down the foundation paint has really paid dividends. The finish is much, much nicer and good to build on. I have been watering down the white too and it seems to be working nicely.

Getting there. Guns, packs, flock and decals and these lads are ready for a ruckus.



I have had to keep mumbling to myself to keep it simple and the results are looking promising!

Beautiful crisp painting, and you can guarantee that I will steal that swap for the terminators. Simple and effective, my favourite kind of conversion.

And here we are. First tactical squad all painted up and raring to go.



I am really, really pleased with how they look considering I used only basic techniques. Mass producing should be easy enough, though how it works out on vehicles is yet to be seen! As the old mantra goes. "Keep It Simple, Stupid" and it seems to have paid off thus far.

Now what to do next. Captain, Dread or the Terminators?

Very nice! Terminators

How did I not see this thread sooner! I really like the direction you are going. Great work all around and the idea of drybrushing before doing details really sets you up for some nicely shaded recesses. Keep up the good work and I cant wait for more updates.

Hey, thanks! The drybrush technique has really worked nicely as a base and helps the detail stand out!

Beautiful crisp painting, and you can guarantee that I will steal that swap for the terminators. Simple and effective, my favourite kind of conversion.

Cheers! The idea behind the blog was to share what limited knowledge I have, so glad I have at least something worth pinching.

Very nice! Terminators

Hmmm, it is tempting to get those bad boys painted up. Last time I went into GW for a starter game, every Space Marine player had a load and NONE of them were painted up to a decent standard. All either Black Templars (my personal slang for undercoat only) or smothered with a base layer of paint but without any detail work or finished bases. Being able to show off a finished squad will make me feel better when some smug rules-lawyer batters the stuffing out me. Who knows, maybe even a little 'we are just too damn pretty to die' mojo will act better than the save throws I have been hurling of late.


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Oh, and anyone reading, feel free to ask questions if you have any...

But I suspect that everything I have been doing has been so amazingly straightforward/dull that they will be few to none.

Okie dokie. Painting up the Terminators. As with their power armoured brethren, I drybrushed up through various greys until I reached white. That done, I painted black all the bits and bobs that would need to be drybrushed and black inked the eye sockets.



With that done, I painted the parts I wanted to be gold with Brazen Brass, then drybrushed that with Shining Gold to get the look I wanted. The rest was all fairly simple stuff as usual.



And VOILA! A Terminator squad. Just need a few more bits of detailing, decals and flock. Then I can varnish them with Purity Seal to toughen them up and they are ready to go.


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Dreadnought time!

Same deal as the rest of the army. Work my way up to white using drybrushing then paint metal and detail parts black.

Last night I finished off the Terminators. I also had a stab at making a power sword that was not just bare metal, or flat blue.



And here is the rest of the squad, all finished up.



I also got on with the Dreadnought. Nothing fancy, same techniques I have been using for the rest of the army.



And here is the rest of the army!



A solid base to build upon. May add a few squads of Scouts and a Devastator Squad once I have mastered the basics of play at my local GW.

Also, here is Captain Pellinor and his command squad.



I have decided to take a little time on the Captain and promote him up to Chapter Master, as I really like the model.

I really like the color scheme!

I went into GW today and played a few very enjoyable games. Game 1, I teamed up with a new Grey Knights player. We had 1000 points between us, and the store lent enough chaos space marine models to another couple of beginners so we could have a joint 1000 point battle.

Our opponents cheated like mad. I was blown away at how unsporting these kids were in their efforts to win. I even had to take one aside and explain the perils of cheating and being caught. IE, not being able to find an opponent for future matches. People talk, and nobody wants to play with a cheat. Thankfully the GW staff, my ally and myself did not let the little buggers get away with anything. We ended up winning, but it was a little spoiled by the atmosphere of 'no, you cannot do that' and 'no, those units were killed' and 'no, that weapon was destroyed'.

The second game was much more fun. My ally had brought his nephew (a new convert to the hobby and Chaos Space Marine player). Cracking game! I really like the new streamlined rules. On the whole, a good day. The veterans night that the store runs require a 1750 point army to participate. So, a mad scramble ahead to make up points and numbers.

Cue a really, really nice surprise. I was having a rummage in my cavernous sprues box to see if I had missed any Imperial Guard weapons (for a separate project). What I found was a Venerable Dreadnought that I did not even know I had!



I really like the look of this kit. A little warping of the mould and some errant flashing aside, it looks good when built up. I am really looking forward to fixing up the rest of the weapons options and the 'hand' power fist was a really nice touch on the part of the sculptor.



Tried to go for a bit of a dynamic pose. More purity seals and extra kibble will be added later, but for now I am just trying to get the weapons mounts modular. So next step is to read through the army lists to figure out what to add to my force from the models I have available.

Looking great. The AoBR minis are highly under rated. Sure the tac marines are fairly static, but they are pretty well sculpted. For as cheap as they can be had on ebay you cant go wrong for filling out the rank & file.

Looking great. The AoBR minis are highly under rated. Sure the tac marines are fairly static, but they are pretty well sculpted. For as cheap as they can be had on ebay you cant go wrong for filling out the rank & file.

I know! The whole set has been great fun to work with from start to finish. That commander miniature is something else. I can still remember putting together the 2nd edition plastic orks and space marines from the boxed game and by god, these are simply amazing by comparison.

Wow, very nice and simple paint scheme, well done mate!

Wow, very nice and simple paint scheme, well done mate!

Cheers buddy. I am really chuffed with how they have turned out so far. The basic paint scheme seems to really be paying off.

Nice. I have scraped together a 1750 point army.



===========================================================

HQ: 130pts

Captain (100pts): 130pts
Bolter, Power Sword (10pts), artificer armour (15pts) melta bombs (5pts)

Elites: 530pts

Terminator Squad (200pts)
Cyclone missile launcher (30pts): 230pts

Venerable Dreadnought (165pts)
Twin linked lascannon (30pts): 195pts

Dreadnought (105pts): 105pts

Troops: 620pts

Rhino (30pts): 45pts
Hunter killer missile (10pts)

Rhino (30pts): 45pts
Hunter killer missile (10pts)

Tactical Squad (170pts): 175pts
Flamer, missile launcher, melta bombs (5pts)

Tactical Squad (170pts): 175pts
Flamer, missile launcher, melta bombs (5pts)

Scout Squad (85pts): 90pts
Sniper rifles, missile launcher (10pts), melta bombs (5pts)

Scout Squad (75pts): 90pts
Bolters, heavy Bolter (10pts), melta bombs (5pts)

Fast Attack: 105pts

Assault Squad (100pts): 105pts
Melta bombs (5pts)

Heavy Support: 365pts

Predator (60pts): 120pts
Lascannon sponsons (60pts)

Devestator Squad (90pts): 170pts
Missile launcher (15pts), lascannon (35pts), heavy bolter (15pts), mult melta (15pts)

Razorback (40pts): 75pts
Twin Linked Lascannon (35pts)

===========================================================

Any thoughts?

Ok, first real game with these guys did not go so well. A force of Grey Knights did really horrible things. Lessons learned. Assault marines are nearly useless. Scouts armed with sniper rifles can be deadly as hell. My marines have also apparently been playing hooky from the firing range. They hit diddly.

Also my idea of sweeping in around and behind the enemy with the Rhino's and Razorback did not work out so well. Smoking wreckage all over the place.

Nuts.

Sorry to hear that your game didn't quite go as planned bud. As long as you learned more about your army and your enemy (as it would seem you did) than it's not a total loss. I LOVED my tyranid army but it took me a few games to figure out how to run them and even longer to learn about my opponents Needless to say my bugs got their fair share of squashings before I learned what troops were useful where. So when do we get to see the rest of the troops painted up? I'm really looking forward to it!

Well, I am at something of a loss as to what I should concentrate on first. Commander probably, though the scouts are tempting too!

I would say go with the scouts unless you want to save them for when you are about to rip your hair out after painting your 50th model with power armour Though I am curious to see what you do with the commander. Glad I don't have to pick

WOO HOO First on page 2!!

Hah! True, I may hold the scouts back in reserve until I am fed up with the power armoured fellows. Perhaps I should have a crack at a tank instead...but my army does need a commander...

Yes, commander it is, then a Rhino, then scouts.

Glad to hear it! I personally am horrible when it comes to tanks. For some reason my feeble little brain cant handle painting large flat areas

You are not alone Tony, I can never get them to look just right. Mr Mutley, sir, that is some of the most ridiculously fast speed painting, the games sound like they went in terms of learning a few things though.

If you want to increase the already considerable deadly effect your scouts have on the game, then Sgt Telion is a good choice. He will allow you to single out enemy characters as well as letting you allocate any wound cause by him on a single selected model yourself.

+1 Lenny! Tellion makes life hard for people!

Yup, I am taking Telion for my scouts. I may ditch the devastator and assault marines, beef up the scout squad and get a command squad for my captain, then stick them in the Razorback.

I've not heard much support for the old command squad but my knowledge of the gaming side of vanilla marines is limited if not wholly non-existent so I could be wrong.

How about tailoring them towards the scout element, so bike and storms. I've seen it done a few times, looks awesome but again not sure about game viability.

In that case the Devastators get a reprieve. Instead I will beef up the Scouts and ditch the command squad idea. I am not keen on Scout bikes and Storms, but only because I have not got any lurking in my bits box!

Telion arrived in the mail yesterday and I have figured out a new army list. Gone are the assault marines. Much remains the same, just a beefed up ten man scout squad armed with sniper rifles, a missile launcher and Telion in charge, and a second five man bolter and heavy bolter armed team for objective snagging and drawing fire.

Right, enough dithering. On with the captain.

Very impressive finish on the white. I might have to try that technique myself.

Ok, so here we go, commander.

I really, really like this model. I cannot believe it is in the starter kit. It is detailed, it is nice to build and the pose and design are fan-frickin-tastic. There. Enough gushing about the design of the mini.

First off I did the usual base coat then drybrush technique I have used for the rest of the chaps.



The blue was done by working up layers on a base coat of Mordian Blue. The yellow was done with a base coat of Iyanden Darksun, then up to Sunburst Yellow with a little bit of home made yellow wash in between. The flesh was Tallaran Flesh, up to Elf Flesh with a little Devlan Mud wash.

I tried something new with the power sword. I saw a really nice effect where the painter had quartered the blade alone the raised edge in the middle, darkness fading to white going off in different directions. Gives a sword a deep, shimmering, otherworldly effect. I tried to copy the effect. I started with a base of Mordian Blue, then with watered down Enchanted Blue, I brushed outwards without adding more paint to the brush. The thicker paint covered the darker blue to start, then faded out as the paint thinned. I did the same with Ice Blue, then highlighted a little with Skull White. The result is ok, but if there is potential for it to be really awesome if done by someone with more talent, and more patience. I am not about to have another go on this model, because I would never get it finished and be able to, y'know, play those wretched games that I am so good at losing.



And a few more detailing jobs...and one finished commander for my army.




Jus' like that.




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Ohhhhhhkay. It has been a while since I have made a GW metal miniature. I think I remember why I stopped.

Sergeant Telion. Bad news with a beefed up boltgun. When I opened up the blister-pack, I was all smiles. Nice level of detail, nice design.



What the hell is with all that flashing? And the mould lines? White metal was going to do away with all of these! Assembling the wretched thing was a ball-ache of epic proportions. The head would not fit properly in the groove. The gun would not fit into the tabs on the body and line up properly with the arms. Tsk.

So instead of gnashing my teeth, I chopped the tabs off entirely. I also cut, scraped, filed and sanded off the Ultramarines insignia. You work for me now, boy. Drilling the joints and adding pins that are green stuffed in will add security and more strength to the model than those crappy tabs ever could ever have done.



Here is a trick regarding the base. The tab that slips into the slot base on a metal model will never be as tight as the fit on a plastic model. Never has been, never will be. If you squash green-stuff like mad into the slot base from beneath to fill the gaps between the metal tab and the plastic, when it sets you have a firm fit with no flex or wobble.

And here he is, all ready for his stealthy black undercoat.

You can use greenstuff to fill the gap, all i used to do was take a pair of pliers and bend the tab in the middle till it fit. Now though, especially for a hero like Telion, I tend to remove the tab completely, build up the base and pin them to it.

Grats on the commander, he looks great. The blues look a bit flat in the photo but I would guess that they look a bit richer in the flesh as it were.

Lennysmash wrote:You can use greenstuff to fill the gap, all i used to do was take a pair of pliers and bend the tab in the middle till it fit. Now though, especially for a hero like Telion, I tend to remove the tab completely, build up the base and pin them to it.

Grats on the commander, he looks great. The blues look a bit flat in the photo but I would guess that they look a bit richer in the flesh as it were.

Yeah, my photography skills are limited to turning off the flash, putting on the macro setting and shining a lamp at the miniature in question. Ah well.

I am avoidiing the temptation to make uber cool and tall bases for the heroes for two reasons.

1: The join is not strong as I would like for the rough and tumble of gaming.
2: It makes them stand out.

I do not want them to stand out. As the old rule goes, "Don't draw fire. It irritates everyone around you." I want them to be nice and subtle. Perhaps this paint scheme was a really bad idea after all. Hard to be inconspicuous when you are gleaming white. Just ask the UN tankies/bullet magnets. Perhaps I should paint the scouts in urban camo or something.

IMHO you should definitely paint the scouts up in some camp! A. It would look awesome and B. It would make sense with the whole stealth aspect. Loving the commander btw, he looks great. I'm excited to see Tellion all camoed up. Maybe a quick photo box will help with the pics. Something with defused light. I just picked up a white cloth hamper that I'll be using. Less that $10. Either way your painting looks great!

tony_nids_10 wrote:IMHO you should definitely paint the scouts up in some camp! A. It would look awesome and B. It would make sense with the whole stealth aspect. Loving the commander btw, he looks great. I'm excited to see Tellion all camoed up. Maybe a quick photo box will help with the pics. Something with defused light. I just picked up a white cloth hamper that I'll be using. Less that $10. Either way your painting looks great!

Yup, I think camo will be the way to go. Just need to decide on a scheme! Standard urban camo perhaps? The whole Space Marine 'we wear our colours with pride' schtick may make sense when you are wearing powered armour, but the poor scouts may think differently about getting their keisters blown off for the sake of their heavier armoured brother's pride.

Scouts look really nice in urban camo, and I think it would blend nicely with your colour scheme. I say urban camo is the way to go.

Oh, lovely looking work, btw.

htj wrote:Scouts look really nice in urban camo, and I think it would blend nicely with your colour scheme. I say urban camo is the way to go.

Oh, lovely looking work, btw.

Yup, urban camo it will be. And thanks!


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Another gaming night down at the local GW. AUGHHHH! Got thumped again. Hard. A really, really nicely painted and converted army of Plague Marines. Simple take and hold objective. By the end of play I was down to my captain, a terminator, a decidedly fleeing devastator and four bewildered tactical marines.

Well sir what went wrong?

tony_nids_10 wrote:Well sir what went wrong?

Bad dice rolls, a few bad decisions...a defiler, a deamon prince, deepstriking obliterators and terminators. Typhus the traveller...

Also, plague marines themselves (three squads, each in dedicated Rhinos armed with havoc launchers) are really, really really hard to kill. Feh. At least my guys died pretty.

I'm pretty sure the issue I would have had against that army would have been my targeting priorities. Your opponent seems to have a very mobile army with the rhinos and the ability to deep strike would have helped cover anything you had artillery wise. Between the defiler and the demon prince I would have had trouble deciding what to hit first leaving me split and not hitting to full effect.

If I remember, your last doesn't have a lot of long range heavy hitters right? Maybe add a whirlwind, or a rifleman dread or two, or (if he can still do it) a tech marine to drop orbital strikes.

Any of that make sense or help?

Well after that last debacle, I have decided that my captain is not beefy enough. I am thinking of replacing him and the five man scout team with a captain or chapter master in Terminator Armour, armed with a relic blade. I have a predator, the two dreadnoughts, the razorback and the devastators for shooty punch.

An excellent blog so far, I really like your prep work shots.

Great results overall

Oh and fantastic avatar btw

Flashman wrote:An excellent blog so far, I really like your prep work shots.

Great results overall

Oh and fantastic avatar btw

Hah! Thanks a lot.

Have you given any thought to a libby in terminator armor?

im luvin this blog man keep up the good work man

tony_nids_10 wrote:Have you given any thought to a libby in terminator armor?

Ehmm, not really. What are the perks?

porkchop806 wrote:im luvin this blog man keep up the good work man

Hey, thanks!

Ive only painted the orks from AOBR and they where pretty special as well.
I love your army though, it certainly looks the part!

I know how you feel with metal models they never go together properly. Nice captain btw

Optio wrote:Ive only painted the orks from AOBR and they where pretty special as well.
I love your army though, it certainly looks the part!

My wife had the honour of panting them up and she has done a belting job of it too, even if she has since lost interest in the hobby. Ah well! The white really does lend itself well to Marines, as they are, well, white knights of the grim future.

risewiththefallen wrote:I know how you feel with metal models they never go together properly. Nice captain btw

Thanks! And yes, GW metal models are a bugger to put together. Here's hoping that they do a little better with finecast...which I have yet to have a crack at.

I haven't posted much on this forum (hoping to change that sharpish) but wanted to say I'm enjoying your log so far! I have a box of Marines that I really want to get stuck into and this log is helping me get motivated for that.

Nice idea about the bases - I think I'll try the same idea.

Keep posting stuff! I like hearing about your battles so far so keep it up - its all a learning curve!

Ragsta

Jihad_Ragsta wrote:
I haven't posted much on this forum (hoping to change that sharpish) but wanted to say I'm enjoying your log so far! I have a box of Marines that I really want to get stuck into and this log is helping me get motivated for that.

Nice idea about the bases - I think I'll try the same idea.

Keep posting stuff! I like hearing about your battles so far so keep it up - its all a learning curve!

Ragsta

Wow, cheers! I am glad that you have found something useful in my ramblings and model fumblings. As for that learning curve...I find it more of an uncomfortable learning right-angle when it comes to battles.

Next on the agenda is getting the beefed up scout squad fixed up, then painting a Rhino. So stay tuned!


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Oh, and promise to share your efforts with that box of marines?

Right then. Scouts. As I mentioned earlier, I did not want them to stand out on the battlefield. No white to be used.

Then something interesting happened. I had them undercoated but not painted and was using them in a battle. My opponent kept forgetting about them. The flat black was making them easier to overlook...



And here they are now. Nearly finished. I am keeping the capes flat black, and have gone for the most basic urban camo job I thought I would get away with. A few details to polish off and the purity seal to toughen them up for gaming and these chaps are done. Phew.

The scouts came out great! I really like the camo.

Wow! They look great, and its an awesome contrast to the rest of the army. I think at a latter stage you should consider re-basing them to a more urban theme in keeping with their camo but for now they look superb.

tony_nids_10 wrote:The scouts came out great! I really like the camo.

Thanks. It did seem to turn out OK in the end.

Lennysmash wrote:Wow! They look great, and its an awesome contrast to the rest of the army. I think at a latter stage you should consider re-basing them to a more urban theme in keeping with their camo but for now they look superb.

Gah! You are quite right. I missed a trick there. Though keeping them based as is sort of ties them in with the rest of the army.

Hello again! This weekend saw me partake in a 1000 point battle at GW Manchester after one of the staffers had chatted to me about possible ways to end my current drought of victories. The new army list he suggested worked wonders, so I am taking heed and changing things. A lot.

First off, tony_nids_10 mentioned a Librarian in Terminator armour as my force commander. I mentioned this to the staffer who agreed it was an excellent idea. So, I finally picked up one of the new Finecast kits. First impressions are ok. Good detail, not so bad with the flashing and bubbles...but a few bits of damage here and there where the more brittle resin has snapped off.



Nothing so drastic that I want to take it back, but having to file off half a horned skull at the very top of the armour is not a good start. I am not certain this Finecast stuff is an improvement, but I am willing to wait and see if they manage to up the quality control a bit, once they have a little more experience of casting resin under their belts.

I also got a second hand unpainted Terminator Captain in the mail from Ebay. Cracking off the ancient superglue was a doddle and it is now ready for me to (re)build.



Now I have made plenty of resin kits in my time. 'Garage' kits have been a favourite of mine throughout the years from Star Trek ships, to Babylon 5 craft, to Anime and movie machines and figures...and most of the stuff I have made has been fan produced (hence the 'garage' part. More often than not that is where these brown box kits are manufactured).

When resin is cast, the mould is first coated with a goop to stop the dry resin sticking in place and being damaged when removed. It ends up being left on the finished parts and will stop glue and paint getting a proper hold. Some companies claim to wash this slippery stuff off, others don't. Either way, step one for me is to soak the model overnight in a mild detergent solution. I use washing up liquid.



Tomorrow I will then go at it with a toothbrush before rinsing it off under cold water. Meanwhile, I am going to get on with the captain.




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New army list:

HQ: 305pts

Space Marine Chapter Master (125pts): 165pts
Terminator Armour (30pts) Digital Weapons (10pts)

Space Marine Librarian (100pts): 140pts
Terminator Armour & Storm Bolter (30pts) Digital Weapons (10pts)

Elites: 530pts

Terminator Squad (200pts): 230pts
Cyclone missile launcher (30pts)

Dreadnought (105pts): 105pts

Venerable Dreadnought (165pts): 195pts
Twin Linked Lascannon (30pts)

Troops: 564pts

Tactical Squad (90pts): 181pts
1x extra Space Marine (16pts) Melta Bombs (5pts)
Razorback (40pts) Twin Linked Lascannon (35pts)

Tactical Squad (90pts): 146pts
1x extra Space Marine (16pts) Melta Bombs (5pts)
Razorback (40pts)

Scout Squad (75pts): 227pts
Telion (50pts) 5x Extra Scouts (65pts) Missile Launcher (10pts), Camo Cloaks (27pts)

Heavy Support: 350pts

Predator (60pts): 120 pts
Lascannon sponsons (60pts)

Vindicator (115pts): 115pts

Vindicator (115pts): 115pts

Total: 1749pts

And here is my Chapter Master in terminator armour. All cleaned up, drilled and pinned, ready to be assembled. Now I bloody hate that massive bendy banner pole. So I am not using it. Instead I have filled the gap with greenstuff.



So yes. A little superglue. A little greenstuff...



Ta-daa! All built and ready for undercoat.

Next up, the Librarian.


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And my first foray into finecast is built. I am still undecided about it. Yes there is a lot of detail in it. But the detail is rather spoilt by all the little imperfections. And the huge ones. It took a long time to clean up, and even longer to repair.

The material itself is odd. Most resin is very, very brittle. This stuff has elastic properties. It may save the model in the rough and tumble of wargaming. Even so, I had to clip off a few bits that I thought would not last long. I drilled and pinned all the various parts in place for extra strength. I also did not like the staff that the Librarian was wielding, so I replaced it with a sword from the bits box.

WIP of the Librarian. Base coat of Mordian Blue.

Looking good! How do you like the Foundation Paints?

Briancj wrote:Looking good! How do you like the Foundation Paints?

Thanks!

I was not keen on the foundation paint at first. I tried drybrushing with them direct to start with, but they left a terrible dappled finish. Watered down a touch, they turned out to be fantastic though.

Kaff-kaff. *WHEEZE*



There, new additions acquired. Built. Undercoated.

And an updated WIP of the Librarian, who continues to come along nicely.



Busy busy busy...

Aaaaaand. One Librarian finished. All painted up, but yet to be named. As with all my characters, I wanted to name him after an Arthurian figure. Then came a long and rather stupid thought train where I pondered hard about Arthurian wizards or magicians and failed to come up with one. Then a little voice in the back of my mind murmured 'berk'. This confused for a moment, as I did not recall a mage named Berk from the round table legends...then enlightenment dawned.

But the thing is, he does not much look like a Merlin.

How about Gaius? He is the guardian of Merlin in the new incarnation of the Arthurian tales. what's more he was trained in the use of magic.

Great paint job by the way.

Lennysmash wrote:How about Gaius? He is the guardian of Merlin in the new incarnation of the Arthurian tales. what's more he was trained in the use of magic.

Great paint job by the way.

Gaius it is! Thank you for the name, and the compliment. Next up is chapter master Arturius.

I've got to ask Mutley sir, do you know if bland is fun yet? I've been wondering that for 3 pages

Loving your work mate, especially those scouts and the reason for painting them black! Brilliant!


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Gaius' sword is epic too

tony_nids_10 wrote:I've got to ask Mutley sir, do you know if bland is fun yet? I've been wondering that for 3 pages

Hmmm....Hmmmmmmmmm....

So far, yes. I have enjoyed painting these chaps up, building the vanilla/codex force and learning the rules of the game by, y'know... playing it. More games need to be played and the army is finished up to a 3,000 point standard but so far it has been a blast!

kitch102 wrote:Loving your work mate, especially those scouts and the reason for painting them black! Brilliant!

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Gaius' sword is epic too

Thanks pal! The reasoning has proved sound enough. People do keep overlooking them, even now they are fully painted. Except of course when all those powerful, long range shots do horrible things to their infantry. The sword was something of an expermient in getting a decent, non blue power blade as it is a force weapon. I wanted to go for a magma effect. A quick thinned down brush of Red Gore, starting at the tip and brushing downwards to the hilt, so the paint thins and the black is left intact. Sort of instant blending. Then it was Blazing Orange for the edges and tip area, with a little Sunburst Yellow to highlight and finish it all off. Seems to have worked alright!

Well you got exactly what you were trying to achieve, all I could think was "flaming lava sword wielded by Psychic nasty bastard". That sir, is a win.

kitch102 wrote:Well you got exactly what you were trying to achieve, all I could think was "flaming lava sword wielded by Psychic nasty bastard". That sir, is a win.

Psychic Nasty Bastard. That has made my morning.

Ha - glad to hear it pal

Arturius, Chapter Master of the Angels of Seraph.




Nuthin' fancy.

And here we have one finished Venerable Dreadnought. I seem to have been working on this model for an eternity, at least it feels that way. Glad to have it finished and ready to give the enemy a thorough hiding.





And now five tanks need my attention. Five big white tanks. I am going to go mad!

Lovely, lovely work. I wish I lived nearby you. Do you have a spare room to rent?

Five tanks == Grey primer undercoat, and then a large tank brush, and thinned down white until you reach the opacity you want.

Looking forward to it!

--Brian

This blog is awesome! Can't believe I haven't seen it before!

Great work making the AOBR troops fit in. Loving the colour scheme. Nice touch using the 2 pences, gives the bases a less cheap look.

Librarian looks awesome with sword and cracking job on the captain.

Exalted.

Briancj wrote:Lovely, lovely work. I wish I lived nearby you. Do you have a spare room to rent?

Five tanks == Grey primer undercoat, and then a large tank brush, and thinned down white until you reach the opacity you want.

Looking forward to it!

--Brian

Hah! Not really looking to take a lodger. As it happens I have undercoated them all Chaos Black, then given them all a primary coat of watered down Astronomican Grey, just like my infantry. I do use watered down coats of Skull White like you suggest, so stay tuned to see me production lining these now that I have finished off a first shot prototype.

Emperors_Champion wrote:This blog is awesome! Can't believe I haven't seen it before!

Great work making the AOBR troops fit in. Loving the colour scheme. Nice touch using the 2 pences, gives the bases a less cheap look.

Librarian looks awesome with sword and cracking job on the captain.

Exalted.

Why thank you! I have really rather enjoyed this project and all the positive feedback just adds to the fuel spurring me on. Just as well. The total number of tanks has increased and it is going to take a lot to stop myself going nuts finishing them all off!


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I am really looking forward to Battle Reports from you. I guess I'll have to pitch a tent, nearby.

There are now six unfinished tanks sat on my desk. I am going to go loopy before they are all finished, I feel it in my rivets.

Until then, work continues on steadily. The Vindicators are nearly ready for the white to be declared finished. A few more coats should do it.

Work continues steadily on the army. The two Vindicators are nearly done, with just the two Razorbacks and the Predator to follow for my core Veterans Night tournament army (1750 points).

After that, one Rhino, a Devastator squad, an Assault squad, a Scout squad and two Tactical Squads remain and every marine I have at my disposal will be ready.

Today I ventured into Games Workshop as I have most Sundays for the past month or so. I enjoy sitting at the modelling tables, sharing techniques and tips with the staffers, other gamers and passing kiddliwinks. This is a thing of the past it seems. Gone are the tools and free use of the store paints (I bring my own brushes anyway). I can bring my own paints and tools, so that did not bother me...but the way that the staffers seem to have been ordered not to encourage anyone but new gamers from painting has saddened me a great deal. To be fair, a reason for the removal of 'squatters rights' at the modelling tables has been given. Apparently a chap came in with a 3000 point army (that he had not bought in store), sat down and used all the store tools and paints to get them ready, then was never seen/heard from again. The store apparently cannot afford this kind of piss-takery, so steps were taken to stop it happening again.

This all seemed to occur after the visit from the area manager, and the tables are now infested with nasty little oiks (tis the school holidays) who bring in non GW paints, glues, tools and so on...and knacker hundreds of quids worth of GW models. I actually saw some staffers gnashing their teeth, wanting to stop them...or at least correct and advise...but they are all new players and as such, to be pandered to and encouraged in their spree of purchase and plastic mutilation. Seemingly at the expense of everyone else.

Rant over. Game report time. Today I played a chap in the beginners leagues (I am still learning the ropes you see). 1000 points (ish) each. Basilisk, six heavy weapons teams, four squads, one Chimera, one Hellhound, one Leman Russ and one Demolisher, plus the required command squads. I say the chap was about 16/17 maybe? For my part, I had my Black Reach commander, two Tactical squads, two Dreadnoughts, two Vindicators and a five man Terminator squad. Cracking game. First turn saw my two Vindicators...well, vindicate themselves. First shots of the game saw the Leman Russ and Hellhound exploding. He did not despair and bloodied my nose by blasting my two Dreadnoughts to steaming bits and cutting down a good few marines. It was a take and hold objective, and my force commander took up residence and refused to budge. The Basilisk and Demolisher proved a headache, immobilising one Vindicator and blowing the weapon off the other. Thankfully they were parked around the commander so provided a nice screen for the volleys of (innefectual) Lasgun fire. As the Tactical squads closed in on the objective, and the remains of the terrified, surviving Guardsmen...the Terminators arrived via deepstrike. Right atop the hill that the Basilisk and heavy weapons teams were occupying. The Guardsmen on the hill swung Lascannons and Autocannons to bear, but the shots all pattered harmlessly off the Terminators, who gunned down a good few weapons teams for their trouble. The following turn was going to see the Terminators munching their way through the weapons teams and Basilisk in hand to hand, the Commander taking on the Demolisher in hand to hand now that the Tactical squads could dig in and hold the objective...

But the game ended there and as I was still on the objective, the day was mine.

I packed up, turned around to another table where a friend of mine (Grey Knights) was teamed up with another chap (Vanilla marines with a few Legion of the Damned) against two young Chaos Space marine players. 10-13 year olds. That I have played before. Not one model was painted properly (save the ones they had ordered pre painted from the net), most were half built and missing weapons and...for a 3000 point game there seemed to be an awful lot of them...

Turns out they were 900 points over, cheating like mad, changing weapons (explains why none of the tanks were finished properly) and generally being obnoxious little combat wombats. My mate and his ally were being good natured about it all, even as they were being destroyed by cheats (with no army lists) who threw tantrums when cornered on dodgy actions and were being rather unpleasant all round.

So, one good game, but a day spent being thoroughly depressed by what was going on all around me. I think I shall play a few more beginners games to get into the swing of things, then limit myself to Tuesday's Veterans Night and keep the rest of the hobby confined to my little workshop.

I love the way the army is coming out. Very clean look and a nice theme for loyalists.

That's just too bad about the gaming store though, I've seen that too. I only play friendly games or campaigns with players I know. I've played too many games against people that throw fits when they lose, or cheat like crazy.I don't have time for that anymore.

I picked up a bunch of the AOBR Marines too and I find them nice looking and not at all bad.

Love the scouts, very stealthy indeed!

You've been busy fella! That Librarian looks really good, nice piece of work on the sword in particular.

The Chapter Master looks great, for some reason his shoulder pads really play off the grey tabard on his chest. Sweet.

And by the time I saw the ven dread I threw up my hands in despair. You're churning out some very nice stuff!


I am getting over the infestation of my local GW to be honest - last time I was in there me and the staffers just rolled our eyes good naturedly at the young uns. These days I collect and paint but don't play - the kind of thing you talk about has definitely put me off but hey! that's life right?

Okay, so I guess I better start a log for my Brazen Minotaurs instead of just talking about it... Darn you...

Keep up the good work

Gorgrimm wrote:I love the way the army is coming out. Very clean look and a nice theme for loyalists.

That's just too bad about the gaming store though, I've seen that too. I only play friendly games or campaigns with players I know. I've played too many games against people that throw fits when they lose, or cheat like crazy.I don't have time for that anymore.

I picked up a bunch of the AOBR Marines too and I find them nice looking and not at all bad.

Love the scouts, very stealthy indeed!

They do seem to have worked out ok. I am a big fan of the AoBR minitures after having a go at them, excellent way for newbies to cut their teeth and great fun.

Jihad_Ragsta wrote:
You've been busy fella! That Librarian looks really good, nice piece of work on the sword in particular.

The Chapter Master looks great, for some reason his shoulder pads really play off the grey tabard on his chest. Sweet.

And by the time I saw the ven dread I threw up my hands in despair. You're churning out some very nice stuff!

I am getting over the infestation of my local GW to be honest - last time I was in there me and the staffers just rolled our eyes good naturedly at the young uns. These days I collect and paint but don't play - the kind of thing you talk about has definitely put me off but hey! that's life right?

Okay, so I guess I better start a log for my Brazen Minotaurs instead of just talking about it... Darn you...

Keep up the good work

I look forward to seeing your blog, thanks for the support. Infestations are to be expected, I was just annoyed and being swept to the side in favour of ankle biters. I shall have to deal with my disgruntlement. This army is nearly finished. All I need are the tanks painted up and hey presto. Done.


Next up will be my stumblings into an ork army that I can use to annoy the hell out of beardy folk by not being at all serious. About anything. Ever. Just think of the konvershuns!

I would invest in a drop-pod or two. They're so effective, dreadnought turn one, or sternguard melta spam on IG, TURN ONE. I think you can even put terminators in it. 5 assault termies with a captain and you have a great distraction, or deadly assault force.

Midnightdeathblade wrote:I would invest in a drop-pod or two. They're so effective, dreadnought turn one, or sternguard melta spam on IG, TURN ONE. I think you can even put terminators in it. 5 assault termies with a captain and you have a great distraction, or deadly assault force.

Hmmm, that is not a bad idea at all...I shall think about that one if I ever want to expand the force.

Righto. After much delay and strife, may I present...

The Boom Brothers.

]

As with everything in this force...nothing fancy. Just clean lines and bright, simple paintwork. I am rather pleased with how they have come out. Just two Razorbacks, the Predator and a Rhino to go.

I'm really digging this, it just looks so clean and well done. I find it really difficult to work with a restrictive colour palette but you've really got it down, good work pal

Really enjoyed reading your blog as the army has progressed from humble beginnings. You have achieved a very nice end result on a colour many find difficult to paint well. Did you do a test model which had the armour plates black lined as well? I found it to still be an effective way to have white really pop and give a nice effect on certain models that warrant the extra attention and detail.
Look forward to seeing more progress and was wondering how effective the missile launcher scout had been in the squad of snipers?

In future, could you lay down a spot of gloss varnish under your decals, first? Then lay the decals down, let them dry, and hit the whole thing with matte varnish.

It'll make the edges of the decals go away.

Otherwise? AWESOME. I love the clean lines of this entire army, and it'll look great on the tabletop.

kitch102 wrote:I'm really digging this, it just looks so clean and well done. I find it really difficult to work with a restrictive colour palette but you've really got it down, good work pal

Hey, thanks! I hdo have to keep muttering to myself not to go overboard. I even caught myself reaching for the weathering paints and powders last night before I remembered that this lot are supposed to be crisp and clean.

Vermillion wrote:Really enjoyed reading your blog as the army has progressed from humble beginnings. You have achieved a very nice end result on a colour many find difficult to paint well. Did you do a test model which had the armour plates black lined as well? I found it to still be an effective way to have white really pop and give a nice effect on certain models that warrant the extra attention and detail.
Look forward to seeing more progress and was wondering how effective the missile launcher scout had been in the squad of snipers?

Oddly, he has really held his own. Nothing like 'Krak missile to face' for the final troublesome character/heavy armoured goon. Also light vehicles.

Briancj wrote:In future, could you lay down a spot of gloss varnish under your decals, first? Then lay the decals down, let them dry, and hit the whole thing with matte varnish.

It'll make the edges of the decals go away.

Otherwise? AWESOME. I love the clean lines of this entire army, and it'll look great on the tabletop.

Thanks for the compliment, and about the varnish. That is a GENIUS idea! Thank you for that. I will try it on the next vehicle. Is there a particular glass varnish that you use that gets the best results?

Somewhere, somewhen...a particularly burly but lone ork looked up at the twinkling night sky and thought to himself "I'm gunna 'ave me alla'dat. I jus' needs a kunnin plan." So resolved, he then headed off to find someone to come up with 'Da Plan'...

This was the beginning of Waaagh! Mugduffa.

***

Orks, orks, orks, orks!

With my Space Marine army nearly finished, I am looking towards another project. I am not makin' no more stinkin' humies! This may not ever become a full army in its own right, but the opportunities for conversions and general tabletop mayhem are just too good to pass up, so I shall start small and think big.


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Wow. After a lot of scrounging about I have managed to gather up enough plastic to form the core of an ork army.



Aaaaaand..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-cmO98HHbA

Just because.


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Black reach Ork Boyz. Love 'em. Blown away by the sculpts. Just as I was with the Space Marines. So much detail and character for a starter kit!

Only four bits to glue together. Simple stuff.



Cleaning up mold lines etc is a little time consuming as the Boyz do not have the smooth lines of the Marines. More fiddly bits to clean up. Still...wait...

WHAT WAS I THINKING!



So. Many. Boyz. I am gonna get blisters on me fingers!


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Phew, after much dithering and delay, the core of my army. 40 ladz all ready to get suck in.



Next up, a warboss to lead them, then undercoating and painting aplently. After all the white from my Space Marine army, this might be a nice change.

For the first ten models.


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Time for a prototype boy. The first of many. And as there are so many, I need a quick and painless paint scheme in order to preserve my sanity. These boys are the rank and file, and I will be reserving my special attentions for the characters and vehicles.

First off, I undercoated with chaos black spray. After that was dry I watered down the Gretchin Green foundation paint and put a couple of coats on the bare flesh.



Next came a quick wash of Thrakka Green. I applied two layers of washe to mute down the Gretchin Green.



After the wash had dried, I went over the shirt with watered down Mordian Blue foundation. The trousers got watered down Astronomican Grey foundation, for the leather gloves, boots, straps etc I used Calthan Brown foundation. Metal got a quick lick of Boltgun Metal while the teef got a dash of Bleached Bone.



With all that dry, I gave the whole model a wash of Devlan Mud to bring it all together and voila!




One boy. Nothing at all fancy. And on his own rather bland...but with 39 more around him, I do not think they will look half bad!


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Next up. The first Kan.

As with any Orky invention, you begin with a pile of scrap.



Separate it into useful chunks that sort of seem to fit together.



Install one terrified Gretchin with no idea how to control his new body and hey presto...




One very Orky deff masheen.


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Ere we go ere we go ere we go!

Bashed together an army list, so I have a shopping list ready for the new year.

HQ

2x Big Mek (Kustom Force Field, Shoota/Skorcha combi weapon)

Fast Attack

9x Deff Koptas (Twin linked rokkits)

Troops

2x Boyz Mobs (30 boyz with choppas/sluggas, Nob with Power Klaw)

2x Deff Dreds (4x Close Combat arms)

Heavy Support

2x Killa Kan Skwadrunz (Grotzookas)

1x Killa Kan Skwadrun (Rokkits)

Lots of close combat mayhem and things that go FWOOOSH!

Hey Mutley after the success of your marines, I'll deff-initely be watching this closely. I got two lots of AoBR Orks sat staring at me, I was gonna sell em, this blog might just convince me otherwise.

I'm jealous man, you so well! Everything looks so crisp... I think I rush my stuff, how long does it take you to do, say. a squad of 10 marines? Or one of those orc boys?

kitch102 wrote:I'm jealous man, you so well! Everything looks so crisp... I think I rush my stuff, how long does it take you to do, say. a squad of 10 marines? Or one of those orc boys?

Well it takes about 2 hrs to do a single model. But that is just for a prototype. The speed comes from production lining them. So, undercoat them all. Paint all the skin. Wash all the skin. Paint all the shirts and trousers...etc etc. Rushing can indeed spoil the finish, but if you pace yourself and take your time, the end results are worth it. Took me ages to realise that two thin coats always beats one thick coat. Water down your paint. Do it in layers. May take longer, but it looks better. I am about ready to get on with the first mob of 30 boyz, so you can see, step by step what I did for my production line.

You inspired me to get that start on the old orky goodness. I'm using this method. Thought you might like to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5mcpGhUJzM&list=LLFLCiEAdaTYYZmSlp079xrw&index=3&feature=plpp_video

Awesome! Let me know how you get on, you going to blog it?

For the orks, probably not. My painting is a little, shall we say, sporadic at best. I may offer up a few photos in the showcase when I have a healthy chunk of them done but blog wise I don't think its fair to inflict my painfully slow pace on others, lol.

Just flicking thru your blog, your marines are nice and I'm looking forward to see how the orks come out.

I'm glad I've never purchased a finecast model. I'd be well gutted if that came out the box- good work saving it.

Lennysmash wrote:For the orks, probably not. My painting is a little, shall we say, sporadic at best. I may offer up a few photos in the showcase when I have a healthy chunk of them done but blog wise I don't think its fair to inflict my painfully slow pace on others, lol.

Do eeeet. Show your work!

Tortured-Robot wrote:Just flicking thru your blog, your marines are nice and I'm looking forward to see how the orks come out.

I'm glad I've never purchased a finecast model. I'd be well gutted if that came out the box- good work saving it.

To be honest, it was not as bad as I was led to believe. But not good enough to warrant further explorations in that area. I shall stick with my plastics wherever possible.

Months and months have passed…and I have done very little on the wargaming front. Partly due to other commitments (painting and decorating a house for one. I am trying to think of it as a really, really big model…but it is not working).

But also because I am simply flabbergasted with Games Workshop. I was really starting to enjoy myself and get back into the GW hobby, but then it all turned sour. Lots of little niggles and annoyances that grew and grew into I eventually had to say “you know what, I am paying too much money and investing too much time for this not to be fun anymore”.

Which is a crying shame. Maybe I will pick it back up in the future after 6th Edition has landed and become established, or things suddenly change. But for now, I am shelving the projects and turning instead to Privateer Press. Smaller games. Fewer models. Less established gaming circle. A lot more fun.

You're not alone. I haven't bought anything GW except off the secondary market for YEARS.

I highly suggest: Dust Warfare, Infinity, Malifaux, Mantic Games (Kings of War, Warpath), Wreck Age, Freeblades, Brushfire, Battletech, Leviathans, Dystopian Wars...

Or, in other words, we're seeing a Rennaisance in tabletop wargaming. It is time to push game stores away from GW.