Hey All, Confession Time: I am a great starter of projects and a less than great finisher of projects. For some time I've wanted to simply take an army or project from start to finish without getting distracted and losing interest. To this end, I've decided on something more or less simple: I;m going to paint the entirety of the battle for Vedros line to a reasonable standard. No super fancy paint schemes,just more or less how they show them on the box.


This kit is kind of nostalgic for me, as I can remember the first space marines I ever painted were from the Assault on Black Reach kit. I remember looking at the box and thinking... all this for sixty bucks? Heck yes! (Yes there was a time when full-fledged starter kits cost less than a hundred dollars)

At any rate, I really, REALLY, want to see this project through from start to finish. So wish me luck!
Cheers
Brushcommando

You can do it man! These figures are nice and clean without too many overwhelming details. Good Luck and have fun with the painting!

I'm eager to see it come together myself, as I've been considering getting the Vedros starter. I could use the marines for my Dark Angels or Blood Ravens, and I could use the Orks for Kill Team games (just counting the Warboss as a Boss Nob).

Thanks for the encouragement guys! Just wanted to post an update on my progress thus far.
So far I've completed: The Ultramarine Captain from the main box:


I like how he came together, but I definitely need to work on my cloth-painting. Not entirely satisfied with the banner or the inside of the cloak, but otherwise happy.

I also painted the ork boyz and space marine expansion sets as a test for the larger squads in the main box.





and lastly I've painted the space marine bike. I was proud of how the tactical display turned out, so I've shamelessly decided to show it off with a top shot.





So That's it for now. Cheers.

Update: So I've had a productive hobby day today. I've fully assembled all the various Vedros kits, and managed to prime them. Also got a pair of orks and the terminator sergeant painted. Much happier with these orks then the earlier ones. Also, I've decided to switch textured paints for the remainder of the ork force, as I think the astrogranite goes better with the Goffs scheme.




That's it for now. C & C welcome.
Cheers.

Very nice!

Have you thought about putting something more on the bases? The grass from the biker would look good on the other models.

Looking good dude. And making good progress, keep it up.

EDC

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement guys.
@Asmodai yeah, I've been a little lazy with the bases so far. I''m experimenting with the new agrellan badlands texture paint and it's been somewhat frustrating to work with, as I can't seem to get the thickness right to really get the ground to break up. But eventually I'm going to go back and wash and drybrush the desert bases and apply tufts. The orks on the other hand are going to get astrogranite debris with a drybrush of white and call it a day.

Not a lot of visually impressive progress thus far, but I find having something to post keeps me motivated, so here goes:
Blocked in most of the color on the majority of my ultramarines. I took the attack bike a little further as I needed to completely finish some parts before finishing it. Side note: I HATE working with sub-assemblies.


Also got a good amount of the base colors down for the orks, but neglected to do a photo, as dark green and black barely show up. Everything is fully based, though, and so I'm satisfied with the progress thus far.
Cheers.
Edit: Except for that attack bike... not fully based there.

Showing progress with the sets, nice work!
I gonna do something similar to you some time, recently bought a battle for macragge starter set. Its nice to paint complete sets

@Dance of Slannesh: Thanks! I do have a special fondness for starter kits. Post a link if you blog about your macragge box. That's a sweet set and I would love to see what you do with it.

So progress has been somewhat slow for the last several days. I've managed to slog out two more Nobz and three more boyz, and also slap some basic paint on the wartrakk.




I hope to keep slogging on. I've been sort of playing moneyball with the painting, doing whatever I felt I could do to move the painting along. I have the bases down on the ultras, and a lot of the base colors down on the orks, but I'm still a little daunted by the deffcopta and the warboss.
as always, c & c welcome!
Cheers.

You are doing a great job on those guys. Just goes to show what a talented painter can do for the less detailed models. also, the black looks great on the orks.

I love how everything's looking so far! i'm a bit of a sucker for starter kits too, sometimes the simplicity is more fun to paint for me, i think.

@ 40kFSU Thanks! I've actually been having a lot of fun trying to personalize the orks with the checker patterns. I'm glad you like them.

@amazing turtles: I agree about the simple models being fun to paint. I know that wartrakk gets a lot of hate for being so old, but it's actually been one of the more enjoyable painting experiences thus far.

Marines and orks look great, especially the skin on your orks, I think you could do with a lightbox to show off all the details on your models though.
keep up the good work

Looking great so far and making good progress. Keep it up.

EDC

@bigfish: Thanks! although they actually are in a lightbox. I'm just apparently not really great at using it.

@EDC Thanks for the encouragement. It really does help me keep cranking on these models.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So, I actually did end up finishing the wartrakk after posting last night. Also, per bigfish's suggestion I fiddled with the lightbox a bit. Here is the finished product. Also, let me know if the lighting has improved.





Other C & C always welcome.
cheers

Nice work. Love the checks and weathering on the orks. Nice work on the Ultras as well. Looking back, I agree that the console on the bike is very well done.

Keep plugging away!

The last pic of the ork vehicle is much cleaner then the previous pics. Hard to tell if the colors are a bit washed out, or more accurate. But no shadows and everything looks to be in focus, which is about all I ask for in my photography.

The lighting looks a lot better to me. All of the details are quite clear. And it's a good paint job, the little scratches and all.

if i had it, there would be more red, not a criticism though because i just love red.

Thanks for the kind words guys!
@amazingturtles: I agree about the red but I was trying to pretty faithfully recreate the paintjob from the box. Although this next piece has some extra red just for you!
I decided to man up and get one of the more daunting models out of the way. So here's my warboss.



I'm calling him finished, although I'm noticing from the pictures that there are few details I need to touch up.

Please let me know what you think!
Cheers

Looking good!

Thanks asmodai!
Not as much progress today as I was hoping. Managed to finish one more nob for the warboss's retinue and put the finishing touches on the tactical sergeant. Threw progress thus far pictures just for fun.

Orks:


Ultramarines:


Cheers.

Those are some really good looking orks. Can't say it enough.

Thank You! It's funny actually. When I first got this I thought the orks were going to be nothing but a chore, but as the project develops I'm having more fun with them than I am with the Ultramarines. Must be getting a taste for the WAAAAAAGHHHH!!!!!

The Moneyball approach is yielding fruit. Was able to slap some paint on the dreadnought -- it's nearly done. And the tactical squad is done save for decals. Apologize for the slight blurriness of the guy on the left....



That's it for today. C and C always welcome.
cheers.

Those Smurfs look great! Some very neat paintwork, something I struggle with sometimes. I look forward to seeing the Dreadnought!

Merry Christmas Dakka! Thanks for all the encouragement so far. It's made a world of difference motivating me to keep pushing to finish the project. Today in between time with family and seeing Rogue One I managed to finish two more boyz and the last nob.


That brings me to having all of the nobs, the warboss, and half the boyz finished. Only the deffcopta, gretchin, dreadnought and six boys to go!

Which brings me 'what could be next for this blog: Santa Claus brought me plenty of Christmas dakka and loot .
Not sure what I want to tackle next...


Cheers!

Finished the dread and one more boy today. Nearly there! also got the basic skin color and washes on all the remaining orks and gretchin and put some more preliminary metal colors on the deffkopta.



C and C welcome!
cheers.

Nice haul!

Good looking dread. It’s hard not to love those lumbering angry washing machines.

As for what to do next, I might do the centurions. It’s a more modern kit, rather then the old sprues. Should make a nice change of pace.

Wow you churned out alot.. Very nice.

Thanks all!
@nevelon: I am excited for the centurions, but I know they are going to be part of the next ultramarines project I start and I'm not sure if that's going to be the modern-schemed 3rd company or a retro themed second company project. I'm actually leaning toward the fellowship boxed game, as I always wanted some of those elves but never bought any. Or possibly the stormcasts. I'm an indecisive person, hence the reason for the project log in the first place...

Well done on the dread! I need to try to get ahold of one someday, they're so iconic but i've never had one of my own

Dreads are awesome, and you did great on the Vedros/AoBR one. It's a pity they aren't better in-game, as they really are cool models.

Thanks guys! It was a productive day today. I have almost all the remaining ork skin finished, most of the leathers and some of the metals as well. I hope to finish the rest of the boyz and some of the grots tomorrow. I took another couple of group shots for my own amusement. The Space marines now lack only the partially finished attack bike, although this is proving tedious to finish...


As for the orks, at long last I have reached the tipping point where more are finished then remain unfinished.


Again, many, many thanks for the kind comments that have motivated me to bring this project thus far.
Cheers!

Very nice start. Love all the checks on the Orks.

Excellent work. Its very motivating to carry on with my next projects

Thanks guys. Just a quick pictureless update today:
Finished all the boyz. Got a couple of grots done. Starting to run out of steam on this project. I find the grots somewhat uninteresting to paint and the runtherd and the two remaining light vehicles are all almost finished, but in a tedious detail stage... Ugh. Almost there though. I think my next project might involve more ultras afterall. I would like to actually play the Betrayal at Calth boardgame at some point and I've got a battle demi company box of space marines begging for the retro ultra treatment...
that's it for today.
Cheers.

Painting order and project management is one of those small things that can help get big projects done. Intersperse boring guys with the fun stuff in small batches. Reward the slog through the troops with a fancy character.

BaC actually looked like a fun game. Not that I’ve ever played, but the rules look solid. When I was stripping my old BAs, I made sure I had left enough to stand in for the Word Bearers in case I ever got a chance to play. The BaC box, of course, got painted as Ultramarines.

Because everything should be painted blue.

Courage and Honour!

Orks and Ultras look good! Very impressive. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks as always for the feedback!
@nevelon: this project has taught me a lot about project management. Although I am probably the opposite of a lot of painters in that I love to paint tactical marines and loathe all the special characters with their sub-assemblies , capes and other fiddly bits. Right now, I am suffering only because I pledged to paint models that I never hàd any desire to paint. The grots and the deffcopta are not particularly interesting to me. So from that perspective at least I think calth is a logical next choice. I like all the models inside, and I'm fond of red v blue encounters... But don't worry, I've got enough marines around that the sons of macragge will always outnumber thier faithless brothers at least 2 to one.
Courage and honour !
Cheers.

Got the attack bike finished today. I need to go back and clean up the rims of the bases and finish applying transfers to tactical marines, but for all intents and purposes the Space marine half of vedros and all it's expansions is done. That leaves, the runtherd, deffcopta, and six grots and I can call this oath fulfilled...



C and C welcome as always.
Cheers!

Looks good as always! I really admire your dedication to this project. And i'm looking forward to the grots, because those little guys are my favorites.

@Amazingturtles: Thanks! I had a look at your space marine blog by the way, nice stuff! May have to borrow the pet-theme to dupe my little sister into starting 40k
Well I've trudged through and finished the grots and the runtherd. Might finish this in time for New Year after all. Just got the deffcopta and cleanup to go.



Well I hope you like them.
Cheers!

Well thanks to you all, I have reached the endpoint of my project. I finished the deffcopta today, bringing my Vedros collection to full completion.





If my count is correct, this project amounted to 49 miniatures painted in just under a month, which is pretty good for me. Blogging definitely helps with the motivation and it's refreshing to have actually utilized the self-discipline not to ditch this project when it reached it's tedious phase. I've been mulling over potential projects for the new year and goals to set for myself, which I'll probably post later today.

Thanks Again Dakka! C and C are as always, welcome.
Cheers and Happy New Year to you all!

Great job! How many points a side is that, and what would you have to add to bring some of the scraps of units to legal squads?

Happy new year, looking forward to what you’ve got next.

@Nevelon: Thank you! and I have no idea about points unless we go back to fifth edition. I have only played a few games since then, and I'm not really a fan of the current rules ( I am one of those heretics secretly hoping that the rules of 40k get the AOS treatment. Not the fluff mind you -- just the rules) The terminator squad would need -- a terminator squad to be legal. I think the deffcopta needs at least two more deffcoptas (an eighty dollar investment as it would need either two vedros kits or two build+paint ork raiders kits) and the bikes would need at least two more bikes. The Vedros rulebook (what I call kiddie-hammer) includes rules for all of the units as is, so I suppose it's okay as an introductory kit for new players.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Okay -- So I've been thinking about some of the main points I learned from this project and some of the stuff I want to do over the next year, so I thought I'd put it up here:
LESSONS LEARNED:
Setting concrete goals from the outset and updating the blog regularly helps motivate me to keep going -- seems obvious, but not something I've been good about in the past.
Agrellan Earth is hard-to-use and not as cool as I think it is. -- mileage may vary, but I regret basing my ultras with this stuff. I like the astrogranite texture paint far better.
Don't pledge myself to models I don't want to paint. -- The gretchin and runtherd were just the worst for me because I didn't want to paint them. I just got them for the sake of completion. Not a mistake I'm eager to repeat.

Pledges for 2017:
I've a couple of projects/goals I want to accomplish over the next year:
1: Not spend more than $500 dollars on new models for the entirety of the year. While I realize that may be an outsize budget to most, It's a fraction of what I've been spending and I want to be a better steward of my resources this year...
2: Leave no unit unfinished -- The biggest drag for me in this hobby is partially finished units that I do not have the resolve to go back and finish. I'll paint a model or two and then forget about the unit and not touch it again. This year I want to stick to a goal that once I start it, I finish it before moving on.

3: As far as projects go, I have 2 that I want to complete over the next year: First, I want to complete a Betrayal at Calth box as intended and play through the boardgame campaign. Second, I want to do up a battle demi-company of retro-themed Ultras to full strength, although I may not do it in one fell swoop.

I'm going to kick the year off with a retro tac squad. The bright colors seem appropriate to ring in the new year with...

Cheers!

Congratulations! There's nothing like the feeling of getting a good project done.

And those are some good goals, i think.

also, thank you for the kind comments on my blog. I have got to get back to that, but I've run out of pets!

Your Vedros stuff really turned out great. 49 models in a month?! I barely beat that in the whole year!

As for your lessons and goals, I have to agree with what you said, as I'm in the same boat. I need to update my own P&M blog more regularly, as it'll help keep me motivated. Maybe then more people would ring in with comments once they know I'm committed to painting stuff. I too need to get better about finishing units that I start. I'm terrible about doing a few models and then moving on to something else without finishing all of them. Maybe we can help each other stay motivated! Also, I'm trying not to spend as much money on the hobby. I'm already committed to buying a few more drop pods (fortunately a friend is going to hook me up with some for cheap), and I do want to pick up one or two more things, but overall I intend to spend less as well. I've got a ton of unpainted stuff that needs paint before I go and add to the pile.

Happy new year, and may 2017 be even better hobbywise than 2016-for both of us!

@amazing turtles: Thanks! And I hope you do resume your blog soon. It was a pretty unique take on SM and I'd love to see more.

@Zergsmasher: Sounds good! I did pop over to your blog just now. Loved the blood ravens and would love to see more over the next year. Count me in as subscribed!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So to reward myself for finishing Vedros, I spent a few hours of my holiday assembling a tactical squad for my retro ultramarines. Pic is a bit blurry,(sorry) but I tried to emulate the pose from the old metal sgt. from the second edition tactical squad box. Good weather where I'm at so I was able to get them primed too. Looking forward to getting started painting tomorrow.



Cheers.

I've got a light week at work so I've managed to slap some base colors down on the tactical squad and take 1 marine all the way to completion. I'm probably going to paint the ML and the sergeant next, as those are the most complex models and finish the rest in groups of three.



As always, C & C are welcome.
Cheers!

Maybe it is the pics, but this tactical marine looks noticeably better than some of the previous. Did you change anything or just slow down your painting speed and cleaned up a bit? Good job either way.

@TheArmorOfContempt: Its probably the sculpt actually. The newest tactical squad has much cleaner lines than the Aobr/vedros ones, which makes it easier to edge highlight.

Excellent job on finishing your plan. I go from project to project to project depending on my whim. Though usually when I complete one I go back through my half completed pile and pound some out ( Usually additions to existing modes like alt turret for RB or different loadouts for Dreads ). This motivates me to get to my next project.

Looking forward to the year ahead.

@Solar_lion: Thanks! It was very satisfying to actually finish a project. Over the last few years I've been selling some of my older minis and buying new ones and I'm not sure I could even pull together a completely painted army to play a game if I wanted. My little bro is going to be jumping into 30k this summer, so I wanted to work on the discipline needed to crank out an army to field against him. Calth will be the start, and I'll go from there.

So finished the ML marine before going in to work today. I always find the missile launchers tedious to paint, so now he's out of the way, the rest of the squad should be a breeze.



C and C welcome.

Cheers!

Yeah, I've found the missile launcher as not my favorite to paint too. not sure why exactly.

He looks good, the edges are good!

How much is there to paint in the calth box?

@amazing turtles: Thanks! Once I'm done with these marines, I'm going to start on the Calth box. It's 30 MK IV space marines (20 word bearers, 10 Ultras,) as well as 5 Ultramarines Cataphractii Terminators, a Contemptor dread for the WB and one hero each. So that's ... 38 miniatures in all? Might add a second unit of cataphractii termies so I can swap out between LC and Combi Bolter armed units as I play the game. And also, because I think you can never have too many blue marines

Nice work on the Vedros stuff, it all looks brilliant and 49 models in a month is an impressive feat!

EDC

 brushcommando wrote:
@amazing turtles: Thanks! Once I'm done with these marines, I'm going to start on the Calth box. It's 30 MK IV space marines (20 word bearers, 10 Ultras,) as well as 5 Ultramarines Cataphractii Terminators, a Contemptor dread for the WB and one hero each. So that's ... 38 miniatures in all? Might add a second unit of cataphractii termies so I can swap out between LC and Combi Bolter armed units as I play the game. And also, because I think you can never have too many blue marines

You know, all the BaC marines could be painted as Ultras. There is no reason to taint them with heresy.

If you wanted to still be able to play them as part of the board game, you could use company markings on them. So have some guys with the red trim shoulder pads of the 3rd company stand in for the opposing force. Or sub in modern marines in different armor marks that can easily be distinguished.

But the only Words you should be Bearing are “Courage” and “Honour”

@evildrcheese: Thanks! I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

@Nevelon: Lol. Your suggestion did cross my mind. But I've got like 3 or 4 Calth boxes to give the Ultras and a couple of Prospero ones after that. ( I went a little overboard for the HH releases -- I'm not proud of it.) So I'm not hurting for HH Ultras. I'll let the heretics have their day in the sun... before it goes nova and incinerates them all. Then I'll massacre the survivors. But in all seriousness I'm going to try to have at least a small WB army properly painted up for my brother to use until he can catch up with his own painted stuff.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So I've finished the sergeant. I'm pretty proud of him, as this is the first time I've managed to get both eyes on a 28mm model looking like their focused on the same object



That's all of the more complex models. It's mostly just regular marines from here on.
C and C welcome.
Cheers!

Today's Progress: Did some batch painting today. Got all the yellow done, which is one of the most tedious stages. Also finished almost all the metal. I like to get them up to a certain point batching and then give them individual finishes.



Still enjoying rather a light work-week so I might be able to finish a few more tomorrow.

cheers!

Another Quick update today. Only finished one marine -- still waiting for the glaze to dry on the rest.



A group shot of the four I have done so far...



That's it for today.
Cheers.

Looking excellent Brush. I am in awe of your speed. I will be lucky to finish my January commitment of 5 models as slow as I paint. Keep up the good work.

I love the retro colors on Ultramarines. A whole army of these guys will be really impressive!

Looking good, loving the fist pumping sergeant.

EDC

@CDShaddock: Thanks! And the speed will probably drop off over time. I've just found myself at a place where I have a lot of extra time I can put into the hobby so I've decided to enjoy it while I can.

@Zergsmasher: You know there was a time when I looked at the retro scheme on Ultras and thought it was just about the ugliest I had seen... and now, for reasons I do not entirely understand, the yellow trim and red bolters are about the only way I consider 40k Ultras to be "properly" painted. I am excited to do a full army of these guys eventually, but it's going to have to take a back-burner while I paint up my HH stuff in preperation to play with my little bro this summer. I do have one of those nice, big, juicy, battle demi-company boxes practically begging for the retro treatment though

@EDC: I'm really glad you like the sergeant. I hesitate to call him a "conversion" but I used parts to try to approximate the metal sgt from the Jes Goodwin(?) metal/plastic marines from 2nd edition.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Another quick update today: Managed to finish two more marines -- The Beakie marine, who I gave the meltagun so he would have some yellow to tie him to the rest and another normal marine.



Looking beyond the immediate project, I may spend the next week or so assembling as much as possible of Calth and possibly beyond so that I can prime them on the rare occasions when weather permits.
That's all for now
cheers!

Very Retro, I probably have some white dwarf Mags with these guys in it!

Love the beakie. Full suit of Mk. VI, nice to see it together.

Nice work banging these guys out. Keeping up a decent pace.

You still have a chance to prime that’s weather dependent? I’d have though most people were either done for the season or just primed via brush/airbrush indoors.

Solar_lion wrote:Very Retro, I probably have some white dwarf Mags with these guys in it!

Thanks! I've been using the 2nd edition codex:Ultramarines as inspiration. Lots of fantastic artwork and photos in there.

Nevelon wrote:Love the beakie. Full suit of Mk. VI, nice to see it together.

Nice work banging these guys out. Keeping up a decent pace.

You still have a chance to prime that’s weather dependent? I’d have though most people were either done for the season or just primed via brush/airbrush indoors.

Yeah, I really like the Mk VI guys. I've been doing one full suit from every tactical/assault squad I have, so by the time I reach a battle company I'll have a full squad kitted out in it. As far as priming, I use a relatively cheap black spray paint that is very forgiving in cold weather... but not below zero temperatures. And between that and rain I willl probably not be able to prime except in small windows of warmer dry weather.

Ah, weather and priming. i can't prime anything myself right now, constant snow and ice sees to that. I'm glad to see that you're still accomplishing so much!

Thanks!
Just another quick update today-- another day, another marine. This one is apparently fumbling to re-load.



I've another marine not far behind, just need to finish one or two details. I did come back from work today to the wonderful feeling that is realizing you left a pot of paint open and it is now dried solid. Fun stuff.

Till next time.

Loving the retro scheme you have going for the marines, the bold highlights and bright yellow look fantastic!

Looking good.

Nice work on the freehand on the melta marine.

EDC

Thanks all. Finished the squad today. It was fun painting, but the bright colors can be kind of exhausting as they require several coats apiece. Looking forward to the more straightforward HH stuff.



Might have to amend my oath down to filling in retro units between other projects. I've been looking at Commander Cain's 1k sons blog and have the urge to paint Prospero as well... But Calth is first. As I said before, I'm going to go on an assembly binge hoping for a shot at some decent priming weather.
Till next time. Cheers.

Nice work! At this rate, you should have the whole chapter done in no time.

Now this is what "3 colors up" is supposed to look like. So many people are willing to call washed, or even just basecoated minatures "tabletop ready". I'd be happy to play with this level of miniature, if only people where I lived had just a little more drive.

I love the old school colours on the Ultramarines. The scheme looks great on the newer minis!

I hate painting yellow so much.

M.

Thanks for the kind words all.
@Miguelsan: I know what you mean... I thought about doing the third or even the forth company in the retro scheme to cut down on the amount of yellow I would have to paint, but in the end, the 2nd company in retro colors was so iconic I decided to suffer through anyway...

No pics today, but I began work on Calth. Also dipped into my $500 dollar war-chest to get some more CTDA suits for $35. Mostly because I inisist on having my cake and eating it too. Or in this case shooting my cake and slashing it with lightning claws too...

So far I've assembled my Captain Aethon (in four separate sub-assemblies. Gross.) My Chaplain Sedd (in a more merciful two sub assemblies) My Ultramarines tac-squad (which is also primed, because I cheated and assembled/primed it while waiting for the texture paint to dry on the retro guys) and have my first five CTDA suits at least to the walking torsos stage.

I will have some pics up for you all soon.

Cheers.

That sergeant with the power fist -definitely- recaptures the old RT sergeant. Well done!

Had to laugh though - the way he's looking at his power fist he looks like he's debating whether he should punch some unfortunate heretic in the crotch, or the face.

Lol. Actually, in person, the angle looks more like he's shielding his face. "Get that ****ing laser pointer out of my face or I'll rip your head off..."


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Quick update: I managed to prime my two heroes in the short gap of tenable weather between below zero temps and a bout of freezing rain. Also assembled tubby the dreadnought and finished my Cataphractii suits.



I know it's odd for only the sgt to have the tactical loadout when the rest are all CC, but I... I don't have a reason why I did it. I just wanted to. Also, I've got that other squad coming to balance things out. Also gave him a blood angel's head as I think it makes for a more Roman look. Kind of a hatchet job as I couldn't find my hobby saw and made clippers and files work the best I could. From here I'm two tac squads away from starting the painting phase. Shouldn't take me to long to slap them together as by now I've had plenty of practice.

Till next time.
Cheers

I don't quite what to expect, but I like the sound of Tubby the Dreadnought

I assume he’s talking about the BaC Contemptor dreadnought. (Here's mine) Which do look like they have a beer belly on them. Not a huge fan of the design myself.

I put my capheracts together before the 40k rules came out for them. If I had to do it over, I’d have stuck a chainfist in there, just in case. Or run them more as a shooty squad. Even though their guns kinda blow. But I went all claws. They did OKish both times I took them out. Once DSing, the other in a LR. If you put the next 5 together in a more shooting scheme, you could mix and match as desired. Or screw the 40k rules and source parts to field them in 30k. With guns better the combi bolters and a HF, the 4++ walking across the table putting down fire might be more viable.

Aw, it is kind of tubby. A tubby little delight

ok maybe i should stop posting while i have a fever.

Anyhow keep up the good work!

@amazingturtles: Thanks! And I hope you feel better soon

@Nevelon: Actually I like the contemptor design, but I won't argue it looks ridiculous -- in a somewhat charming way. Love the angry washing machines too. And the heads sticking out of angry washing machines variant. Of course, I also thought centurions looked cool, and tauroxes so It shows I don't have any cred as a critic of design. As far as the CTDA suits go, I mostly went with claws because I don't have any termies equipped as such in my army and I already had a squad of shooty terminators


Why did I buy another? Easy: I have problems

 Nevelon wrote:
I assume he’s talking about the BaC Contemptor dreadnought. (Here's mine) Which do look like they have a beer belly on them. Not a huge fan of the design myself.

I like the contemptor look. Even much better than the current box dread. I have several of the egg Rogue Trader Dreads - They truly are beer belly inspired.

Lol. I had forgotten about those. They have their charm as well I guess. Also those weirdly shaped ones from space crusade. Those had some character as well. I doubt it will happen, but I'd like to see them release the ultra-tubby dorito variant in plastic.

Completed Ultramarine Tac Squad is looking great.

Looking forward to seeing you what you do with the Cataphractii termies.

EDC

Thanks, EDC!

Just another quick picture-free update today. Managed to prime the CTDA suits and assemble another tac squad. Only one more tac squad to piece together and then I should be back in the painting phase with hopefully some more interesting pictures and things to blog about.
Till then,
cheers!

Any plans for gaming with your collection, or is this going to be purely modeling/collecting?

What about something bigger? Terrain, display board?

I like to pretend that I may one day game with this collection, but it will likely either be with the 5th ed rules (the only ones I ever enjoyed the games I played with) or with the HH boxed games. The second is the goal behind the current project and the most likely to happen in the near future. If the dreaded/anticipated AOS changes for 40k that have gotten stuck in the rumor mill come to pass I may play more, as I'm more fond of simpler games like KOW and Bolt Action. I've never been very prodigious when it comes to terrain, but I do have some of the old plastic gw stuff (the ruins and jungle trees and battlefield accessories that used to go in the old battleforce boxes) that I may paint up eventually.

Okay, this should be the last boring, paintless, update for a while. Finished assembling Calth:



I think Captain Aethon daunts me most, so I think I'll start with him while this project is still fresh.
More to follow soon...
Till then -- cheers!

Getting a project assembled is a pretty triumphant moment too! I didn't realize quite how many guys came with that box either, that's not bad

@amazingturtles:
Oh yes. Calth is quite possibly the single greatest box set ever. And I had Black Reach... That's why I bought... 5 of them I think? Maybe six? As I've said before. I'm not proud of it (I am a little ) But if you haven't got one and you can afford it, you definitely should.
Also: Congratulations on your promotion to knight of the realm

Can we get a closeup on the captain? Is he the base model from the Heresy Heroes set?

I may have to do a shot like that once I get my Battle Company assembled. It's gonna be a big project like this too. I might eventually pick up a BaC box to build and paint as Blood Ravens. I don't think they existed during the Horus Heresy, but they might very well have a bunch of the older stuff in the chapter armory.

 brushcommando wrote:
@amazingturtles:
Oh yes. Calth is quite possibly the single greatest box set ever. And I had Black Reach... That's why I bought... 5 of them I think? Maybe six? As I've said before. I'm not proud of it (I am a little ) But if you haven't got one and you can afford it, you definitely should.
Also: Congratulations on your promotion to knight of the realm

Ha, i didn't even notice the title change. I'm movin' up in the world!

But dang, five? my mind has been boggled.

Both the HH box games have been great value. I got 2 of each and am tempted to pick up another B@C at some point.

Nice job getting everything built, looking forward to painting updates.

EDC

I look forward to the HH goodness. Are Calth and Prospero limited, because I'm gonna have to wait a long time before I could get either?

Asmodai_00 wrote:Can we get a closeup on the captain? Is he the base model from the Heresy Heroes set?

Sure! Although Poor Captain Aethon is currently lamenting the absurd amount of D-Weapons available in the HH book and the apothecaries are trying to decide if they can patch him up or if they should just stuff him into an empty tubby suit.
Edit: And yes, the Horus Heresy Space Marine Heroes kit is identical to the double hero sprue that comes in BaC.

ZergSmasher wrote:I may have to do a shot like that once I get my Battle Company assembled. It's gonna be a big project like this too. I might eventually pick up a BaC box to build and paint as Blood Ravens. I don't think they existed during the Horus Heresy, but they might very well have a bunch of the older stuff in the chapter armory.

Are you doing a full-strength battle company? If so I look forward to the sight. I had one of salamanders in days of yore (when formations were something you paid points for sometimes and were only in the giant apocalypse tome) and they were indeed glorious in their massed ranks. Also yes buy Calth if you can afford it. It's great. And fluff-wise the Blood Ravens are notorious "collectors" of ancient artifacts so having some kitted out in older armor is appropriate.

amazingturtles wrote:

 brushcommando wrote:
@amazingturtles:
Oh yes. Calth is quite possibly the single greatest box set ever. And I had Black Reach... That's why I bought... 5 of them I think? Maybe six? As I've said before. I'm not proud of it (I am a little ) But if you haven't got one and you can afford it, you definitely should.
Also: Congratulations on your promotion to knight of the realm

Ha, i didn't even notice the title change. I'm movin' up in the world!

But dang, five? my mind has been boggled.

Okay so initially I thought they were LE models and I was not going to be denied at least a a battle company's worth. And I do not regret it still. Initially the set was costed at 120 so after discounts, some of those were as low as $80 Us dollars. Not a bad deal, if a bit excessive.... and as I said before I have problems

evildrcheese wrote:Both the HH box games have been great value. I got 2 of each and am tempted to pick up another B@C at some point.

Nice job getting everything built, looking forward to painting updates.

EDC

Thanks! And its good to see I'm not the only one who bought a lot of these boxes...

CREEEEEEEEED wrote:I look forward to the HH goodness. Are Calth and Prospero limited, because I'm gonna have to wait a long time before I could get either?

To my knowledge, neither is, although I'm a little worried about Calth, because it now can only be found indirectly on GW's main site. Although nothing there lists it as LE. Prospero is definintely not. As a raptors collector though, I think BaC has more to offer because it's more versatile. The Tactical Squads come with two heavy and three special weapons options, as opposed to one and two with the prospero kit. Also, in BoP the special characters are not generic and you get custodes and SoS instead of a dreadnought. Cool, but maybe not as useful to you.

 brushcommando wrote:

Asmodai_00 wrote:Can we get a closeup on the captain? Is he the base model from the Heresy Heroes set?

Sure! Although Poor Captain Aethon is currently lamenting the absurd amount of D-Weapons available in the HH book and the apothecaries are trying to decide if they can patch him up or if they should just stuff him into an empty tubby suit.
Edit: And yes, the Horus Heresy Space Marine Heroes kit is identical to the double hero sprue that comes in BaC.

Spoiler:

Sheesh. I ask one question and he falls to pieces.

Well he's a space marine Captain comprised of sub-assemblies so that would make him... a space sub-marine Captain? Sounds kind of awesome actually.

I sub-assembled my captain in the same parts, but when it came time for the final assembly had trouble getting him together. Ended up having to cut the chainfist arm off and do a bit of clean-up.

The dry fits, and just glued tests worked out OK, but once all the glue had firmed up, I couldn’t easily get it together. You might want to double check before you start painting.

@Nevelon: Thanks for the advice Nev. I'm just gonna hope for the best on this one. I've made it work once before with a different paint scheme (Salamanders I think?) if worst comes to worst I ... I have a few spare Captain Aethons....


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Well Nevelon, much to my chagrin, was correct about it being now impossible to assemble Aethon properly. I have thus retrieved one of his clones and am now engaging in the barbarism that is painting on the sprue...

Well I might get both to fill up on marines, but I'll get prospero first. Thanks for the advice.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:
Well I might get both to fill up on marines, but I'll get prospero first. Thanks for the advice.

No problem.

So I promised no more paintless updates and I will deliver, although in incomplete form...


Managed to get Captain Aethon to the point where I could put him together and started painting Kurtha Sedd while waiting for the superglue to dry. So far it has been the cloaks on both minis that have been the most perplexing. I wish the Space Marines followed the same rule as the Incredibles' fashion designer -- "No Capes!" I'm trying to go for a somewhat mystical look on Sedd's cape, but I'm doubtful as to how it will turn out. Oh well.
till next time. Cheers.

Like the regular Space Marine captain more than the Terminator one.

M.

Nice pun.

Of the two of them, I much prefer the sculpt on the PA chaplain. Such a cool looking mini. Not that the CTDA captain is bad, just not quite as awesome. Painted, of course, the Ultramarine is vastly superior, but that goes without saying.

I like the concept of capes on HQ guys. 40k is space fantasy, not anything vaguely close to hard sci fi. And capes fit well into the baroque, over the top, imagery of the setting. Painting them can be a bit of a pain. Only in the last few years have I started to do any blending on them. And they do require subassemblies if you want to do a decent job on them.

Thanks guys. I have to admit I do really like the Sedd miniature as well. And I do actually like capes, I just hate paining them -- unless they're red on both sides, which I have had better luck with. I will always hate sub-assemblies. The good news is that I have just as many Sedd clones as I do Aethon so the Ultramarines will get their awesome looking chaplain eventually as well.

 brushcommando wrote:
Thanks guys. I have to admit I do really like the Sedd miniature as well. And I do actually like capes, I just hate paining them -- unless they're red on both sides, which I have had better luck with. I will always hate sub-assemblies. The good news is that I have just as many Sedd clones as I do Aethon so the Ultramarines will get their awesome looking chaplain eventually as well.

I think he also works better as a base for conversions. The plasma pistol is an easy weapon swap, and the maul can be done with some minor work. Head as well.

Aethon is a little rougher to mix up. Partly from the pose, but also how he’s built.

Okay, so I'm willing to call Aethon done. There's a lot of detail on the model, and that makes me feel like I've perpetually left something unfinished, but eh... I want to move on and I feel he looks okay.





Till next time.
Cheers.

Nice work Brushcommando. Aethon looks solid . I like the gold trim in particular, it fits nicely with the XIIIth Legion aesthetic.

Okay? He looks great! That's a captain to be proud of.

Wow. Thanks guys I guess I just had difficulty feeling he was finished because of all the bling. But I'm glad you like him. So my day off has also seen Kurtha Sedd completed (sorry for the chunky elbow highlight, I have since fixed it but didn't notice until it was uploaded)





I feel much more satisfied with this guy. The cloak turned out more or less how I wanted --I feel it looks sort of strange and sorcerous and while its not perfect the engravings on the armor I'm content with. Probably going to do the contemptor next as it's the last really daunting model in the group and then I can start on my favorite, the rank and file.

Till next time, cheers.

Looks good! I kind of like how these heroes aren't giant sized like so many others. They seem like they fit in with their soldiers well.

Looking good. The white leather on Aethon is particularly awesome. It looks really good with the blue.

Nice work on the character models, especially the Chaplain, he looks wicked.

EDC

If I'm being honest I think the captain's cloak is the real gem. Maybe that's just because it's easier to differentiate shades of brown than black.

Those character models are great! Good sculpts backed up by good paintjobs. Well done!

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

@CREEEEEEEEED: You know, I'm actually glad you like Aethon's cloak, as I did try out some new shading/highlighting techniques.

So just a quick update today -- a WIP shot of Sor Gharax the tubby contemptor dreadnought AKA "the bull."



He's been a lot of fun to paint so far, what with all the large flat surfaces, and I should be able to have some fun with the freehand details as well.

Till next time. Cheers!

I've been reading this blog for a bit now, why i'm not subbed is a true enigma. Your commanders look really well done, especially Kurtha Sedd. I'd wager the bull had some gene-seed issues and now he's rather "big-boned", not chunky.

Lookin' good m8. I like the eyes, how're they done?

Your dreadnought has now cemented my determination to get one all my own/

@Justaerin: Thanks! Although if what I remember about dreadnought fluff is true, I don't think his bones are really much of a thing anymore. Does this armored sarcophagus make me look fat?

@CREEEEEED: Glad you like them. I blocked in the eyes with warpstone glow, did a small stripe of moot green along the bottom edge, and put a dot of white at the back.

@Amazingturtles: Dreadnoughts are great. Good thing is they come in a lot of bundles. If you aren't specifically looking for a contemptor, you can get a washing machine dread and five old-timey terminators for like $35 off amazon. just search for Space Marine build+paint line.

So just another quick WIP shot of Sor Gharax. I'm almost ready to call him done. Just needs a little cleanup now.





C and C welcome!

Cheers.

Sor Gharax looks brilliant . Nice angry dreadnought ya got there.

Lovely work on those commamders and the dread looks great!

Nice job, reminds me to finish mine

Excellent work on the Contemptor, all the freehand looks awesome.

EDC

Thanks for the kind words all!

So my day off was not as productive as it might have been. At least in hobby terms. (I occasionally have to you know, keep my apartment tidy and do paperwork and stuff...) but I did manage to finish the Bull. I won't bore you with more pics as he hasn't changed substantially since the last ones. Just some cleanup, one or two highlights I missed. Etc. I also got the blue basecoat down on my CTDA suits and took one all the way to completion.



Let me know what y'all think,

Cheers!

Nice tidy paint job there.

Lookin' very crisp! I always rather like the CTDA LCs, the look way cooler than the Tartaros pattern.

If I had one criticism, the gold looks a bit thin and dull because of it. Other than that it's an approved stamp from the creed office of paintjobs.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:
If I had one criticism, the gold looks a bit thin and dull because of it. Other than that it's an approved stamp from the creed office of paintjobs.

Hmmm. I'll have to look at it again. I think the dullness maybe because I've started using the gw shades instead of army painter droppers. Agrax earthshade can actually come out a bit darker than the ap stuff. Might have to brighten it back up w/auric armor gold. Thanks for the feedback!

I do like the paintjob, it's very crisp and clean.

The cloth and the gold look very similar. Is that just the photo/lighting?

I think it might be the lighting! when i looked at it zoomed in in the gallery, the colors are distinctly different.

Thanks for the feedback all! I went back and brightened up the gold a bit, as well as adding a little more bone color to differentiate the white leather from the gold hues. Let me know what you all think.





Cheers!

Looks good m8!

I still think those guys look too brutal to be loyalists. Needs some lighting work on his armor and a transfer to the Night Lords.

But well done!

Thanks for the kind words! Okay just a quick pic today to show I'm still making progress. I've got 3/5 almost finished, with the other two not far behind. Then it's on to a WB veteran squad.



Thanks for looking.

Cheers

Lookin' good there BC! The pale leather goes with the scheme quite well, and your highlighting is crisp!

Very good, the gold really looks solid. Is that ArmourofContempt's yellow hair?

@CREEEEEEED -- It's a very slightly modified version of it. I used different highlights but I don't think I would've thought to use averland as a base had I not seen his blog. In the past I had used the tausept colors for blonde base . I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Okay. So you'll have to take my word that the CTDA suits are still coming along. I've finished 3 save for the transfers and the last two just need edge highlighting. I did get a little sidetracked by the weather reports. Might have some decent priming weather soon, so I put some assembly work into my next project. I'm still mulling over how to paint the most-of-full-battle company of Modern marines I have. Not sure if they're all going to get the retro-treatment or what. I am sitting on a 2nd ed starter box, and some other genuine retro minis that I hadn't decided what to do with till today.

I've been wanting to play some 4th ed warhammer. This was the first edition I played, and what made me fall in love with 40k. So i dug out my 4th ed space marine codex and made 1000pt a list based on what retro models I had on hand. I want to base them in snow and ice, to represent the third and first companies at the polar fortresses of macragge. Came out to
2x tac squads,
5 man terminator squad
terminator captain
dreadnought
4 bikes.

I put together my terminators and dreadnought today courtesy of the new Build+paint range...



Ive got a couple of gaunts and stealers about to eventually do a matching tyranid force. Anyway, just something to look forward to after Calth.

cheers!!

Going to recreate the Battle of Macragge?

Terminator captain is geared wrong though. Captain Invictus used a plasma blaster and a powerfist. And you need to paint enough ‘nids to make a circle around him 6 bodies high and 20 yards deep.

That reminds me, I need to paint the plasma pistol/power sword combination that Fabian used when he cleared the polar fortress.

Okay... so it's going to be loosely based on the battle of Macragge. For one, to be a playable army, the third and the first will be on the field together, which I suppose they were in the fluff -- it's just that the first was comprised of dead guys by that point. Also, while I've seen the fabled plasma blaster guy of old, I never managed to get my grubby mits on him. And also, I don't think I have the skill to make custom banners, so the terminator sgt and the captain will both, coincidentally, be named Gaius...

 brushcommando wrote:
Okay... so it's going to be loosely based on the battle of Macragge. For one, to be a playable army, the third and the first will be on the field together, which I suppose they were in the fluff -- it's just that the first was comprised of dead guys by that point. Also, while I've seen the fabled plasma blaster guy of old, I never managed to get my grubby mits on him. And also, I don't think I have the skill to make custom banners, so the terminator sgt and the captain will both, coincidentally, be named Gaius...

It’s all good.

Fluff is a fuzzy thing anyway, run with what you think is cool.

I think the original plasma plaster was just two plasma guns glued together on a kitbash. These days you can get one in BoP with the tartaros TDAs there. I know I built mine with a ‘fist, not for any tactical/points reason, but to echo the good captain.

Great looking terminators!

Sounds like a fun project BC, I look forward to the first pictures!

 JustaerinAtTheWall wrote:
Sounds like a fun project BC, I look forward to the first pictures!

Well, I need to stay disciplined and finish B@C first, but all I've got left is the thirty tactical marines. Plenty to be sure, but they paint up easily enough with all the nice clean edges and minimal bling.

Just a quick update to stay in the habit: Finished the cataphractii terminators. It seemed boring to upload yet another picture of them so I piled them in a "progress to date" shot.



Also, I did get some nice weather today, so I primed the Macragge stuff I showed in the previous post. Other than that, I managed to get the texture paint down on the WB squad slotted next for the paint table.

Cheers!

Oh man! When do we get a battle report?

Nice group shot of the B@C stuff, it's looking great so far.

Looking forward to seeing how the Old Hammer Termies turn out.

EDC

Man. You can really crank through some models. Good stuff

 Asmodai_00 wrote:
Oh man! When do we get a battle report?

Not sure if you want one for Calth or 4th ed 40k. I've honestly never done one, but I'd be interested to try it out.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Sorry, but It's just another filler post to maintain the habit of regular updates. I've finished texturing the bases on all 30 veterans. Also, started the base colors for the WB. I think I'm going to basecoat all the legionaries before finishing any of them, as that's the rhythm that seems to work best for me actually finishing projects. So, probably a few more empty posts like this one and then there should be some nice pics to show.

I'd be thrilled to see either kind of battle report, honestly! ive never seen the board game played, though so i'm not sure how it works for battle reports.

Your cranking stuff out. Very cool.

Alright, so quick update to show I have not been idle. I t wasn't particularly fun or interesting painting, but I have strong basecoats on all the legionaries.



From here I hope to start cranking actual models, probably in groups of threes. Sorry to give you a lame post yet again, but this should be one of the most tedious phases and now that it's out of the way, things will ride a little smoother.

Thanks for looking!
Cheers.

Having that many guys lined up WIP can be very daunting. Better in small batches.

You've got plenty done at least. I think you're right that tackling them in batches of 3 will be easier and you'll soon be making steady progress.

EDC

How do you manage to get so many guys done so quickly? I've only gotten one of my tac marines done over the course of 2 weekends!
Also, what red are you using on your WB? they've got a similar red tone to my exorcists, and I need to expedite my production.

Yes, groups of three sounds nice, doable and will give a sense of good progress. i mean getting the base coats alone is pretty dang good.

I did not realize just how different the rockel launchers (if that's what it is in the back) are in calth. It looks almost like a duck to me

Nevelon wrote:Having that many guys lined up WIP can be very daunting. Better in small batches.

evildrcheese wrote:You've got plenty done at least. I think you're right that tackling them in batches of 3 will be easier and you'll soon be making steady progress.

EDC

Well, one of the main functions of this blog was to help me to establish more discipline where projects were concerned. I did find that thirty legion veterans ranked up in black primer was a bit daunting, but I realized that the basecoating was not such a hard goal, and now that they all have at least there basecoat, the prospect of finishing them is less daunting. I don't know if I'll like having done it this way in the end, but I'm kind of having fun experimenting. As for the final stages, I find that threes and pairs are the magic way to finish ten-man squads.

JustaerinAtTheWall wrote:How do you manage to get so many guys done so quickly? I've only gotten one of my tac marines done over the course of 2 weekends!
Also, what red are you using on your WB? they've got a similar red tone to my exorcists, and I need to expedite my production.

As for the quantity, -- I've been experimenting with how to paint at my most productive. It could be that I just have more time to paint than most, as I can get in about an hour a day to work on projects. I've also found that focusing on a doing just a little bit at a time each time I go to the bench helps me move the ball forward. I've also been painting space marines for about ten years now, so part of it is just repetition. I don't know exactly, but I think that most of Dakka's more prolific painters (ie. Paradigm, Gitsplitta) will tell you that finding a routine that works for you is important.

As for the Red, it's just mephiston red. I think they sell spray cans, although I've never used them and can't vouch that they are 100% match with the pots.

amazingturtles wrote:Yes, groups of three sounds nice, doable and will give a sense of good progress. i mean getting the base coats alone is pretty dang good.

I did not realize just how different the rockel launchers (if that's what it is in the back) are in calth. It looks almost like a duck to me

Bonus points if you paint yours like a duck! The Horus Heresy Launchers are a throwback to the original rogue trader plastic beakie marines, which had the duck-mouth and top-mounted magazine. I've got one of the originals in my collection somewhere, but would have to dig around to find him.

Alright, last but not least, I deliver on my promise -- (nearly-- no transfers) finished models!



I thought about going more overboard with free-hand but was like...meh. I guess I can always go back and add it if I like.

Thanks for looking!
Cheers.

Great looking models, but from a fluff point I hate the Word Bearers. Maybe this blog'll help me get over it.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:
Great looking models, but from a fluff point I hate the Word Bearers. Maybe this blog'll help me get over it.

I'm actually not that fond of them either, but I wanted my Calth board game set to be "how it looks on the box" so WB it is...

Just another quick update today: 3 more marines. Went with a little more freehand this time. Oh and forgive the unfinished bolters, didn't realize I hadn't finished them till after I uploaded. Fans of the show "Gravity Falls" might recognize/enjoy some of the symbols on the minis.



Well that's it for today. Progress has slowed a little as real life has become a little more demanding of late.

Cheers!

Not painting the armor studs? I think they would look better in silver, to match the shoulder trim. Or maybe even black.

Of course the proper paint scheme for Word Bearers is to heavily weather them. Bolter damage, shattered armor, blood everywhere. Dismembered parts scattered around their bases. Poses should be either fleeing for their lives or lying in a pool of their own blood.

But I guess these guys work pretty good for a “Before” picture...

I like the freehand stuff as always! that one guy on the right guy's ankle looks... familiar

 Nevelon wrote:
Not painting the armor studs? I think they would look better in silver, to match the shoulder trim. Or maybe even black.

Of course the proper paint scheme for Word Bearers is to heavily weather them. Bolter damage, shattered armor, blood everywhere. Dismembered parts scattered around their bases. Poses should be either fleeing for their lives or lying in a pool of their own blood.

But I guess these guys work pretty good for a “Before” picture...

I think we know what legion this guy belongs to.

Nevelon wrote:Not painting the armor studs? I think they would look better in silver, to match the shoulder trim. Or maybe even black.

Of course the proper paint scheme for Word Bearers is to heavily weather them. Bolter damage, shattered armor, blood everywhere. Dismembered parts scattered around their bases. Poses should be either fleeing for their lives or lying in a pool of their own blood.

But I guess these guys work pretty good for a “Before” picture...

I did consider painting the studs in silver, but onl the box art they are the same color as the rest of the armor. I think this is a reference to Rogue Trader days when I think they were just painted the same color a lot of the time? As for the lack of battle damage... ah whatever. I prefer them to glisten with their shiny new armor. Calth is dark, and it makes them easier to shoot.

amazingturtles wrote:I like the freehand stuff as always! that one guy on the right guy's ankle looks... familiar

I'm glad someone got the reference. If you know your gravity falls, you might recognize some other stuff in there as well. (I was watching Gravity Falls while painting, and found it an unexpected treasure trove of arcane symbols to copy.)

TBH, knowing what gravity falls is, vaguely, I do find it kinda detracts from the model, as in now I don't see an astartes of the Word Bearers legion, I see a reference to a kid's show.

CREEEEEEEEED wrote:I think we know what legion this guy belongs to.

And proud! I’ve got that model on the shelf. Not with the smurf overlay, obviously. Great figure.

brushcommando wrote:I did consider painting the studs in silver, but onl the box art they are the same color as the rest of the armor. I think this is a reference to Rogue Trader days when I think they were just painted the same color a lot of the time? As for the lack of battle damage... ah whatever. I prefer them to glisten with their shiny new armor. Calth is dark, and it makes them easier to shoot.

Most RT era paintjobs had the shoulder studs in an alternate/contrasting color. You are correct that they just highlighted them in the BaC studio armies, but painted more-or-less the same color as the armor.

I’m just used to seeing (and painting myself) them done in a contrasting scheme. Seeing them the same as the rest of the armor just flags a “missed a step” warning in my brain. I get the same thing sometimes from white parts of models. That’s the color I prime, so whenever I see it, I think there should be something done with it.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:
TBH, knowing what gravity falls is, vaguely, I do find it kinda detracts from the model, as in now I don't see an astartes of the Word Bearers legion, I see a reference to a kid's show.

I can understand that. But... mocking word bearers amuses me. Also, If you are only "vaguely" aware of what Gravity Falls is, it's worth a full watch. Cipher Bill (the referenced pyramid man) would work well as a Greater Demon of Tzeentch if put in the right context.

Yeah, an immortal insane interdimensional trickster demon actually fits in pretty well with 40k.

 Nevelon wrote:

brushcommando wrote:I did consider painting the studs in silver, but onl the box art they are the same color as the rest of the armor. I think this is a reference to Rogue Trader days when I think they were just painted the same color a lot of the time? As for the lack of battle damage... ah whatever. I prefer them to glisten with their shiny new armor. Calth is dark, and it makes them easier to shoot.

Most RT era paintjobs had the shoulder studs in an alternate/contrasting color. You are correct that they just highlighted them in the BaC studio armies, but painted more-or-less the same color as the armor.

I’m just used to seeing (and painting myself) them done in a contrasting scheme. Seeing them the same as the rest of the armor just flags a “missed a step” warning in my brain. I get the same thing sometimes from white parts of models. That’s the color I prime, so whenever I see it, I think there should be something done with it.

I might go back and try to exaggerate the highlight if they look unfinished. They actually have been given the first of a two stage highlight, but the second stage was only put on really raised surfaces so as not to make the WB vermillion in color. Ill try it out with the next batch.

Now that someone mentions it, it's pretty obvious!
The society of the blind eye logo is pretty cool on the WB helmet, but I think an Ultramarine would be more suited to a bill cypher mark. "BUY GOLD BUY!!!"

 brushcommando wrote:
I might go back and try to exaggerate the highlight if they look unfinished. They actually have been given the first of a two stage highlight, but the second stage was only put on really raised surfaces so as not to make the WB vermillion in color. Ill try it out with the next batch.

While they might look unfinished to me that’s a lot of my personal POV showing. I suspect to someone who never painted armor studs, they’d look just fine. And I know you are not the first person I’ve seen just give them a highlight like normal armor and leave it at that. To be fair, I commented then as well (and I think he just went on with what he was doing).

Well, It;s been a few days since I had anything to show worthy of an update, but I've finished the first WB squad, all except for the transfers.


I decided to go ahead and paint the studs in gunmetal after all. I've also been playing moneyball with the painting all week, and I've managed to dedicate at least an hour a day to moving progress along on the last twenty marines. I've got most of the metallics done on all the marines, so I'm pretty close to the end highlight stage on most of them, (excluding a little cleanup) I've got a friend coming in from out of town next weekend, and I hope to have the set ready to play with by next Saturday.

Fingers crossed...
cheers!

Very nice! Good luck getting a set done in time for a game. I still need to find an opponent and sit down and play myself. The game looks like a lot of fun, even if I did just pick up the box for the minis.

Looking good. Can we expect a battle report next week?

You've done such an excellent job keeping this going. Seriously, it's impressive, and i know that's it's going to look great to have the game set up with everything so well painted.

Thanks for the encouragement all! I will try to do up a battle report if I can get a game in next Sunday. It's been a productive day today. Took my sister out for her birthday, got my laundry done, discovered audible and the harry potter series at the same time, and finished seven Ultramarines (minus a bit of work on their boltguns)



This leaves me with six days to finish 13 marines. Fingers still crossed...

Cheers!

Looking good.. fingers crossed

Thanks! Got Three more Ultras finished, completing the squad. (as per usual, their bolters need work, but once I can glue them on, they are at least usable models.)



As of right now I am at least able to play the first scenario in the Calth box, so hopefully you will all get that battle report next week. I've got five days to finish the last ten WB which at least seems doable, but we'll see.

Cheers!

Very nice work on the Smurfs! I can't believe you can crank them off so fast! How do you do it? Seeing as you got those done in good time, I really think you can get those last Word Bearers done in time. I've got faith in you! To quote Larry the Cable Guy, "Git 'er done!"

What else is there to do on the bolters?

Also your sergeant has a black hand still, is that on purpose?

I really like those ultras, very well done m8.

Looking great. Impressive work cranking them out at this pace.

Nice work on your Ultras, BC

Well done! they look marvelous, especially the banner one.

Good looking

Excellent work on the B@C stuff, it's looking awesome. I love the freehand symbols and runes on the grieves of the Word Bearers.

EDC

Thanks for the Kind words and encouragement guys! I'm happy to report that I finished today. That's 37 models in 27 days, so not bad overall. I had a lot of fun with this project, and I do think working to set goals with deadlines helps my productivity. I might take a bit of a break after this and not plow straight into the oldhammer project. I'll probably do one or two more heresy era one-off projects, and stockpile some assembled models to prime before the onset of high-humidity summer. But enough rambling. Pics or it didn't happen as the saying goes...











I once again Thank You, fellow Dakka members for cheering me on to another completed project.
Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Nice! That’s a ton of well painted minis in a very short amount of time.

You missing an Ultra tactical marine?

 Nevelon wrote:
Nice! That’s a ton of well painted minis in a very short amount of time.

You missing an Ultra tactical marine?

I noticed that after I took the pictures. Poor guy got left on the painting table and missed photo day.

In any case they look great.

Brushcommando has been lying to us all along. 37 minis in 27 days? Never. Clearly he has a few Chinese labourers chained in his basement painting for him.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:
Brushcommando has been lying to us all along. 37 minis in 27 days? Never. Clearly he has a few Chinese labourers chained in his basement painting for him.

Lol. Not quite. Having a routine and a deadline does help productivity though.

Ha, yes! I knew you could do it, and they look splendiferous. Yes, i am using too fancy words. You deserve them

And you also deserve a break, as much as you need.

Awesome job. Looks fantastic

Yes. Take a break. That way I won't feel so bad when I realize in the time it took you to do this entire project I have only primed 10 marines and started 5 of them...

Congrats on a huge job well done, i'd want a break myself after this many marines too! Must be nice having weather like that right now, I have to wait for summer to prime my models!

quality as well as quantity! good work!

Splendid work! I envy your ability to get so much done in so little time. What witch did you visit to get these powers? I'm up for a little dancing round a stone circle if it means I can get all my stuff painted

Thanks for all the kind words. So, I did manage to get some gaming in over the weekend. My friend and I tried out Betrayal at Calth and then played some games using the battle for Vedros stuff with it's ridiculously simplified ruleset. Calth was fun, but wasn't quite as easy to learn as it appeared to be. We spent a fair amount of time trying to learn it, and didn't actually finish the campaign. "Kiddy-Hammer" as we called it, was enjoyable as well, but obviously didn't provide much depth. I did watch my first game of 7th ed 40k though, as my friend and another of our mutual friends pitted tau vs. eldar. Both were still using 6th ed codices, and neither had what I would consider a meta-build, so it was really enjoyable to watch.

It did get me in the mood to actually play 40k though. I realized that I don't own the current space marine codex, or even the 6th ed one, so I talked to my friend who plays eldar, and he was interested in facing a 30k list. (the only list I currently have both rules and models for). We should be meeting up soon to play a 500 pt game and scale up from there, In the interests of list building, I decided to improvise my own 30k armor. Behold, the almost-deimos-pattern rhino!



I had to green stuff some of the gaps, which I'm horrible at, so It's not the best, but I feel it gets the idea across.

At any rate, might have to put the oldhammer on hold for a while I flesh out a force to actually play with. End Ramble.

Cheers!

Shame there's no battle report. Good luck on actually playing, and dw about the green stuff, it doesn't look too bad.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:
Shame there's no battle report. Good luck on actually playing, and dw about the green stuff, it doesn't look too bad.

Calth played a little too fast to give more than a very cursory battle report. I actually did take notes and pictures of the kiddy-hammer game, just to practice writing one. I'll post it up here when it's finished if anyone is interested.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Okay, so I did promise a battle report. Here goes:
We played using the entirety of my previous Vedros project. My opponent wanted to be Ultramarines (much to my chagrin) and I took the orks. It's important to note that vedros contains no rules whatsoever for terrain, so it was a very sparsely populated board. The rules just say to set up 12" inches apart, but I gave him about 16" So he could maybe get two shooting phases in. Here's the board at deployment.



Space Marines go first in Vedros, and my opponent promptly threw away the advantage of range by moving all of his guys up. (I think he just wanted to use the flamethrower, or maybe just misjudged the invulnerability of space marines. This is my friend who normally plays tau) The two bikes hooked around the woods to attack the flanks. In shooting, his bikes both opened up on the wartrakk but failed to put wounds on it. (In kiddy-hammer, it has wounds like an infantry model). His terminator shot at my boys -- hits, but no wounds. His tactical squad shot at the smaller, 4-boy mob and killed 2. His dreadnought shot at the deffkopta and missed. His smaller combat squad then killed the remaining 2 boyz in the small squad, wiping them from the map.

In my turn, I was set up pretty good to stomp the "humies". He had closed the gap, so I was able to open up on him pretty good. Another quirk of the Vedros set is the dreadnought. I could only harm it with the warboss in CC and the deffcopta in shooting phase. It was therefore possilble for him to kill both of the things able to harm it and then rampage around the battlefield with impunity. I knew I would have to wipe it if I wanted to win, and thus shot at it with my deffkopta. In a very un-orkish display of accuracy, both rokkits hit and stipped two of the dread's three wounds. My wartrakk shot at and killed his normal bike, and the larger boys mob wiped out the attack bike with sluggas and big shootas. The grots killed a tactical marine with shooting, and the nobz picked off two of the smaller combat squad's marines with sluggas. For some reason, I think the only combat I was able to initiate was grots charging the tactical squad. They didn't kill anybody and lost four of thier own. As Vedros also leaves out morale, they stayed locked in CC.

At this point my notes gave out. The game was playing faster and I started forgetting to jot things down. My buddy decided it was better to charge then be charged, so the game devolved into a a giant cluster-cuss of melees pretty quickly.



The weight of numbers was definitely in my favor, I wiped most of his guys from the board and piled everybody onto his tac squad for the last combat.



My opponent had had some pretty horrendous shooting dice and made my job easier by closing the distance in the first turn, or it wouldn't have appeared as off-balance as it did.

Was it fun? Yes. I enjoyed rolling dice around my painted models. Was it 40K? Not really. But it is probably a pretty nice way to introduce new-blood to the basic concepts of wargaming.

Well, that's me trying my hand at a bat-rep.
I'm open to any feedback.
Cheers!

Back when I played my first ever game using black reach in 5th, it was me vs the store manager. I shot the captain on turn three, killing him. The store manager then said I'd won and his men were retreating. I thought for a while that the game essentially boiled down to 'kill the enemy general'. I now realize he just couldn't be asked to play the game out with an 8 year old. Nice to hear you had a better first game.

Battle reports! Always fun to read, even with the simplified version (i actually didn't know vedros came with that; it's a pretty sensible idea). I am glad it was fun, if a bit different!

The notion of grots surviving long enough to make a charge is more than delightful enough for me too.

Great way to learn the mechanics of the game.

Really impressed with the quality of the B@C set, especially considering the time you did it in. The rhino looks great too.

EDC

Thanks for the kind words! So I looked into pkaying 1k point games with legion forces and decided that's a no go. They seem decidedly geared toward 2k plus. So I ponied up and bought the current space marine codex. Whike I wait for it to arrive, I'm pondering what to do with the battle Demi company box that I have. Part of me wants to do retro scheme ultras, part of me wants to do modern scheme ultras and part of me wants to do a crusading force with a little of everything. Crimson fists, salamandrrs, blood ravens. Etc. all the vehicles will be ultras either way to be dual use with 30k. So what y'all think? What would you like to see?

Well if there's any chance of converting you to the best chapter, the real chapter, the RAPTORS OF NUMINA, WOO WOO WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Than yeah, I'd like to see some Raptors. (You could even do them in the original blue and yellow colour scheme.)

There is something to be said for keeping your 30/40k forces the same. Lots of potential crossover units. Gets the most bang for your buck.

Plus Ultras are just that cool!

I might have to agree with Nevelon on this one. Stick with Ultramarines so you can use the minis for 30k or 40k. If you did want to do another chapter, I might recommend Blood Ravens, as you could use any chapter tactics with them since they don't have any official tactics of their own.

Another vote for a 30k/40k UM force. Having an army that you can use in both systems is great, lots of variety over 30k/40k.

EDC

Thanks for the feedback, folks. In the end I decided on a modern-scheme Ultramarines force, but settled on the 3rd company to get a splash of red in there. I'm still waiting on the codex to arrive to assemble most of my force, but I began work on the tac-squad I already have assembled.



I apologize for the weird lighting. I had to move my photo-box and I haven't got it adjusted back yet. I found the helmet on this guy a little challenging from a highlight perspective, as the lines are not as crisp as you'd think they might be. Oh well. Also got his squad-mates blocked out. Should have more to show as the week progresses.

Cheers!

That seems like a good choice, you can use them together but you also get to vary up the colors a bit. i am Looking forward to the progress as always!

i should probably get myself one of them codex things too

Nice base, how's it done?

amazingturtles wrote:That seems like a good choice, you can use them together but you also get to vary up the colors a bit. i am Looking forward to the progress as always!

i should probably get myself one of them codex things too

Yeah. for a long time, I had no real desire to play the current edition, but watching my friends play their match really got me in the mood to get out there and start purging xenos again. The instructions that come in the boxes have "almost" the right points values to let you plan out a list, but not quite.

CREEEEEEEEED wrote:Nice base, how's it done?

The base is just texture paint -- armageddon dust with agrax wash and an ushabti bone drybrush. The bushes are clump-foliage from woodland scenics. You can find it either online or at a lot of hobby-shops or craft stores that sell models.

Yeah, the base goes well against the Blue armor.

Thanks!. Well work has had me quite busy lately and not updating as regularly as before, but I have managed to finish the 1st Squad of my Ultramarines 3rd Company.



The red I was using at first seemed a bit dull a few models in, so I brightened it up a little.
Well that's it for the moment.
C and C welcome.
Cheers!

Looks good! Nice to see the 3rd getting some love.

I'm not sure why, but it looks like the blue on the pauldrons is done with too thick paint, whereas the rest of the models are nice and smooth.

That is likely the gloss varnish for the decals. I will eventually hit it with dull
coat but weather conditions have to be perfect

Looks good. i've always been fond of the warning stripes on chainswords look.

So it's been a few days since my last update. I've completed my dreadnought and a couple of scouts. I forgot how much I enjoy painting those little guys. Might have to do one of them 10th company strike force things one day...





The keen eyed among you may notice the dreadnoughts name -- a nod to a fellow dakka member's status as honoured advice giver among the Ultramarines community here. Also, that I have cleverly changed an "E" for an "AE" thereby shielding me from plagiarism claims ala GW's Legal advice

Next up, I have been working on a 20-man legion tactical squad, so expect pics of that soon.

Cheers!

That's very good work on the name! though i admit that i probably would't have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out.

Nice dread and scouts! They certainly make a good diversion from the endless ranks of power armor guys, don't they?

Still going strong. Looking good as always. Can we expect a Rowboat in the future?

Dreads for the win, not sure about the scout bases, probably because there's a little smudge on one of the rims that I irrationally hate.

Ssgt Carl wrote:Still going strong. Looking good as always. Can we expect a Rowboat in the future?

I have...very mixed feelings about the gulliman model. On the one hand, he's the primarch of my legion/chapter so I would like to get him, but I really hate all that bling and would probably loathe the process of painting him. ...

CREEEEEEEEED wrote:Dreads for the win, not sure about the scout bases, probably because there's a little smudge on one of the rims that I irrationally hate.

Whoops. Those bases aren't finished. I've been working in smaller timeframes due to my work schedule picking up, so I forgot to flock and fix the black rim.

amazingturtles wrote:That's very good work on the name! though i admit that i probably would't have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out.

Thanks! I had to write really small to get it to fit. Normanlly I just scribble "Ultra" and call it a day, but I wanted something different for this one.

ZergSmasher wrote:Nice dread and scouts! They certainly make a good diversion from the endless ranks of power armor guys, don't they?

Yeah, I really do love scout models. I don't use them all that often in games, which is why I don't have more, but I think I might get some more in the future just for kicks.

Hey Brushcommando,

Not to steal your traffic; but if you want inspiration for a guilliman that downplays the bling; feel free to steal my colour scheme? uploaded a huge update to my ultras blog earlier, inc. Gman himself

Some incredible work going on here man, though based on your production speed i'm inclined to believe powerful sorcery may be truer to the mark!

GamerGuy

Stellar work on the Dread! Looks really close to the 'eavy metal version! I've also got some Dreadnougths and Scouts in the do-to pile, I should definitely get to painting them..