Graven's Bloggit 4th October, prepare to Enter the Deadzone!

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**inmygravenimage**

Cheers mate. I just realised wrong pic was up for MotF; fixed. Obviously, there's lots of work left, eg styling up the mm, finishing the insigniae, but you get the general idea of where I'm at just now.

**Gitsplitta**

I really like your Calgar builds. Thing 1 bought the regular Calgar figure and I've never hated a single model so much in my entire life! Ended up grnding out the head recess so I could change the head but there are so many different issues with that fig... mostly involving so much fiddly detail that the figure loses all coherency and impact. Guess Calgar believes in accessorizing. Anyway, I like your scratch builds much better.

The job you did on the dread is tremendous... I've got long term plans to build a MoTF dread for my army... The MoTF I'm going to build for Adepticon will still be "human" but will be mostly bio-mechanically enhanced. After their crusade, he survives only in a dreadnought suit (though highly modified to accommodate his profession). Looking forward to be able to "breathe" a bit with my modeling one the big push is over so I can start to explore some of these other ideas.

Man, than scratch-built conversion beamer really worked out nicely... and I'm surprised how nicely that old one fits on that model of yours. Where did you find that tech shoulder pad?

Anyway... tremendously good builds graven... your army is going to look beautiful!

**whalemusic360**

So much techmarine.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
In a good way, lol

**shrike**

really sweet! I know of a few people who'd love this army...

**inmygravenimage**

@ WM: I know! Feel that techy lovin'!

Thanks for the support guys. The tech shoulderpad is a chapterhouse one, very nice indeed. I always had the idea for the motf pose in my head, just glad it came together as I envisaged.

Played against DE tonight - blooming fnp. A hard-fought draw.

Also should be getting 2 more metal jetbikes to compliment the 5 - woohoo! - that arrived today, many thanks to gitsplitta and solar_lion.

Next up - more Vanguard!

**tipios**

Nice work, I like you dread work

**bobbythes**

planning a plagueBearer on toilet probably reading disease daily lol rofl

**inmygravenimage**

bobbythes wrote:planning a plagueBearer on toilet probably reading disease daily lol rofl

O-kay

@tipios: Cheers. I am developing an unhealthy fascination with dreadnoughts, I realise.

Incidentally, re the DE: I learned that they have a bit of a glass jaw in cc, and I shouldn't be afraid to take them head on (which tbh cost me Kantor and a squad of sternguard). The beasts are very nast, and agonisers are still infuriating. Witches are pretty lethal; I suspect Melta spam will work well against them simply for dealing with FNP. Marine Scouts continue to be awesome: one guy, last survivor of shot down Storm, munched his way through a unit of Caballites with nought but a combat knife. He's so getting a promotion. I've also made a scout serg as a tribute to gitsplitta: he's holding an ork head (that of the boss himself) high in powerfist; I may well have to make another with a DE head.

Last night was spent snipping stuff of sprues to Boardwalk Empire, so will try to get some more done tonight.

graven

**Gitsplitta**

Gee graven, thats flattering... I think... *gulp* Thank you??

I've only had one experience fighting the new dark eldar so far. It went fine though I did most of my damage by shooting & did not get into hand-to-hand with the nasty assault units. It'll be interesting to hear your observations as you get this army out more and more.

**tipios**

inmygravenimage wrote:

@tipios: Cheers. I am developing an unhealthy fascination with dreadnoughts, I realise.

I've gone beyond unhealthy fascination, and have arrived at totally obsessed with dreads

**inmygravenimage**

A question to you ejamacated types: I'm wondering how to do a legion of the damned unit for this army, and I'm considering doing Star Scorpions as count-as. They'll look like really beat-up Mentors to a casual eye; it's also an excuse to get some Red Scorpions without reducing myself to penury. Thoughts?

Also, would the new GK Warp-jump packs be a good sub for the time-shifters?

**BLACKHAND**

I'm certainly not what you would call ejamacated but I don't see why you couldn't substitute any "elite" SM chapter for the LotD, but considering how High tech the Mentors are supposed to be couldn't you just say they are an elite version of the Mentors with all the fancy equipment they have developed?

**inmygravenimage**

Hmm. Also true.

...

Hmm.

Okay so, next question/poll: if done that way, use Mk 8, Mk4, or GKs?

**Revenent Reiko**

Hi Graven,
great work so far!love the mentors conversions

i was a bit disappointed when they got retconned. please keep it up!
in answer to your question however, if they are using the most advanced then surely the Mk8, i know the oldest is the best for everything else in the Grimdark, but power armour has undergone many improvements since its introduction during the Unification Wars, so id say the Mk8 is the most appropriate.
Just my £0.02

**BLACKHAND**

Yep definitely MK8...not sure I have ever seen it but the newer the Mark the better.

**Revenent Reiko**

Mk8 ala Lexicanum

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_armour#Mark_8_.22Errant_Armor.22

o and if you mean where to get it Blackhand ..... no idea sorry

**BLACKHAND**

Oh DUR! So its the sarge armour out of the Tac Marine box!

**Revenent Reiko**

erm not sure (damn now im gonna have to go check

)...... so it is! easier to find than i thought lol

**whalemusic360**

Or (iirc) the champion from the command squad box.

**inmygravenimage**

Yeah, the company champion does, as do some of the BT torso variants (one of which I'm using, albeit for a sternguard).

The logic with Mk4 was that Maximus Armour was supposed to be the ultimate iteration of pa, one that has arguably never been bettered. I think I'm going to use Mk4 on my pre-Heresy jetbikers, as that seems fitting. Mk8 has the advantage of being distinctive and skull covered, which fits the LotD theme.

Speaking of which, how else should I distinguish them as LotD? I'm thinking Skull or Flame motif on the Right shoulderpad, and/or painting it black. I'm also going to include flamers, which make no appearance in the army generally. I'm going to do them all with the extra eyepiece head except the serg, who I'll use a dev serg or apoth head for, I suspect.

Anyway, I have finally succombed to the wife and nurglings' plague so don't know if I'll get much done tonight. Ah well.

**BLACKHAND**

inmygravenimage wrote:I'm thinking Skull or Flame motif on the Right shoulderpad

As trite as this may sound how about a skull surrounded with a wreath of flames, it would echo your owl head with a laurel wreath you have on your other pads.

Hope you feel better soon bud!

**inmygravenimage**

Not trite - echoic

I actually really like that idea. I think I'll sculpt the skull and paint the flame. I think with my limited gs skills I'd be hard pressed to make them look that different from laurel leaves. Cheers mate, good plan. Papa nurgle loves me!

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Yet another question: looking at backpacks for these LotD, I'm toying with using one of the following:
1) Basic tac marine skull pack
2) BA Death Company packs
3) DA Packs (Sword on top and/or Reliquary)
4) A mix of 2&3

Opinions?

**BLACKHAND**

I really do like the look of the Death company packs but you might find you have to carve off a lot of blood drops....I guess a mix of 2&3 would give some variety and flair

**Revenent Reiko**

The Flame/Wreath idea sounds brilliant! would tie it in nicely i think.
i agree with BLACKHAND on the issue of the blood drops, but the DC packs look so cool it would almost be a shame not to use them lol
a mix of 2&3 sounds best to me too

**inmygravenimage**

Cutting and gs'ing packs doesn't phase me. I'm seriously considering giving them each a unique pack, might be a good reinterpretation of the LotD all having unique armour - thoughts? Also, back to flame-wreath: what about using the skull/wreath pad and slightly gs'ing the wreath? Would that work?

**Revenent Reiko**

personally id say it depends on how much like flames the wreath leaves can be made to look. although judging by your level of GS fu i wouldnt be at all surprised that you can do it. and a good flaming paint job would do wonders to let someone else viewing them know what they are...
and the unique packs is an excellent idea, you see it all the time with modern spec ops, the regular soldiers all look pretty much alike, its the vets that customise their gear to suit their specific needs.
just my £0.02

**inmygravenimage**

Cheers, 2 pennies much appreciated!

Have decided to just make the shoulder pads, fool that I am. Have just been buying legs and backpacks off letthedicedecide though so I can crack on with these guys.

**Revenent Reiko**

wow thats gonna be a lot of work! but im sure its gonna look wicked so cant wait to see it

and ty, i dont know much, but i try, and its always nice to be appreciated

**inmygravenimage**

A wee update, stuff for other folk in the marine swaps:

Solar_Lion has been outstanding in his donTion of pre-heresy jetbikes; I got thinking about a homebrew Ultramarine successor, the Solar Lions.

Chapter Master was made from random White Lion Chariot bits I found in the old box, head stolen from Pretty Boy, one of my Psyker Battle Squad (hey, I needed a mane of luxurious hair!), BA dagger, etc, etc. More tweaking to come I think, especially on the axe. Still, quite pleased.
Rear view:

And for the mighty Whalemusic:

Plan is to use infernus pistols so it counts as an attack bike, theoretically. Fun times! Awesome fluff by WarOne for this guy.

C&C as ever welcome,
graven

**Gitsplitta**

They look great graven... SL's going to be tickled pink!