LDP's Blog: 12th June - Ultramarines Tactical Specialist & Skitarii Vanguard Alpha

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**lipsdapips**

Cheers for the feedback everybody! Dynas, Warp Angels, Stevo, thanks for joining and for the comment!

Hey everyone! Really chuffed with this one.
Tackled and finished another one of the miniatures from the "long lost" collection. This honour guard conversion which I was really proud of. Feels good to get him done at last, and i'm pleased with the result. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers for tuning in,

LDP

EDIT - as usual, i've taken the pictures with wet PVA on the bases because i'm too excited

**Knightley**

Yeah, thats a sick pose! you're smashing out the painting this year and that is a really good thing!

**War Kitten**

That Honor Guard is lovely.

**lipsdapips**

Cheers guys

**lipsdapips**

Hey all, just checking in with 3 tactical marines - nothing flash, just want to get the squad out. I did 3 other marines and the sergeant end of 2016 for this squad so I was wanting to finish it off. I have one more batch of 3 then it'll be done.

LDP

**youwashock**

Everything about that Honor Guard just works. The pose, the paint. That. Sword. Awesome work, man.

**Paradigm**

Lovely work on the Tactical Marines. You sadly don't see too many of those being done in the Primaris age, but those are very nicely done.

**Valkyrie**

lipsdapips wrote:

Apologies if it's been posted before but what parts did you use for this guy?

**San76**

The sword on that honour guard looks fantastic

**lipsdapips**

@youwashock I appreciate that - I was really gutted when I thought this particular mini was lost for good because I was really pleased with the conversion - glad to have him back and finished

@Para I feel you there bud. Tac marines and their non-primaris buddies are too few and far between. I fear for the monopose future of GW :(

@Valk The base model is the primaris captain - i repositioned his arm and attached sigismund's outstretched hand, and the sword is from the captain from that Raven Guard Tau box that came out a while back. i think he comes with a command squad set now. I cut the arm at the elbow and repositioned that too.

@San76 Thank you! I have a bunch more to get to and i'm quite excited for it

**Nevelon**

Painting troops? You can do that?

Tacs are looking good. They going to get a rhino when the squad is complete? It might just be the lack of coffee in my system at the moment, but I can’t recall you doing vehicles. When was the last time you did an army shot? Or took inventory? You paint so many cool HQs and elites, I’m a bit curious what your army looks like these days.

**lipsdapips**

The last vehicle I did was a Land Raider Redeemer in 2016 before my hiatus. As far as vehicles I have a couple of Rhinos, a razorback, a dakka predator and the Land Raider. I've given away a couple vehicles whose paintjobs haven't aged well. I'm meaning to get onto some stuff like that though - things I tend not to paint as often as my regular produce (which you're so very good at pointing out Neve

)

**CREEEEEEEEED**

Great painting, but it's interesting to me that you were happy to leave on the raven guard symbol.

**whalemusic360**

The RG symbol could be a memento from a time he was seconded to that chapter. I'd assume having exchanges between chapters, especially founding chapters, wouldn't be uncommon for those in leadership roles.

**lipsdapips**

I was content with the RG symbol looking 'Imperial eagle-y' enough for me, but hey! I actually like whale's justification far more

adds some nice character to the sarge. I appreciate the input!

**Nevelon**

lipsdapips wrote:
I was content with the RG symbol looking 'Imperial eagle-y' enough for me, but hey! I actually like whale's justification far more adds some nice character to the sarge. I appreciate the input!

I agree that it’s a nice bit of fluff to add some character to a mini. I painted my bike captain’s helmet in a White Scars scheme for that reason myself.

**lipsdapips**

Hey guys!
Finished up the next custom default honour guard today. More of a regal, 'stand and stare' type. The next few will be more action-oriented but for now i'll be breaking it up with some vanguard vets.
I've attached a group shot of where Marneus and Co are currently standing.

LDP

**StraightSilver**

Really loving all of the Honour Guard, great conversions and they look awesome all together.

Also loving the Tactical marines. I only have 2 more Tac Squads left to paint to make a full company. I will miss the models (guessing will all be Primaris from now on).

**Crimson_**

This is quiet a worthy Honour Guard for Calgar! I'd like to see your take on the Vanguard.

**lipsdapips**

@straightsilver Yeah I feel you there bud. I'm closing in on company strength myself as it happens. I have a bunch of assembled and primed tacticals still and i'll be damned if i'm not finishing them up over time, whether primaris exists or not!

@Crimson_ Thank you very much. There are a bunch of other minis in the HG i'm keen to get onto, but i'm treating them as a 'one-at-a-time' sort of exhibition process, to break up the rest of my work. So it'll probably be spanned over quite a long period of time. You were a direct inspiration to get me onto my vanguard so quickly! Your squad is real flash.

**lipsdapips**

Hey guys - tuning in with progress on my first vanguard vet.
I'm really taking my time with these guys and am going to try and nail the squad - inspired by the neat, uniform finish of Crimson's vanguard vets and I want to get a quality finish on my guys too.

LDP

**Nevelon**

That white is crazy good. I hate painting white, so hard to get it looking smooth and crisp.

Nice to see a little slop on the axe. Reminds us that you are human, and not some flawless mini painting magic robot.

**Crimson_**

Those are huge pics showing every mistake in your edge highlighting if there were any. That is crazy good!

**lipsdapips**

@Neve I feel you there bud. Took years and years of trial and error and factory-lining miniatures with bad white parts to get my white-painting to where it is. Praise be to Duncan Rhodes and the thin-coats mentality!

@Crimson_ Thank you! I paint finecast minis or forgeworld stuff a lot of the time so it's really nice when I get to work on stuff that's rendered in GW's reliable plastic for a change. I truly feel like the surface your working on affects your paint-job significantly.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Hey everyone. Got a spell in today to do some more work on the vanguard vet. I really wish I wasn't so busy at the moment! I'd be painting like crazy if only I had more time. Anyway, maybe it's for the better as I really feel like i'm able to put my all in to this veteran, and i'm quite pleased with how it's going so far. I essentially took the power axe finish that is on the back of the Vanguard vets box (Held by the raven guard marine) and changed the scheme from blue to green. Keen to get more done ASAP.

LDP

**Paradigm**

That axe is mighty impressive. Your PWs have always been impressive, but that's hitting the next level.

**lipsdapips**

@Para yeah cheers - it's satisfying to do a retrospective and see how far i've come. This is the first decent image of a power weapon on the blog from way back in 2011:

(Cheers for the feedback

)

**Nevelon**

That is an impressive amount of progress!

**Crimson_**

Really really nice. Your progress is impressiv.

**lipsdapips**

Neve, Crimson, thank you guys

Dakka is really fulfilling as I can trace the 7 years of progression and the whole duration has been underscored by great feedback and interest from people like you!

So, I finished the first veteran. I'm really proud - I feel like my patience has paid off with him, it really pays to just put in that extra little bit of time. He's given me great footing for the rest of the squad. Up next is a mk. 6 with lightning claws

LDP

**Paradigm**

Lovely stuff!