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Greetin'z ladz!

After I read my local GW Bunker's copy of the Blood Angel codex, I knew that with the fluff of my own chapter, the Storm Hawks (or Storm Eagles, I keep going back and forth), that I had to have a Librarian Dreadnought in my army. This little blog will go through the steps I'm taking to make mine, and maybe give some other Librarian Dreadnought players some ideas on how to make theirs.

The first part required the proper kit - or kits PLURAL in this case. The Librarian Dread is a Furioso stlye Dreadnought, which means it's got 2 close combat arms. One is a force weapon, the other is a Dreadnought CCW. So, since I wanted this whole thing to be as much plastic as possible, I used the Ironclad Dread for it's arms, and the new Venerable Dread for the rest of model.

The Librarian Dread also has a Psychic Hood, so that had to be added on. I could have just gone with the existing look featured on the Venerable Dread's box art, but it didn't feel like it was a psychic hood really, even if I was to carve it up a bit, and I also felt that I was copping out a bit on such an important model to my army.

So that meant I had to (gulp) carve up my new kit. So the following pics will show some of what I did...




Automatically Appended Next Post:
So since I am not sure how to get my text to show up under each pic properly, I'll just have to do it this way...

Pic 1 (top): the psychic hood is just done from a standard marine shoulder pad, carved out on the sides. The back section of the Ven Dread's sarcophagus plate had to be carved out quite a bit to accommodate the psychic hood, as it has to sit far enough back to give room for the head. If you look, you can see I carved out too much and went too deep, but that actually worked out well later...

Pic 2 (middle): a squared off section had to be carved into the top plate of the Ven Dread to let the psychic hood sit back far enough. I made a squared off design so that it would look like it was designed to hold the hood back there.

Pic 3 (bottom): shows a head from the Dark Angel upgrade sprue, with the DA iconography filed off the forehead. The plastic tubes go down and back into the hole that was carved underneath the psychic hood.

i will be first to say that you are off to a great start! can't wait to see more!

Pic 4: shows all the parts so far, with the sarcophagus plate's arch trimmed off to allow for the psychic hood.

Pic 5: Here's the torso all assembled, with the standard power cables that run to a power armored Librarian incorporated into the Dread's design. The cables actually help fill some space left from the removal of the arch, and I think they help add to the feel of the Dread as a Librarian, since those power cables are such an integral part of the Librarian look. It also makes it a little more different from any other dreads that you may have, so that's good too!

Pic 6: this shot shows underneath the torso and sarcophagus, illustrating where the power cables end. I've puttied up the ends here (not pictured) so the cables feel like they are going back into the body of the dread and not just ending there.

kuku - thanks man! I'm adding more even now...

Okay, so the next part is a pretty big jump, since I just burned through working on the arms tonight! There's nothing too complicated here though.

Pics 7, 8, and 9: I've got the Libby Dread temporarily assembled so I can figure out a pose. For some weird reason he's actually just balancing as you see him in the pics - there's no glue or blue-tac holding him together!

I was thinking about having him be in a running position, like my Silver Skulls Dreadnought is, but after I trial swapped the Libby Dread's arms onto the Silver Skull Dread's running torso, I saw I really didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I really liked the sense that this Librarian Dread is more of a leader, and not just a weapon to go barreling at the enemy with no thoughts for the overall plan. So leaving him standing heroically, maybe charging up some crazy HAD-Do-Ken! fireball power in his massive dreadnought power fist...

The arms, as I mentioned, are both from the Ironclad dread. The Ironclad's chainfist makes a great clasp for the force weapon's blade, but the chainfist is supposed to go on the left arm. I wanted to use the Ven Dread's articulated fist on this project, and that's a left hand.

I used the Ironclad's right arm to hold the chainfist, but I carved the lower arm down as far as I could and still have the arm keep its structure intact. The force weapon's blade was going to be a bit longer than the chainfists' teeth, so I had to lose some length someplace or the right arm would feel larger than the left.

The Ironclad's left arm accepted the articulated power fist easily enough, just needed a little sanding to make sure both surfaces were flat and it needed to be held in place for a bit for the glue to dry. There's no peg or anything on the left arm for the fist to rest itself on, it's just glue on the flat surfaces.

The force weapon was cut from plastic card, and I cut a hawk-beak motif into it, similar to the ones on the wing banners on the Dread's back.

The wing banners come from the Dark Angel Ravenwing sprue, and look more eagle or hawk to me than a raven, so they are a perfect way to Bling Up the dread a bit. I plan on giving the Dread the Wings of Sanguinius power, that basically lets the psychic power-caster move as if equipped with a jump pack (to the best of my recollection), so giving him the wing banners felt pretty appropriate too.

The legplates are from the Dark Angel upgrade sprue. I plan on puttying up my Storm Hawks logo on the one legplate where the Dark Angel sword has been removed.

So, next steps:

more Bling! I want to add a book to him someplace, seems fitting that he would have one strapped to him. I'm thinking it would be best as a low banner on top of him. The book I have is a bit too big for his arm, though maybe making a smaller one for the arms would be good too. I have some scrolls from the Terminator sets that will be hanging from various places on the chassis as well. I might add a tabard cloth to his legs as well.

fixing - I have to re-putty one of the psychic hood head connections (I struggled to get that head into the sarcophagus - make sure you put your Dread's helmet in first, not last, like I did!) that popped off. Also have to clean up the force weapon bladess join to the rest of the weapon, and add some filigree work to the sides of the blade itself.

battle damage - not too much, but I don't want him pristine either - this guy has to look like he's been around a while!

So I'll try to post some more in a couple days...

Cool model, and a great take on the concept!

Wow, that looks awesome. Can't wait for more.

I may have to borrow this idea as I've been thinking of ways to do a Librarian Dread. And my base was combining the new ven kit with the Iron Clad, and I just happened to have ordered one of each last week! Very good work so far, can't wait to see how this turns out.

The rules are awesome, but this model outshines them.

Way to start, it looks promising.

Really nice conversion and kudos on the Nick-Nack avatar too!

LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!!

you've gone and made me buy 2 dreadnoughts now - just to make a kickass librarian dreadnought.

and i don't even collect space marines. argh!

Vlad

Very nice mate. The new ven dread is such a fine kit too.

If a Terminator armoured Librarian wasen't enough.. nooo, GW HAD to make a Dreadnought Librarian.. Next up will probably be a Dreadnought Chaplain.. no wait, FW did one of those.. hey, perhaps there will be an Apocalypse formation consisting of only Dreadnoughts and Termies!

Nice take on the Dreadnought Librarian, though.. I like the pose, as if he was considering what to do next..
"Ahh, let's see.. Zapping the enemy, or smoke 'em up close.."

FerrumIgnatus wrote:If a Terminator armoured Librarian wasen't enough.. nooo, GW HAD to make a Dreadnought Librarian.. Next up will probably be a Dreadnought Chaplain.. no wait, FW did one of those.. hey, perhaps there will be an Apocalypse formation consisting of only Dreadnoughts and Termies!

There already is. There's a first company Datasheet in Reload.

There's also the Ancients Assault Force in IA: Apoc. 1 Techmarine and 4+ Dreads that give your army Flank March.

Very nice so far, you can definitely distinguish it from a regular Dread (or Ven Dread).

I doubt I'll be using any Librarian Dreads in my BA (don't like the idea behind it, to be honest), but this is a great idea for anyone planning to add them.

Now I just need to figure out how to add a Venerable Dreadnought kit into my BA... (don't think regular Venerables exist in the Codex?). Maybe I'll just use it as a normal Dread.

Commissar - Thanks, it's going to be interesting to see exactly where this goes.

Tim the Biovore - I'll try to update this tonight. Still playing with the pose some as well...

Thanatos - Borrow away! That's what this is here for. I figure I've gleaned so many great ideas from Dakka and online forums in general that I would give backa tiny bit - if not with something good then at least with a step by step of how NOT to do something so everyone can avoid my mistakes...

Sanctjud - Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing how one performs on the tabletop.

filbert - Thank you sir. I am not sure that's Herve Villachez as Nick-Nack or not - I saw him in some whacked-out video and his scene cracked me up, so I had to make him my avatar...

Vlad - I think you may have a problem with plastic crack addiction... Should we all start an intervention? Making a Libby Dread without an army to go along with it... that's a sure sign you need help.

Migs - thanks! Yeah, I was really impressed with the kit. So many parts extra it's staggering. I plan on using several bitz from that kit just to make my other unfinished Dreads a bit more different from each other.

Ferrum - Cool, I wanted to have it feel like there was some thought going on in that psychic little head of his.

Platuan - I'll have to look into that.

Neith - great, that's what I wanted to hear. As long as players at least get an inkling that this Dread is something a bit different than just a Venerable Dread then I've done my job. I do think that BA armies can have Venerable Dreads, they count as an Elites choice. Regular Dreads count as Heavy Support.

That's really good- I especially like the pose. It's dynamic, but without looking ridiculous (personally I think dreadnoughts can easily be made ridiculous when posed with the close combat weapon/fist, but I think you pulled it off very well)

Dread looks rather cool.

Lovely stuff, he really looks ace. I like the fairly striped down look he has right now, though agreed that a book someplace - left shoulder armor? - would be appropriate.

- Salvage

all types of awesome.

using the shoulder pad as a base for the psychic hood is a really good idea

GrimTeef wrote:Vlad - I think you may have a problem with plastic crack addiction... Should we all start an intervention? Making a Libby Dread without an army to go along with it... that's a sure sign you need help.

I've been going to group therapy - it's been helping a lot, however, I seem to wake up with an empty wallet the morning after I'm paid...

i blame dakka and it's threads of temptation!

Vlad

I think this is pretty much made of awesome !

However I would have looved to see a dreadnaught staff that was held in the hand, I think that would have had great potential. either way it's still awesome, good job.

Looking forward to more from you my good sir.

Thats awsome!

Rutteger1- I've changed the pose a slight bit, facing him the other way because of the wind direction that's apparent on the model now. Hopefully the pose still works as well.

Tainted - thanks man!

Boss Salvage - He's getting more blinged up, but not too much more. I wanted to emphasize the wind of psychic forces that he is summoning, so most of his extra accessorizing accentuates that. Thoughts? I've made a small book for his left shoulder, hopefully that will dry and go on there in a few days.

Shotgun - thanks! I'm trying for all 31 flavors of Awesome on this one. The psychic hood from the shoulder plate wasn't my idea, I must admit - I learned that from here, I think. Was that Migsula's doing? I can't recall now.

Vlad -glad you're getting the help you need. Have someone watch your wallet though. It's like leaving your car keys at the door of a party...

Wolf - Thanks! I'm not sure of a staff for him - I wouldn't think that Dreadnoughts, even Librarians with articulated power fists, would really be able to handle a weapon in that hand too easily. I'd thought about it too, like putting a force axe in there, but it felt a little too "Warmachine" (not that that is a bad thing, just not the feel I wanted).

Master Llyons - thanks!

Now on to new pics.

You can see I've added some extra things to him - scroll cases, the tabard/loincloth some scrolls on the right shoulder, as well as some banners and purity seals. I wanted him to feel like to was standing on the edge of the rise, channeling his power with the wind rushing in to him. Hopefully it gives him some movement without actually having him running or leaping anyplace.

I've added my chapter symbol on the leg plate, as well as trimming and moving the papers of the purity seal to reinforce the wind direction.

The last pic should show a close up of the force weapon's filigree work. It's still drying, so I hope to clean it up once it cures.

I'll be adding a small book to his left shoulder, as well as the smoke launchers and searchlight. I don't think I'll be adding a banner since that would ruin the winged silhouette that he has now.

Just a little more work and I'd say he'll be ready for paint pretty soon.

Thoughts?

He looks sweet

wow a Librarian Dreadnought ....looks sweet
LOL that would be amazing....! an ALL DREADNOUGHT ARMY!!!! >:]
well it would be posible correct? you have the FW Chap. dread, and now a Librarian Dreadnought, so then you would just use regular dreads to be the troops!
that would be one EPIC army...or at least an apoc. battle formation.....

I really like the detailing on the weapon, very interested to see how you paint that up.

inspiring

Very niced detailing, it's really brining the model to life! With a pose like that, have you considered trying to add a crackling ball of energy to his power fist? A bit like Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars tends to do?

Well I'm inspired!

Karl - Thanks!

WarPetrie - yeah, you almost can run a whole Dread army with the Blood Angels codex. Just need a single HQ infantry model, then 25 Death Company in order to access the 5 Death Company Dreads for your Troops choices. Then you can fill in your Elite and Heavy Support choices with different flavors of Dreadnought. You wouldn't be able to claim objectives, but it would be a fun army to play!

Crimson - Thanks, I'm considering painting it like my Master Librarian model in the gallery. Like a turquoise color with bronze or gold filigree work.

1-i - thanks!

Commissar - that's not a bad idea... I wonder if I could pull it off convincingly enough. Lightning isa tough element to show in sculpture... I was thinking of having his hand glowing from within, though, so it might work. Might have to do a computer paint-over on a pic and see how it looks.

Nurglitch - thanks! Now get cracking with that inspiration!

Okay, got some more work done on him. Doesn't look like much, but every bling counts. Finished the filigree on his force weapon's other side. Also put the small tome on his left shoulder and tied it down. Hopefully that looks convincing enough. I also added another Chapter badge onto his left sarcophagus front plate, but I don't have a good shot of that right now. Then I added the searchlight and smoke launchers.

Also in this new pic you can see the force weapon arm has a bit of wire and putty filling the hole - I thought his pose would look more dynamic if this arm wasn't so staticly straight up and down. When the putty in the hole dries I plan on sticking the wire into the dread's shoulder and posing it around a bit, then filling the gap with some cabling and such. Should prove more dramatic that the way he was previously.

Thoughts? Thanks for all your comments so far, they keep me going!