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Designing a Crusade:


So, I finally got some time off to work on some projects again. So, I'm restarting my Black Templar Crusade from scratch.


Modeling:


I've been working on designs for a Actual-scale Templar Crusade. For the most part the entire crusade will be outfitted with MKVIII armor with similar finishes to the current "Emperors Champion" and "Jump pack Chaplain" So, Knightly helmets, pleated boots, Chain Mail, etc. The will be lots of bastard swords, shields and medieval weaponry.

Yeah, I know what your thinking an all actual scale army, impossible?!! But nothing is impossible for a Master of the Dark Arts.... So, I will be employ techniques that I can neither show or speak of these few models I'm showing here will quickly grow to over a hundred or so in the coming weeks.


Vehicles:

These will be actual scaled as well but not in the commonly seen way. The rhinos, vindicators, and Land raiders will be enlarged using a styrene inserts and aves epoxy putty. The will also be enlarged bikes while the dreads will likely be custom sculpted.


Painting:


I want to paint the army in fashion similar to the codex cover. The color contrasts their are just so striking, and complementary. I've never been a fan of GW style highlighting, or Heavy Metal style, as I got into 40k after having spent years building military kits. So, anyway I was watching Excalibur for inspiration and really like the idea of having some glossy armored Templar. Something along the lines of Black lacquered armor with gold trims similar to the Codex cover, and crimson accents. I'd also will include matte elements such a their tabards and other cloth elements as well. Then I'll add a bit of weathering mud splashes to contrast with the pristine armor.





So anyway lets get started. I'm basing these conversions off Doghouse's and Lamenter's wonderful actual scale tutorials, with some additional flourish I've stolen...er..borrowed from the many, many great BT armies on this very forum. I have several pages of pre-prodution sketches for this project that I have to get scanned. I'll be posting the sketches up soon.


Most of the Initiates will use legs based off these:
















I also repose several sets of Terminator legs to get more varied poses:














Maybe on in five Initiates will have armor based off this torso:










Rivets:

I used to use putty to do this, but its just to time consuming and I always end up smashing them or having them pop off.

The rivets are actually super simple to do. I'm using "glitter beads" or "micro beads"; they're tiny metal or glass marbles that come is sizes between 0.25 - 1.5 mm. There just tiny little glass beads that come is shiny colors like the silver I'm using here. You can get like a million of them for a $2-3. Just drill and appropriate sized hole where you want the rivet add a tiny amount of super-glue. Then pour the beads of the model. Instant rivets and all the same size. I bought 0.5mm silver beads and 1.0 mm copper beads. You can thanks the wife for the tip.

Some of the larger rivets as the knee joint etc, use stainless steel balls that come in 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm sizes. There a bit more expensive, but worth it in my opinion. My FW Keeper of Secrets and the Daemon Princesses use these as rivets on the armor.

Another tip is top count the number of turns you make with your pin-vise, so that all your holes are of uniform depth.


Okay here's some pictures of what I'm using for rivets. I got the all of these off ebay, by the way.

Okay more progress shots:



Legs:


Okay here are some additional legs. I'm working on. I also have walking forward, running and a couple of leaping poses.


# 1

This first set of legs will have additional armor plates covering the hips and thighs; similar to WF Chaos Warrior legs. The boots will also pleated and have a pointed toe.

















Here's a couple more pictures with a in progress torso.







# 2


This set of legs will have a baroque raised Templar cross, and riveted boot soles.













Here is is with one of the converted terminator torsos I'm working on.












Shoulder Pads:

I've got a number of things going on here: these are all converted terminator pads. I started off using styrene strips and super glue to make the raised edges. But it was actually much easier to make them from Aves putty. With the putty I could easily sculpt the trim on the BT shoulder pads without obscuring or damaging any details.







Since I like the look of the normal BT shoulder pads; I press molded the details with "amazing putty". Amazing putty is a cheap molding silicon that you can by at any craft store (both Michael's and Hobby Lobby carry it in the US).












Back Packs:


Not much to say here I basically just adding some rivets for a more uniform look, with the riveted armor. I may and some chain as well. I bought some very fine scale model chain (use for model ship anchor chains), but I'm not sure how well it will hold up to casti...the dark arts techniques. I will be testing the idea soon though.







Power Fists:


Again, I'm adding rivets, and carving in plate details. I'll also be re-sculpting the fingers to get additional hand gestures. A few of the "punching" fists will have chain wrapped around the finger like brass knuckles. :lol:







Parts:


These are just some various in progress bit and pieces. Of particular note is the "Empire General's Sword". This is a big sword it dwarfs typical space marine swords. Still it will be getting a 2.0 mm extension to the base of the blade. Variations on this blade will appear through out the the army

Really good job so far , i can see that a lot of time has been put into this project i will be keeping an eye on it

Great job ~UnDeAd~

Dude...just wow! Very impressive so far! Not so sure about the skull helmet yet, maybe try to place it a little bit higher, it looks as if the figure has no more neck or something underneath that armour.

No Sersi, you don't suck. You don't make me ooze with jealousy everytime I see your work. Your Slaaneshi daemons aren't the greatest things I've ever seen and your BT aren't already making me cry in greed...

I hate to see your work cause I love it sooo much! TT.TT

This is amazingness! The rivets are ingenius!

A whole crusade of these guys would be fething awesome.


I want MOAR!

Son Of Horus wrote:A whole crusade of these guys would be fething awesome.


I want MOAR!

Just about what I was thinking.

Awesome start to what will surely be an awesome project!

Good luck - and I can't wait to see more!

~UnDeAd~:


Thanks. This army has been bouncing around in my head for a long, long time. I'm just happy I have the time to get it going, now.


Malika2:


Yes, I see that now. not to worry though I drew up a scaling chart that I'm measuring all my marines against, I'll be correcting the neck.


Lorgar's_Blessed:


Thanks you. That's one heck of a compliment.


person person:

Thanks.

Hey Sersi, gathered some more (IMO) cool looking bits you may want to incorporate:
http://chapterhousestudios.com/webshop/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/MK_I_Heresy_Era__4b61a458cbd1e.jpg
http://chapterhousestudios.com/webshop/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Marine_Shoulder__4a1acebb4126e.jpg
Credits: Chapterhouse studios
http://www.maxmini.eu/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=60
Credits: Maximini
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-Accessories/BLACK-TEMPLARS-TERMINATOR-STORM-SHIELDS.html
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-Accessories/BLACK-TEMPLARS-TERMINATOR-SHOULDER-PADS.html
Credits: FW

You've probably seen them already, but thought I'd throw them in anyway.

Good luck, can't wait to see how it goes!

Would be cool, wish i could see the pictures though

Lookin' great so far. Keep up the good work

All I see are a bunch of "bandwidth exceeded" messages. How about you host somewhere other than that pos Photobucket?

how very unprofessional

Breotan wrote:All I see are a bunch of "bandwidth exceeded" messages. How about you host somewhere other than that pos Photobucket?

Please?

According to the pics you need to upgrade your photobucket to pro today...

Or just transfer the pics onta Dakka! Seriously it's really tantallising........Why am I greatful I didn't put that into the Slaanesh Daemons blog?

Okay, the bandwidth problem is fixed!

Brilliant and wow!

Nice idea!

Dreadnoughts:

While, these are a ways off yet. Someone from another forum asked me about Dread. So, here are some of my thoughts on them. I'm not doing custom dreadnoughts because of scale issues. I'm doing them because I can! :lol: Honestly, I look at the the mechas from Warmachine and there are a allot of elements that could be incorporated into a dread design that is true to 40K and yet looks like it can actually: walk, run, fight, etc. That and the knightly heads are pretty killer as well. You might even see a hint of Mechwarrior in the designs I'll be posting up later. Because not only am I a bit nostalgic for the designs, there are some practical elements to borrow as well.

This should be pretty interesting as I just bought a lathe machine for my workshop. I've wanted one for ages....and the wife finally lets me go shopping...he..he... So as soon as I get the techniques down, I'll be turning some styrene and renshape elements for the dreads. Eventually I'll be turning gun barrels for my fine-scale modeling projects as well. Sooo, excited...anyway. My dream modeling project is to build a fully pose-able stop-motion Warhound Titan, I slowly acquiring the skill to make that happen.




Update is a few minutes, I'm still processing the pictures is Photoshop.






Automatically Appended Next Post:

Okay, the sculpting on these is pretty much done, just a little light sanding and filing is require. Then its time for rivets and detailing.















Let's try these out with a couple of the new torsos, I'm working on:











Here's another one:

Those are looking pretty bad ass the first head looks a little small for the body but the second head looks much better.

Yeah, that head does seem slightly small; but I intend for to hall all the exposed heads to be covered in a chain-mail like coif. So, that will help bulk out the heads a bit. Plus, they need to be slightly smaller for the helmets to fit over them. Yes, there will be removable helmets to....

Sersi wrote:Plus, they need to be slightly smaller for the helmets to fit over them. Yes, there will be removable helmets to....

removable helmets! haha this project just got even more bad ass now i really cant wait to see these guys finished.

Sersi wrote:Yes, there will be removable helmets to....

You just made this project go from bad ass to a gift from the Emperor himself!

Removable helmets... now you are just screwing with us.


Seriously though, thanks a ton for the ball bearing rivet idea. I have a scratch built titan that needs like 10^34 bloody rivets, and I was putting off doing the job until I figured a reasonable way to get the damned business done. This will be just the ticket!

The second head makes me think of a drill sergeant. Maybe you should leave the helm off and make him a squad leader.

Yeah, sort of like a young Schwartzenegger.

But removeable helmets?!?! For cereal?!?!

Very ambitious, I'd say