Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I absolutely love it, but if I had done it (and don't mistake this for anything more than a petty thing as I couldn't do a tenth the quality you have!) I would have put a tank on his back and an air mask, the idea he had swam through the filth and dead to take them out would be as grimdark as it gets.

 throwoff wrote:
I absolutely love it, but if I had done it (and don't mistake this for anything more than a petty thing as I couldn't do a tenth the quality you have!) I would have put a tank on his back and an air mask, the idea he had swam through the filth and dead to take them out would be as grimdark as it gets.

I actually thought of doing this! Oh how I loved this idea. Unfortunately, the space I had to work with just wouldn't allow me to pull off the idea of a lake (or similar) being so close to a trench system.

Thanks for your comments and for sharing - definitely grimdark idea!

Its great, also checked out lost on your blog, brilliant work.

What happened to the big tank piece?

Its amazing great diorama must have been great fun your very talented! my only crit is that the guy about to get the jump on them would look better in suitably stealthy colours it seems strange that mr power ranger is about to ambush the stealthy guys.

throwoff wrote:Its great, also checked out lost on your blog, brilliant work.

What happened to the big tank piece?

Thanks for checking out the blog "Recovery" is still on the cards, it's my magnum opus. Watch this space!

Zognob Gorgoff wrote:Its amazing great diorama must have been great fun your very talented! my only crit is that the guy about to get the jump on them would look better in suitably stealthy colours it seems strange that mr power ranger is about to ambush the stealthy guys.

Was a lot of fun. It's always a curious feeling when I finish a project. Both happy and sad to be done. I knew the colours would split folks, to re-heat a comment I made earlier: "I thought a lot about using more neutral colours on the Assassin, but in the end the idea of him wearing a somewhat outlandish uniform made it more disturbing for me as he's not made any effort to camouflage himself"

Thanks for comments, Sir. Most appreciated!

as for fluff issues, whos to say they havent grav chuted in behind enemy lines and are hidden in abandoned enemy territory...

I love it, looks really cool, as everyone else has said the water effects are awesome.

The 'story' I got from it, is these two elysians have touched down in an abandoned section of enemy trench and are picking off the patrols in that area. Then a plucky trooper has managed to get the jump on them and managed to creep up. He was only meant to be on patrol so he's in normal non stealthy dress.

 optometris wrote:
as for fluff issues, whos to say they havent grav chuted in behind enemy lines and are hidden in abandoned enemy territory...

I love it, looks really cool, as everyone else has said the water effects are awesome.

The 'story' I got from it, is these two elysians have touched down in an abandoned section of enemy trench and are picking off the patrols in that area. Then a plucky trooper has managed to get the jump on them and managed to creep up. He was only meant to be on patrol so he's in normal non stealthy dress.

You know, I came close to putting in grav chutes - detached and stacked in the trench. I just forgot to buy them when I was at Salute. D'oh.

Thanks for your words on the water - as per my blog, I had some resin issues to begin with that forced me to rework parts of the diorama a few times, so I'm glad it's coming off as well as it is with viewers.

Love your interpretation of the story. I'd read a novel about those two Elysians you've described!

Just, WOW! You are truly talented!

Wow this really made my day. Simply brilliant and very dynamic. Great great work.

alarmingrick wrote:Just, WOW! You are truly talented!

spincr wrote:Wow this really made my day. Simply brilliant and very dynamic. Great great work.

I'm quoting you both here because both of these comments have made my day. I'm a bit ill today and these have really perked me up. Thanks guys

Also, it went live on CMON today. Peeps can vote and everything: http://www.coolminiornot.com/358441

Excellent work, very high production value and I recognize how much effort was put into this. Look forward to your next one.

Absolutely fantastic and surpasses 'Lost', it shows real signs you're developing as a painter and diorama-maker, I greatly anticipate your next piece of work.

it's very great looking and does tell a fantastic story about that moment in time. The water, and leaves are awesome. So many details and little bits to give everything depth. I especially liked the crushed up can in the pool of water.

Great diorama, those snipers made a mistake. No rear security.

The pop cans are a amazing touch if I do say myself.

in terms of painting and modeling and terrain job, this is seriously some damn good stuff.

Just like mentioned several times before me, not that 40k-ish. But, to a person that doesnt know 40k that well would not know that issue and think it was amazing.

PrehistoricUFO wrote:Excellent work, very high production value and I recognize how much effort was put into this. Look forward to your next one.

One thing I learned from my previous work was that a higher level of detail was needed in a diorama - beyond that of what you may considerate initially adequate. Therefore, it's great that effort is noticed. Thanks for your comments, UFO.

BrotherOfBone wrote:Absolutely fantastic and surpasses 'Lost', it shows real signs you're developing as a painter and diorama-maker, I greatly anticipate your next piece of work.

Wow, I'm flattered! Thanks, Sir. That means a lot actually. I recently wrote an article on my blog about what I think the hardest parts of the hobby are and one of them is burn-out. It's comments like yours that keeps on me on track

disdamn wrote:it's very great looking and does tell a fantastic story about that moment in time. The water, and leaves are awesome. So many details and little bits to give everything depth. I especially liked the crushed up can in the pool of water.

One of the most important things to me when making a diorama is to make sure that it really does feel like a moment frozen in time - as opposed to that feeling a model is posing for a camera. The crushed can is my favourite detail - to make and in context. He's raced to finish, because he has too, whereas his comrade hasn't even opened his yet.

40kFSU wrote:Great diorama, those snipers made a mistake. No rear security.

Always protect your six. The original idea had two assassins aiming on the snipers. One had a handgun and was on a knee taking aim. The title was "One Each". I abandoned the idea quite late in as, disturbing though it was, it seemed much more unlikely that two highly trained snipers failed to notice two assassins behind them. Thanks for your comment

lilgammer123 wrote:The pop cans are a amazing touch if I do say myself.

I'm glad you like them. I added them because, to me, it implies they've been at this for a while now and have become very comfortable with what they are doing. The idea was unsettling but also helped suspend the fact they've completely let there guard down. Thanks, lilgammer123.

Vineheart01 wrote:in terms of painting and modeling and terrain job, this is seriously some damn good stuff.

Just like mentioned several times before me, not that 40k-ish. But, to a person that doesnt know 40k that well would not know that issue and think it was amazing.

Thank you, Sir. Most appreciated

Amazing work, so full of interesting little details. Cannot even believe people concentrate on 40K fluff when looking on something like this.

Yeah, that is a fantastic diorama, and it's exactly as I would imagine trench warfare in 40K to be. Excellent diorama, never mind the anal retentive fluff nitpickers!

Hey your on anvil industry's facebook for using the council marine!

Awesome. My favorite detail is the Coke can....

And another inspiration for Elysians is the French paratroopers at Dien Bien Phu, I believe, which was all about dropping into enemy territory, taking up a defensive position, and then getting massacred by an enemy who, among other things, knew the terrain better. So very fitting.

Honestly 40K is so wide open that you can justify anything at all, from sword-wielding barbarians to laser elves.

An excellent follow up to "Lost". Realistic and beautiful. Love all the little details. I think it fits into the fluff perfectly as the Elysians just seem to be passing through the trench area. Nothing suggests they can't set up shop for a while.

If you're ever looking for respirator pieces in the future the Cadian Command Box has five gas mask type bits in it.

I'd love to see a full board made by yourself. It would be jaw dropping!

The fluff states that elysians are masters of being dropped down in small units and not being resupplied for weeks at a time - it fits very well that they may get dropped behind enemy lines and are there to pick off enemy VIPs, and that they've been there a while. Without realizing it I would say you've made it very fluffy

Manus wrote:Amazing work, so full of interesting little details. Cannot even believe people concentrate on 40K fluff when looking on something like this.

When I started this, there were 4 models. That's why they all seem to be composed on one side of the diorama. The detailing had to make up for this, so I'm glad it worked. Thanks for your comments, Sir.

Da Boss wrote:Yeah, that is a fantastic diorama, and it's exactly as I would imagine trench warfare in 40K to be. Excellent diorama, never mind the anal retentive fluff nitpickers!

It seems our visions of future warfare are the same then! Thanks for the supportive words. You Da Boss.

lilgammer123 wrote:Hey your on anvil industry's facebook for using the council marine!

Oh wow - so I am! I thought my blog stats exploded! I just sent a thank you message to Zinge and he's put it up on his too

SisterSydney wrote:Awesome. My favorite detail is the Coke can....

And another inspiration for Elysians is the French paratroopers at Dien Bien Phu, I believe, which was all about dropping into enemy territory, taking up a defensive position, and then getting massacred by an enemy who, among other things, knew the terrain better. So very fitting.

Honestly 40K is so wide open that you can justify anything at all, from sword-wielding barbarians to laser elves.

Medium of Death wrote:An excellent follow up to "Lost". Realistic and beautiful. Love all the little details. I think it fits into the fluff perfectly as the Elysians just seem to be passing through the trench area. Nothing suggests they can't set up shop for a while.

If you're ever looking for respirator pieces in the future the Cadian Command Box has five gas mask type bits in it.

I'd love to see a full board made by yourself. It would be jaw dropping!

optometris wrote:The fluff states that elysians are masters of being dropped down in small units and not being resupplied for weeks at a time - it fits very well that they may get dropped behind enemy lines and are there to pick off enemy VIPs, and that they've been there a while. Without realizing it I would say you've made it very fluffy

Wow, you know... even though it wouldn't cloud my final result on dioramas, maybe I should start looking more into the 40k fluff. It's all very interesting stuff (fluff). I have a decent handle on the armies, but nothing to this degree. I'll get on it.

Thanks for the information and support here though guys - most appreciated!

@SisterSydney - the coke can is my favourite too. Lot of fun there

@Medium of Death - thanks for the tip on respirators! Also, a full board... Hmmmm...

I would absolutely agree, a full board would be stunning and packed with detail.

 Rusty Robot wrote:
Wow, you know... even though it wouldn't cloud my final result on dioramas, maybe I should start looking more into the 40k fluff. It's all very interesting stuff (fluff). I have a decent handle on the armies, but nothing to this degree. I'll get on it.

40K fluff tapdances merrily on the thin line between "insanely awesome" and "insanely stupid" -- but fortunately there is no "canon" so you can pick and choose what you take seriously and what you ignore. My personal approach is to assume everything I'm reading is in-universe propaganda by one faction or another, so if it's stupid, it's the fault of the writers (both real and imaginary), not because the universe is stupid. Just take all the crazyawesome and mix together to taste.

BrotherOfBone wrote:I would absolutely agree, a full board would be stunning and packed with detail.

I might put pen to paper...

SisterSydney wrote:

40K fluff tapdances merrily on the thin line between "insanely awesome" and "insanely stupid" -- but fortunately there is no "canon" so you can pick and choose what you take seriously and what you ignore. My personal approach is to assume everything I'm reading is in-universe propaganda by one faction or another, so if it's stupid, it's the fault of the writers (both real and imaginary), not because the universe is stupid. Just take all the crazyawesome and mix together to taste.

Can you point me in the direction of some good reading IG material/fluff? Are the Imperial Armour a good place to start? I'm thinking DKOK fluff specifically... Thanks

it gives me a ballache to hear people being negative about your diorama because the pose doesent fit into the 40 bumpf. it a seriously cool scene and top job fella

Can you point me in the direction of some good reading IG material/fluff? Are the Imperial Armour a good place to start? I'm thinking DKOK fluff specifically... Thanks

I think DKOK and Elysians both originate in Imperial Armour, so yeah, those would be the place to go. The Death Korps book I read was honestly kind of dry, much like their real-life inspirations in World War I (and then they attacked --- and it was futile -- and they all died -- and then the next wave attacked -- and it was futile). I haven't read the Elysians one.

I can't stand (i.e. finish) most 40K fiction, but I can testify that the first few Commissar Cain books are fun, and the Commissar Gaunt/Gaunt's Ghost book I've read was pretty darn good -- and those are both Guard-focused.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
PS: Here's my fanfiction take on the Guard, as viewed by the Sisters of Battle....

Flesh and Iron by Henry Zhou was an entertaining read about an IG regiment fighting a Chaos insurgency. It is very much "Vietnam in spaaaaaace!" but the protagonist regiment is interesting and even the "bad guy" Chaos Marines and cultists are painted in a potentially sympathetic light thanks to the heavy handed tactics of the Imperium. All in all a fun read with some good insight into how both Imperial Guard forces fight and how Chaos cultists/renegade Imperial Guard are organized and fight.

And I love the diorama! The details are simply wonderful and I keep finding new points of interest every time I look at your photos. Can't wait to see your next offering!