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Quite so! Nard's 'Nids offer a near-perfect parallel - I would never consider a scheme like that (if I had only seen a single model, I dare say I'd think it silly), but the army has developed a charming sort of personality, almost independent of its style. The sheer size of the collection and smooth execution add some extra wow-factor, of course, but it just feels like a labor of love. I've been less impressed by larger collections.

Yeah, he actually really got me going on the whole retro army thing; I really liked old school models, but it took til this army for me to really double down on it.

These are great. I would genuinely love to play against them, just for the sake of nostalgia.

I might have a 30k Army but I don't have an army that's actually composed entirely of old-timey models.

Sir, you are my new hero!
Please adopt me!!

Oooh wow!!! 18 years ago i was 12 and staring into a display case of models just like that!!! I've been involved with this great hobby ever since!!!

thank you for taking the time to not only correct, rebuild, and paint up such a wonderful army, but for also sharing it!! takes me back to a good time, and reminds me of why i love 40k!!

thank you very much.

 Dust wrote:
These are great. I would genuinely love to play against them, just for the sake of nostalgia.

I might have a 30k Army but I don't have an army that's actually composed entirely of old-timey models.

I've actually had the idea to do 30k Ultramarines, but I feel like the cognitive dissonance of Forgeworld 30k models being painted like this would give people whiplash

 gozer il gozeriano wrote:
Sir, you are my new hero!
Please adopt me!!

I don't think I'm responsible enough to adopt a cat let alone a Dakka user

 zachwho wrote:
Oooh wow!!! 18 years ago i was 12 and staring into a display case of models just like that!!! I've been involved with this great hobby ever since!!!

thank you for taking the time to not only correct, rebuild, and paint up such a wonderful army, but for also sharing it!! takes me back to a good time, and reminds me of why i love 40k!!

thank you very much.

I'm glad I could stir up some good old memories! When I saw the old school Ultras in the 3rd ed 40k rulebook back in 2002 or so, I knew I wanted these guys. To finally live out that desire a decade and change later has been super rewarding for me, and I'm really happy the project's been greeted with such enthusiasm!

 Brother SRM wrote:



I've actually had the idea to do 30k Ultramarines, but I feel like the cognitive dissonance of Forgeworld 30k models being painted like this would give people whiplash

The 30k sculpts are fantastic. I did mine as Post-Heresy Soul Drinkers. Even in purple, bone, and gold I feel like they're almost too garish though for the sculpts. Bright blue and yellow might be a little *too* bright for the Neo-Barbarism of the models but it would still be nice to see.

Maybe as a future army project you could do some 30k guys... just for the sake of the ridiculous.

Dat Nostalgia doe. I remember when I could only wish to build and paint an army like this.. Wait, i'm still wishing. Such retro goodness, it's like pictures from WD when I first started getting into 40k. Excellent job.

WONDERFUL!

 Dust wrote:


The 30k sculpts are fantastic. I did mine as Post-Heresy Soul Drinkers. Even in purple, bone, and gold I feel like they're almost too garish though for the sculpts. Bright blue and yellow might be a little *too* bright for the Neo-Barbarism of the models but it would still be nice to see.

Maybe as a future army project you could do some 30k guys... just for the sake of the ridiculous.

I would like to do some 30k guys, but I honestly think I'd do them in a more toned down scheme. It would probably be Ultramarines or Iron Warriors though. I think as close as I really get with Horus Heresy models and this army should stick to the Sternguard and command squad:

 N7_Rik wrote:
Dat Nostalgia doe. I remember when I could only wish to build and paint an army like this.. Wait, i'm still wishing. Such retro goodness, it's like pictures from WD when I first started getting into 40k. Excellent job.

Glad I could bring back some good memories! Taking your childhood/teenage dreams and turning them into a reality is really gratifying, even if they mostly involve tiny metal spacemen.

I didn't know anything about Warhammer until late 4th Ed, and didn't actually start playing until 5th Ed. I absolutely love seeing old models like this, and my jaw dropped when Dust showed me this thread last night. To me, this is like seeing an old 60's muscle car that's been completely refinished; but I actually like this more since it's much less common. Thanks so much for posting these! It's great to see older models like this, and several of them I've never actually seen before.

I clicked on this expecting awesome and I am not disappointed

Armies like this and battle reports like that were what got me into 40k in the first place. You should be proud SRM. That's a tip top army and no mistake...

Can I ask, that's 2700pts in which edition? Because it's sure as gak not 2nd!

I've got to add my kudos on the retro color scheme, especially well done on the retro models!

I love it man! Great looking army!

 Brother SRM wrote:

 Josey4u wrote:
Oh Yes!!! its 1998 in blue. Love it man. How awesome

You got the year down and everything! I was going for right on the cusp of 3rd, hence the more modern looking Scouts that I love so much. It kinda surprised me how much modern looking stuff came out before 3rd edition!

lawlskees wrote:
Wow! As galgar sits atop representing his old school chapter. This is awesome! Have you played with them yet? Wait dumb question... How could you not have?

I've unfortunately only played 7 games with them, but I've done one really solid battle report that hearkens back to the old WD reports:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/581555.page
And just a teaser:

 mrshl9898 wrote:
Thanks for the throwback to when I started.

Needs the sticker banners!!! And I think the rocket launcher tubes should be bolt gun metal. Fantastic regardless!!!

I'm working on adding them! I've actually had to use a high quality scan of Codex: Ultramarines, print and cut out the banners myself, and then put those on, so it's been taking a little while to get them all together. I also need some more transfer work on the early tac squads, but I thought there was enough progress to show off!

For my personal taste the 2nd-Ed aesthetic isn't my favourite, but you've executed it flawlessly and it certainly evokes a lot of nostalgia. The battle report though, that's absolutely inspired, I used to love the reports from WD, I recall in particular a 2nd-Ed SW vs Orks one, one around the start of 3rd I think featuring Crimson Fists vs Orks on a desert board, and the first Mordheim battle with the boxed set plastics. They had the wee maps with the icons on and showed you everything that happened in each turn, with the full intro including army selection advice, and a post-battle analysis, they were brilliant, you could learn to play GW games just from reading the magazine. It's sad to see how far they've fallen now.

I love your army, I have a huge wave of nostalgia every time I see them around the forum.

Everything about this army I love. The old school colors, the bright green bases...everything. This is what I loved when I first started playing, the crisp and clean lines of the Ultramarines. And one other thing, your battle reports just bring back the feels! I use to re-read those things over and over. I don't know if you can recall it, but it was Orks vs IG, and the IG were held up in a hospital building and had to survive wave after wave of Orks.

Looks good, the only thing I find a bit off is the bases.
The colour you are using in far too bright. 'Goblin green' from that era was far more pastel than what you have used.
Also, back in the day they used a much finer sand and the drybrush gradient went 'sunburst yellow', 'bleached bone', 'skull white'.
Yours seem very unfinished in comparison.
Admittedly there was always some variation within the studio armies but the majority of those marines had the more desaturated bases with fine sand.

Seeing this has made my day! Ive got a box of mint 2nd edition tactical marines that i cant wait to paint up all bright and add to my 2nd edition display case.

One suggestion, make a few of these classic cactus plants using the polystyrene balls and cocktail sticks for the display board

Such a great blast from the past - really takes me back to less paranoid, skeptical and profit hungry times

I started collecting and painting Ultramarines back in the days of 2nd edition, and upon reading seeing your army I literally couldn't do anything else but smile and feel nostalgic. I even still have that cardstock bastion!

Thank you.

Beyond Win SRM. Absolutely love them. The oldschool batrep thing too is nostalgia laden

This pleases me greatly... I love the smooth paint work you've done, the army really has it's own spirit. Hairdo's and all.

 Brother SRM wrote:

 mrshl9898 wrote:
Thanks for the throwback to when I started.

Needs the sticker banners!!! And I think the rocket launcher tubes should be bolt gun metal. Fantastic regardless!!!

I'm working on adding them! I've actually had to use a high quality scan of Codex: Ultramarines, print and cut out the banners myself, and then put those on, so it's been taking a little while to get them all together. I also need some more transfer work on the early tac squads, but I thought there was enough progress to show off!

First of all, the army is all kinds of awesome!

I first played during 2nd edition, and the above is essentially what you had to do as most of the banners were never made as stickers, but few people had colour scanners and printers so you had to get them copied at print/copy shops! Iirc colour photocopies were pretty expensive back than as well, like £2-3 a sheet :(
I remember getting a greyscale photocopy of a banner done and then trying to paint it, it looked awful

 mega_bassist wrote:
I didn't know anything about Warhammer until late 4th Ed, and didn't actually start playing until 5th Ed. I absolutely love seeing old models like this, and my jaw dropped when Dust showed me this thread last night. To me, this is like seeing an old 60's muscle car that's been completely refinished; but I actually like this more since it's much less common. Thanks so much for posting these! It's great to see older models like this, and several of them I've never actually seen before.

Thank you! I started in 3rd although I didn't really play til 4th. I saw armies that looked a lot like this in the rulebook, so finally getting to put one together myself was a great feeling. Glad you dig the army, and thank Dust for me!

 sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
I clicked on this expecting awesome and I am not disappointed

Armies like this and battle reports like that were what got me into 40k in the first place. You should be proud SRM. That's a tip top army and no mistake...

Can I ask, that's 2700pts in which edition? Because it's sure as gak not 2nd!

Glad I could stir up some old nostalgic feelings! I have Codex: Ultramarines if I really felt like totaling up the points, but I think it would be over 5000 in 2nd edition!

 Yodhrin wrote:

For my personal taste the 2nd-Ed aesthetic isn't my favourite, but you've executed it flawlessly and it certainly evokes a lot of nostalgia. The battle report though, that's absolutely inspired, I used to love the reports from WD, I recall in particular a 2nd-Ed SW vs Orks one, one around the start of 3rd I think featuring Crimson Fists vs Orks on a desert board, and the first Mordheim battle with the boxed set plastics. They had the wee maps with the icons on and showed you everything that happened in each turn, with the full intro including army selection advice, and a post-battle analysis, they were brilliant, you could learn to play GW games just from reading the magazine. It's sad to see how far they've fallen now.

Why thank you! I'm glad folks can appreciate it even though the aesthetic isn't quite up their alley. That report was my next step towards doing a true blue old-school WD battle report. My opponent in that game wants to do one too, we just need to really set aside some time to make it happen. The last WD battle report I read had like 4 pictures and a page of text and nothing else, and it made me hugely sad.

 EmperorsChampion wrote:
Everything about this army I love. The old school colors, the bright green bases...everything. This is what I loved when I first started playing, the crisp and clean lines of the Ultramarines. And one other thing, your battle reports just bring back the feels! I use to re-read those things over and over. I don't know if you can recall it, but it was Orks vs IG, and the IG were held up in a hospital building and had to survive wave after wave of Orks.

Was that Ork's Drift or another battle? Happy to stir up the nostalgia though, that's what this army's all about!

 Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
Looks good, the only thing I find a bit off is the bases.
The colour you are using in far too bright. 'Goblin green' from that era was far more pastel than what you have used.
Also, back in the day they used a much finer sand and the drybrush gradient went 'sunburst yellow', 'bleached bone', 'skull white'.
Yours seem very unfinished in comparison.
Admittedly there was always some variation within the studio armies but the majority of those marines had the more desaturated bases with fine sand.

Yeah, I know the green I'm using is a bit brighter than the one they used to use. I picked Warboss Green since it was supposed to be really close to Goblin Green, but it is a bit brighter. I drybrush it after with Skarsnik Green, although a lot of that gets blown out in the photos. I used a slightly less saturated green when I primed my 2nd ed Cadians (who are also well underway in this army's P&M blog) and realized that color would be better, but I don't feel like repainting the bases on 100 models.

Floyd73 wrote:
Seeing this has made my day! Ive got a box of mint 2nd edition tactical marines that i cant wait to paint up all bright and add to my 2nd edition display case.

One suggestion, make a few of these classic cactus plants using the polystyrene balls and cocktail sticks for the display board

Once you do, post em up here on Dakka! I'd love to see them. As for the cactus plants, oh, I have plans for those!

 AegisGrimm wrote:
I started collecting and painting Ultramarines back in the days of 2nd edition, and upon reading seeing your army I literally couldn't do anything else but smile and feel nostalgic. I even still have that cardstock bastion!

Thank you.

I'm happy these guys could brighten your day! I hope you've still got a bunch of the old boys in blue.