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Hi, I haven't touched miniatures for years, but have just got back into the hobby.

This is a few photos of the first few miniatures I have painted for my WIP IG army, The Arkhangelsk 5th.

I currently have a couple of thousand points I'm trying to get painted up for some good ol' fashioned battles. All tabletop standard so far, I'm still learning to paint miniatures again, so nothing shiny

My 'theme' is a worn and weathered urban desert vibe, with limited palette and a slant towards Soviet Afghan War era style.




Arkhangelsk Lieutenant with a desert sand filter and rebreather. (Not a Vostroyan, honest!)





Captain with power sword and binocular scope on his bolter.




The command units I have painted so far.. several more to paint! (






Rank and file showing the rough idea for the colour scheme. (Though they all seem to be collecting bits of random static grass from my worktop. I swear that stuff just materializes on my models!)




Valkyrie I have started. The blue-green interior colour is supposed to be close to the colour the Soviets used for years on the inside of all their military stuff.

Next to paint are about 20 female white metal figures I have been collecting from various sources to convert to IG veterans once my main squads are done, and a kasrkin squad that are going to get the SWAT treatment. I will try to keep it updated as and when I can, and would appreciate you thoughts

Looking good The only suggestion I have is maybe make your highlight on the fatigues stand out a bit more. It could be the camera flash washing it out, but I can hardly see it. Also you may want touch up the "Not Vostroyan" guy's coat with some detail, like the skull clasp motifs on the bottom of his coat. Other than that I like it. You're pretty damn good at doing faces too. Kudos!

those are certainly different. I like the color scheme and the attention to detail on the models. Nice work!

Looks pretty good! (almost as good as mine! jk )

If you want to fit the ''not vostroyan'' model in the army you should have more of them (I use vostroyans as stormtroopers) for instance try getting the vostroyan command squad and put the standard bearer on a regular command squad (regular meaning cadian not catachan) and try kitbashing the cadians and the catachans to make them feel like muscly, deserty, marines (not the ones in space).

i really like how ou paint faces and especially eyes. very good brush controll you must have...

cheers mate, vic

sluggaslugga wrote:Looks pretty good! (almost as good as mine! jk )

If you want to fit the ''not vostroyan'' model in the army you should have more of them (I use vostroyans as stormtroopers) for instance try getting the vostroyan command squad and put the standard bearer on a regular command squad (regular meaning cadian not catachan) and try kitbashing the cadians and the catachans to make them feel like muscly, deserty, marines (not the ones in space).

Nice idea, thanks. I'll keep my eye out on ebay for a Vost command squad going cheap!

The paint scheme is really, really good on the valkyrie. It's great that it's so colourful but still looks like it's still military.

Cool really liking the valkryie cant wait to see it done.

Update on my army.








Bit more done on the valkyrie, wings and 'lid' are almost done, complete with sooty exhaust marks on the top and bottom of the tail for when the engines are painted and fitted. Yellow frame around the ramp will have black striping added next.







Couldn't resist painting the first of one of my Arkhangelsk Shiva Squads! (All female veteran squads) Camera flashdoes nasty things to the skin colours though. :(




*EDIT* Commissar for the squad that I forgot to post earlier.

I really like the colour scheme
keep it up

Private Joker, What is that you've got written on your shoulder?

Looking good!
You should include snipers in your army (they look awesome in a deserty theme)

Really like the cadian and Valks colour scheme, it reminds me of something but i can't at this moment remember what. I am surprised to be first to tell you that binoculars on a gun wouldn't really be recommended, theres a good reason(s) why it doesnt happen in real life....

As others have said, your face work is really, really good. Nice crisp pics too. I lalso ike the way the Valk paint job evokes the feel of a Soviet Afghan-era Hind.

Keep 'em coming.

Perkustin wrote:I am surprised to be first to tell you that binoculars on a gun wouldn't really be recommended, theres a good reason(s) why it doesnt happen in real life....

Nothing wrong with using binoculars on a gun.... until you fire it, lol! Just thought they looked quite nice. Good point tho, if I find a scope somewhere I will swap them out.

Necroagogo wrote:As others have said, your face work is really, really good. Nice crisp pics too. I lalso ike the way the Valk paint job evokes the feel of a Soviet Afghan-era Hind.

Thanks, the Afghan-era hind was exactly what I was shooting for!

sluggaslugga wrote:You should include snipers in your army (they look awesome in a deserty theme)

Ten metal snipers are silently lurking in my bits box as we speak....

I am liking what I see. Very nice and working colour scheme. Although that first guy must be pretty crazy if he is wearing a fur hat on a desert.