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.

Oh dear, sorry if i've given you yet more to think about!!!

That's ok. I seem to be building up a wide variety of Imperium based units so I can run lots of different lists.

For example I currently have elements to piece together normal guard, Elysian, Inquisition (with inducted guard or space marines), vanilla marines or FW Red Scorpions. What's one more list? 99% of the elements are the same as the normal guard list anyway

I havent posted on Dakka for years. But ive renewed my a/c after looking over your blog.

Ive got to say that the stuff you have done is some of the best ive seen for 40k anywhere. I love the sculpted guys you have done and the rag tag yet colur coordinated look of the army is amazing.

U can consider the Beastman penal troops copied

Again thank you for an amazing blog.

Wow, that's a big honour, thank you

Im curious about something.

Ive not played 40k in ages, moved house, had kids etc. I dont even own the newest rule book though i did buy the Guard dex to see what changes id have to make as and when i do start up again. I really only come onto here and the likes of Ammobunker/Warseer to look at the figs. 40k p0rn 4tw.

What is this Dark Heresy ive seen you mention a few times ? Is it a new 40k spin off ? A Necromunda kinda game ? I notice on your website that you have charecter names and stats for them that i dont recognise.

Dark Heresy, along with Rogue Trader and the forthcoming Deathwatch, are all Roleplaying games based in the 40K universe. They are written and sold (under license of course) by http://www.fantasyflightgames.com

Dark Heresy covers an Inquisitor's retinue with investigation style missions. Rogue Trader has more of an exploration/trade focus and Deathwatch is Marines.

I love the fluff of the 40K universe, so I'm having a bit of fun and writing up my Guard army so that all it's elements can be used in these other games too.

Cool thanks for the link.

Might have to see if i can pick these up, especially the Rogue Trader book, if only for the fluff.

Ouch. It's been a while since I last posted anything in here hasn't it?

Just to prove that I've not been completely idle, here are some pictures of the Chimera and Hellhound in their newly beated-up state. This is the first time I've ever tried to weather any tanks, so I'm quite pleased with the results



The next step in the great modelling process is now to actually make some scenery to take better pictures against as people seem to be reacting better to the ones I did at Warhammer World against their terrai...n

Very nice. What technique are you using to get the rust spots/runs?

Also, what are you fixing it to the surface with?

The rust spots/runs were the FW rust powder mixed with some water. I put a dot over each rivet and then used my finger to wipe it downwards.

As for fixing... I've not got that far yet, so I'll get back to you on that one

If you want to keep that effect then dont varnish it. I did my Elysian tauros with loads of powders and then the varnish dissolved most of them

Nice tanks though!

These are looking great! (and much further along than my Trukks )

Looks sweet. Most peeps seem to apply powders after varnish, I've found it can have different effects, possibly depending on the technique used to apply in the first place. A couple of very light sprays, just a dusting really, drying between each has sometimes left the powders as is. Sometimes the spray has turned the powder back into a paint-like substance and coated a larger area. I know some peeps mix with methylated spirits rather than water, after varnishing and it seems to act as a light fixative.

What's this? Two updates in one weekend?! Surely the world must be ending!

Thanks for the comments about weathering powders. I've been reading up a bit more online and have ordered some Mig powder fixative, so I'll let you all know how that goes...

While I wait for that to arrive, I started on my commander proper, and the start of some =I= figures.

I'd like to introduce you to Joran Haxeton, Rogue Trader, Captain of the Heart of Sianna and temporary commander of the Malfian IVth.

For 40K he's my company commander, for =I= and Rogue Trader... well. He'll be a Rogue Trader



Cutting the head off the Vostroyan commander was a job and a half. I should have stolen my wife's dremel, but it's for her silversmithing... not sure she'd want bits of lead in the sanding heads...

Now that is one sweet rogue trader, very nice.

loving the rough trader!

More feathers!

Looks pretty cool to me.

MOAR feathers? He used to have three, but I removed one as it was looking a bit too fopp-ish.

What I do need to do is turn the skull on his hat into a cyberskull to allow him to monitor what's going on around him at all times

I hope you don't do the same to the one on his codpiece

And not really more feathers.

SilverMK2 wrote:I hope you don't do the same to the one on his codpiece

Nah. Obviously that'll have a hidden gun in it
Anyway. that's a belt buckle

So he's not secretly filming "when heretics go wild!"?

And codpiece sounded better than belt

Any thoughts on the colours for this guy?

For colours, I want something that stands out from the browny-green of the miners. I'm thinking light blues, light greys and silver

I should be ashamed... it's been a long time since I last posted any updates... and I don't actually have any to give as work and holidays have gotten in the way.
Still. It's given me plenty of time to work out the next steps... now I just need to find the time to actually do some work on them.

1) I need to work out a faster way of converting Chimera, so I'm going to make and cast the back part so it speeds up the assembly procedure. Yes it involves using GW parts, but it's not for resale and I still need to buy chimera to use it, so no sales are lost. I figure that balances out ok.

2) I need me some Russes. Sadly I really really dislike the Russ model. I think they looks small, fat and very out of place compared to the other Guard tanks; especially the sleeker looking Chimera that I've got. What I do like are the slightly larger russes that iPaint over on Warseer. I'm thinking that creating a new hull that looks like a baby Macharius that fits onto the Chimera tracks could be pretty cool. I even have an idea of where\how to attach the sponsons. I just need to work out the best way of piecing this thing together effectively.

3) I also need me some artillery. But, like the Russ model... I dislike the Basilisk model. Can you tell that I'm picky yet? As I'm going to have to buy Russes to get the turret and sponson weapons, I'm going to look at using the Russ track units for an interesting new Basilisk/Bombard. I just need to decide if the cannon will point forwards, or if it would be more interesting to create a baby Minotaur.

4) Finally I need to get back to the infantry bodies... the problem I have with the bodies is that I don't want to buy boxes and boxes of Cadians purely for the arms and guns. The plan, at the moment, is to try and sculpt the arms onto the body/ies that will allow the attachment of different weapons.

So much to do... so little time. I also think that with all this tank work I may need to start a separate blog to deal with it separately.

In other news... Arakasi and myself are booked onto the Tank Masterclass session at Warhammer World in February, so if anyone in the area fancies a game or two on the morning of the 5th of Feb... just yell

Love the iPaint russ - might be a bit too long at the read, but easily fixed simply by reducing the amount of plasticard. EDIT: Take that back, just had a read through the thread and it looks absolutely amazing

Look forward to seeing what you come up with for the tanks/artillery.

You don't want to sculpt a couple of sets of arms detached from the body so you can get some variation in the models?

I never thought I'd say it, but that is a badass Rogue Trader.

Looks like a space pimp to me I like it

RaegMachine wrote:Looks like a space pimp to me I like it

Surely that's the point of a rogue trader?
No fur coat for him though. We do want *some* semblance of respectability!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh. I forgot the Termites as well. I need to make a few of those to count as the DKoK siege drills.

I've tried making separate arms before and they were a nightmare to cast as they are so small. There's also the added bonus that if they are already attached to the bodies, I know they will fit around whatever armour they are wearing. The plan (in my head) is to make a couple of bodies, cast those up and then make a number of different arm positions on those bodies; and recast them on one sprue so I get more of a squad in one go. Should make building platoons much faster. We shall see.

I think the tanks are first though as I need something to practice on after the masterclass

really like the work here, had to go back and give it all another go. the empire theme you have with some of the models is really well done! looking forward to more updates!

I've been mulling over various ideas for a different pattern for my Basilisk/Medusa units; turns out someone else has had pretty much the same idea. It looks pretty good, so I feel happier about giving it a try at some point in the future.

Since my last post I've been fiddling around with cardboard and plasticard to make a few tanks. Here are the results so far...

First up is the WIP Chimera body. One of the things that always bugged me about my Chimeras was the back door. When I moved the turret to the back I was never entirely clear on how much space inside there would be for people to disembark through the right hand side of the ramp. So with the new one... there is no ramp; there's just a door on the left hand side. Anyone have any suggestions for what I could put on the right hand side?



And then there's the mini Macharius to replace the standard Russ hull. First up is the rough cardboard version with a Russ turret carefully balanced on top to give a rough idea. The plan is to also make pieces that attach to the rear sides that come out over the tracks, like the Macharius.




And the WIP for the plasticard version...


There's still a long way to go...

Looking nice.

Stowage of some kind next to the door? Some sort of equipment rack maybe? Hate to travel in a transport with only that little door though

Like the look of the little macharius, should be cool.