Graven's Bloggit 4th October, prepare to Enter the Deadzone!

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.

**Revenent Reiko**

That definitely wasnt the most competitive Eldar army from what i have heard (about Hawks and Scorpions especially). Still, well done on the win. And regardless of what happens, analysing your own performance, and that of your units, is the best way i have found to improve (well i did way back in the day anyway).

**Miss Dee**

Welcome sweetie, care to say how it was made?

**inmygravenimage**

It's the frag cannon from the furioso with the barrel cut off and a heavy Flamer wedged in the ensuing hole. Oh, and a tilt shield over the ammo feed.

Oh - hang on - did you mean that or the purifie incinerators? They are standard flamers with the barrel and lighter cut off, barrel turned 90 degrees and another barrel mounted side-by-side, and one lighter carefully mounted in the middle. Then I split a plastruct I beam down the middle to create a length of T-bar and added the cannister off a DA vehicle bit and the end of a spare force sword as a handle. Much less complex than it sounds!

On the subject of building stuff, this month's mini o the month is WIPs, of which I have many. Any thoughts which one is "best"? I'm considering either the Tech or GK dread.

**Revenent Reiko**

The Dread i reckon, with all the different weapon attachments

**Knightley**

hmm, it would seem I need to some how find 4 autocannon barrels/ammo hoppers the figure out a way to make them into dread arms....

Gratz on the battle Vs eldar btw

**inmygravenimage**

I used the Furioso's blood claw arms for the TLACs. Cut out the arm from the shoulder and you're left with a suitable AC shaped recess; you'll need to use a knife to scrape back some of the detail on the inside edge, as it were, but that's easily done. As for the 2nd AC, Cut the nub at the back off and the winding handle off fluff to the barrel. For the Ammo Hopper, you'll need to trim it back one "bar" of the hopper, at which point it fits. For the left-hand ACs, you just need to neatly slice the hopper off the top, flip and gs the gap. Pretty easy, actually.

In retrospect, it might look better with Sentinel ACs rather than heavy weapon team ones, simply as they aren't as long. If you need shoulder bits, I have other dread arms I scavenged to make this initially, if you're wanting.

As for the Eldar battle, well, thanks for the grats and we'll see what the next one brings!

**inmygravenimage**

Hey, not much done last couple of days. Reorganising paints, bits boxes etc. However, I did get over to Wappenshaw, and I've put up a thread about it with pics, including awesome 3D space hulk board:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/373968.page

I have built a couple of IA specials, to alleviate bits box boredom - if I can I'll get pics up later.

**inmygravenimage**

Time for an update, I guess. Work+kids haven't left me much time this week, and I'm out the next couple of days. Might get some painting done Sunday, want to get GMS stuff sorted (on the plus side, have found a bike base for the Weeping Angel biker, hurrah!)

First off, one of weety's superb mugs:

Yay! Tea Owl Grey Hot!

Some Imperial Armour specials, to preserve my sanity. First up, Vaylund Kal, the Sons of Medusa special from IA10:

And some more; from left to right, Pellas Mir'San (IA10), Elam Coubray (IA9) and Zhurkhal Androcles (IA10):

I really want to make the Exorcist chaplain, but am struggling for ideas on how to do his armour made from bones of a xenos creature - any ideas, dakkasphere?

Lastly, also for your debating pleasure, which of these two pics should I submit of my MotF dread for the mini o' the month comp (it's WIP this month, and hey, I'm Mr WIP, never finish anything off me)?:

Obviously they're very similar; in neither can you really see The Claw, but how's the view of the C-beamer/plasma cutter? I place my future in your hands, my minions...

Later,
graven

**Yggdrasil**

Wow, those latest pieces are great!!!

Both dreads look perfectly customized, the individual characters have so much... character (hum) and the teleporter packs look great on assault marines!!!

(for both hands & feet)

**monkeytroll**

New guys looking good, although Vaylund's hammer looks a little bent. I'd probably go with the second pic, bigger image, looks a little sharper to me, but the first does have a bit more of the detailing on the left side visible.

I'd take a look at some of the 'nid stuff for possible armour conversions. I used to have a couple of the old space crusade scouts sporting breastplates from the old plastic tyranid warrior, think I remember deciding those were the right size to turn into the front torso piece for power armour. Those are probably tricky to get hold of now, but I suspect there's something usable in the current range. Unless you want to try sculpting him from scratch of course

**Revenent Reiko**

ninja'd, kinda lol i was going to mention the bent hammer, but monketroll beat me to it.

The rest look great as ever graven, which chapter are they from btw?
For the Chaplain, maybe a kitbash between a LOTD and a regular Chaplain (for the weapons at least)? With added Nid exoskeleton (al la Gits' Mantis Warrior spikes)?

And the second pic for the Dread i reckon, shows off the shiny new weapon better

**inmygravenimage**

I was already leaning towards 2nd pic, so that's encouraging. I just worry that the servo skull with plasma cutter's not really obvious. I think that rotation's better, regardless.

The IA specials are Salamanders, Fire Angels and Fire Angels iirc. Mk4 helms continue my Badge of Honour for specials. Obviously, they also need more seals and other accessories. I'm glad y'all like the jump guy - those are biker legs, and I'm really chuffed with the pose.

I'd quite like to build the chaplain from bits. I was thinking BADC rather than lotd, just for availability. I had wondered about Nid bits; I was looking at an old plastic smelly horse's ribcage, too, for chest armour. Sanguinary legs might work maybe? as they are tapered, like femurs. A toughy.

As for the TH, it's the weird angle of the techie's arm that makes it look that way. I think I'll probably swap it for a fw bionic or a very old metal one I found the other day.

Lastly, on the subject of building stuff (cos, like, that's rare in this blog) I'm considering TAGK/paladin heads on PAGK/DA robes - or does that sound just daft?

Later,
Graven

**Miss Dee**

the sons of medusa motf needs a bigger base a terminator base.

**inmygravenimage**

Yeah, he was just on that to be vertical temporarily.

**Gitsplitta**

Fantastic stuff graven! All those models look great but the dread really takes my breath away!

**Revenent Reiko**

Can you do some photoshop magic and insert a small pic of the Servo Skull in the corner maybe?overlaid on the top of the main picture of that makes sense?

Thanks for the info on the marines (cant afford IA

lol) They look like they will fit right in.

am i missing the pic of the jump guy...

BADC? Dakka glossary has let me down

the 'smelly' horse rib cage is a great idea! might need a bit of a remodel to make sure it fits in proportionally. SG legs is a great idea too! A good bone paint job could easily make the tapered bits look like alien bones.
Just had a thought, how are your GS-fu skills at the moment? I was thinking that a small(ish) blob of GS, rolled out into a thin sheet and then cut into strips, gluing onto 'normal' PA legs to make bones? Or long thin rolls of GS so they are rounded but still prominent? That would take lots of work though.....but i know your good for it

Do they fit proportionally? (the TAGK heads i mean)

Fair enough with the Hammer, it just looked odd is all

**inmygravenimage**

@gits - thanks bro, means a heck of a lot coming from a pro like you.

@ Rev - I think photoshopping would be somewhat against the spirit of the thing! I'll just try to do that rotation at a better angle.

Jump guy is the one with the interceptor pack in the middle.

BADC=blood angels death company. Smelly? Damn you autocorrect! skelly, naturally. It's not my gs Fu that concerns me, it's more the general chunkiness, which I think would be better served by the SG legs.

I've changed the TH arm, gs drying just now. Couldn't find the fw arm but old metal one looks boss.

The TAGK proper head I think is too iconic, but I think the paladin head's a pretty good fit, actually.

Anyway, cheers for input!
graven

**Revenent Reiko**

Haha i didnt mean photoshopping like that! just cropping the image of the skull from another pic and putting it into this one so it can be seen!

yup im being blind again. He looks great!

:double facepalm: an i call myself a BA player..... Yeah i was thinking about the chunkiness, it is a problem. The SG legs will carry it easily i think.

Autocorrect has caught me out worse than that before now, made me laugh though....

Glad the FW arm looks good, cant wait to see the finished product (now paint slave, paint!

)

**inmygravenimage**

Well plans for this weekend have got seriously messed up. Went out with my brothers-in-law last night and got food poisoning. Over the worst of it but still feel bloody awful.

Still, in other news, I won this month's DCM raffle for a battleforce of choice from the fabulous battleroad games (aka Empchild) so am very chuffed (seriously Folks, become a DCM, all the cool kids are doing it, it's like crack but doesn't make your heart explode).

So what to get? I think starting a 4th army is a bad idea - that way madness lies - so it's really between SM and BA (I have more IG than is seemly). My logic behind BA is death company come with a glorious array of bits which I can probably GK up; it also gives me bits for making the occasional Weeping Angel. But, what do y'all think?

**DarkStarSabre**

I think I'm becoming DCM at the end of the month :3

And go with what you want - the idea of a Death Company that's ornate is quite different. You taking a different angle with them?

**monkeytroll**

Congratulations, shame there's not a grot battleforce to boost Da Mentul Leejun

BA would give you some fancy bits for converting.

For the chaplain have you looked at possessed CSM bodies, this one in particular

(sourced from da interwebz)

**inmygravenimage**

That torso is awesome! Cheers mate. But now to get one! Hmm. I'm getting some nid bits, and I've got a set of Sanguinary legs, hopefully Death Company will provide some goodness also.

**Gitsplitta**

Congrats graven! Sounds like you've got a good plan!

**inmygravenimage**

Life and gaming are temporarily on hold, as wife goes into baking frenzy. Game on Tuesday got delayed, prob for a fortnight - my partner in crime, erithromycin, was off doing movie critic stuff (Edinburgh Film Festival apparently dross this year), and I was hostage to Cakezilla.

Still, got a couple of bits and pieces further forward, as well as stealing a cake box as an impromptu light box. I had hoped to be painting during my incarceration, but I'm largely tied to the sink. How the mighty are fallen.

Anyway, onwards:
A fairly simple conversion in progress for DarkStarSabre, a sternguard with Mentorised side-by-side combi-melta:

An experiment in (more) bits for an Interceptor:

Gold star to first person who can name all parts used! Do we think the model works as a whole?

And lastly, this guy. A long, long time ago, I painted a classic Ordo Malleus termie in thick gold and purple enamel. I've always wanted to recapture that feel, and so that's where this chappie's heading:

I love him. Say not a word against him, heretic. He will get a psycannon, once I find it from within the depths of my bits box.

Oh, and in other matters, I've taken a better pic of tech dread for the WIP compy.

I'm happier with this pic, I think.

What do we think of the impromptu/cake-based light box generally?

In other news, a crazy round awaits of sister-in-law's birthday, Father's day, and my own birthday in - ooh! a week - so time may be limited; however, I am one of those layabout, no-good, skiving, teachers, so roll on summer and actual painting of actual models a week on Monday!

Later,
graven.

**Gitsplitta**

Graven: Love all of the builds! That first beakie is just such a nice mini to see revitalized. Love the interceptor, and no... don't have a clue what you used on him. The Ordo Termie is really well done. Love the hunch back effect with the high shoulder pads. Would be a shame to cover him up with thick gold and purple enamel. You might re-think that. And of course your dread is awesome... too bad the conversion beamer is such crap. Maybe next edition eh?

**inmygravenimage**

I think that I'll stick to the spirit of the original scheme 20 yrs ago, not the execution! Prize pool still open...

**Knightley**

Looking pretty good. Not entirely sold on the Paladin head on the Interceptor however, it looks slightly to big. but good to see what it might look like. I like your Ordo Malleus Term, It's very close to a conversation we had via PM however

Any chance of a pic of your light box by it's self? just to see how you put it all together?

Oh and I got your care package last night

Got to come up with ideas for the old school libby now..... and figure out ways to copy the drums to make 2 sets of rifle men arms

**whalemusic360**

You lucky battleforce winning sob! I did end up winning the FW boarding marine, my 3rd

I'd go with whichever battleforce you could get more out of. Or maybe ask Emp if you could get a box of GKT and PAGK instead? Whatever you need really is the best call.

**Gitsplitta**

Lucky bugger... I keep hoping I can find someone attending a FW event so I can pick up one of those. I got one at Adepticon for my eldest but didn't have the wits to grab one for myself. (duh)

**inmygravenimage**

@Knightley: Blimey that was quick! Go on the commonwealth eh?! I think it's the angle, btw, on the interceptor that makes it seem slightly oversized (it's a paladin head - 1st blood to Mr K - but I take your point. Cake box now has cake in, boo.

@WM: gracias amigo. I've plumped for a BA box - I actually really wanted to ask Empchild for just that, but felt it was a bit cheeky to do so.