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The diorama looks great. All the patches of grime really make the whole background pop, even without the superbattle.

The marvel bits all look great! I was rather confused that the back of that diorama came with gaping holes though... it wouldn't have been that much extra time/effort to fill it in as part of the official model with a couple of thin plates or something. Ah well, great job!

Great work on the Marvel stuff as usual!

IGtR= wrote:A very snazzy base!
Thanks for sharing

Well thank YOU for kind words

Paradigm wrote:Super work on Otto, those colours contrast so nicely. And yeah, the year's difference really shows, not that there's anything wrong with the old one (aside from the pose, but that's on AMG! )

Is that the explosion reflected in Spidey's lenses? Because that's a wonderful touch if so!

Thanks man on all counts, and indeed it is! Wasn't sure if it was obvious. I decided reflection was more comic-y than going OSL.

JoshInJapan wrote:The diorama looks great. All the patches of grime really make the whole background pop, even without the superbattle.

Cheers my dude. I wasn't entirely sure about that, so good to hear

endtransmission wrote:The marvel bits all look great! I was rather confused that the back of that diorama came with gaping holes though... it wouldn't have been that much extra time/effort to fill it in as part of the official model with a couple of thin plates or something. Ah well, great job!

I know, right?? Still, it leant itself to a bit of hobby learning with plastic putty, so I call that a win. And thanks!

aku-chan wrote:Great work on the Marvel stuff as usual!

Most kind!

So a change of pace and palette with some characters for my Storm Lions marines. First my clawed Captain:

So, just a natural progression from the basic colour scheme, adding red with the cloak.

I did debate the cloth colour extensively but ultimately decided the grey alone was too plain. I've also switched to red for purity seals, purple was lost against the turquoise.

Speaking or purple... the Librarian!

This was a fun conversion and I'm delighted I found the random DA head in my bits box (which is very thin this days, at least for SM).

And, Chaplain.

The robed Sigmarines make great character models.

Group shot with basic assault intercessor

I stress that this really is just being done for fun, without any real rhyme or reason. It's not an army, or even a KT. Just a bit of fun.
Now, of course, the real question is are they MORE Snazzy than the Spider-Man display?
Graven

Nice kit-bashing!

All looking fantastic, you are another one who is improving constantly, impressive work.

A minor critique, the squiggles on the banners, look a bit like squiggles. One line per squiggle please, makes it look more script like. Zigzags of print looses a little believability. I know I am being hyper critical, but take that as a compliment as to how good you are. Very close to perfect!

Nice work, especially on the armor highlighting-- you really captured the shiny look. And you're right about how well those AOS dudes work as Space Marines. It's almost enough to make me want to give it a try.

Slinky wrote:Nice kit-bashing!

Thanks! I know you love a kitbash

Camkierhi wrote:All looking fantastic, you are another one who is improving constantly, impressive work.
A minor critique, the squiggles on the banners, look a bit like squiggles. One line per squiggle please, makes it look more script like. Zigzags of print looses a little believability. I know I am being hyper critical, but take that as a compliment as to how good you are. Very close to perfect!

Thanks man, and C&C always appreciated. It's a very interesting point, I was trying to go for the fact that the script is elaborate/calligraphic and not all letters will be at the one level, but on balance I agree with you. Good chat!

JoshInJapan wrote:Nice work, especially on the armor highlighting-- you really captured the shiny look. And you're right about how well those AOS dudes work as Space Marines. It's almost enough to make me want to give it a try.

Almost It's a lot of fun, actually, particularly given that a lot of the generics can be picked up for peanuts.

Time to take stock of what's what. I stress that this whole process is purely an exercise in hobbying - I'm not trying to build a KT, or a WH500, whatever - just playing about, really.
That being said, I like things to be "right" - recognisably what they are supposed to be - in a counts-as way. Who knows, maybe I'll come back to playing? (side note - I have about 3k of ) I'm not at all au fait with the new Primaris units, despite the spawn's attempts to explain in the context of his Raven Guard.
Anyway, the chapter, in my head, is overwhelmingly melee focused, so we have Assault Intercessors, going for a sword and shield vibe (mostly), now with added highlights (granted they need smoothed out a bit, but still).

Spear-guy(s) - I feel like these are quite Assault Intercessor-y too? That's what I seem to be channeling, but I'm not sure. Should they be Bladeguard? I was thinking of using Praetors for them, though, and Annihilators as Aggressors (with flamers, because is more assaulty than Or Ancient/Lieutenant? Speaking of which...

Another Captain? A Lieutenant? I know nothing. really.
I need to build regular Intercessors, too, just a couple of dudes with guns (some with big guns, so not so much. The issue that vexes me is how to make the regular Marine bodies more Stormcast-y. I have done a Reiver, using the body of a regular Stormcast (I know even less about them!), which seems to fit the lean look. Maybe good for infiltrators too?
Any thoughts, much appreciated. And, may I say, the votes are really nice too - rather delighted to see that Garbage Truck of mine on the front page.
Cheers my fellow dakkanauts!
Graven

So, decisions were made. Captain in Gravis Armour:

The chunky armour felt suitably Gravis-like.

Cannot deny that I do love a bit of capework.

It's a great sword. Method is a refined version of the way I used to do them for grey Knights.

I did think about going full Sword of Omens but the Eye of Thundera is a bit, well,

Whilst he felt a bit of needless purchase at Warhammer World, in the end I'm really glad that he was acquired.

Another character, I've decided he's a Lieutenant.

Reckon that with terminator honours he must be one of the survivors of the Lionsguard, so he gets an upgrade.

On to the Assault Intercessors!

Sergeant with plasma pistol. I mean he's already lost one arm to it, what's the big deal?!



Dude with mighty hammer.



And regular dude with nuggets of Nurgle.



Alongside the original test model.

So a successful start to this diversion. I think it manages to capture what USED to appeal to me about 40k et al: kitbashing something unique yet fluffy.

Couple more dudes to come, and of course Core Space - plus more marvel to build, but I tend to prime on sprue and it's too damn cold. eBay has provided some cheap bits, too, for more Storm Lions. Good times!
Hey ho
Graven

That captain is one snappy dresser! Lovely conversion work on all of these, I find that Stormcast/Primaris kitbashes don't always get the balance right, but you're nailing it here. Just enough fantasy flavour to seel the more grimdark and knightly aspects of the concept, while still very readable as Space Marines.

Looking like a fine group/pride of Lions you have going on there. Loving the Blue

Paradigm wrote:That captain is one snappy dresser! Lovely conversion work on all of these, I find that Stormcast/Primaris kitbashes don't always get the balance right, but you're nailing it here. Just enough fantasy flavour to seal the more grimdark and knightly aspects of the concept, while still very readable as Space Marines.

Cheers old son. It's going to get a whole lot weirder

Theophony wrote:Looking like a fine group/pride of Lions you have going on there. Loving the Blue

Thanks, and lovely to hear from you! They are a fun bunch, and I've enjoyed playing with less familiar colours.

Delighted to see my Rivals Panel hit the front page! Really should get on with more Marvel I've got my Sentinel Prime now too, so can get on with them... except the cold has hit and I'm not risking primer shock. Guess I have to paint things that are already primed rather than new toys then

 inmygravenimage wrote:

Paradigm wrote:That captain is one snappy dresser! Lovely conversion work on all of these, I find that Stormcast/Primaris kitbashes don't always get the balance right, but you're nailing it here. Just enough fantasy flavour to seal the more grimdark and knightly aspects of the concept, while still very readable as Space Marines.

Cheers old son. It's going to get a whole lot weirder

Theophony wrote:Looking like a fine group/pride of Lions you have going on there. Loving the Blue

Thanks, and lovely to hear from you! They are a fun bunch, and I've enjoyed playing with less familiar colours.

Delighted to see my Rivals Panel hit the front page! Really should get on with more Marvel I've got my Sentinel Prime now too, so can get on with them... except the cold has hit and I'm not risking primer shock. Guess I have to paint things that are already primed rather than new toys then

Why do you have a Russian Flag ??? Back to the Gulag with you

The crazy weather allowed me to get a couple hundred miniatures primed the other day. Blowing through them as quick as I can now.

I almost bought the Sentinels, even though I am not playing the game.

Wow, those marines are looking great!

Theophony wrote:
Why do you have a Russian Flag ??? Back to the Gulag with you
The crazy weather allowed me to get a couple hundred miniatures primed the other day. Blowing through them as quick as I can now.
I almost bought the Sentinels, even though I am not playing the game.

I've been Exiled to Siberia! My classroom is starting the day at 6 Degrees C, it's awful. Actually, when I post at work, it does this. Strange.
The Sentinels are stunning, come with squillions of bits including damaged versions, and are a fully playable faction in their own right. What's not to love?

Gitsplitta wrote:Wow, those marines are looking great!

You're most kind. I've been getting some great input from ashenholdtart and reaper.hobbies on insta.

In the meantime, I have finished off another Core Space Crew:

A bit quick and dirty, but it's a board game in the end, so I'm not obsessing. I particularly love Chit (the larger alien) and Hunter, the dude with the big gun. They're about as close to a "heroic" crew as you'll find in the setting, and I'm glad I've got them done as they have some good skill tree options that they bring to the table. As with all my crews, I've tried to go for a fairly cohesive theme, without being a Uniform per se: so, these guys are vaguely inspired by swans. As well as Characters, I've also been working on Auxiliaries from the Wanted - Dead or Alive expansion, which are going to be my entry for the Open theme for this month's painting contest:

An assault hound (PUH-ppy!), a cargo drone, utility drone, a Gurnrit (a little pack animal) and a gun drone - for all that it's quite a grubby, lived-in universe, I wanted that to feel sleek, as they're very expensive bits of kit in game, often used by scary-as$ bounty hunters (which are themselves still to be painted).

Really enjoyed these wee dudes.

I figure that at this time of year have a group of Spacer's Little Helpers is fitting

I particularly love the Utility Drone. Inspired by Xero from Star Trek Prodigy.

Beasties!

And alongside the crew. Because your crew compliment is limited, Auxiliaries are really important as you continue through the game.

Apart from the Bounty Hunters Nokura and Valian, I only have the Purge: Outbreak expansion left to tackle, but they're still in the shrink-wrap. Well, stuff to build too, but in a card-stock sense (Get to The Shuttle!).Taking stock of the... pile of opportunity seems prudent just now:

PRIMED
=AI=: Avenger Strike Fighters x4 (side note - bought for self 2 xmas ago)
=AI=: Fire Raptors x3 (bought for self LAST xmas)
CS: Bounty Hunters x2

UNBUILT/UNPRIMED
CS: Purge: Outbreak
MCP: Sentinels x3
MCP: Red Skull and Hydra Troops
DCU: Larfleeze, Saint Walker, Black Adam Rebirth
DCU: Sinestro, Lord of Fear & Sinestro Corps (I managed to replace the ones the dog chewed)
BMG: The Batman starter set (ditto)
SoB: Scafford Highwaymen x6
DB: Magnetar Circuit characters x4
40k: Assorted kitbash stormlions in bits (3x Aggressors, 3x Bladeguard, Techmarine, Apothecary, "biker")
=AI=: Aeldari Ground Assets

Really doesn't sound that bad! I mean obviously there's other odds and ends lying about also (aren't there always?) Given the big freeze priming is pretty much out (I have primed in the snow before!) so finishing up some AI sounds good. But, hey, I AM a creature of whimsy, so who knows?

Speaking of whimsy, finished up two more Storm Lions:

Last man of the Assault Intercessors and test/ sergeant for the Reivers.

Bit of side detail

And group shot of the Intercessors

Decent hobby start to a pretty hellish work month. Aeronautica to paint, and lots to build,
Cya
Graven

Loving it all graven!

They look great. I just picked up Core Space: First Born, outpost 5 and the Cygnus crew. We’ve been wanting a skirmish game to try out, looks fun, will be reading the rule so tonight.

Responding to something you said earlier about the Storm Lions. I don't feel that the AoS beasties ill work at all as tanks as they don't have many guns and look choppy as Dreadnaughts however they'll work well.

Gitsplitta wrote:Loving it all graven!

Thanks old chum. As well as the P&M, I'm also rather enjoying working on the fluff for them - might even have a wee nod to you in there

Theophony wrote:They look great. I just picked up Core Space: First Born, outpost 5 and the Cygnus crew. We’ve been wanting a skirmish game to try out, looks fun, will be reading the rule so tonight.

Excellent choices. It's not exactly a skirmish game, and it's quite dense to start with, but well worth it. Just finished my last couple in fact:

And with the various Auxiliaries

Llamahead wrote:Responding to something you said earlier about the Storm Lions. I don't feel that the AoS beasties ill work at all as tanks as they don't have many guns and look choppy as Dreadnaughts however they'll work well.

Well, fair point. Here's the experiments:

Cautiously pleased. Thoughts?
Graven

As well you should be, really liking the way they look. I also look forward to seeing what you come up with for fluff (wee nod or not... though that is tantalizing).

Ask, and ye shall receive!

Storm Lions

Colours: Dark Turquoise, bone aquilae, grey/red cloth; chapter badge: Silver lightning bolt on scrollwork. Gold accents, Green lenses, violet seals, red braiding.

History
Dark Angel successors, they consider themselves descendants of the ancient Knightly orders of Caliban. Like the Order, they are monster hunters, specialising in tracking down chaos beasts; tactically, however, they draw on the legacy of their parent chapter's lost Stormwing. Their chapter badge is a silver lightning bolt through scrollwork (akin to the White Scars), but their armour is ornate, adorned with personal heraldry, typically comprising lions and lightning, hammers etc. A neophyte's armour begins as an unembellished suit of Mark X armour, but as they grow in experience they forge new plates and bear trophies of their conquests. Officers frequently wear grey tabards offest with red cloth, but have been know to adorn them with leathers culled from the tanned hides of the beasts they have slain.

In truth, they were formed from the few remaining Loyalist Death Shadows - those members of the chapter once known as the Lionsguard that did not turn traitor during the Abyssal Crusade, who have taken the Rubicon and emerged anew as a Primaris chapter, dedicated not only to hunting the Fallen but the monstrous creatures spawned from the unholy Eye of Terror. Their affinity for beasts also means that their own Stormwing - their battlefield equivalent of the Ravenwing - rides to war not on machines but on their own, genegineered steeds, including the fearsome Thundercat, which some claim is the true form of the legendary Calibanite Lion before it was warped by the ruinous powers.

The Chapters with whom they share kinship are varied. They are close allies of the Luna Wraiths - for whom they are sometimes confused on the battlefield with their similar colours, and shared emphasis on close combat skills. They are, perhaps surprisingly, staunchly supported by the Exorcists: whilst the use of beasts might cause some to suspect them of heretical tendencies, their determined hunting of those corrupted by the dark deities means that the two have a strong bond. Nevertheless, they also often find themselves working closely with Chapters that are themselves less than orthodox, whether it be the Mentor Legion, with their willingness to employ experimental technologies, or the Raven Guard and Raptors, for their use of camouflage and other, less Codex-approved, tactics. They also have a keen affinity with the Mantis Warriors, coming to their aid when the latter struggled with depleted numbers in the wake of its penitent crusade (perhaps, in memory of their own checkered past). Finally, they maintain strong links with the Vorpal Swords, a legacy of their shared history, albeit one that remains unspoken.

Their origins as successors to the Dark Angels can be clearly seen in their Chapter Organisation and nomenclature, drawing on the parent chapter's ancient history. They are deployed almost exclusively in a unique variation of the Lion's Blade formation: their Stormwing Beastriders in place of Ravenwing; The Naufragia, Aggressors and Bladeguard in place of Deathwing Terminators; and the Enigmatii, a diverse mix of Inceptors, Infiltrators and Reivers, in place of Scouts. Its diversity is its strength, emphasing the unique role of each member to achieve success as part of the great whole. Their Intercessors, by contrast, form the bulk of the Secutores, a legacy of the Dark Angels' Iron Wing (and as such, the primordial Hosts of Bone and Iron), an overwhelming force of infantry that are applied when a show of brute force is required, often bearing shields and a range of unique melee weapons.

Love that graven. All of it! I like the tie-ins with the other chapters... that's something I never considered beyond the official fluff.

Also...

Thanks man. And yes, that's ^ absolutely deliberate

With the above in mind, decided to give my Captain a new head, bit more of a Lion-o (Jonson?) vibe.


The previous head was harvested for the techmarine, who's now underway:


And test model for incursors:

Stormcast body does the job

Merry Christmas bud

Merry Christmas graven! Love the new head... very appropriate!

Camkierhi wrote:Merry Christmas bud

Gitsplitta wrote:Merry Christmas graven! Love the new head... very appropriate!

Thanks my dear old pals, and merry Christmas to you and yours too!

Apologies for being less present here, just dialling back a bit on feeling like I have to post - plus, honestly, not as much to show. But, a merry Xmas or whatever your celebrate (or not) to you all! So in terms of loot, not masses, but some very cool stuff nonetheless. The wife and I decided not to get each other stuff this year, because there's so many needless things in the world and wayyyyy too much junk in our lives. However, there was still some loot to be had Kids got me Wingspan Asia, Radlands and Terraforming Mars Prelude from in laws, Viticulture: Wine Crate edition from my folks, Terminator RPG from one of my besties and a Carnevale crew (great, another game ), DeLorean, scenery and Cadet Judge Giant promo from my other bestie. Plus, a pile of sprues of oddments from my GW buddy. Good haul.

Full disclosure, as I say, not much more painting done. To round out the year, a somewhat festive Apothecary:

Why festive?



And a VERY jolly Techmarine

And a group shot


Still, all sorts of building, working on this deranged project with Bladeguards. Man, these things are gappy af.

Primaris Ancient and Aggressor. Not crazy about the left flamer arm so might chop it and have it facing more horizontally (originally he was going to be melting a necron) though I like the insanity of the build.

Started the test Incursor scheme.

Going to have a bit of a Cyclops vibe. And speaking of Mutants, Marvel 2023 with a bang... A very big bang.

Comes with a phenomenal amount of extra bits: damaged head and torso plus multiple arms, all of which can be used as throwable scatter terrain in game
I am, unfortunately, very excited by Carnevale. But then low count games and spending more time painting fewer models seems to be what 2023 will be about anyway for me. 418 this year, but next will I think be rather less

Onwards, and thanks as ever for your unflinching support mes amis,
Graven

Marine kitbashes continue to impress, eeally neat work!

Looking forward to seeing you paint some Carnevale, that game has such wonderfully characterful sculpts and seems to have expanded (rebooted?) a lot since I last properly looked at it.

Happy new year, pal!

Wonderful stuff graven. So glad to see you throw a bit of holiday spirit into your painting!

We had a gaming-free Christmas... thankfully. None of us need more to do right now.

Paradigm wrote:Marine kitbashes continue to impress, eeally neat work!
Looking forward to seeing you paint some Carnevale, that game has such wonderfully characterful sculpts and seems to have expanded (rebooted?) a lot since I last properly looked at it.
Happy new year, pal!

You too buddy, and thanks! Yeah, I am aware that some of new rules are quite divisive but I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

Gitsplitta wrote:Wonderful stuff graven. So glad to see you throw a bit of holiday spirit into your painting!
We had a gaming-free Christmas... thankfully. None of us need more to do right now.

Thanks! Were you buried in snow or were things ok your way?

The spawn has chosen Strigoi (vampires) as a faction (it's not that surprising, he plays Nighthaunts) and I'm going to double-down on the clowns and Comedia vibe, sticking with Gifted for now and can then expand into Guild if I wish.

Meanwhile, another test group of Primaris

Using the 3 basic intercessors and just tweaking slightly with some Stormcast and White Scars bits I managed to blag off eBay. Trying to keep it fairly simple whilst still fluffy. Thoughts?
Graven