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As subject says, what really lifted your modelling after you got it and you are now so glad you did?

For me I have some Iron Hands etched brass from Forgeworld, damn it's great stuff! Really lifts the customisation.

Also two halogen lights, they get very hot but awesome light makes a massive difference.

What other stuff is great and other modellers / gamers should hear about?

I'm going with either the Death Company box or the Space Wolves pack. Sooooo many parts in those for blinging up BA/SW respectively.

Dakka jet or stompa

COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

The new Space Marine Sternguard kit is without a doubt the best kit I have ever come across. With one box I have added character to two Tactical Squads, a ten man strong unit of Sternguard, and I still have bits leftover! Close behind, however, are the Dark Angels upgrade sprue and the Sanguinary Guard box. All three are great for adding a bit of character to your rank and file troops.

Easily the Ravenwing battleforce. One of those comes with three of the Ravenwing accessory sprues, which is fantastic for turning anything into Dark Angels. The first one of those I got a zillion years ago took my army to another level.

Definitely the Nob squad kit. You can use their all their bitz to convert and create a bunch of stuff to fill in the holes of an Ork army. I've used them to create my own plastic KFF Big Mek, a converted plastic Weirdboy, used their kombi-rokkits to help create plastic tankbustas, their bodies are pretty compatible with the Ork Warbiker kit so it's easy to kitbash Nob Bikers with it and gives you a plethora of awesome Power Klaws that an Ork player needs alongside Big Choppas. My friend who plays CSM even praised it for its kit-bash capability as he used the Big Choppas and Choppas with Chainy bitz for his zerkers and gave the Zerker Champion a full-blown 2-handed one to represent his power axe,

 Flinty wrote:
COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

This sounds excellent, is it significantly different from the GW tool?

The Dreamforge Leviathan, a dream to put together and complex enough to fill a whole day doing it.

Battle for Skull Pass Night Goblins are my favourite models. They are monopose... because you don't need multipose Night Goblins. Because they are single piece they take all of 30 seconds to prep for painting. The way they are arranged on the sprue you can paint them on the sprue. Love them. Want to buy more of them.

I hate multipose models that are multipose just for the sake of being multipose. The less pieces the better as far as I'm concerned.

The exception to that is things like elites where I want to be able to tailor them more.

 Loricatus Aurora wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

This sounds excellent, is it significantly different from the GW tool?

Very much so, they're made of rubber so help keep your surfaces really smooth and with natural curves. They come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and firmness. They rock!

As for which kit, I would put my vote in for the Empire Wizards kit. I've used them to make my Shadowseers and they've got loads of bits for making Chaos and Inquisitor characters.

 Loricatus Aurora wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

This sounds excellent, is it significantly different from the GW tool?

Yes. Like someone else explained, they are made out of silicon and come in various sizes and shapes, much like paintbrushes.

They look like this:

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

 Loricatus Aurora wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

This sounds excellent, is it significantly different from the GW tool?

Yes. Like someone else explained, they are made out of silicon and come in various sizes and shapes, much like paintbrushes.

They look like this:

I thirdededed this ^^ extrmemely useful.

I also recommend oyumaru as an excellent modelling tool, great for adding extra details to stuff.

Kit wise: For orks - Killakans for general mechy bits, trukk also comes with loads of nice extras

 Sledgio wrote:
The new Space Marine Sternguard kit is without a doubt the best kit I have ever come across. With one box I have added character to two Tactical Squads, a ten man strong unit of Sternguard, and I still have bits leftover! Close behind, however, are the Dark Angels upgrade sprue and the Sanguinary Guard box. All three are great for adding a bit of character to your rank and file troops.

I'll second that. I mangaed to make up so much with all the bits. An honur guard for my own chapter, revamped my command squad, revamp my own sternguard and have made lots of upgrade models for my tac squads. This has been the best value kit I think i have ever purchased. Still trying figure out how to use all the other bits I stll have!

The plastic Space Marine Commander box. I have bought about 5 of them for commanders, the extra bits, and veteran sergeants. Mixed with the SW grey hunter box set and the Black Templar upgrade pack I have made some really cool Imperial Fist veterans.

Solar Shock wrote:

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

 Loricatus Aurora wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

This sounds excellent, is it significantly different from the GW tool?

Yes. Like someone else explained, they are made out of silicon and come in various sizes and shapes, much like paintbrushes.

They look like this:

I thirdededed this ^^ extrmemely useful.

I also recommend oyumaru as an excellent modelling tool, great for adding extra details to stuff.

Kit wise: For orks - Killakans for general mechy bits, trukk also comes with loads of nice extras

Thanks. Will locate and acquire!

Other great modelling ideas?

Has anyone found using magnification works while painting?

Also how do people not get sore backs/necks from bending down to models held against a table for stability?

I've been blessed with not needing magnification for my painting/modelling work. What I have noticed is that it's imperative to change your focus every now and then - especially during long hobby sessions. Stare out the window or look across the room and let your eyes rest from staring at the uber details. As for my neck and back, I'm usually propping the item I'm working on with my elbows on the table, so said item is hovering in front of my face without the need to bend too much. Hope that helps!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Don't know if it's the "best" kit I got, but Death Company and the new Vanguard box = loads of bits to trick out the everyday Space Marine!

Thanks Kaiser

I just picked up and old tactical squads box (2009) for half price in a non-GW store. I can't say for sure, becasue I've only seen that price slash in this one store, but given that a newer kit has come out, it stands to reason that these old tac squad kits may be being sold out cheaply to clear stock for the new ones.

I collect wolves so bought the tac squad with the aim to integrate it with the parts from the 2 boxes of grey hunters I already had and make 3 full squad at a discount. I was not dissapointed -not only are all the parts interchangeable, but the tac sqad has unique bits like frag grenades and different pouches, studded shoulder pad, etc. As an added bonus it comes with a melta and flamer, whereas the wolves only come with plasmas, so its the perfet kit to provide a bit of variety to the already excellent array of parts provided in the Space Wolves Pack. Also contains a precious missile launcher for those Long Fangs.

Im a big fan of the big pieces.. Like the cauldron of blood, coven throne (of which I have both) and soul grinders etc. They looknsweet and the amount of extra bits left over is awesome
Modelling wise, the basing kits are cool, and realistic water from model scenics also.

Dreamforge Games Eisenkern Stormtrooper accessory kit. 3 extra, cheap sprues of bits to expand the options of the already well designed poseable stormtrooper kit. I hope this becomes more common and the creator has said he will probably do the same for his heavy infantry option, the Valkir.

From GW the plastic Sternguard and Vanguard kits are really nice and the new tactical marine kit is very well done.

I found the Vanguard vet squad and the Sternguard kits brilliant for rescuing my old tac squads.

When I bought the Vanguard set most of my squads were 1998-2001 so were a lot older. But the new bits helped bring damaged ones to life and create a couple of characters.

Used the shoulder pads and bolters the most to bring a bit of life to units.

The Sternguard kit allowed me to add character and detail to a new dev squad, honour guard, and characters. It was a wonderful boost to other spare bits.


I even used some bits on my CSM. An over powered Aspiring Champion got lightning claws, just because. But he won't always be tabled, but I think it will be worth the green stuff and extra characterisation.

 Yonan wrote:
Dreamforge Games Eisenkern Stormtrooper accessory kit. 3 extra, cheap sprues of bits to expand the options of the already well designed poseable stormtrooper kit. I hope this becomes more common and the creator has said he will probably do the same for his heavy infantry option, the Valkir.

Thanks for posting this. Just checked out those Valkir, they look superb. Considering whether I'll abe able to splice the parts with my space wolves, or whether they're too slim relative to GW marines.

 Kaiserbudheim wrote:
I've been blessed with not needing magnification for my painting/modelling work. What I have noticed is that it's imperative to change your focus every now and then - especially during long hobby sessions. Stare out the window or look across the room and let your eyes rest from staring at the uber details. As for my neck and back, I'm usually propping the item I'm working on with my elbows on the table, so said item is hovering in front of my face without the need to bend too much. Hope that helps!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Don't know if it's the "best" kit I got, but Death Company and the new Vanguard box = loads of bits to trick out the everyday Space Marine!

Hah wow I agree with everything you've said. I love the Death Company box and I believe it is important to have a tall work desk (or low chair) where your rested arms are naturally up close to your face.

Great kits include Space Marine Devastators, Dark Angels Accessories, Black Templars Accessories, Forgeworld Ork trukks (halftrakk and enclosed cab - get both, you get a full 3rd truck except one part and the driver/gunner - the square frame part at the bottom.)

Most of the ork line is pretty great for bits and variation tbh. The Bommer was a nice kit too. As were the loota/burnaboyz.

Havent tried much of the new releases of orks yet. But i Expect theyre great also?

 Flinty wrote:
COlour/clay shapers for using on GS. Before, I could barely do anything, with them it makes manipulating the stuff so easy. That makes me use GS more and therefore get better faster.

^^ This by far!

 thegreatchimp wrote:

 Yonan wrote:
Dreamforge Games Eisenkern Stormtrooper accessory kit. 3 extra, cheap sprues of bits to expand the options of the already well designed poseable stormtrooper kit. I hope this becomes more common and the creator has said he will probably do the same for his heavy infantry option, the Valkir.

Thanks for posting this. Just checked out those Valkir, they look superb. Considering whether I'll abe able to splice the parts with my space wolves, or whether they're too slim relative to GW marines.

We'll know within a couple months hopefully as they're in the final wave of the kickstarter which is getting very close to being done. And damn do they look good hey ; ) I'd say you have a good chance of it working, DFG stormtrooper bits go well with Cadians and other 28-32mm models.

Pack Of Skulls GW ( I can't find this anymore) and Secret Weapon Sack Of Skulls that help me add life to my Khorne World Eater Land Raider.