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Fantastic thread, subscribed.

You might want to check out Lead Adventure and Colony 87, they both did some fantastic Grim Dark civilians in the last year.

Kestral's civilians thread is also fantastic.

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/666434.page

Thanks dude! I'm glad you like them

Yeah it's threads like Kestral's that got me into the idea of exploring the civilian side of 40k more of course, this being 40k, most civilians I'd imagine are still armed to at least militia-standard for today's world, but civilian nonetheless

I'll check out those two companies, thanks

Latest bit of conversion work

Some people say he got the Dark Eldar to surgically modify his eyes so he can see in the dark. Some say he now owns a Kabal because he kept what he killed...



Also made some little grimdark plastic Tallarn/desert IG dudes my thinking is that when IG regiments finally conquer somewhere and get their right of settlement, there's no real guarantee the place they settle is going to be a half-decent place to live. After all, they have probably not long blasted it to smithereens in battle. So, I'm guessing that some will take their gear and their military experience and go become mercenaries



Lastly, got the bits to make a dude that I've been waiting to make for ages a Longshanks!


We call him...Captain Longshanks. Because, he's our captain...and...he's a Longshanks...
Alright, leave it out. Us naval armsmen didn't exactly go to the Schola Progenium or nuffin...

He's skinnier, and a fair bit taller than standard humans, although I must admit I'm not sold on the choice of head...



Also took a couple of pics of the truescale Fallen Angel to demonstrate how much bulkier a Marine is to scale.



And a family photo of all the various mostly-human dudes I've got so far jsut missing an Ogryn and a Ratling really


From left to right: Squat, Human, Longshanks, Genetically enhanced technobarbarian, Astartes

You're in the zone. Just cranking out great stuff. Riddick and the Fallen stand out in particular.

Don't forget the grot revolutionaries!

Really nice conversions. You're setting quite a pace.

Hm... I think the squat might actually work better without the topknot... otherwise he just seems a bit... tall?

Some really nice conversions though.

Thanks guys!

Yeah the pace is usually sporadic I'll get a bit of inspiration and make loads in one go, and then go ages without thinking of anything new :S

I suppose I should use that time to paint something... :S

Haven't forgotten the Grot revolutionaries thought that's jsut popped into my head is that I should give them berets like Che Guevara

I know its kinda late to suggest ideas, but why not build a squad of Wulfen that have been thrown out of the warp, some Space Doggos searching for them and an Inquisitor searching for the Puppers too, but for different reasons. Imagine his face when he finds not only Wulfen, but GSC, chaos spawn and other "heretics" all in the same place!

Kickass idea! I've been wanting to do some Iron Sleet style bloody scary looking Wulfen for a while


https://ironsleet.com/category/vlka-fenryka/

While the official models are neat, I do take umbrage over some of the posing. And also the fact that they've got shaped armour to their new mutated forms. They've been lost in the warp and/or are horribly mutated from their original Astartes forms? When did they find the time to make Wulfen-shaped armour?

 Ynneadwraith wrote:

He's skinnier, and a fair bit taller than standard humans, although I must admit I'm not sold on the choice of head...

Oh, come on! He looks like he can banish demons with that soup-strainer.

I love that fallen! It looks incredible, and infinitely better than the awful fallen models GW is putting out now (on the website they are literally just fething Dark Angel vetrans photoshopped black for feths sake)

I like the tzaangor too! Is the giant sword basic in its kit?

Those wufen are kickass too.

I can't wait for you to make an inquisitor!

 AndrewGPaul wrote:

 Ynneadwraith wrote:

He's skinnier, and a fair bit taller than standard humans, although I must admit I'm not sold on the choice of head...

Oh, come on! He looks like he can banish demons with that soup-strainer.

Haha! Maybe I'm coming round to it

I'm half imagining him as a cross between General Melchitt from Blackadder (in voice) and K-2SO from Rogue One in terms of just hitting people on the head when they step out of line.

Thanks Gummi yeah I'm really pleased with the Fallen guy. I like the idea that a 'fallen angel' has mutated daemonic bat wings. I also like the idea that his motivations are still shady, as in could be working for or against the Imperium, but he's got these big mutated wings so he'll be persecuted even more even if he is on the Imperium's side...

The Wulfen are absolutely awesome by a chap over on Iron Sleet. I'd definitely go and have a read of the fluff he's written for them if you haven't already. They're literally the best thing I have ever seen done with Space Wolves. He just does them absolutely pitch-perfect. If GW had done the codex like that, they would be the single most awesomely cool thing in 40k: https://ironsleet.com/category/vlka-fenryka/

Yeah the Tzaangor is unmodified actually (shock horror!). They're big buggers too, I didn't realise. They stand clearly taller than a normal non-Truescale Marine. I've got two more coming when bits arrive as I want one to be wielding an Inferno Bolter. Tzaangors always come in 3s (or 9s, which is 3x3...). Ooh! I should do a Tzaangor sorceror of some sort...

Couple more little dudes made

As far as villains go, I've always found the whole 'they do evil things because they're nasty people' thing to be a fantastically boring and unrealistic motivation for an antagonist. In real life you get the occasional psychopath go on a killing spree just for the fun of it, but quite honestly even the most successful serial killer pales in comparison to fairly moderate fascist dictators. Real industrial-scale evil is usually carried out by people who genuinely feel that they are doing the right thing.

So, I wanted to have a crack at bringing that to the Chaos Space Marines who I've always thought are ripe for that sort of grey-area interpretation also, as a principally Eldar-guy they just had to be Slaaneshi

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The Angels of Ascension were formerly a loyalist chapter founded from the Blood Angels. During their time fighting in the glorious name of the Emperor they embodied the beauty and splendour of Sanguinius. Resplendant in glorious hand-crafted armour they were the very embodiment of Angels upon the battlefield, and beloved by the population of the Imperium. A love which was reciprocated by the Angels themselves. However, on every planet they served, they saw nothing but toil and misery.

Dissillusion with the Imperium took decades to creep into their minds. Wherever they saw misery and opression, it was the machine of the Imperium to blame. This lasted until they were deployed to the world of Gomorr to quell a cult insurrection. Upon arrival, they saw the cult had spread nothing but joy and ecstacy to everyone it touched. At last, they had found the answer. Rather than quelling the insurrection, they pledged themselves to its cause and slaughtered the beleaguered planetary government. Reporting that the insurrection had been defeated, they returned to their duties, and resolved to bring the light of the cult to every new world they conquered.



It was decades before Inquisitor Io traced the source of the blossoming Slaaneshi cults in the sector to the Angels, finally deducing that the pattern of cults followed the chapter wherever it went. Marshalling the forces of half a dozen Imperial Guard regiments and a whole Space Marine chapter, they smote down the Angels and declared them Excommunicate Traitoris.

Since then, the surviving Angels of Ascension have changed their modus operandi. They scattered throughout the Imperium, acting not as a single warband but a myriad of individual agents. Each Angel descends upon a world, posing as a loyal Astartes, and sets about ingratiating themselves with various planetary powers. They preach the word of the cult, where the sacrifice of the noble few can ensure the absolution of the many. They corrupt the government, and convert the masses. Life is good for the faithful. The fate of those who pay the price for such a life is beyond comprehension.



Bedecked in exquisite finery, the Angels of Ascension appear to the world to be model examples of the Emperor's glorious Astartes. However, their elaborate facade hides their true nature. Beneath their statuesque masks lurks mutated predatory faces. The script of their purity seals twists and turns as it's read, subliminally implanting dark and twisted suggestions into an onlooker's mind. Truly the Angels are one of the most insidious threats this sector has faced in millennia.

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But in order to truly make a villain you need more than just a solid motivation. You need rivalry.

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The Iron Crusaders are a minor chapter founded from Iron Hands genestock. Operating as a fleet-based crusading chapter they frequently deployed chapter-wide crushing their foes with overwhelming force. However, while passing through the Salazar's Reach sector they were requisitioned By Inquisitor Io in his campaign against the Angels of Ascension. The final battle broke the Angels, but it was costly for the Crusaders as well. Reduced to a fraction of their original number, and with none of their upper command surviving, they were tasked with a new crusade. Each Crusader was provided with an Inquisitorial sanction, and sent out into the galaxy to hunt down the remaining Angels by any means necessary.




Brother Tiber was fortunate to have survived the conflict with the Angels of Ascension. He had sustained wounds severe enough to put any battle brother into a Dreadnaught, but so had nearly all of his chapter who weren't killed outright. It was only their gene-coded predisposition to accepting bionics that had saved many of them, alongside the sway of Inquisitor Io to muscle the forgeworld into undertaking the assignment. Well over half of his body was cybernetic now. He considered this a mighty boon. Provided everything was well maintained, he could outlast an unaugmented Astartes in almost any arena. This he had found valuable beyond measure when hunting down the remaining Angels.

A clank in the distance betrayed the presence of his quarry. Hastily, he compressed that particular thought process and focussed on the mission at hand. 6 cultists had entered the room, silhouetted by his augmented vision. He engaged a number of combat subroutines in his expanded consciousness to analyse the situation, housed in his tethered servo skull. An entire human brain dedicated its entire processing power to predicting potential sequences of events, and distilling them down to the most likely situations. After a minute or two suggested actions pinged into his virtual vision. He activated his whirring servo mechanisms and rose from the dark like an unholy mechanical monster. The first bolt shells impacted on two cultist's head and torso respectively, detonating spectacularly. From there, he continued his stride to behind a stack of ammo crates while the cultists scrabbled to find their assailant. Pausing slightly, he crouched low and leapt from the opposite side of his hiding place, strafing the area with bolts while a hail of autogun bullets clattered off his armour. His expanded consciousness analysed the pattern of bullet impacts on his armour to try and determine where the cultists were likely to be shooting from. Blindly hurling a grenade over his shoulder, he was rewarded by a splatter of gore as another cultist bit the dust. Pausing to run another calculation, he counted down a timer before stepping out from behind the pillar to swing his Thunder Hammer into the gut of a third cultist attempting to flank him. Seamlessly continuing his movement he broke into a charge, shoulder barging the next pile of crates over where the last cultist was hiding. Behind it he found...nothing. That wasn't as predicted.

He quickly scanned through the last few combat possibilities and checked their locations. Still nothing. The last cultist must have fled. This was concerning. His plan here had been to enter the complex initially undetected, ensuring that any sentries were silenced without raising the alarm. He would have to scrap the long-term calculations he'd spent days meditatively computing. From here he would have to rely on his wits and snap-algorithms. Alas in all probability his chance of catching the Angel responsible for this cult was ruined, but he could at least shut down its burgeoning activities on this world. Checking the adjustments on his mechanical arm, he stalked off into the next room.

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I've also got a bit of a WIP guide for the Iron Crusader which I'll post up in a bit

I've also been mucking about making some Mechanicus-like techno-mercenaries. First off is my attempt to justify the 9" movement of a Dunewalking Ranger:




He's a tall dude. Here he is next to one of my earlier attempts at an adversary for the Angels (although I ended up preferring the Iron Hands bionically enhanced guy as it's more of a contrast between the angelic CSM and the cyborg 'good guy'). It also shows just how big Sigmarines are that the Angel stil lstands a head above even a Truescale Marine.



And next to a normal-sized dude (who is the first Cultist for the Angels).



The rest will have to wait until they're all finished as I'm really pleased with the idea!

Your Mechanicus (and everything else, naturally) stuff is amazingly good, and it has been stolen for inspiration purposes. What bit forms the arm on the Crusader? I recognize the Chordclaw, but not the arm bit.

That Angel and Cultist also piqued my interest, interested in seeing them painted!

Thanks man glad you like them! Steal away I know I have with your 4-legged spider dude...

The arm on the crusader is actually a Sicarian leg! Chopped at the knee joint and glued straight it's about the right size for a Truescale Astartes arm

I will eventually get them painted I promise I've got the rest of my Eldar to get done first though so it might be a while!

I'm liking the exaggerated True-scale Angel Marine. Very good conversion.

Thanks man I'm definitely pleased how he turned out.

I wanted him to look suspiciously perfect and pristine compared to the grittyness of the rest of the 40k universe

For paint I'm thinking lots of high-polished metallics. What do you reckon?

Humor me, friend, In one of the old WD when Blood Angels got their 5e update, there was a painting tutorial on how to do the Sanguinior in non-metallic metals and by the Emperor does it turn out great. I think it's Issue 363 and I should have it at home somewhere, but if you can attempt that scheme that angel will look awesome.

I've never done NMM before so I'd have to do a few practice runs! I'll see if I can get hold of the article

The other option I was thinking is to try my hand at marble like this dude:

Marble effect and NMM? I like your ambition, Ynneadwraith.

Marble looks better in green, IMHO. But go for it, any marble is better than no marble!

Wow - amazing characters there! The use of the Sigmarine as an angelic deceiver is brilliant and the model for it is perfect.. I like his little cultist too and the mechanicus is great because of his stilts. I like the xenos, but I would suggest modding the kroot gun a bit to make it more unique to the hunter species. Unless he works with/for the kroot of course! Are you going to do the starport itself?

Do it! That marble looks stunning!

Thanks guys! Marble it is

I'm with you on the Kroot gun looking a little lacklustre on the Skadiir. I'm hoping I'll stumble onto something that looks suitable as a modification perhaps make it a little longer on the barrel so it still looks like a hunting rifle.

I look forward to seeing the marble. I'm sure it'll turn out well.

I will await the results. What color are you looking at for the parts that won't be metallic or marble? Possibly a purple or red?

Hopefully so! I need to pick up some Seraphim Sepia I think as Reikland might be too strong of a colour for the delicate staining effect needed.

I was thinking purple yeah suitable regal, but also a hint towards its Slaaneshi nature

Awesome new models. Stormcast make such good marines. The Angel really came out well.

So when you say purple do mean a redder, warmer purple



Or a cooler, more majestic purple



Personally I'd go for the warmer purple if they are well on their way to damnation as red typically associated with evil and invokes a sense of aggression. If they are just wading into heresy, you know, recently corrupted and excommunicated, I'd stick with the cooler purple as it still holds them in a regal and not completely tainted light.