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Nice collection shots, that's a lot of little (And littler) dudes!

Thank you

I can’t recommend display cabinets enough. I mean, now I’m nearly done with Heresy?

Those Nids are winking at me.

Wow that's impressive!

I wanted to 'akshually' you on Tyranids blinking but I couldn't find out if its canon that they do / do not.

They most likely have at least a nictating membrane type thing. Something to protect the eye, but not necessarily block light.

Just remembered I’ve another 20 Termagants to build. So that might be a job for later in the week once the Contemptor (now done in grim black, but not pictured) and the Praevian are done.

Will also start looking up interesting, simple, Tyranid schemes, see if anything tickles my fancy.

I know, as best as I can trust my memory, their eyeballs are hard, it was mentioned in the 3rd ed codex? I think.

You’d still want something to clean them with. Otherwise, first detonation and your swarm won’t be seeing much!

Cassius defeats the Tyranid hordes by crop dusting flour onto them

Oh my, impressive shelves!

Day 218

First Metallics on the Contemptor, and realised I forgot the left arm elbow armour, which will still be on-sprue.

Also got the Praevian drybrush done.

Next up is let the Contemptor dry, before a quick tidy up of any metallic overspill with Grim Black, and I’ll do the Praevian’s Grim Black at the same time.

Also bought some new toys, specifically a box of Castellax and a box of Legions Imperialis Predators, as I fancied a second squadron.

Right. Tidy up done, Praevian in Grim Black. Also tidied up the metallics on the Dread (how did I miss an entire finger?) and put on the first red, and the chest badge things. He now just needs a thinned black wash to deepen the metallics, and top coat red.

ANGERY BOOP BEEP INTENSIFIES.

Quick purchase, as running low on Army Painter Vampire Red, and always need to make sure I’ve got Gun Metal.

And what do you know? A box of Thallax used their jet packs to nimbly entrench within my basket. The cheeky so-and-so’s.

Now I need to decide how far I’m going with Mechanicum. Current plan is just to give the Praevian and to-be-converted-Forge-Lord some dudes to boss about. But it wouldn’t take much to knock that up to a formally allied force, and from there “sod it, guess I’m doing a second army”.

And that’s an important decision. Whilst those fielded via Consuls can be done in Legion Colours? I may want to do them somewhat differently. I’m thinking the 40K scheme, but with brassy metallics. Might look crap though.

Nids do really well with contrast paints. Or other equivalents. Purple/flesh/red is like 90% of mine. And would be more, but I use a second coat of nuln oil on the red because I didn’t like the shades available at the time.

Day 219

And it’s the second Castellax underway.

I wasn’t gonna use the Darkfire Cannon, but then I realised whilst cheaper, the Mauler Bolt Cannon, due to Pinning but only AP4, is probably best off as a single loadout squad. Something to shoot up enemy infantry enmasse, with the chance of making them do precious little in their next turn.

So for this Maniple, it’s special/heavy weapons ago-go. Also, everyone loves a pinched Dark Eldar weapon roughly reverse engineered.

I will however be saving over the Combat Blade Array for the Mauler Bolt Cannon maniple.

Day 220

Second Castellax assembled. Delivery day, so awaiting that. Will also crack on with the Praevian, who should only take a couple of hours I reckon.

Three Teeny Tanks. First half of a new squadron, as I felt the first was looking a bit lonely for such a work horse classic design.

And a Thallax, because I do what I want.

Have you played any LI yet? Will it replace Epic Space Marine in your heart of hearts?

Not yet. But plans are underway to correct that.

Tonight, I’m doing an experimental Mechanicum Paintjob, using my Necromunda Ambots as test pieces.

What I’m aiming to do is use my Necromunda terrain recipe (black spray, mahogany drybrush, metallic drybrush) to do most of it.

I then want to try a brass or coppery drybrush atop, see how it looks.

If that works, same brass or copper on the armour plates, followed by a Contrast Green of some kind.

Models are in the spraybooth now, and I hope to get the bulk of that done this evening.

No pics again as I was short on time, but the test pieces (my Ambots for Necromunda) are marginally more underway today than they were yesterday, as I did the Mahogany drybrush.

Day 223

Test piece done, and I’m broadly happy with it, certainly I’m convinced I’m on the right track.

Sprayed black, then a heavy all over drybrush of Model Colour’s Mahogany, followed by a slightly lighter all-over drybrush with Army Painter Gun Metal.

That produces a “industrially dirty” metal base.

From there I used Army Painter True Copper to drybrush/stipple the armour plating, with the same areas then receiving Citadel Contrast Dark Angels Green.

Took absolutely no time at all, and it’s 90% done. It’s currently a bit dark, so I’ll be going in with some bold primary colours to pick out cables, tubes and lenses and that, give it some visual interest and better definition of its gubbins.

You getting good at it, doc

Cheers dude

Base stuff is the same as my Necromunda Terrain, so tried and trusted (and comes out looking rusted!)

I’ll give a proper looking the morning, once the Contrast has fully dried. I may want to go for a lighter green though.

Right, second one done. Same as before, but with Citadel Contrast Ork Flesh.

This I think is the one. It’s a less pigmented colour, so the contrast effect is more pronounced.

Oo, yes. I really like the green on the roght one. It pops much better with the dark metal.

Will get the other bits and bobs done, as that will lighten things somewhat and might just make the difference.

I like dark colours so I'm not bothered by the dark green, but lighter tone would probably make it more "alive" thanks to a bit more contrast. Your dudes, your call.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Will get the other bits and bobs done, as that will lighten things somewhat and might just make the difference.

Don’t know if falls under your “bits and bobs” but do you lighten up cutting blades?

I normally use dark metallics, but things like chainsword teeth, buzzsaw blades, piston shafts, etc. get hit with a brighter silver. Helps them stand out from the rest of the mini, which is especially useful on metallic heavy models.

I will be revisiting those bits for sure. As well as the base metallics being quite dark, the Ambots hunched over pose adds a lot of shadow. So some lighter metallic spots should help there.

Currently Pup Sitting, which is making hobby time trickier than normal for a Sunday. But I’ll get some done later on, once he’s had his dindins and been out for a walk.

Day 224

Revisited the lighter green Ambot. Went over with unadulterated (apart from water to thin) Gun Metal, focussing on “worky bits”. So, the saw blades, fingers, toes and flexible piping. Basically anything I think would be replaced relatively regularly, preventing it building the same patina as the more integral gubbins, as would those bits being knocked and scraped on the regular.

Also the merest dot of red here and there, which will be brightened up once dried with a top coat.

Good to see your progress continuing, Doc.