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Hello and welcome to my next hobby project! I always run at least two projects at once for variety (sometimes more), and while Horus Heresy wasn't intended to begin quite yet, an insane friend gifting me Age of Darkness for Christmas really shook up my plans as I simply couldn't wait to get started. My 40k Space Marine project is all but complete so I feel comfortable committing to this one, and just as with my Tyranids, I am posting only finished models online and therefore the thread feels more appropriate here rather than in the blogs subforum.

In 30k first edition, I dabbled in Word Bearers, but fell off at some point around a decade ago. For 2.0 I am starting almost from scratch (a few units will survive and be repainted and/or be used as allies) with an Alpha Legion traitor force, designed to complement and oppose a dear friend's Iron Hands. I have stocked up on plenty of conversion parts and the outlook is good, the Narrative is being Forged™ and I am optimistic.

Without further ado, the first unit...

As is tradition, my first unit of a new project is always a basic troops unit. Usually a project will involve a lot of these, so I want to make sure it works well, and if something goes wrong it's better it does so on the rank file. And of course, the fancier models are good carrots to keep you going!

In this case, the basic troops unit is simply a Tactical Squad. Several upgrades from the box, but very little in the way of conversion parts used just yet (they will set apart the elites later), aside from sculpted pauldrons as pauldron transfers are a foe I've yet to conquer.

The basic scheme is based on the scheme used by 'eavy metal. I do not have the same level of technical skill, as 'eavy metal relies on complex volumetric highlights for depth, but nonetheless the basic mix is similar. I am working on finding the perfect blend I am happy with myself - the unit here uses only the first 1:1 mix (heavily thinned, two layers) and eschews the Ultramarines Blue, but I mean to experiment with more blue on future units.

Overall, I am very happy with these, and their completion a couple weeks ago convinced me to go full steam ahead. More to come.

Wow they look great, good job!

They look lovely. The bases really set them off.

I almost didn't want to post this model because it isn't really up to my standards and I don't want to muddy the borders between this and a P&M blog, but it is still finished and I felt it is part of the story.

This Rhino proved shockingly troublesome. The mould lines were poor for such a modern kit (2022), the fit along the floor and where the exhausts slot into the side was exceptionally terrible, and there was even flashing the likes of which I'd never seen outside of large Forge World models. The gaps at the exhaust tips were not nice either.

The painting part also brought me down to earth - this project is based on using contrast mixes, and despite many hours of trying, I could not achieve a smooth finish on such large surfaces with a brush.

So after years of defiance, I threw in the towel. I ordered an airbrush and will use it later in spring for the rest of the tanks. Let's hope I can at least do Contemptors without - I certainly have no intentions of using it on infantry!

Anyway, here is said Rhino. It's really not much to see, but it's part of the story, so in it goes. I want to make transports feel like they match their intended cargo, so I painted the Legion armourial the exact same way, and added prominent "tactical" arrows to match that other transports and units might not necessarily have.

That metallic blue just looks so good. All of the highlights popping off combined with the interesting base keep your eye moving around.

Always cool seeing a metallic AL look.

nice

I tried a different style of blue on this unit! I think I prefer my original mix but variation is good and lore-supported so why not?

The kit holds up well, no complaints. What do you think? I think I made a bit of a mess of this unit next to the Tacticals but I am not unhappy.

Those are some of the coolest paint jobs I've seen in a while... (And not just because they are living in your refrigerator).

I love the metallic look on Marines.

It's not a fridge. It's a light box with benefits.
They look cool. I have the feeling the blue is not as metallic or rich as the tac squad though.
Really enjoying your work 🙂

Really amazing work. You're going to have to give us a run down on your basing. A few people have commented, including me - it looks really interesting and makes the model pop so well.

Comparatively, I prefer the first batch of AL paint schemes. They are slightly more green-blue than the Terminators.

I look forward to seeing more

 Zambro wrote:
Really amazing work. You're going to have to give us a run down on your basing. A few people have commented, including me - it looks really interesting and makes the model pop so well.

So when it comes to basing I often subscribe to the idea that more is more.

You can make up for lack of skill elsewhere (and I don't think I am all that skilled at painting - I am just growing increasingly experienced at hiding my lack of precision and other flaws) by piling on more stuff. In this case, the bases are made of five elements:

1. Stirland Mud all over.
2. While the Mud is still wet, stick little grass tufts in, liberally but scattered.
3. Patchy Astrogranite applied in small piles (ensuring to get plenty of texture and rock formations) in various places, including right up against the tufts. Dab it on nice and heavily.
4. Apply PVA glue with a trash-brush to various places on the base where there are no tufts, then dip the base in suitable basing material (I use Green Stuff World "scatter foliage", which looks less like fallen leaves than I hoped, but at least decently looks like forest floor). Leave to dry overnight, then shake of excess material back into the tub.
5. Apply Valhallan Blizzard (I actually prefer it over my GSW snow for this) to patchy areas, especially to the tufts. Not too much in any one place, though! You want "the first snows of autumn" vibes, not big snow drifts.

In between steps 3 and 4 I applied Agrax Earthshade (old, as I thankfully have lots of it and it colours more strongly) all over the non-tuft areas, then drybrushed the Mud very heavily with Mournfang Brown and the rock with Dawnstone. After all else is done, I paint the base rims black, then apply AK ultra matte varnish to the rims and Stormshield to everything else.

Nice and easy steps individually, but by applying some time and variety, it becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

Future units will feature other elements as well. Part of the army is moving through a woodland, but part of will be crossing from the woodland into the edges of civilisation, or will be walking past rusted ruins.

Today... Dreadnought! I made this one very plain as I imagined it to be a Contemptor-Cortus (maybe it'll get rules again in the future?) As a side effect of that, at 9 hours this is certainly the fastest unit I've ever painted. Lovely kit!

Brilliant.
Your Hydra on the models is excellent, the basing is fantastic, the metallic blue is so nice.
If I was going to do Alpha Legion, THIS would be the template.