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Nice conversions! Can't wait to see them painted.

Nice use of the old GK there, and thanks for the nod to those lion axes, my Bloodfists also stick to axes and could do with some more

Outstanding work graven! They look fantastic! Man you've been busy...

Very cool, I agree that Calgar bodyguard model with the winged helm really suits the Mentors.

Nice conversions!

Now for some PAINT!

Hey man, great work on those helmets, if you make them for your whole force then there gonna look sweet...

Also i see you've done quite a few new conversions since i last checked and they are awesome matey.

Jim.

Wee update 4/12: done a Mantis Warrior for gitsplitta, check him out over here -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/1830/289929.page#2194211

An Update? With an actual painted model? Never! Lies!

No, actually, I've got off my bum and gone and finished painting the AOBR serg test model:

My poor photography notwithstanding, I'm genuinely really happy with this guy. I'm never gonna win GD, but heck, the white's clean, the colours are smooth, and the highlighting's neat. Job done.


A side-on view, showing the sculpted insignia and a bit of OSL from the plasma. Having said he's done, I might add some scrawl to the scroll, but that's about it. Also, having said that I'm happy with him, magnified the trace of mould line on the backpack is agonisingly apparent.

Oh - and I'm rubbish at eyes. I know, I know...

Anyway, C&C much appreciated folks!

graven

Hey man... don't sweat it. He looks great!

2 Updates in one day? No chance!

But yes...

Because I always get distracted just modelling stuff, started on a Command Squad:


And because I got a request for this one:

Warmachine Drudges turned into Gun servitors. Fun!

@gits: thanks bud

graven.

I like the Servitors.

And nice paintjob on the SGT. Like the shoulderpad.

Guys, means so much to hear you think that the paintjob's passable! Glad you like the shoulder - they're tedious as heck to make - I have maybe another 40 to do - so good to know they work for folk.

Got more glue today - had to resort to gw superglue, bah - but that meant did work on scenic bases for most of army and counts-as Hestan, who's not really come together previously but something clicked today. Also built a box of sternguard that came with an extra body which made for a nice extra combi dude. Levels of flash diabolical mind you, especially on the beakies. Anyway, onwards and upwards!

Can't do any more spray priming as (a) winter has invaded and (b) garage full of plasterboard, wood, paint and other paraphernalia of having work done on house. At best I'll do the servitors & gitsplitta's mantis warrior by hand. Thanks as ever for support folks!

Ok so finally a bit of post-xmas progress. Still a bit stuffed on the priming front, but joy of joys now have a portable spray booth with extractor and turntable, whoop whoop!
3 little things on the go beyond general building:
1) a Deathwatch =I= for the contest (built, but waiting for primer) - can't show pics, alas, but very very very excited (sad, I know) - a Mentor =I= on 60mm base, space hulky diorama.
2) a mini for the very worthy Chapter Conclave (Thread: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/210/333851.page):

This is a WIP for "Blink", a Weeping Angel (BA successor), inspired by Yggdrasil's paint schemes. Going for a marbled stone, coming along quite nicely. Doing an experiment with the skin tone based on an oil-painting technique, layering dark, then red, then yellow, then flesh tones. It's... interesting.
3) a mini for Gitsplitta's Mantis Warriors, experimenting with bits and pieces (Thread: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/2490/289929.page):

Vanguard Sgt Tonbo, Hero of Hespiran IV (or something) He's very green...

More Inushi pics!
Nice job on the sanguard BTW.

Methinkst I sense a bit-o-Dr. Who fandom... (a very good episode BTW).

Brother Tonbo looks fantastic graven! But how are you going to paint his pad with the wing covering it?? Hmmm?

*grin*

Can we please have more angles on the two jump-packers? They both look very interesting.

Cheers for comments guys; @ gits, the wings aren't actually as close to the pad as it appears (cheers for the comment on your blog btw); @ fatty, ask and ye shall receive. Was able to make a bit of progress last night whilst the boss was sorting photos on the computer (living next to my painting desk as it does, so still a bit of time together); the photos a bit rubbish as kids were a menace last night and I'm seriously zombified:








Nowhere near done mind you...

I like the look from behind.

Nice, first time I've seen this thread. Love the work on the mentors!

I would just jump both feet first into casting. It's really not as hard as it looks from the outside. Check out blackhands awesome shoulder pad casting tutorial and you'll get it down after a couple of tries

Would be totally worth it for another 40 odd pads and much, much quicker.

So impromptu lightbox fail - also, just not happy with the front view of this guy:

But happy, at least, with the wings:


And actually the side views are ok, just not lovIng the front!



Anyway, there we are!


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And Brother Blink:








Really pleased with this guy; vision produced!

Back to mentors next; and maybe paint some dkok for variety.

How have I all together missed your blog Graven? Hate it when I do that. Blink and Buggy look good. Still not sure on the wings though, look a little close to chaos mutations to me.

Granted. I'd actually been hoarding them for some death guard ! Still, fancied doing something a bit different. Glad you like the blog.

Quick update (no pics because...): components of Deathwatch entry built, hurrah. Also did majority of remaining owl insigniae (18 to go! Woo!), sculpted up 5 heads, cyber owl and 4 pads. Busy busy. In brain have started writing fluff too, and resolved how to do scout insignia which was really puzzling me. Debating whether to add scopes to termie sbs, a la cullin - thoughts?

I figure, as I am using my Space Marine Blog as a purely Badab War Blog, and my Mentor Legion will therefore never get posted there, I'd post them here.

These guys were all purchased on the very day that W40k 2nd Ed was released. The Captain was started and finished back pre-1994. Probably 1993. The squad was started and all of the white and green colours painted in 1993. In 2008, after many years away from the hobby, I touched them up with some black and red, to get them table-top ready. I ought to paint some owls on the shoulder pads, but am concentrating on Badab stuff right now.

The guy next to the Captain is a spare. I think he came on the front of a white dwarf. You can have him as a transfer to your army, if you like?

Awesome! Great to see more mentors - and no daft raptor pads. Rebel Scum...

I've not done much with this lot over the last wee while as I've been doing deathwatch stuff. Still.

So a question of fluff for designing up my Mentor Legion, and indeed to start list building: I'm trying to decide what to include/build with my mentor legion, in an attempt to keep them feeling fluffy and ultra-techy.

In general, I've avoided tactical squads and focused on elites - sternguard, vanguard made from Sanguinary guard - plus assault marines with "time-shifters" (auspexes!), scouts in storms and on bikes with gls, etc. I'm doing a motf with conversion Beamer, and for tanks I've done a lasplas razorback, whirlwind and predator (joy of magnets). I've got a lr to do as a crusader, though I'm tempted to do one of the rarer variants. I've filed off the rivets (Argh) to show we know hi-tech welding...

One my ideas was to add some chain details (BT Style) to echo the whole "we've had an audience with the Emperor" thing - which I know isn't high tech, but does feel fluffy to me. Someone also mentioned to me that the Mentors got a drubbing from the Word Bearers in a novel apparently? Anyone able to shed any light on this?

I'd like, I guess, to know folks' thoughts on how to maintain a fluffy ultra tech feel with model builds and lists generally.

inmygravenimage wrote:I'd like, I guess, to know folks' thoughts on how to maintain a fluffy ultra tech feel with model builds and lists generally.

Yeah, that's kind of a trick isn't it when the rules of the game put limits on your tech the same as everyone else. There might be occasions where you can sub-in eldar technology for Imperial... not to make your stuff look Xenos really, but the lines of their big guns for example are smoother and more space-age looking... thus might reflect a more refined design that the SIC. Thinking outside the box (like your time-shifters) is a good idea as well. Might help if we knew your next project and could trow out some ideas on how to make that specific unit look more advanced tech-wise.

Or tau even. Some of there stuff looks even more tech-y and less baroque then eldar. I'd also consider some modifications on boltguns. I saw some cool ones that were made longer and more tech like, I'll give it a look, see if I can find em again.


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That was easy:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/390/222886.page
Insaniak's bolt guns

With my Blackhands I hunted out every marine helmet I could find that had targeters on the eyepiece, even going so far as to cut the horn off the nurgle aspiring champion helmet to get the 3 lensed spec ops look, I think it gives the whole army a more modern look.

Oh and pack on as many scopes on your bolters as possible!

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Scoping on weapons to the max, certainly, and like those bgs. Is there any equipment that feels particularly high tech? I've gone for mostly mk8 and a few mk4, armour wise - seems right.

Mk8 is definitely a nice idea... Though not that easy to find!