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Some great creativity on display here, and so nice to see you experimenting with the available bits and bobs at your disposal

Thanks for sharing

The Riddle of Steel wrote:Guarding, that terrain work is really impressive. What a great variety of nicely painted and weathered pieces! I also love the old metal Kroot rider - please get that painted. I always felt the Kroot deserved a bit more love. They were always more interesting to me than the Tau.
Keep up the good work on that terrain.

Thanks for the kind words, but...
I actually don't like the Kroot, kind of in the same way a Tau commander would dislike them
They were useful, cheap units that filled a hole I had, but they weren't pretty and kept eating things they shouldn't...
Not to say they are bad models or race, just I got into Tau due to their clean aesthetic and shootyness and Kroot didn't really fit that...

IGtR= wrote:Some great creativity on display here, and so nice to see you experimenting with the available bits and bobs at your disposal

Thanks for sharing

Thank you, I have plenty of spare parts, so I should probably start using them.

So I've reached a level where I'm happy with the pillar room:


I think I've done a bit to much rust on this compared to my other ZM stuff, but oh well.
At some point I'll glue it shut and paint the outside in line with the rest of the pillars.
And probably make a "door" for it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
updating blog on iPad is awkward so I forgot:

Painted this up too, unfortunately it's on the spare wall piece from my pipe wall. Thinking about adding some text to it, like "enlist" or something

Fantastic conversions. And that mural is very nice. Maybe "Do your part, citizen!" or some other such propaganda?

Great stuff guarding, the cosy little room looks good, but the mural is fantastic!

The mural doesn't require any text, as it basically speaks for itself.

My two cents,

CB

Maybe instead of text on a propaganda poster, you could try some graffiti over the top? A genestealer cult icon, chaos star etc.?

Thanks for sharing

I love the use of sandbags as pillows!

 Captain Brown wrote:
The mural doesn't require any text, as it basically speaks for itself.

My two cents,

CB

I agree with CB. Just dirty it up and call it done. Great job.

Blep:

Just catching up on your blog, really awesome stuff. The classic red on the weapons are a tidy little contrast to the rest of the guard models. Nice work on that mural, looks solid without any text. One thing I'd consider, maybe a thin outline around the face using a maroon/ dark brown ? Looks awesome either way but to me that would finish the war propaganda look you have for it.

Can't wait to see more updates!

Amazing work on the freehand, fits great with your terrain color scheme!

It’s almost like a picture within a picture! Nice on guardling

Warboss_Waaazag wrote:Fantastic conversions. And that mural is very nice. Maybe "Do your part, citizen!" or some other such propaganda?

gobert wrote:Great stuff guarding, the cosy little room looks good, but the mural is fantastic!

Captain Brown wrote:The mural doesn't require any text, as it basically speaks for itself.

My two cents,

CB

IGtR= wrote:Maybe instead of text on a propaganda poster, you could try some graffiti over the top? A genestealer cult icon, chaos star etc.?

Thanks for sharing

endtransmission wrote:I love the use of sandbags as pillows!

theCrowe wrote:I agree with CB. Just dirty it up and call it done. Great job.

Viterbi wrote:Amazing work on the freehand, fits great with your terrain color scheme!

gobert wrote:It’s almost like a picture within a picture! Nice on guardling

Thanks, going to go with no text because I'm lazy. I have some sketches ready for more murals for my next set of ZM terrian I haven't bought yet.

Olthannon wrote:Just catching up on your blog, really awesome stuff. The classic red on the weapons are a tidy little contrast to the rest of the guard models. Nice work on that mural, looks solid without any text. One thing I'd consider, maybe a thin outline around the face using a maroon/ dark brown ? Looks awesome either way but to me that would finish the war propaganda look you have for it.

Can't wait to see more updates!

Thanks, there is actually an outline on the face but it's Cadian vs Kislev flesh so its bareley visable in the photos... I might do what you suggested just to bump the contrast a bit

I've spent most of this week plodding along with Zone Mortalis terrian, most of it is ready for a wash now, except I'm nearly out of Nuln

So I finally finished this lady:

She's been on my paint handle since the begining of this year, since I finished her sister, Bast...
I'm out of glue at the moment so no proper base for her.
Once she was out of the way I decided to paint up my Spindle Drones from Blackstone Fortress:

I tried to do something non-standard with the legs, basing them with Foundation Necron Abyss (thinned with Lamia), dry brushing them with Liche Purple and then, because it was to bright for my liking, Black Templar contrast.
Unfortunatly it made it to dark so I put a heavy drybrush of Liche followed by some soft edge highlights of Necron and Wazdakka Red.
The effect comes out as a very subtle iridescent look that the camera didn't pick up very well.
Carapace is just Dawnstone highlighted with Celestia and then a pin wash of Hybrid Purple in the crevices
On the whole I'm really happy with how these came out, they look suitably "other".

And finaly I started putting some base layers on the blob of guardsmen (and women):

I randomly put them in three groups and then painted each one with either Dryad Bark, Steel Legion Drab or Bugmans Glow skin for variety.
Probably going to bin them off at every opportunity...

The lady looks really cool, but watch out for those Spindle Drones. You won’t like them when they’re angry!

Supply drop:

Milliasaurs.

I just painted up three of them myself.

Nice find,

Cheers,

CB

Loving the terrain work and developing Guardsmen in particular. Some very nice terrain work, keep it up


Ragsta

Terrain looks great, even as a background to the minis!

And nice work on the spindle drones. They are in my painting queue, but I was holding off as I wasn't sure as to how to paint them but I will nab your idea I think and get cracking!!

Thanks for sharing

gobert wrote:The lady looks really cool, but watch out for those Spindle Drones. You won’t like them when they’re angry!

Sadly I don't really know, me and the fams only attempt to play Blackstone Fortress was a mess but I love the minis

Captain Brown wrote:Milliasaurs.
I just painted up three of them myself.
Nice find,
Cheers,
CB

I actually bought them just after I saw yours, but they were on my eBay watchlist long enough for the seller to offer 20% off...

Ragsta wrote:
Loving the terrain work and developing Guardsmen in particular. Some very nice terrain work, keep it up
Ragsta

Thanks!

IGtR= wrote:Terrain looks great, even as a background to the minis!
And nice work on the spindle drones. They are in my painting queue, but I was holding off as I wasn't sure as to how to paint them but I will nab your idea I think and get cracking!!
Thanks for sharing

Yeah, I like the idea that blackstone is wierd not-quite-right to look at stuff which is why I decided to go with colours that shouldn't normally drybrushed on top of each other.

Anyways, onto the meat of my post:

First thing I did with these guys is drop them in Dettol overnight. The milliasaurs were unpainted but I stuck them in anyway as there was that white residue you sometimes get on metal(mold release?)
Tooth brush, don't get wet, don't feed after midnight, etc...
These then went into a jar of alcohol which got the smell off pretty well.

Given that these were pretty old models I had to dig out my old paints:

Except I didn't have the colours I wanted and a few of them had dried out

Heres what I ended up with:

I, of course, painted them up in Inquistorial colours, the undersuit being OOP Terracotta hightlighted with OOP Red Gore
Armour and gun were Eshin grey, Contrast Black Templar, Eshin Grey highlights with a few sharp bits with Standard Mech Grey
Boots straps, pouches, hood etc were Dryad Bark, Nuln Oil, back to Dryad with some Mournfang Brown mixed in
Their roll mats were painted Dawnstone, Celestria and Black Templar camo stripes to tie them back to my Necromundian guard.
I was toying with the idea of giving them red guns, but decided it wouldn't fit for them

The next problem is to decide what to do with the bases:
A part of me regognises that these are OOP models and so if I end up passing them on, they'd be better complete with their tabs.
The other part wants to cut the tabs off and pin them to a Necromunda base

Also started on my Milliasaurs:

I plan to paint these a fleshy colour with maybe blue or purple scales.
I have been making some notes lately as I am passively trying to make a whole Neromundian bestiary, these being the first proper models for that.

As far as I know, the only other metal models are RipperJacks

Nice job on the troopers. Most of my stuff is ancient but I tend to commit heresy and snip the tabs off. I want the to look a certain way and it’s often not possible to do both things. I think it as fifty who recently did some serious base butchery to maintain some tabs if you’re after ideas to make it work?

 gobert wrote:
Nice job on the troopers. Most of my stuff is ancient but I tend to commit heresy and snip the tabs off. I want the to look a certain way and it’s often not possible to do both things. I think it was Fifty who recently did some serious base butchery to maintain some tabs if you’re after ideas to make it work?

I'm leaning on the side of snip snip...

Got some Storm trooper reinforcements in the post this week:

Mr. Respirator on the right didn't come with his slotta tab, so thats another point towards snip snip...

And some finished Milliasaurs:

Scales have been painted with Liche Purple, with (thinned down) Hormagaunt Purple highlights.
I was going to do the claws and teeth bone colours but settled on using 'Guant Purple and Dechala Lilac instead, which kinda reminds me of the metal teeth the Alien had in, uh, Alien...

I painted some thermic plasma regulators:

I've had them for a long longtime and been trying to figure out a colour for them and my limited Sec-Mech stuff
The eagle eyed among you may notice that they look strange and thats because I modified them to line up with my ZM terrain.
Literally just snipped the tabs off the main body and the support underneath the platform.
Main colour is OOP Terracotta with Agrax Earthshade and a Bugmans Glow highlight
Rest of stuff is my usual work flow, but with Agrax instead of Nuln Oil (I'm running out)
The plaforms are Mornfang then a heavy Leadbelcher dry brush in the crevices, followed by a Dawnstone drybrush for the platfom surface, the Agrax wash, then another lighter drybrush of Dawnstone.
For a bit of fun, I picked some cables out with yellow as well as the panels with alphanumerics on the top.

Anyway my prize model of the weekend:
The Brain Leaf/ Slave Vine:

Main body is one of the optional supports from the ZM Gang Stronghold, I lengthened the base with some platicard and an armour panel
I wrapped garden wire around the support for the vine and then threw on a couple of skeleton bits and an old Orlock autogun I had lying around for the previous host.
I fixed up those big gaps between the vine and the support as well behind the skelly with liberal amounts of Armageddon dust.
At some point I put my sim card into my new phone which has a much better camera...
Then I painted it:


...And failed to take a good photo of it... This looked way better on my phone...
I also realise that it has no leaves on it to infect people...
I kinda got distracted and forgot, partialy as I didn't have anything I could use as leaves.
If I was to do this again, I may use either the GW Creeping Vines or the etched brass vine/leaves I swear I've seen somewhere...

The brain leaf sounds rather nasty! I agree that some feathery leaves would help, but perhaps this one is deciduous? The dead hanger helps tell the story too. Do you have any rules for its use? Perhaps a stash of weapons near it that gangs fight over?

 Guardling wrote:

As far as I know, the only other metal models are RipperJacks

Guardling,

They also made Giant Rats (with spikes coming out of their backs and one with two tails). I have extras of both (Rats and Ripperjacks) if you are interested?

Cheers,

CB

gobert wrote:The brain leaf sounds rather nasty! I agree that some feathery leaves would help, but perhaps this one is deciduous? The dead hanger helps tell the story too. Do you have any rules for its use? Perhaps a stash of weapons near it that gangs fight over?

No rules for it yet, will probably treat it as a trap, and swap a zombie model in on a failed roll

Captain Brown wrote:

 Guardling wrote:

As far as I know, the only other metal models are RipperJacks

Guardling,
They also made Giant Rats (with spikes coming out of their backs and one with two tails). I have extras of both (Rats and Ripperjacks) if you are interested?
Cheers,
CB

Good to know, I think I remember those rats. I am interested, but I take a while to decide on anything, especialy anything coming over the ocean

This week was just plugging away at ZM pillars and wall and then trying to find easter eggs...
For some reason I didn't take many photos of the completed pillars before I mixed them in with the old one




Now I have gotten all my pillars and walls painted up, time for me to start on the platforms...

Love your dedication to detail and if I ever tackle my Zone Mortalis set I will have to do all the cables too, it just looks too damn great. Excited to see you tackling the platforms next.

They’ve come out great, and make fantastic background for the pics. They’ll look even better with their platforms I’m sure

Kudos for really paying attention to the details on the terrain, I think it really pays off!

Viterbi wrote:Love your dedication to detail and if I ever tackle my Zone Mortalis set I will have to do all the cables too, it just looks too damn great. Excited to see you tackling the platforms next.

gobert wrote:They’ve come out great, and make fantastic background for the pics. They’ll look even better with their platforms I’m sure

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll wrote:Kudos for really paying attention to the details on the terrain, I think it really pays off!

Thanks all, been pretty prolific this week...
Got my platfroms done finally:

I had to change up my method a bit due the Karak Stone (a "layer" paint) needing like 5-6 layers to get an even coat over the Mournfang, so I used Morghast Bone (a "base" paint, which covered better) and then some Karak, this saved a lot of time and effort, especially in those little bits.
Hit it all with about half a pots worth in Nuln Oil, tidy up with Karak and then add spots of Agrax in the dimples (and some added where there weren't).
I did think about doing the underside Karak as well, but settled on Drayd Bark as I could do it in one layer, it was dark enough to not need touch up in corners and I wasn't going to be able to see it anyway...
The lights were painted red with Leadbelcher cages

While these were all drying I rearranged my shelf space so that I have somewhere to store all the finished ZM terrain seeing as I should no longer keep it on my paint queue boxes.
I also set up a little thing ready to put minis on on my display shelf:

I then had a nice afternoon to myself set up the camera and have a play with settings unhindered by children and I have finally figured out how to manually focus and adjust the shutter speed which is something I barely understand:

My final test photo (v. big):


The new Stormtroopers got a lick of paint:

I bit the bullet and snipped their tabs off to put them on ZM bases.
I did paint them the same but somehow the new guys overalls came out a bit brighter than the others.
Kinda the risk you run when you mix paints I suppose.

Some how I got up the required energy for some bulk painting and smashed these guys out:


This is about as far as I can go on them, I can't do much better on their faces as they are just too fine for me
Armour is Wazdakka with Evil Sunz red.
Straps and the loin pads are Morghast bone with flayed one highlights.
Trousers are Mech. Stan. Grey with a wash of Agrax.
Vials are Macharius Solar orange highlighted with Fire Dragon Bright amd Yriel Yellow
Unfortuatly I couldn't get a brilliant focus on the camera for these guys, I suspect this was because there are so many of them and they are on two levels, the top ones being further away and thus, out of focus

Now I have two painted gangs I might even, possiblly, think about maybe playing a game.
Both my Eschers and these guys are modeled as the Gangs GW printed out cards for so they should be balanced for beginner games with the family.

Now I have lots of space in my Paint Queue I can start putting together more models to avoid doing my Guardsmen...

I love your little display shelf, you get great pics in there. The goliaths look cool hanging out around the platforms. The Red is really bright, they must be fast for their size! the stormtroopers look good on their new bases, snipping the tabs is a small price to pay for cool looking minis

Plans: