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 Valhalla130 wrote:
I may be taking a break from everything for a while. My father passed away last Saturday night and I tried doing CPR but I couldn't stop it. I might read stuff here but I have no ability or inclination to paint or play right now.

Maybe in a little while.

Sorry to hear about your dad. My condolences on your loss.

Just flipped through your thread. Your Valhallans are really cool. I've been have an attack of nostalgia lately, may start one of the old IG armies again. Your Fists look really good too. Looking forward to seeing that whole army painted.

I guess I'm coming back. It took me a while to get over my dad's passing and to help my mom, who is still having trouble with it. I am too, but I feel good enough to start thinking about other stuff again. I've decided that I want to paint my Imperial Fists, so I'm looking at my list, what I still have to buy, which... I think is maybe a landraider and that might be it. I bought an air brush and compressor, so I'm looking forward to trying that out for basecoating and stuff. It should go by quicker because of that.

I have the Sentinels of Terra book and thunderfire cannon and my coveted terminator chaplain on their way in the mail. Can't wait to get them done up.

Welcome back.. will be watching for updates.

I spent another hundred bucks at Forge World for Alexis Polux and some Fist torsos and the transfer sheet and Rhino doors. Now I'll be able to do up a proper squad of Fists and although I am not happy with Alexis Polux's load out, he looks bad ass. The Sentinels of Terra fluff totally explains that the Fists take to battle with older marks of armor because they ain't got time for resupply, they are too busy kicking ass for the Emperor! So that totally explains my new army leaders armor.

When my chaplain in terminator armor isn't leading the brothers into battle with his litanies and exhaltations to the Emperor.

I like the Polux model. He is supposed to be larger than the average for a SM. I however would like to see all the marines modeled in that larger size.

I want a chaplain venerable dreadnought. I suppose I can run it as a venerable dread. It just looks sooooooo cool.

I am soliciting opinions on builds. I'm running Imperial Fists and after reading the Sentinels of Terra book, I am going to run them as straight codex Fists. I like the book, don't get me wrong, but I think I prefer the bolter drill rule from the main codex.

So... Land Raider Crusader... can I reroll misses on the hurricane bolter? I so, I may purchase that. If not, I'm going Redeemer for those sweet Flamestorm cannons.

My tac squads are running with heavy bolters to maximise the bolter drill rule. I will have plenty of anti-infantry.

I also plan to build my Predator as anti-infantry, because I just like the look of the autocannon and heavy bolter sponsons so much more than the lascannons. I plan to have a small devastator squad with 4 lascannons to give me some anti-vehicle punch.

And now I've decided to squeeze in a Razorback. I'm wondering if I should build the Razorback with twin-linked lascannons, or spring for the Forge World las/tl plas turret. Or since it will be with a tac squad, just go with tl HB's

Yep, Crusader re-rolls the Hurricane misses, they are a "Twin-linked" weapon. Although, I have used the redeemer as well for the sweet un-trenching of enemies with the fiery death it provides in game. I had a battle where the enemy was in 2 buildings, well dug in, rolled the redeemer up between them, he had the squads in corners on either side......Both squads were reduced almost 100% due to his tight placement. The transported terminators finished off the squad that stood it's ground...T-Hammer/Storm shield version, My Crusader chased the survivors of the other fleeing squad down.

Then I may just stick with my original idea and use the Redeemer.

I just posted this to the Independent Characters forums, for their 2015 Hobby Progress Challenge.



I'm going to try getting these assembled, primed, and basecoated this month, and hopefully, have at least the chaplain and one tac squad painted. But we'll see. I am awful about procrastinating, like I am now with assembling the chaplain and that one tac squad that I was going to assemble today.

Redeemer will be a target, so have a tech-marine behind it maybe in a Razorback, cover ground fast, attack wit the flame storm cannons, ( went 6inches the last bit) used the one cannon as normal, Power of the machine spirit for the other. But you want nasty Terminators like I use for the assault. Either lightning claws, or my personal favorite, Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields with either Vulcan or a Chaplain in termy armor. The tech guy is in case you suffer immobilized or other weapon damage, keep that redeemer going as much as possible.

Yeah, I've already painted my five TH/SS terminators. the chaplain will eventually run with them.

 Valhalla130 wrote:
Yeah, I've already painted my five TH/SS terminators. the chaplain will eventually run with them.

Excellent choice!

I always thought the red stripe on the helmet was the 2nd Edition Imperial Fist way of marking veterans. At least according to the Bolter and Chainsword thread about it.

However, since then, because it looks kind of dumb, people have more or less used the Ultramarines way of painting Veterans and Sergeants helmets, with white for veterans, red for sergeants, and a red helmet with a white stripe.

GW has sort of painted to this standard too in recent years. However, they've never really addressed it since the 2nd ed Ultramarines book, which covered other chapters also.

The new Sentinels of Terra book does revisit this though, albeit very briefly. They have one picture of veteran sergeant Garadon, with a black helmet with white stripe. Which implies white is still used for veterans. Even though they have models in the book with red helmets.

And that black and white stripe looks good. I also think the red helmets look good. But this might be a little different and striking.

I just mailed a box full of tyrannids to someone I know who resells them. It's about $700 worth of models and a really good core of an army. I decided to keep the zoanthrope and carnifex I did. I may decide one day to actually delve into them, but I cannot do it now. It just isn't in me to do another horde army, and if I plan to finish one, it'll be the IG first. I really want these IF's done, though. I have wanted an IF army since day 1, and I think I would like to add more to what I have.

EDIT: I told him I insured the box for $700, which is more than what he will be able to sell them for, and that the best thing that could happen for me would be for the post office to lose the box. lol

Thinking about it i think i would prefer the black helmets with the white stripe on the veteran sergeants for your fists cause that just sounds cool. just my two cents man.

Apparently, they're called Sternhelms, and it's the vet sgt for the IF. I have seen a couple of people using the scheme and it is pretty neat looking. It will look different than the normal red helmets and I think it will stand out.

I finally got my Forge World order!



I can't wait to delve into it in about 5 years or so. lol. Nah, I plan to begin working on this stuff as soon as my... medical problem... is taken care of and I can sit down longer than 10 minutes at a time.

Don't get middle-aged, kids. Just... don't.

EDIT: This Alexis Polux model is the best looking resin figure I've ever seen. There is almost no flash on this thing and the details are crisp.

I'm not sure how to use him in 40K, but if I can proxy him, I will. He is an awesome mini. Someone said he was bigger than the normal models, but only really because o his base. And it separates.

I've decided I'm going old school. My sergeants and commander have back banners.

I never liked them when I first got into 40k, and I know most people don't like them now, but over time, as I've become more familiar with the lore, the idea has grown on me. I have some brass etch that I can add to the plain tac squad ones, and one from an IF upgrade kit I bought way back when that is metal. I just pinned it on my new commander, because as I put him together, the bionic sided figure became more and more less like a vet sgt and more like a commander. I have two other figures already put together as vet sergeants, and one more on the way, so I can have a few weapon options. I have plenty old models to hack up and put back together so I can have plenty of vet sergeants or just plain sergeant models. Pics forthcoming, but I still need to finish the rest of these tacticals.

Yep, the banners were to avoid confusion for the troops, this way they know if the sarge is up and where he is. Of course it also allows the enemy a chance to challenge the sarges and officers to a mano-a-mano duel!

Best fight ever was Captain and a Nid Tyrant, both took each out of the fight, took a few rounds of close combat, but suddenly they exchanged blows and knocked each other out!

I've learned tonight that FW resin torsos and plastic GW arms do not mix well. I always have trouble with arms, but these don't line up right, and getting them to hold while the glue sets is awful.

Just to prove I'm actually hobbying here... I have some pics of unfinished models. I'm slowly trying to rebuild my Space Marines, this time as Imperial Fists. My income is limited, but I did manage to spend some tax money on an airbrush, so I plan to start using that to help speed up the painting time. I guess I need to start practicing with it, huh? Anyway, here are some models. I wanted to show of the Forge World bits I've gotten.

The whole new squad+:


My character models. I'm not happy with all of them. The SM Commander boxed set, the first one, I'm not happy with the angle of his pistol arm. The one with bolt pistol/power fist, I may take that PF off and sub in an arm with a power sword. I don't have enough swords in my IF army.


I would have preferred to have a Mk IV head on this guy, but he turned out pretty good. The pistol is a bit off, but I think I might be the only one who will notice it. I love the power fist, and the plasma pistol is unique. I went all out on this one. FW bionic arm and leg, FW IF torso, GW IF command upgrade
kit shoulder pads and back banner, and I put a FW brass etch IF symbol on his power fist.


My five Imperial Fist torso models.


The inevitable dude looking at his auspex, which I'm going to try to turn into a neat looking screen, and a dude about to reload his weapon, and I imagine is saying his litanies of proper loading to appease the machine spirit of his magazine before jamming that sucker in.

Looking good man. Digging the progress.

I've always had trouble with mold lines. Always. No matter how much I scraped with a hobby knife, they always appeared.

So today I bought the really expensive GW mold line removal tool and this sucker is legit. I just finished removing all the mold lines on these models in about 30 minutes, and I'm halfway done drilling barrels. Imagine how much easier it is to drill the barrels correctly when I put a small starter hole in the middle.

The tool was expensive, even with the local store's 10% discount, but at this point, with mold lines removed from arms, guns, helmets, legs, and backpacks in no time flat, I am happy with that purchase.

I finally finished drilling out my barrels. Ugh. Why did our hobby need to get so anal? Anyway, only one was really done incorrectly, but you can't even tell. I drilled thru the side of the barrel, but the two halves still match up. And he's an extra marine anyway that would have eventually been in my devastator squad.

I am about to start using my airbush. I cleaned up my work area. Put a lot of bitz and tools away. Got out my cardboard box, the airbrush cleaner pot, and opened up the compressor. Oh man, it is super-quiet, and came with a moisture trap. I'm pretty happy with it. But I am super-intimidated right now. I haven't opened up the airbrush itself yet. I'm taking a break. But I plan to prime these gentlemen tonight.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I have learned something about airbrushes. They have to be done outside. UNless you have a ventilation system. Which I do not. One mini has been badly primed, and will have to get corrected tomorrow., when I can take all this on the patio.

Also, is there supposed to be any primer in the airbrush at all when I've cleaned it? I even resorted to swabbing it with a cotton swab and there is still some white in the channel unde the cup, where the needle goes thru.

Oh, wow.

Wow.

Woooooow.

I finally used my airbrush. The primer went on a little wonky. It seemed really watery and pooled everywhere in crevices. But I think I cleared that up as best I could. I may have been spraying too much, and I also think my primer is a tad on the old side.

But when I finally got around to going after the yellow, it was amazing. I had my technique down, just spraying enough to see color on the mini. I now have the best base coated marines I've ever had, about 24 of them. I don't know how to get the fine detail down yet. My compressor may be a little too strong for that, because I'm pretty sure I had it turned down all the way, and it was still putting out too much air and color, so the chaplain's shoulder pad is going to get brushed.

And since my Independent Character's March goal was to assemble, prime and basecoat one chaplain and two tac squads, I met my March commitment. Yay, me! Now I just have to actually finish painting these minis.

Also, Averland Sunset is way orangier than Iyanden Darksun, which was more of a mustard yellow. I hope by the time I get finished scaling up the colors with highlights and washes, these guys look about the same as the terminators. Oh, and just to prove my progress:

For Dorn!

Very Nice man. looking very good~! Love the progress!

Eh. I'm gonna have to spray them again. They weren't quite as well coated as I thought they were. I was so afraid of getting too much paint on, like I did the primer, that I shorted the yellow.

It takes a bit of getting used too but it works well and you should be able to use less paint and primer and coat more evenly.

I mainly use mine for priming and base coating, Working on using it to do some effects painting.

Like the yellow. On My lamenter I do a 3rd coat of a light yellow sprayed from only the top down to give it more contrast.