Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
The infiltrators make for a great looking squad. The way you have made use of alternate camo schemes takes me back to the pics in the RT rulebook of the various schemes the chapters had. Or was it Chapter Approved? I forget.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/12/12 23:55:26
youwashock wrote: The infiltrators make for a great looking squad. The way you have made use of alternate camo schemes takes me back to the pics in the RT rulebook of the various schemes the chapters had. Or was it Chapter Approved? I forget.
Both? I think there were some in the main book, but also a chunk in the red compendium.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Day 13:
Spoiler:
For being a bunch of dead guys, they have a lot of life to them. I found that whenever my eldar stepped out of their transports they immediately evaporated. And not just in hyper lethal 9th edition. These guys are going to be my anchor. Their brothers with the D-scythes do pretty well. Fun kit to build. Not quite as posable as the WL, but pretty good. Eldar have traditionally been my secondary army, but the lack of plastics has really hampered their growth. If rumors hold, expect a revival next year.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/12/13 11:28:29
youwashock wrote: Always been a big fan of how you choose to make the black more predominant in your Saim-Hann wraiths. Makes the red quite striking.
I don’t remember why I went with the scheme I did so many years ago. It might have just been as simple as I thought the red/white scheme was too bright, so flipped it to red/black. I know at one point I was going to do somethings black with red details and others red with black details to differentiate squads, but just ended up doing all the trooper black with red helmets. When I move the YTD shelf down I should do a full army shot. It’s been a while.
Day 14:
Spoiler:
Sometimes with all the tech gizmos and tacticool operators we forget that SM are basically fantasy knights in space. Their colors are there to herald their presence on the field of battle. And when building to a company, critical to have.
I like the way this guy turned out. Raised detail banners are both a blessing and a curse. Printerd/sticker/decal banners just look a little off from paintwork, but damn that’s a lot of fiddly detail. At least this one is mostly blocks of color. One issue is also you are stuck with what’s on the plastic. One cannot have a 3rd company banner without a Nid getting stabbed through the head, so that wen’t on the base. Actually, you probably could do just fine without if you think about it. Nids are a reasonably new arrival to the galaxy, and the 3rd company has been killing xenos for a long time. Statistically, they probably got their moniker purging orks, and must have older banners in the reliquary.
In painting news I did the second blue pass on one of the marines. I need to get a move on. I also need to do all my cookie baking by the end of the week. December is so much fun.
I’ve still got a number of old guys with empty back-banner poles. Not that I’m likely to get the filled any time soon. In addition to the painting side, they do tend to be a PITA to transport.
Day 15:
Spoiler:
So Mr. Noodle here was the first big bug I did. Nice to see that the contrast paints scaled up. Had a lot of fun painting him. Not that much harder than the gribbles. Bigger bug just gets a bigger brush. First use of the poison scheme in the nids on his tail. It’s just a green ink over yellow, but I like the effect. As a model I really like him, might be my favorite sculpt in the range. He’s just so alien and stabby and nasty. He is not just an overgrown insect out foraging for a snack with some friends. He is a vanguard organism from the outer black, come to strip the life from the galaxy to fill it’s insatiable hunger.
Edit: blue down on another marine
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2021/12/15 13:05:23
Viterbi wrote: All advent calendar shots are great, but love the Wraithblades. They look a cool mix of sci-fi and archaic.
I don’t need more wraithblades, but kinda want to build a squad with swords. Just nice models to work with and they look so cool.
Day 16:
Spoiler:
Nothing really special about these guys. I wanted to include them to show that I’m still plugging away and enjoying the nighhaunt. At some point I should check if I have enough of them to field an army. I know I’ve a starter box worth, and a few extra units. Also, how do allies work in AoS? If it’s not crippling like in 40k that makes life a lot easier. I would like to see them on the table at some point. At the very least I should get some army shots once I finish the soul wars box.
These are the last of the 2020 entries. Not a bad year from a painting PoV. Next up will be something a bit newer.
youwashock wrote:I hear you on the Wraithguard. I have found myself wondering what sort of trouble I could get into with the leftover bits from my Exodites.
That big bug really delivers.
I think he’s my favorite of all my nids. The flyrant is up there though...
Captain Brown wrote:Advent continues...
CB
One day at a time!
So some painting progress. 2 marines with their second blues, one more to go and then the ink. Guns just got some color on their nozzles. I put down some darkoath flesh this afternoon, and just now a layer of the purple contrast. Going to give them a silver drybrush when that dries to tie it together. New strategy of heat weathering, we’ll see how it goes. Need to touch up and then flesh wash the hive guard.
And also bake/frost a lot of cookies tonight. And have a drink; it’s been a long week.
JoshInJapan wrote: I've been enjoying your advent calendar-- your collection is so different from mine!
Baking and drinking go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Enjoy!
Some of my oldest minis can match what you have, but I lack the depth of antiquity of your stuff. Plus you paint way better. It would be a blast to see you pull 2 dozen of the best/most storied things from your collection.
--
I’m not sure if I remember to copy/paste this up every year, but here are some internet cookies for all my loyal followers. I’m not shipping cookies out, and am only making the first 4 types this year. Some assembly required.
Brownie Roll-out Cookies
Spoiler:
3 Cups Flour (all purpose)
2/3 Cups Unsweetened coco powder
¾ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking powder
1 Cup Butter
1 ½ Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
Bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar. Combine the dry goods in a separate bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter/sugar mix once it’s light and fluffy. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for an hour before rolling and cutting.
While these are called “roll out” cookies I’ve never made them that way. I take the dough and form it into a ~1½” log and refrigerate it that way (but could be frozen for later). Then I just cut it into ¼” slices and bake. We frost these with a peppermint royal icing and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top to give out for the holidays.
Cranberry Pistachio cookies
Spoiler:
1 ½ Cup Flour
½ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Salt
¾ Cup unsalted butter (softened, 1.5 sticks)
¼ Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Sugar. (total of 3/8 cups)
½ tsp. Orange zest
½ Cup Pistachios
1/3 Cup Dried cranberries
1 Egg, lightly beaten
¼ Cup Turbinado or decorative sugar (coarse, for rolling)
Mix dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, salt). Cream butter, sugar, and zest. Add the dry, and once that is incorporated, the bits (nuts/fruit). Form into a 1 ½” log, wrap in plastic wrap, square off, and chill for 2 hours. Once the dough has firmed up, brush with the egg and roll in the sugar. Cut into ¼” slices, and bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 15-18 minutes.
For best results use unsalted pistachios. If you can only find the salted ones, let them soak in some water for a bit before mixing them in. Pour off the brine and dry them on a paper towel before mixing them in, and probably cut the salt out of the dry goods.
Candied Pecans
Spoiler:
1 egg white
1 tsp. orange juice
1 lb. pecans
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice or mace
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Beat egg white with orange juice until stiff. Mix pecans in egg mixture until coated. Mix dry ingredients and toss to coat pecans. Bake on foil lined cookie sheet (or use a silpat) for 1 hour at 225. Stir once or twice while baking. Cool and store in airtight container.
Shortbread
Spoiler:
Recipe redacted by order of the Inquisition.
Cinnamon Bears
Spoiler:
1/2 lb. butter
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
Roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Decorate with colored sugars and candies or frost with royal icing with the help of small children. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. Watch and remove from oven when light brown. Cooking time can vary greatly with the thickness of the dough.
VARIATIONS:
To make cinnamon bears, add cinnamon and allspice to the dough. Cut with bear cookie cutter. Decorate with a chocolate chip for the nose and two silver candies for eyes.
Rugelach
Spoiler:
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
½ lb butter at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
Filling:
6 Talespoons sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup raisins
1 cup walnuts finely chopped
½ cup apricot preserves or jam(any preserve or jam will do)
Cream the cream cheese and butter. Add the sugar salt and vanilla and then the flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Mix all filling ingredient except the jam. On a well floured board, roll out a ball of dough into a 9 inch circle. Spread with 2 Tablespoons of jam and sprinkle with ½ cup of the filling. Cut the circle into 12 wedges (a pizza cutter is the best tool for this). Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge into a crescent. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Repeat with remaining dough. Make an egg wash from I egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon mile. Brush each cookie with a little egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (3 Tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Man I missed some pretty cool stuff the last couple days. I really like the banner bearer and your nod to the sword-in-head tyranid. Also the burrower bug. I played a lot of the original Starcraft when I was in middle-school and those guys remind me of oversized hydralisks.
JoshInJapan wrote: I've been enjoying your advent calendar-- your collection is so different from mine!
Baking and drinking go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Enjoy!
Some of my oldest minis can match what you have, but I lack the depth of antiquity of your stuff. Plus you paint way better. It would be a blast to see you pull 2 dozen of the best/most storied things from your collection.
It's a little late for an advent calendar, but I'm planning to do and end-of-year retrospective. I might slip in some older stuff for comparison.
Thanks for sharing the recipes. I'll have to give a few of them a try.
brushcommando wrote:Man I missed some pretty cool stuff the last couple days. I really like the banner bearer and your nod to the sword-in-head tyranid. Also the burrower bug. I played a lot of the original Starcraft when I was in middle-school and those guys remind me of oversized hydralisks.
Thanks. I also played a ton of Starcraft. There is a lot of overlap, and that’s not a bad thing.
JoshInJapan wrote:
It's a little late for an advent calendar, but I'm planning to do and end-of-year retrospective. I might slip in some older stuff for comparison.
Thanks for sharing the recipes. I'll have to give a few of them a try.
There is always next year. It pays to think ahead. And enjoy!
Day 17:
Spoiler:
Indominus was a great box. So many awesome things in there. The chaplain being one of them. I think the only thing I did to him was swap out a shoulderpad for the Ultra one. IMHO chaplains are the heart of 40k. Space Marines, on their own, are power armored super soldiers. Sure, they have some unique aspects, but pretty mainstream sci-fi material. Chaplains though, they are where the grimdark 40k comes out. They are the warrior priest/monk/knight with death in one hand, salvation in the other. The battlefield is their temple. It helps that almost every single chaplain mini GW ever made was composed of pure awesome and oozed character. This guy with his bionic face is the primaris version of my classic chaplain who’s been tending to the faith of my marines since the dawn of time. Appropriate that he’s going to be standing at the head of my new company. They might be taller, and have clean armor and more sensible gear than the firstborn, but they will follow the rights and rituals of the Chapter.
He also has the distinction of being the last mini painted before my move into my house.
youwashock wrote: Chaplains do indeed rule. From RT on down, they make for great minis.
I should break them all out for a photo op. Been a while since I did that. Used to have group pics by HQ, but have added a lot since last I took them.
Some progress:
Nid needs his black wash, teeth, and touch up.
Marines need ink. Guns are done, arms need second blue/ink, and the one with the shoulder attached needs the red rim and purity seal done. Plugging along.
Speaking of group shots. Wave of gribbles. Some of these were painted in 2020, but the unit was finished this year. 30 bugs, half with fleshborers, half with devourerers. Mostly plastic, but 6 old lead guys hiding in there. I enjoyed these guys. They are small and fast. When other projects were slogging, I could zip a few of these across the workbench to keep me active and engaged. If they release a new kit, I might start another blob, but I’m trying not to let the nids get out of hand. But they are a core part of my vision for the army. Carpet of gribbles, with a few large bugs scattered among them. Realistically, there is a cap on how dense the carpet can be, mostly due to budget and space concerns. I’m hoping these guys, the hormagaunts, and genestealers can get me to that level. This was also me trying to get my horde photography skills up. Still needs work, but some nice results here.
It’s the weekend! Have fun and relax everyone.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/12/18 13:13:32
youwashock wrote: The underbite gives a few of the metal guys away. Definitely getting that swarm feel.
Orthodonture is expensive, and there are a lot of teeth in the swarm. We do what we can for the little guys, but some of them just need to make do.
Got the ink down on the marines. Edges and clean up for them. Red on the gun arm. Hive guard got his black wash, base details and clean up next. In an ideal world i’d like to have all the paint done on everyone by the end of the weekend, with just decals and bases left. Running out of time.
Plugging along. Finished the HG, moved the last one down. It will be a stretch goal, but in theory he should paint up fast. And if I can get him done, that’s the squad of 3. Did a little touch up on the marines already. The edges are going to be the main goal for the day. That and shoveling my driveway. Whee snow.
Day 19:
Spoiler:
I should probably use shots like this instead of my normal zoom out squad shots for the contest entries. Much more evocative. Wayyyyy back at the start of this blog I had a separate list of goals, not my annual New Year’s resolutions. One of them was to get better at photography. I need to remember that it’s not just light and focus, but also composition and framing. I need to keep progressing.
The assault intercessor kit is a lot of fun. Great action for the running legs, tons of cool toys for the sarge. Really enjoyed building and painting them. No idea how well they do on the battlefield. Probably a lot better for someone with an assault phase chapter tactics. We Ultras love our rifles in the tactical doctrine. But they are cool models, and a cornerstone of the battle company.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I’ve got stuff with deadlines and I’m running out of time. I also have a bonus project. Want to guess where my day went? I edged the sarge, and the HG is ready for his black wash, almost done. /eyeroll. I blame trying to scrape crusted snow/ice off my driveway while trying not to die, interspersed with season 2 of the Witcher. Not really feeling the detail work today. I’ll try to get the other two marines edged after dinner. And get some more clean up on them.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/12/19 21:56:09
youwashock wrote: The power fist on the sarge looks great, and I am a big fan of the guy 2-fisting the bolt pistols.
In case I didn't mention it the first time 'round.
Agree. I like the energy coming off the fist. Most power fists are just there. Sure, there is a literal fist, and punching could happen, but there isn’t a lot of action. You can feel the tension in this one. Someone is going to get crushed. The twin pistol guy is my favorite in the squad. Had a lot of fun with him.
So not a horrible day’s work. All the marines have their blue edges done. Reds need another base coat to clean, and then the highlight red. Arms just got inked, so need edges, and the shoulder needs the other red work as well. Guns probably needs a little touch up on the silvers, but I’ll wait until they are assembled for that.
Hive guard needs clean up passes, but is otherwise just about done.
After that it’s decals and base work all around. Which will probably wrap up the bench for the year. Driving down to visit my folks on Friday, assuming nothing comes up. Be there for a week, back on the first. Might start something, or try to flock a hill quick. Build some of the stuff kicking around. We’ll see how much time is left after I finish what I’ve got going on.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Day 20:
Spoiler:
The new banshees are lovely models. Basically mono-pose, but to keep the sense of movement, that’s kind of unavoidable. But as I am not using them to form the core of my army, not a huge deal. I wouldn’t turn down another 5, but at the price they are asking for them, am not going to buy more.
While not the 95% contrast that the nids are, these ladies use a lot of it. Details are still traditional paints, but the hair and armor are not. And that’s a lot of them. I did a little highlighting on the exarch, but decided that it was not needed.
Hopefully they can get some decent rules in the next codex. It’s not that they are bad per sea, but they don’t do the job they are supposed to be doing.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/12/20 11:22:42
youwashock wrote: Those Hive Guard really went fast. That must be terribly satisfying. Looking forward to the glamor shots for the Eradicators.
Bigger bugs don’t take that much more time then the little ones. They just get a bigger brush. And the HG don’t have eyes, so I get to skip a few steps. We’ll see how motivated I am today. but I should have everyone based by the end of the day.
Day 21:
Spoiler:
A few things going on with these guys. They are the mono-build ones from the indominus box. Which actually has some options. Sarge has a few, and the arms are just on pegs that can be snipped off clean to the torso, so can easily take arm (and head) swaps. The one gotcha is that they have empty holsters on their belts. This is where my packrat nature comes in. Back in the day, bolters came with handles on, and the hands were closed fists. I much preferred it to these days where the hand is on the gun. But it means a lot of us oldsters have a bunch of spare handles in our bits boxes. Nice to have when you need to stuff holsters.
The ABRs come from the stock intercessor kit. Building tac marines with assault marine legs is an old trick, and crosses the rubicon primaris quite well. To big to hitch a ride in a rhino? They got the leg it, double time, to get to the objective. Changes the motion of the squad a LOT.
These were the first guys painted with the new brushes. i can’t say it’s improved my work, but it does feel like I fight them a lot less about where the paint is going. So that’s a win. Do worry about screwing them up, but they’ve lasted the year without major damage.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Didn’t have time to base the HG this morning, but did these guys. Pics over lunch.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/12/21 17:36:14
The Eradicators came out really nice! Hive guard as well. Also good work with the running intercessors. I'm all the more impressed on any conversions with GW's new monopose minis.
youwashock wrote:I do like some Gravis armor. They're ready to bring that heat.
Nice work getting the extra level of detail on the Intercessors with the handles in the holsters.
brushcommando wrote:The Eradicators came out really nice! Hive guard as well. Also good work with the running intercessors. I'm all the more impressed on any conversions with GW's new monopose minis.
Very minimal work, but thanks. If using the full kit, there are plenty of holstered pistols to spare. It’s just when working with the ETB that it’s an issue. The new kits are not that bad. You are basically locked into the leg/torso position, but still have a good range with the arms/head. Still a lot to work with. The biggest issue is that there is almost no reason you need to. Units for the table come straight from the box. You can chop and mix and match, but there is a lot less reason to do so these days. /rant.
Anyway, some pics:
Thinking about it, I don’t have a lot of the mid range bugs. These guys will help fill that gap.
And here is a year in paint:
You know it’s a good year when you need the second shelf for overflow. Unless I’ve done my math wrong, 97 minis. Plus the 12 spare bits, so if I want to use fuzzy math I can claim over 100. Don’t think I’ll bother. Solid year’s work. I might start my year end ramblings, or they might wait until the new year. Driving down to visit my folks, so mostly AFK from Friday for a week. And I need to get ready for the trip, and try not to go crazy from a hellish week at work. Fun times.
Ultramarines, 3rd Co. and friends, 16k+ 
4k 
2k Points
Competition Index
Finished Forge World Elysian Army 
Finished Tau Sept Cadre 
Finished Ork Waaagh | 
Alaitoc Eldar Warhost 
Finished Order of Our Martyred Lady - Sisters of Battle 
Finished Necromundian Imperial Guard Regiment 
Recipe redacted by order of the Inquisition. 
And enjoy!
