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Well, Friday was my birthday, but it kinda got torpedoed by The Boy waking up in the middle of the night with an ear infection. Blarg. But we had a do-over yesterday, with just a small family party. Much better day. With loot!
A new light box photo setup. This is just a temporary placement, but I wanted to post this picture to prove that I am capable of cleaning up my workbench from time to time. It’s semi-permanent place is going to be at the end of my 4x8:
The other table, while more conveniently located, was too narrow. Let’s see if it makes a difference!
New:
Old:
One perk with the new lights is I didn’t have to do any white balancing in a photo editor, just cropped it down to size. So my crappy photo setup excuse for poor pictures is going away, guess I’ll have to step up my actual painting
In other news, I should be getting the new HH:BaC box, so expect to see some 30k action here. Still need to figure out how I’m going to sort them out. Should be enough for the second company, but I’m not sure if the gear needed for a battle company would be compatible with 30k play. Might go heavy on the magnets, or just pick one and run with it. It’s not like the guys at the FLGS are particularly picky. Paint is getting done, but I neglected to grab a pic, I’ll try to get one next time I’m down there.
As far as HH goes, here's a quick 'what's what' of what you can do with what's in the box (wow, overuse of the word what. What? )
Spoilered for massive amounts of text:
Spoiler:
The tactical marines of the Heresy are about as bog standard as it gets. They get no Special or Heavy weapons, although the Sergeant can take upgrades, and the trade-off is a) increased squad size, they go from 10-20 men and the second 10 men are cheaper at only 10ppm. They also get Fury of the Legion, which allows them to fire their bolters twice, with the condition that they haven't moved and can't then fire again until the end of your next Shooting Phase.
If you want something more 40k-compatible, you might want to build them as Veteran Tactical Squads. These guys cap at 10 men, and are (as the name implies) a cross between Tacticals (2 Specials/Heavies per 10 men), and Veterans (2 Attacks base, all come with Bolter, Bolt Pistol and CCW, can all take Power Weapons if you wish) and also get to choose from a selection of Special Rules (Fearless, Sniper, Tank Hunters, Furious Charge or Outflank). If you take the 'Pride of the Legion' Rite of War, these guys can be your compulsory Troops, otherwise they're Elites. A VTS in HH terms could easily double as either a Sternguard or Tactical Squad in 40k.
Then you have the Tactical Support Squad. These guys cannot be your compulsory troops, start at 5 men (4 Flamers and a Sarge) and can exchange their Flamers for Rotor Cannons, Volkite Calivers, Plasmas or Meltas. Whichever gun you pick, everyone but the Sarge has to have. These guys are understandably awesome for a HH list, but their crossover use for 40k is limited (unless you use them to equip alternate weapons within your existing squads, then it could work)
Finally for PA options that can be built out of the box, there's the Seeker Squad in Fast Attack. These are basically Tacticals that get Special Issue Ammo (slightly different to the 40k version, but same principle), can equip anyone with a Combi-weapon and get to pick one enemy unit or IC to gain Preferred Enemy against. In 40k terms, they could very easily double as Sternguard,
As far as the Terminators go, well, they're Terminators! In HH, the Cataphractii armour swaps out Relentless for Slow and Purposeful and a 4++, but other than that they're basically the same. Like the Veteran Tactical Marines, they can be taken as a Troops choice with the Pride of the Legion Rite of War.
The Contemptor you may well know about, as it does exist in 40k, let me know if you want some info.
The Praetor is essentially a Captain, but also allows you to take a Rite of War, each of which have specific allowances and drawbacks. These include Orbital Assault (unlocks Drop Pods for everyone who normally gets a Rhino and DS for Terminators, but everything must deploy by DS), Pride of the Legion (PA and TDA vets are Troops, if they are all killed the opponent gets an extra VP, no allies allowed), Armoured Spearhead (Land Raiders as DTs, better Tank Shocks, all Infantry must start mounted in a tank) or Angel's Wrath (Storm Eagles as DTs, Hit'n'Run for jump pack units, everything must be Jump Infantry or begin the game in a Flier or Skimmer) as well as Legion-specific ones.
The Centurion/Consul/Chaplain is pretty much the same as his 40k counterpart.
Hope that's of some help. If you use Battlescribe, there is a HH repository available for that.
The comparison picture is sweet! So much clearer and much closer to actual colour. Just got to push ahead and paint some new stuff ...Or retake all your old photos
GrimDork wrote: That looks good, do you know where they got it? Been considering one for awhile as my DIY attempts have come up lackluster at best.
It looks like this one from amazon.
I have it myself and it's really handy. I dont have a permanent setup, but I really like how I can set up and take down with little effort. I dont normally use the lights that come with it (been meaning to get daylight bulbs for over a year...), I tent to set up next to a window and use natural light.
The name brand is LimoStudio, and The Wife picked it up at Amazon. They come in a few different sizes (mine is 16”) and you can get just the box, or the whole light package. With lights, box, multiple backdrops, and the little tripod, it should be around 45 bucks. I did a quick search to point out the kind of thing I wanted, so there may be other brands/options out there.
The quality feels very mediocre, but acceptable for the price. The lights are mostly lightweight plastic that feel like they won’t take a fall and live, but do crank out the lumens. The whole thing folds up, and the case has pockets for the lights. So for those of you at school living in a dorm, a tiny apartment, or just have to clean up your stuff so the Wife/Kids don’t mess with it, you can pack it away easily.
Thanks for the info Para, very informative. One problem I’m having is not “what’s a legal build” but “what makes for a decent army” I can guess a lot from my 40k experience, but not having the codex, or ever playing a game of 30k, means I’m just guessing a lot. How I plan on using them in 40k might also impact how I paint them. Just more tac squads? Sternguard? Do I want to keep the squads together, or mix some Mk. IV into the rest of the company? Lots of waffling going on.
One thing to bear in mind is that for the most part in 30k you'll basically be facing 3 armies; Legions, all operating from the same core list and 100% PA/TDA/vehicles, AdMech who have a lot of options but are mostly built around tough, shooty units and relatively low model count, and the various human factions that are mostly analogous to IG/MT, only with a few more special tricks and toys. Because of that alone, balance is a lot better than in 40k, and basically if you can build a decent list that covers all the bases you're sorted. Have the tools to deal with GEQ, MEQ, TEQ, MCs and Vehicles and you're set, rather than having to worry about covering specific skew lists like Scatter Lasers All Round Jetbikes or 5-Flyrant Nids or whatever the latest silliness is.
Z: thanks, sorry I didn’t comment before, was posting at the same time and missed yours.
Para: Thanks for the info. I had read that thread before, but kinda glazed over halfway through. Very dense with information. I’ll give it another shot.
Paint:
I just noticed that the WIP pic I took of cato was very blurry, so will have to grab another one. Done with his legs, PP arm, and the backpack. Still need some touchups on the torso (plus the wash) the back banner, and the cape. Chugging right along.
Finished the grav gunner:
Who is also blurry, and I just noticed I need to touch up the krack grenade, as I got some blue on it. Also finished 3 backpacks (one of which stole the focus) so a few swap bits get to leave the paint bench. They are for the VV/AM when they go on foot.
While I generally dislike wrist magnets, I think they might be part of my answer to 30k. In a system where I might need to field a whole slew of guys with specials, or just with bolters, it might be a decent way of maximizing bodies. Not everyone, but I think 5-10 guys might get set up this way. We’ll see.
Paradigm wrote: Magnets might be a good idea for getting the most from BaC, might have to look into that myself.
Is the grav-gunner not getting shoulder trim? Looks good so far, though!
It's been a while since I painted ordinary marines. Vets, honor guard, or other fancy guys get trim, but the rank and file do not. I don't want my RTB01 guys to feel out of place. That said, I'm seriously considering doing gold trim on the HH guyys. Or white. Not sure.
Once I actually have them in my hands I'm going to have to come to some sort of decision on a lot of things.
Looks like the light box thing was a good move. I've been considering one for myself for a while now, but it never seems to make it to the top of the 'need' list.
Gitsplitta wrote:You need to do some edge highlighting on those marines Nev. It'll make that blue pop right off the screen.
Highlighting is one of those things I know I should do, but don’t. For a similar reason to why I don’t do colored rims on my shoulder pads: Consistency. I don’t want the newly painted guys to look out of place next to the old ones. Although to be honest with myself, there is a healthy dollop of laziness in there as well. Any yes, I realize that it’s holding me back, and I could do better. I think with the 30k stuff I don’t need to worry as much about consistency, so might try to push a little further then I normally do.
evildrcheese wrote:Looks like the light box thing was a good move. I've been considering one for myself for a while now, but it never seems to make it to the top of the 'need' list.
EDC
That’s what made it such a perfect gift. Something I needed, but wouldn’t buy for myself. Because let’s face it, we’d rather spend money on more minis, rather then mini-related accessories. I’m not a big fan of asking for minis for gifts anyway. The Wife doesn’t really need to know how much they cost, and a lot of the things on my wish list are “another XX” which feels silly to ask for. The price was quite reasonable as well.
So I went up to the FLGS last night, try to get a game in. The regular crew was playing (or trying to) Dropzone Commander. So no 40k last night. That’s not the part I’m grumbling about. Saturday will be the last day my FLGS of the last few years will be open. I don’t blame the owner Mark for closing his doors. He recently got married, and picked up a normal job for the steady paycheck. That job, plus the effort in managing the store were eating up too much of his time and energy, but he kept it up for as long as he could. But it does mean I’m hobby homeless again.
There are a number of options locally though, I just need to check them out and pick one. The regulars also said they enjoyed playing, and would invite me to some basement 40k, as my table is not the only one lurking in a basement upstate. One problem with playing in homes is the lack of new blood and different armies/playstyles. Still need to find a new FLGS. Grimfoe Games is south of me about the same distance as the Goblin was north, and I know some of the guys from down there. They tend to play a more competitive game then I prefer, but are a solid bunch of guys. There is another store to the north that didn’t have a lot of play in store, but they might be fixing that. We’ll see.
I’ll still be collecting and painting, but my little battle reports might be a little fewer and far between. Still grabbing the HH:BaC this weekend.
For year end bookkeeping: I grabbed 3 pots of paint yesterday, ~$12
Booo. Bummer. I've never had a good 'local' gamestore myself, gotta go an hour south or west to find anything. There's a new place around but only useful if I wanna play magic or (noun)'clix.
So while mostly jealous, I do feel your pain. Good luck with finding somewhere cool to hang out and battle with your multitudinous marines
Thanks guys. I’m sure it will be fine. I’ve lived through gaming droughts before, where getting two games in a year was a major victory. I’ve got options, it’s just I like comfortable ruts, so shifting around is never fun.
But enough griping! Paint:
Last pic has a bit more WIP done then the earlier ones. So the good captain is progressing. I was debating doing a white, or at least white-lined cape, but decided against. So I’m defaulting back to my red accent color, even though he’s the captain of the 2nd company. Did use some yellow on the banner though. Hate yellow. I really should pick up a pot of one that can cover worth a damn. To fix a little slop from the green wash on the banner I ended up mixing some of the base paint white with a touch of yellow. While the color was off and needed another coat of pure yellow, at least it hid the darker paint underneath.
The last supply drop from Dirty Goblin Games:
(The paints were actually from Wed, but I wanted to get them pictured for my records)
The WD was not something I would normally pick up, but I got it for free. Actually not a bad issue. It was mostly about the new paints, but included one page painting guides for each of the types of paint. So while I might not benefit from a one page spread on how to drybrush, it would be useful for people starting out.
But the HH box is the big winner here. And the source of much debate in my mind. I read the rules, rather then just picking up the clippers and glue and tucking in. Some mad purist part of me wants to be sure the game is playable with the minis it came with. This is crazy silly, as I’m painting everyone blue. But the WYSWYG guy in me is having little fits, and has roped the “what if?” worrier of the future onto his side. Mostly for if GW releases dataslates for the captain, I’d like to have him available. But if I want to play the game in the box, what gear should I equip? And in a shocking revelation, I found that GW actually balanced things out pretty well. I know this is blasphemous even to mention, but if 40k got the AoS treatment, it could do worse then having this as a base.
My plan on seeing the character sprues originally was to take the combi-melta off the TDA captain and replace it with a lightning claw. Not that a c-melta is a bad pick, but a LC/chainfist TDA captain struck me as a very lethal blender, while I already have plenty of “meh” jack-of-all-trade HQs. I just don’t have any squads that need one more melta shot to add to their firepower in TDA. And if I don’t need the TDA, I’ll take an artificer armored captain. I’ll still probably attempt this one, even though as arm swaps go it’s not an easy one.
I was going to do a pistol swap for the chaplain’s plasma to a bolt pistol. PPs are just massively overpriced. But it just looks so darn cool, it gets to stay. There is also the question of if I paint him as a captain, or as a chaplain. It’s not like I particularly need more of either. As this is a paint issue, I can punt it downstream. Leaning towards captain though.
Dread looks easy to magnetize. Going to be stuck with the SB built into the fist, as there is no option to swap, and kitbashing my own would be a bear. I’ll probably glue the fist arm on, as there is no option in the box to replace it, This will probably bite me later, if they come out with a full line of plastic contemptor parts. But these arms are not the simple peg fit of the old dreads, and there is a limit to what I’m willing to magnetize on an off chance.
Terminators I’m torn on. On the shelf I’ve already got a dozen tactical terminators, but only 5 assaults. So giving them all LCs is very tempting. This would put me one LRR/C shy of the Strike Force Ultra formation, but also balance the shelf out a little. But I do like some TH/SS guys mixed into my assault squads, so would I ever actually field a pure claw unit? In my LR they would do OK if I just wanted to blend MEQ. Probably good in 30k. But for a 450+ point box of pain, I generally need it to deal with stuff tougher then just some MEQs. The combi bolters and fists do look quite cool, and from a visual/modeling POV I’d prefer to go with them (not that the LCs are bad) but do I really need more tac terminators? Even if they are capheract ones? I should do some research into 30k terminators and see if that makes any difference. As I rarely field more then 5 termis in a game, it’s not like these guys are filling a vital role on the shelf.
I think the PA guys are just going to be formed up into 3 conventional tac squads. Or vet tac squads for 30k use. Gear is a little fuzzy. I’m leaning towards HB/F, c-flamer; HB/plasma, c-plasma, ML/F, BP/CCW for the last. I just can’t help myself. I’ve got shelves full of missile launcher flamer squads, and a half dozen bolt pistol & chainsword sarges who’ve been swapped out for more efficient builds. But it’s so iconic And I can’t just let those awesome retro MLs rot in my bitsbox, I need to build at least one. I will be putting a chunk of magnets into these guys. I do think I’ll do all the specials at the wrist, pain though that be. I’ll also probably do two of the bolter boys as well, just so I have 5 Mk. IV guys who can take any gun. Probably just glue the combi sarges together. Part of me want them to be fully swappable, but I think that might end up being a little more work then needed. I’ve got lots of options these days. I’ll probably set the CC sarge up for a duel arm swap. Most of my sarges just have one arm done for the combi, but I could use one more versatile sarge.
Now I still have some spare marines unbuilt that have been waiting for a purpose in life. Might be down to 4 sets of legs, my traditional limiting factor. One of these guys is going to get the last combi weapon as a c-melta and join the sternguard. That should be the last guy I need to top off the second squad. I’ll do a check on torsos and heads left over from the new tac squads I had picked up to see if I have any of the older armor marks left on the sprue. Not that I need them, but I might build another ML just for the retro-ness of it. I might also take some of the extra options from the Calth spures and magnetize them up for use on the vanguard. Some of the CC options are pretty sweet.
Sorry for the stream of consciousness wall of text. Getting that down helped me sort out my thoughts, even if it doesn’t answer everything. One of the reasons I blog. Still appreciate any ideas or feedback from you guys.
I don't know if it helps you at all, but in the full HH game, Termies can mix Assault and Tactical weapons at will, so you could go with, say, 3 with LCs, one Flamer and one chainfist for if you get an opportune shot at a tank or to ID someone in the face. In 30k, LCs are probably pretty lethal, just because it's Power Armour everywhere.
The game itself does look decent, especially for something that's a little easier to set up, teach and run than full-blown 40k. My plan is to grab a couple of CSM boxes to add to the Word Bearers I did earlier this year to fill out the Chaos half, and soldier on with BaC as a single force.
2015/11/15 14:06:35
Subject: Nevelon’s Workbench: HH:BaC built thoughts
Paradigm wrote: I don't know if it helps you at all, but in the full HH game, Termies can mix Assault and Tactical weapons at will, so you could go with, say, 3 with LCs, one Flamer and one chainfist for if you get an opportune shot at a tank or to ID someone in the face. In 30k, LCs are probably pretty lethal, just because it's Power Armour everywhere.
The game itself does look decent, especially for something that's a little easier to set up, teach and run than full-blown 40k. My plan is to grab a couple of CSM boxes to add to the Word Bearers I did earlier this year to fill out the Chaos half, and soldier on with BaC as a single force.
I had heard that for the 30k side, and it just makes things harder. While some of the local guys do play 30k, I’d rather not build a unit that can only be used exclusively there. It would be easier if they were the same base as my old terminators, so I could mix and match for fun, but as these are the only 40mms on the shelf, they need to fly solo.
I guess I could look into how easy it would be to magnetize them, but I’ve a feeling it’s going to be a lot of work. 5 guys, both arms, nor sure how well the shoulders line up. I can poke around this morning and check.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Ok, both HQs done. I did end up chopping the c-melta off. Clean enough that I can probably reuse it later, which is a plus. Claws look not bad. I took pics, will upload later.
On problem with them is how many bits to leave them in to prime and paint. The PA guy is in two, but the TDA is in four. More then I like, but the way he was built getting paint on his face was going to be imposible unless I left him in that many parts.
Working on the dread now. I'm a little worried about the torque on the ball and socket arm joins. Just straight magnets might result in droopy arm syndrome. I might have to add some sort of pin/tab.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Dread mostly done. Once the glue has set, I'm going to go over him again to smooth things out a bit. Those seems down the legs...
3mm magnets seem to work fine on the arm with nothing extra needed.
I did take a ten minute break while putting him together. While cleaning the claw I was rewarded with the dreaded "tink, tink..." sound of a dropped bit going on a walkabout. Found it behind my computer desk.
After the cleanup pass I need to decide if I'm going to bother putting a magnet up top so he can use a CML. It's not a hard thing to retrofit if I want to do it later, but I've got the hardware out now.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Dread is pretty straight forward. Fist arm is just tacked on for the pic. Went together quick and easy. I decided against the CML magnet, as the best spot to put it would require drilling into detail. I can just tack a launcher up there if I want to field it.
Captains having a bit of a stand-off. I was thinking about assigning them companies. The chaplain/captain/PA guy would be a nice fit for the master of rites, Cpt. Epathus. Unfortunately, that’s the reserve company that uses bikes most of the time, so an identity that my bike captain uses. Oh well. The captains can have it out for companies once they are all painted.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2015/11/15 17:31:21
Normally I wait for more in the prime box to break out the rattle can, but when Mother Nature tosses me a calm, sunny, mid-50s day at this point in the year, I’m not going to squander it. If I build more and it’s this nice tomorrow, I’ll just break the can out again. Not sure what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, but I do know today.
So two captains, the dread, and an odd RT eldar that somehow found his way in there. I think he was one of the victims of the bad prime batch a few years ago, and was sitting around waiting. He’ll eventually get the same paint job as the Fire Dragons.
Sweet! You actually got the box then!
I was in the LGS last night, and noticed their display of it. Really nice looking models. It made me want to buy it, seeing them in person. I love the Captain, too. I'm looking forward to seeing you progress with it.
Are you doing it all Ultra's or properly?
Gitsplitta wrote:What a great selection of models! Those should be really fun to paint!
Zambro wrote:Sweet! You actually got the box then!
I was in the LGS last night, and noticed their display of it. Really nice looking models. It made me want to buy it, seeing them in person. I love the Captain, too. I'm looking forward to seeing you progress with it.
Are you doing it all Ultra's or properly?
The minis are incredible. And this is from someone who’s not the biggest fan of either Mk. IV or the conteptor dread. But it’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun putting guys together.
They are all going to join the Ultramarines. Which is doing it properly. What kind of filthy heretic do you think I am? (As an aside, despite my love of slaneesh and nurgle in WHFB, my inner 40k heretic is a blood and skulls kinda guy. Not that you heard me admit that)
I figure if I want to play the game properly, I’ll drag out some of my old Blood Angels as the OpForce. I’ve got the old toothy dread, a tac squad or two, and I’m sure some sort of HQ could be found to fit. The apothecary might work well. And seeing how the most recent model in my BA force dates from 2nd ed, they are mostly era appropriate as well.
Just a little process piece on how I work. When putting squads together, I normally do 4-5 guys at a time. Sometimes the sarge gets singled out, other times he joins the lineup.
Before I get the nice mat with the grid, I just chucked the parts into the blisters. Now I give each bit a square, so I can see who’s gotten what. This is more relevant when they aren’t all just bolter brothers, and I want to make sure the head with the targeter goes with the special weapon for example. Once all the bits are cut, they go into the blisters
Next step is to clean the bits up. Dump blister on the table, clean, put clean parts back into the blister. Repeat. Try to maintain momentum.
(still on this step for the 5 guys pictured)
Then back to the fun part. Assembling the marines. First is glueing both halves of the torso together, and the legs to the base. Torsos get a second clean up pass once the glue dries, to hide the seam. Then I start the posing, aided with some poster tac, to get them where I’d like. Sometimes new bits are cut and cleaned, if things don’t work out. Or left off. I try to get as much glued as I can, but still be able to paint. So often bolters, arms, backpacks, or the like might not be glued on. Then everything gets dumped into the to-prime box (keeping each mini’s bits separate) to wait for a clear day.
As I was cutting the bits for these guys, they had something to say. These were veterans. They wanted to look the part. I’m giving them all the swords (love that bit, and the fact it hangs off the backpack) and pouches, grenades, etc. Might give them all pistols as well, we’ll see how cluttered they get when I actually start assembling. But I want clutter on these guys. They are going to be the HB/F squad. They need to be aggressively deployed and get stuck in. With that in mind, they are going to get the CC sarge, and the C-flamer I had originally planned is going to move over to the ML/F squad.
I already dug around a bit for some spare pouches in the bits box, but when I do the sarge I need to grab the Mk IV vet helmet from the VV kit. I should see how much work it would be to move the crest over to it.
That is a far more organised method that mine, which is:
1) Get Sprues
2) Get Clippers and Knife
3) Take Clippers and Knife to Sprue
4) Make it up as I go along from here on out!
2015/11/17 14:53:28
Subject: Nevelon’s Workbench: HH:BaC built thoughts and progress (HQs, dread)
Paradigm wrote: That is a far more organised method that mine, which is:
1) Get Sprues
2) Get Clippers and Knife
3) Take Clippers and Knife to Sprue
4) Make it up as I go along from here on out!
If I’m doing a one-off character, I do work closer to that system. But when putting squads together I want to make sure I’ve got variety in there. I try to make sure everyone has a different pouch/accessory to give them something unique, and I’m not using the same arms on all the guys. If I’ve got a limited selection of cool things to spread out, I try to make sure everyone gets something. This was important when I was putting together my first set of vanguard vets. I added an assault marine to the mix to stretch the box, and wanted to get a jump captain out of it as well as the 5 VV. So I needed to make sure that the captain got plenty of cool stuff, but that no one vet had too many “plain” AM bits.
Ultramarines, 3rd Co. and friends, 16k+ 
4k 
4k Points
Competition Index
...Or retake all your old photos 
What kind of filthy heretic do you think I am? 
(As an aside, despite my love of slaneesh and nurgle in 
