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Hello everyone, and welcome to my first painting/converting blog on Dakka Dakka.

After collecting and modelling Imperial Guard for longer than I care to remember, this summer I decided a change was in order, towards something spikier, faster and more close combat based. I chose Dark Eldar after reading an excellent tactica here on Dakka, and also after seeing the great range of models... and the great opportunities for conversions.

I'm an enthusiastic converter, and as I'm sure lots of you feel the same way when I say I love the concept of making the models truly personalised and uniquely mine- I love the idea of nobody else having versions of models quite like my own.

I knew from the start that I wanted to buck Dark Eldar trends and go for a bright paint scheme that wasn't black with additional colour, or the ever common sky blue DE. I decided my primary colour would be off-white (Pallid Wych Flesh) with pink and purple as supplementary colours. All metals would be bronze-based, to offset the white.

After this I drew up my first DE 1500pt list as a target to work towards, and in brief here it is:

Archoness, 4 Incubi retinue, Venom
5 Incubi, Venom,
10 kabalites, Raider,
10 Wracks, Haemonculus escort, Raider
10 Wyches, Raider
10 Wyches, Raider
2 Ravagers, all dark lances

First off then, in order to gain some spare parts for conversions, I bought the kabalite box-set. I wanted my DE to be themed along a slightly less evil, slightly more rogue Eldar pirates theme. I toyed with the idea of using the Corsair list in Imperial Armour 11, but in the end went with staying pure Dark Eldar. To help reduce the number of evil pointy helmets, I used Wood Elf Glade Guard Hooded Heads, kindly donated by my flat-mate. The results of the first 5 painted and converted are below:


Stay tuned for regular updates!! I'm getting a Raider next, with the aim of using both aethersails rather than just one, moving the dark lance and modelling something to represent splinter racks.

All questions, comments and advice welcome, there's plenty of room for improvement in my painting.

Well, when you said you wanted a different color, you meant serious business. Never saw such a DE color combination before

That idea of using Wood Elf heads, wow, so simple and yet it made such a huge difference. Something I notice is their dark skin. Going for a drow look?

Regardless, like it a lot so far

Thanks!

Yeah I figured with all the ceramic white on the body armour, I needed a dark skin tone: drow is definitely the right idea, I was actually looking to imitate the dark elves on Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance 2- the cover elf especially.

Its built up from a black base with layered greys.

Got the Raider assembled this afternoon! This will carry the kabalites, and thus has a few splinter rifles glued to the railings to represent splinter racks.

I didn't want to add too many of the spikes and additional parts, as I imagined these Kabalites favouring a sleek and pared down look. Also the spikes and gory trophies will be stored away for use on the Wracks Raider, which I hope will take on the appearance of Reaver transports from Firefly

The most obvious conversions here are moving the Dark Lance forward to sit on the prow ram, and squeezing both sails in using the freed up space- cue comparisons to Jabba's Sail Barge!! I wanted to have two sails just because I think it makes the Raider look more like a skimmer which could actually fly at a fair pace.

I have some pics below, as always comments welcome. For future paint scheme, I was thinking a fade from bottom to top of the hull from purple through pink to white- if I dare! It could all go horribly wrong.

You'll also notice a lack of crew- I'm saving them to convert an Archoness and Incubi bodyguards. The models hanging on to the side of the Raider should provide some interesting angles in which to place spears and swords, lots of movement in the models. Pics to follow soon, stay posted!

 Scoundrel13 wrote:


I didn't want to add too many of the spikes and additional parts, as I imagined these Kabalites favouring a sleek and pared down look. Also the spikes and gory trophies will be stored away for use on the Wracks Raider, which I hope will take on the appearance of Reaver transports from Firefly

The most obvious conversions here are moving the Dark Lance forward to sit on the prow ram, and squeezing both sails in using the freed up space- cue comparisons to Jabba's Sail Barge!! I wanted to have two sails just because I think it makes the Raider look more like a skimmer which could actually fly at a fair pace.

Wait, wait, wait... you are mixing elements from Firefly, Star Wars and Drow elves all in the same army?

 Scoundrel13 wrote:

I have some pics below, as always comments welcome. For future paint scheme, I was thinking a fade from bottom to top of the hull from purple through pink to white- if I dare! It could all go horribly wrong.

You'll also notice a lack of crew- I'm saving them to convert an Archoness and Incubi bodyguards. The models hanging on to the side of the Raider should provide some interesting angles in which to place spears and swords, lots of movement in the models. Pics to follow soon, stay posted!

Hum, it's a neat idea. Remember that to improve yourself and yer models practice and experiments must be made! And if you hate the look you can paint over it not that much of a problem when you thin your paints.

Archoness + Incubi also sounds very good to me. Love the incubi models and now that I am reading the "Path of the Incubus" I have to resist so much the urge of buying a pack of Incubis to paint.

I have a small bucketful of darkies sitting around gathering dust, so I've got a soft spot for the evil things.

This is neat. Keep it up. Will be watching.

Thanks Grimdork, I'll bear in mind your watchful gaze

DraconicLord, I think we're of the same mind lol

I love dark eldar (and drow too actually) but I've never come up with a scheme or theme I'm happy with so I must live vicariously through better painters and modelers such as yourself.

@DraconicLord- buy those Incubi!! They are great-looknig models. Being a student and (stereotype being fulfilled) fairly poor, if the (usually stingy) GW Raider set gives me 4 spare torsos and legs which should be useless Raider "crew", I clap my hands with glee and steal them away like a good Haemonculus to convert into useful unit models. If you paint up Incubi I'll definitely come see!!

@GrimDork- I'm literally falling in love with the models as I buy them, not since the renovated fantasy Chaos Warriors came out have I drooled so much over models. I keep scrolling to that profile Raider pic... and I'm really quite flattered, I consider myself a "neat" painter rather than inspired. So thank you

Those extra models are half the reason I even got a new raider kit! They make fine trueborn next to 3rd end warriors.

Occasionally I make a neat conversion but I've always been a dark/messy painter and consider myself more paint by numbers mechanical than artistic. Elf armies lend themselves to proficient painters so I like to leave such projects to talented individuals such as yourself.

New incubi rock however I have a pair of asdrubaels trench coat incubi and those win for me.

Ah, thanks for the vote of confidence I know I won't be able to resist them forever, I love the Dark Eldar models. I desire to paint almost all of them. The Mandrakes are a another good example. They have to be one of my favorite models of all time. A pity their rules suck, I would love to see more armies fielding them.

A quick update before I run off the the dentist- I present two home-made conversion Incubi!

torso/body from Raider riders

Head from kabalite set

weapon shaft, chaos marauder horsemen

weapon blade, chaos warrior

cloaks, wood elf glade guard

Archoness to follow shortly!! She's shaping up very well.

Ok, I like them a lot but I can't help but find strange to see leafs on an Incubus Those are some hardcore tree-huggers

One sugestion. I have absolutely no idea what gear Incubus can equip but since you are using a gigantic pole with a blade attached, you could go the "fluff" route. Make it a Punisher!

The Punisher, a two-handed power weapon resembling a halberd, manufactured in such a way as to assist the wielder when swinging, effectively increasing the strength of their attacks.

If you could attach an axe head on top of the pole you could get a very close resemblance to an halberd.

TDL: punishers ftw. The only thing I don't like about new incubi is the klaives. Its a neat idea but I was sold on punishers from 3e on.

Now that i've had the chance to look at them on a big screen (hard to see on the phone, really), I think those are pretty neat. The power pole-arm and cape helps distinguish them from normal darkies. Perhaps a modification to the color scheme will help them further stand out? Though now I do realize that they have helmets and your other guys have hoods, so there's that

Keep them coming!

@ DraconicLord, glad you like them, and yeah shaving off those leaves in a clean way is beyond my powers I'm afraid :/ And I like the Punisher route! I have two more to make when I buy another Raider set, so I could have two with sword-polearms, two with axe pole-arms.

@GrimDork, Yeah I plan them to have essentially reversed colour schemes- black ceramic armour with purple highlights, bone white capes and possible bone'white helmets as well. Only the Incubi will be black armoured, to underscore their status as veterans. They will also match the Archoness, who I plan to be black-armoured with pink thorny floral pattern flowing over the armour plates- we'll see how this turns out! It may end up just as pink highlighting on black armour.

Sounds good, they're a neat unit and deserve to stand out.

 Scoundrel13 wrote:
@ DraconicLord, glad you like them, and yeah shaving off those leaves in a clean way is beyond my powers I'm afraid :/

Ah, worry not, it just makes them more unique. You can apply all sorts of crazy hues on those leafs to show they aren't your typical green plants

Update! I've just finished the 5 other hooded drow kabalites, and I'm pretty happy with the overall look of the unit.

The kabalite with the splinter cannon has, in order to stand out a little, a head from the Marauder horsemen box-set.

Send me your thoughts!!


PS, Archoness is assembled, pics to follow soon. I'm really happy with it!

Yep, still looking great. Looking forward to seeing the boss lady.

Love the conversions that you're doing, and the raider looks great!

Looking forward to seeing the finished incubi and the archoness!

Definantly subbing, as said prior the hoods are so simple yet so effective, as is the paint job Looking forward to seeing how it progresses I noticed the clan markings, are they your own design (sorry I don't know much about DE insignia), if so have you got any fluff in mind??

@ GrimDork and SilentEcho- Thanks for the encouragement! Work has begun on painting the Archoness, I should be finished by Monday night. I didn't want to take away from the impact of the model by showing her just sprayed. doesn't do the model justice

@j29reborn, Thanks and yeah, the clan marking is my own design. As DE are quite competitive and rivally, I was planning to have each squad have its own clan marking, as I imagine the eldar band together into small hedonistic groups of 5 to 10. The markings I plan to have swirling on the Raider are taken from Mycenaean Linear B tablets, a nod to my Ancient History degree

Not really sure on fluff yet, apart from them being not true DE; they are more like outcasts or corsairs, neutral Eldar thrown out of the Craftworldsthat haven't sunk to Commorragh's depths yet, so I can probably tie them to a planet, a base of operations. This neutrality may manifest itself as an Eldar allied detachment further down the line.

That first squad is looking great but what I really to see is that Archoness

Archoness update-- I'm still painting! Most of today was taken up with dissertation work, and tbh its been difficult to be inside painting, as summer has hit London like a lascannon to the chops. However, I think I'm still on track to finish tonight. maybe. Or tomorrow morning.

 Scoundrel13 wrote:
Archoness update-- I'm still painting! Most of today was taken up with dissertation work, and tbh its been difficult to be inside painting, as summer has hit London like a lascannon to the chops. However, I think I'm still on track to finish tonight. maybe. Or tomorrow morning.

AH, weakling. Try a Lascannon of 41ºC (and in some areas 46ºC according to some) like here in Lisbon

No excuses, I wanna see that Archoness!

Ok, here she is, my baby, my Archoness. I've sunk about 10 hours converting and painting into her, and I'm finally satisfied with the result

Rough back story; she was a Harlequin earlier in life, thus the chequered pattern, and she retains her athletic prowess, as demonstrated by the leaping pose!!

Almost all of the parts you see here are taken from the Raider box-set- proof that these conversions really are simple, and anyone can do them! Only the power sword isn't from the set, and that comes from the sister kabalite set. Oh, and the pelisse/ cloak, which I believe is from an old, old Empire Knights of Ulfric plastic set.

I had to use a piece of stone and a little bit of plastic chaff to get her at the right leaping angle, and I will have to be very careful with her, she's very fragile, already snapped off her footing once.

The chequered pattern was a bitch to paint!! Its bleached bone with pallid wych flesh highlight, over plain Xereus purple.

The weapon metal sheen I'm particularly happy with, its warplock bronze, then drybrushed balthazar gold, then a lighter gold, then edged with chainmail.

I like the contrasting blue hair, and this effect will be repeated on my two squads of ten wyches.

Send me your thoughts and comments as always, and DraconicLord, your comments have kept me painting into the night to finish!! Thanks for the encouragement.


Next up, I'll begin work on her Incubi bodyguards.

That is a pretty sweet model. It seems like the yellowish light is washing out some of your details/color, but I think I can see what you did, and its nice.

She's a very dynamic model. It would be a pleasure to have her slaughter hordes of my space marines or not-guardsmen

Hahaha, fantastic! That checkered pattern may have been a bitch to paint but it was worth it, it adds so much more flavor to her!

The weapons also look very good, all that work really payed off because it really doesn't look like a "flat" and "bland" pure gold.

Like GrimDork said that model looks very dynamic. I can't imagine my poor Necrons being able to catch her

Oh, and if you can, don't paint all the wyches with blue hair! The awesome thing is how dark eldar can vary so much! Blues, Greens, Reds, Pinks, and since you are doing some drows, well, ye better have one or two with white hair

That pattern looks great! Very fitting with the past you've given her.
Also like the addition of the cape.
There's not alot I can say that hasn't already been said, she's very fluid looking.
The time you've put into her definitely shows, and was worth it!

Loving the Archon, it really stands out especially since it's so different to everything else, and dem checks man great job