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Howdy everyone.

While I also have IG, the amount of time it would take to paint up a full 1500 points with what I have has led me to redo my first army (because I got it cheap), ye olde Space Marines.

I had a run almost a decade ago where I had a lot of difficulty getting moving along on the painting, which ended in a short lived paint scheme for my Space Cows that I was able to complete for a tourney shortly before I put the game on hold and did other things. I found out shortly after that the reason that I got a headache each time I painted was because of a combination of attempting perfection and needing some glasses as I was straining to look at the fine details.

So this was my crappy attempt at a cohesive force back then, themed the Space Cows because the other players liked to complain that SM were cheese, so what better to bring the cheese than cows.



Ok, goats were an option too but they don't have the iconic black and white look.

So since that horrible first attempt, I've stripped the infantry, I sold off the CC Termies and picked up some other bits. I started painting the infantry that was in the best shape after stripping, the Black Reach squad with a stand in bolter squad leader and then some new DV models. I have some more models ready to go once I perfect my paint stripping skills to get the last of the primer down to a reasonable level. My new approach is to to the squads mainly in red and bronze, with the vehicles carrying the black and white dairy theme.

So I present Space Cows v2

The dreads will follow the same theme as the old cows, although at some point I plan on adding horns and maybe udders or truck nuts. I have not yet updated what I call Fat Joe (he leans back) who was a shelter rescue. I may or may not strip him and start over at some point, but leaving him alone matches the new theme. He is the one in the middle.

I am painting up the MM/CC from AoBR arms, but I plan on making Rifleman arms for all of my Dreads eventually. The third has a couple of left arms to show the effect.



Then I have a mishmash of Rhino Chassis, the Predator turret was glued by the same kid that made Fat Joe so I converted it from a Baal to a Predator with AC and put the Stormbolter as a coax. The ML is magnetized as a hunter-killer and I'll be making magnetized lascannon and HB sponsons. The Whirlwind is unchanged, but I'm making a Rhino roof for it and may end up making it modular as a Predator as well at some point. I also have an unpainted Rhino Chassis that is in good shape around here somewhere.



As noted above, I have the AoBR squad and the DV squads. I'll post up the rest as I get them fully stripped and painted.



I was using the AoBR squad leader as a captain until I converted and painted up the actual captain. Go go cow shoulder!




Then we have some Terminators, because I have them, thats why. I left these alone, but I have five others who I did magnetize the arms of that I will paint up eventually.





Have I mentioned the DV models? Here's some WIP bikes with all the wings cut off. I tried to shave the Dark Angels shoulder pad on mr. purple robes as the test, but I clearly don't have that skill yet which is why I left it on the rest.



Now for some other stuff. I am in the process of magnetizing the bases for easier transport, here you can see the Termies are held to my metal sheet even when the tackle box is held sideways. I will probably need some stronger magnets for the larger vehicle, and I will eventually remove one of the shelves and magnetize the top layer for more infantry up top.



And here's some random in progress or finished models. The black armor was a test case for a different scheme that I didn't like before I settled on the red and Bronze. I did not paint the psyker from DV, that was a friend that I recently introduced to the hobby who is already a far better painter than I.




Upcoming in future posts, finishing the models already started, maybe expanding the Space Cows, and my initial models for Imperial Guard or whatever they are called nowadays. Or maybe some terrain, I'm still trying to decide what to work on after/before I get the touch ups done.

I tried to make the Captain's greenstuff base into a rusty iron rich rock, but I don't think I pulled it off. The obvious thumbprint isn't helping things either.


I also have a plethora of old style plasma pistols and bolters, so I'm giving it a few goes on trying to make a decent looking combiplasma. I don't think this one worked because it is too obviously a pistol strapped to a bolter, but I think repositioning the backend might make this a possibility. That or doubling the length of the plasma section.


As I noted in the first post, I have a start on some IG. The following were completed before I decided to go all out on the SM to at least 1500 points, and I will transition over to mainly Guard to 1500 and after that I will complete whatever tickles my fancy at the time to expand both armies. If I remember correctly, I have around 3k points of IG at 5th ed prices although I don't know how much the most recent IG codex has shifted the costs. I have around 120+ infantry models, a couple of hellhounds/chimeras, a basilisk, three or four Leman Russes, and 4 or so sentinals. Only the sentinals and some of the infantry have paint on them.

I think I have settled on a blue and gray scheme, as my original blue and black (where the gray is now) was too dark to see the details with my approach. I've seen some really good black with highlights elsewhere, but I haven't successfully pulled it off enough to do a whole army of infantry. Here is the new scheme prior to washes, the mix of skin tones is intentional.


The one in the bottom right here has roughly the correct amount of wash I'm going for, although I need to paint his rifle black like the rest. The other three are a bit heavy on the Nuln Oil. Hot damn I need to set up a light box.



And finally, my five year old daughter likes to paint with me so I let her have a go at the extra models from starter kits that I don't have plans for. I think she needs to thin down her paints.

LOL, love the Space Cow dreds.

Yay progress!

I've finished the Bikers except for the backpacks, which I think look funny on Bikers so I will add them at some point in the future when I feel like it. I think the purple worked well for the cloak on the squad leader, and the bikes





I finished the main body of the Predator, I don't think my drybrushing on the black was as effective as I had hoped and main does my white look patchy. Ah well, I just found a better paint stripper and since this think was a rescue anyway I have the sudden urge to strip it again after a few games. I'm going to resist the urge so I can get some other stuff done.



Between painting, which I enjoy the least, I decided I would see if I could kitbash a Heavy Flamer for my Tactical Squads for double flamer goodness. Unfortunately, after making the following progress I checked and found out that Tactical Squads can't take Heavy Flamers...




I really like how it is turning out, so I may see if I can use it as a proxy for a multi-melta, or something to that effect.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 ZultanQ wrote:
LOL, love the Space Cow dreds.

I think they were the first ones to get the treatment, and I think they look the best of the vehicles with the pattern. Thanks!

This is awesome.

I demand you include a MOO!

i demand cow pat mines.

Use some chaos helmets with horns and some nose rings!

Sternguard can take HFs, so you might want to work up some veteran cows. Aged beef. Nice conversion on that.

Fun concept. The Minotours are a chapter with some FW stuff for them IIRC. You might be able to get some cow headed stuff from there.

thenoobbomb wrote:This is awesome.

I demand you include a MOO!

Yay for allies!

twchdyn wrote:i demand cow pat mines.

Can the Whirlwind still drop minefields? If not, that could be some random terrain feature...

Jehan-reznor wrote:Use some chaos helmets with horns and some nose rings!

I may have a couple of helmets laying around for use on some future squad leaders.

Nevelon wrote:Sternguard can take HFs, so you might want to work up some veteran cows. Aged beef. Nice conversion on that.

Fun concept. The Minotours are a chapter with some FW stuff for them IIRC. You might be able to get some cow headed stuff from there.

They are a spinoff of the Minotaurs but more hokey, I think I have some old fluff posted to that effect. I'm not sure how to represent aged beef, although Sternguard cloaks give more space for the old black and white pattern...

I couldn't help but think 'moo' when I looked at those dreads

I wonder, do they hail from the planet Mulgore? XD

I love the idea, and the pattern turned out pretty cool, I like the look of your force overall.

The apothecary needs to have a bloody apron, one of those paper hats from steak and shake and be wielding a spatula to flip the dead over when they are well done . Paint his little collection bottles on his hips to look like ketchup and mustard while your at it.

 Theophony wrote:
The apothecary needs to have a bloody apron, one of those paper hats from steak and shake and be wielding a spatula to flip the dead over when they are well done . Paint his little collection bottles on his hips to look like ketchup and mustard while your at it.

And the chaplain, who’s job it is to make sure the herd stays true, needs a cattle prod for a crozius.

 Theophony wrote:
The apothecary needs to have a bloody apron, one of those paper hats from steak and shake and be wielding a spatula to flip the dead over when they are well done . Paint his little collection bottles on his hips to look like ketchup and mustard while your at it.

I don't know if I'll go quite as far as the paper hat as a permanent piece, but that could be something to magnetize for a head swap.

The colored bottles though, are a possibility.

Nevelon wrote:And the chaplain, who’s job it is to make sure the herd stays true, needs a cattle prod for a crozius.

This may work for the Techmarine, since he gets the big animals (vehicles) moving. That could be in his left hand...