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The "Canaries" - Yellowline Trucking Co
Ever expanding into new territories and potentital mining prospects, Jago Kane's Yellowline trucking Co. needs protection. As well as his own sub-fleet of former Navy pilots to protect his space-bourne assets, he also has his own private military contractors to secure his mining, trucking and other money-making schemes first hand.
The 'Canaries' got thier name from their primary role. entering, Asteroid-mines, hulks and other condemned structures and cleaning it out of any dangers, be it structural, geological, enviromental or even the elimimination of the occasional genestealer or ork infestations, as well as the eagre discouragement of any other would-be prospectors who had the audacity to get there first.
Essentially, they go into the nastiest, scariest and most dangerous of places where noone else dare set foot. If they come out alive and with most of thier original apendages intact, Jago knows its ok to send the "important" people in.
As such, the Canaries are recruited from the hardest, tougest and most fearless, ruthless induviduals imaginable. Motivated by a good wage and an almost psychotic buzz for danger, its rumoured that death-row inmates, pit-slave gladiators and even guard deserters are among his staff.
however, rumors aside they get the job done. And thats enough for Jago.
Sporting the best voidsuits, extra-atmospheric breathing and stabilising gear and carapace-armour that good-money can buy, as well as armed with enough firepower to boot, they are often mistaken for astartes on some of the more backwater planets they visit. A misaprehention Kane is more than happy to exploit....



Trooper Lantash - of the YLT co. "Canaries"

Yup! new project.
Something I've been meaning to do but never quite got round to till now.
This is based on one of BigMrTong's "knifton" marines.
An absolutely amazing set of minis based on both the pre-rtb01 metal marines and the artwork of Pete Knifton. A stunning combo resulting in an almost orgasmic mix of roguetrader and general 70's/80's sci-fi tropes!
The minis clock in about the size of one of the new cadian figures, making them a much better way of doing roguetrader oldhammer minis but with good proportions for today's standards as well as absolutely exquisite levels of crisp clean detail.
They have a certain mismatched quality of design, with odd limbs, odd boots, gloves and pads that helped me, in this instance, to create a voidsuited naval armsman with the look of a private military contractor, making the best of whatever he can get.


Painting was an interesting affair to say the least. I knew I wanted *white, black and (of course) yellow. But I also decided on a deep blue for the under-suit and red details too.
I wanted simple steel equipment as well as my usual leathers, canvas and olive green kit you usually see on my guard.
and weathering. Lots and lots of weathering; these guys don't exacly have a quartermaster to supply new kit, nor an astartes techpriest and crew on standby to keep the kit going. No. They're armed prospectors and mercenaries, as such, a little battered.
The overall result is a sci-fi model that looks like it belongs on the front cover of an 80's novella! not encumbered by existing lore or mythos; its just a sci-fi trooper. Just as all the original RT minis were before space-marines background got fleshed-out and they became what they are today...

*...and, god, I struggled with that white. But, more will follow soon, I'm sure

I love them.

Mike Tongue does some great figures, I'll have to check these out.

Now that's gorgeous. I love the model design, some nostalgic 2000AD vibes in there with the shoulder and knee pads for sure. Background is also very pleasing for a grizzled Red Dwarf fan like myself.

Will the othe rmembers be in a uniform scheme or will each of them have individual flair? Enjoy the new project!? ;P

Cheers.

Mike Tongue Surely is a retro master!

And yes...I'd be a lying if said that RedDwarf hadn't inspired the background for the Canaries.


For this one, I found I couldn't resist a little trip back to Rynns world!
The shoulder pads, in particular; both being very classicly and distinctively astartes in design and featuring the bulbs and studs of the rtb01 boxed set art, were crying out for me to do my crimson fist scheme on him!


With the undersuit and actual boots, I figure these could also make great scout stand-ins for people using the new horus heresy beakies as regular marines. They scale well together and seem to be less up-armoured...
however they'd also be just as ideal as their own thing. There's nothing stopping you making an entire retro army out of these guys...
I did the undersuit in a a very blue tone (calgar blue base) as opposed to the more desatured armour thats based on the fang. However both were highlighted +/- the same, creating a subtle difference between the two areas that at first is rather subliminal. and thusly you see the marine as just one colour. this is intentional.
The boots and pockets were dona as on my CF scouts leather and canvas respectively. however, unlike the canary, the straps were done as the same as the armour and the central panel on the boots also done as armour. Again, to keep the solid tone of the marine and not break up the mini with disparate colourscheme, as, for me, thats more of a guard thing ...
As the bulb was there I elected to do a simple 'troops' arrow like the rtb01 boxed set and also decided to do black lenses instead of yellow for the same reasons. though in hindsight I think they might have been a good addition now...
The eye-lens 'gems' were done in the studio fashion, dots in opposing corners.
I dont know if you noticed but I usually don't do that. mine usually have the eyes/goggles as shaded from the front. both eyes dotted the same side top-left. (most evident on my filey troop goggles and the canary above) its a feature that can look a little more comicbook but it works well on eye lens' that meet in the middle like one solid goggle. however, on 'actual' GW marine heads this seperate/opposing method generally looks better as the lens' are usually quite seperate...
So yeah, definately more Canaries incoming...
But, I've a feeling more classic Rogue Trader schemes from my past might yet show themselves on a few of the more overtly 'spacemarine' looking ones with the matching pads etc...

Love 'em. Do I spot a Red Dwarf reference in there with The Canaries?

Fantastic work on this last two minis as usual. Loving the classic sculpts!

This is Morden:


Morden sends forth the hoards to crush the enemy lines...


This was a mini I decided I wanted to make to finally show off the real enemy my Eoforwich guard are facing in the kugelstadt campaign.


made almost entirely from leftovers and scraps, the only thing purchased specifically for the mini was the bolter carrying arm as i felt it added real gravitas to the pose.
I wanted mass. A real monsterous creature, terrifying to behold and absolutely towering over the guard that face him. consider him a "boss" creature.
That being said, I still wanted it to convey enemy soldier, not just monster mutant thingy with tenticles etc. that modern deathguard have.
As such, I intead went for the heresy era XIV legion colours but concentrated on weathering to sell the age and decrepid nature of nurgle's blessing.
Starting from a brown undercoat (rhinox hide) its stippled from steel legion drab, through zandri dust and then corax white mixed in. ending in pure coxax white highlights and chips. further weathering created with some rhinox hide chipping.
as well as extensive recess-shading and rust runs etc.
verdigris was a must for the shoulder trims and chest skull, as was my usual *rust "effects" for the chain/cuff, backpack vents, piping, blakies and other hoses and under-armour.
The only real exception I made to the "weathered-to-funt" aesthetic was his bolter and grenades. These are his tools of war, they must still function, as such they show only the gentlest of rust and damage; they're old and beaten but cared for...
The greens, leathers and base were done the usual way I do on my guard stuff...
An absolute blast to work through and easy as you like with the stipple, shade and weather technique, with surprisingly good results!

do try it. you'll enjoy it...

oh, and 10pts for those who recognise all the bits

*see my other vehicle paintjobs for more info on this.

Wow, that's I can really call a great weathering. Not just mud and rust but you can really seen what's under this weathering are.
Nice work.

Got another two canaries done:

I played about with the scheme a bit.
Yes, the under voidsuits, kit, leathers, arm and leg armour are the same on each, but the armour panels have a little bit more personal takes on the whole black, white yellow scheme...
This was a fun project. I've still more of these 'knifeton' marines left... but I think I'm done with the canaries now.
I might just play about with different marine skins on the rest...



The 'Canaries' deploy from the back of their battle-Jitney and prepare to enter yet another death-trap for the promise of either certain death or a quick buck...

I love this so much !

All your work is phenomenal, part of the reason I signed on and made a personal blog on this site, is this inspiring army.
Quick question, I remember seeing you paint red brown platanenmuster camouflage on some models. What is your recipe for that? I might want to try something similar at some point.

flyingpancake wrote:
All your work is phenomenal, part of the reason I signed on and made a personal blog on this site, is this inspiring army.
Quick question, I remember seeing you paint red brown platanenmuster camouflage on some models. What is your recipe for that? I might want to try something similar at some point.

That's nice to hear. I'm glad it's inspiring! When I think of all the stuff in the old white dwarfs that got me inspired, it's pleasing to know I can do that for other people...

The autumn Krieger's?
Perhaps this will help;

 osjclatchford wrote:
Thats a nice thing to say!

heres a WIP/swatch of some camo schemes I'm playing with for the new regiment for 2024!


Autumn - is bugmans glow, deathkorps drab and jokero orange.
Spring - is bugmans glow, deathkorps drab and loren forest
Splinter - is zandri dust, waagh flesh and mornfang brown.

Although when I revisted the spring scheme for my Filey droptroops I substituted the Loren forest for the more vibrant goblin green (warboss green in today's money?)

Amazing updates! Tha canaries look very striking.

I was going to ask if any of the Canary crews joined because the member that signed them up for it thought it was a prison singing group, but you have more than confirmed this XD
Fantastic work.

got these guys done today:


The "Kugelstadt" PDF

based on cadians with heads and bits from, Tiny legends, Anvil industry and krieg and cadian kits.

I was going for an overall Steel legion vibe but as survivors of the zombie curse currently ravaging Kugelstadt, hence the mix of kit, weapons and masks.
The scheme, also based on steel legion was adorned with some extra detail in the form of splinter camo.
yes. It was indeed as much of a pain in the ass to paint as it looks...

Whoever said the PDF were a 'road bump'? These guys look hard as nails! Lovely painting- I would never attempt splinter pattern on infantry but perhaps on some wee tonks one day...

I love the Anvil Industry gasmask on that guy's belt- such a fun wee piece.

Most impressive! I would have nightmares just to think about implementing a camo like this.

They look amazing, so much personality on each model.

The detail in your camo schemes 'swatch' is amazing! That aspect of your painting has always been a high point of the figures I see you do.

Thanks guys...


Krieg 22nd - in Kugelstadt spring offensive pattern fatigues

This was an experiment in a much more green toned variant of my planetree camo. much like the Filey scheme, but this one ditches the Bugmans glow for loren forest, creating a much more overtly green toned camo. lovely!
I figure the kugelstadt reclaimation campaign is a long haul and seasons change as the war goes on...

the mini is cadian, with tiny legends parts; krieg head and blitz legion lasgun arms. as well as the folding shovel on the backpack.

The 'nade is from anvil and the scope trimmed from a marine boltrifle...

I reflected the springtime vibe in the base too, which dispite being my usual trenchy mud, also features some new growth in the fallen leaves, a laser etch paper fern from knoch.

That one looks great! Great work.

Nice work on this fella, this greenish color pop a lot

cheers folks!


Traitor Guardsmen - Secondary-threat targets; these well armed and exceptionally organised heretics were oftimes spotted supporting the primary-threat (XIVth Legion) in the latter stages of the Kugelstadt Reclamation

Made from a chaos kill-team guardsmen body, tiny legends engineers shotgun arms, head from spellcrow but with a tiny legends blitz legion dust filter added.
grenade is from the marine sprue.
'breacher'-shells on the belt from the ork boys sprue...

simple scheme but a lot of fun to do... bit of a diversion but, yeah; its an example of the 'enemy' the troops are facing alongside the zombies in kugelstadt!

Impressive battle damage!

Excelent! Looks like he saw a lot of battles!

Love the inclusion of so many pieces from so many different sprues- and you know by name where each one came from (instead of "I raided my bits box", which is also fine).

Rock on!

Lovely work as usual!! Full of character.

Nice work. I like the white painted armour, to show allegiance to the XIV legion.
Some quick and easy force recognition right there.