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Rules are on warcom in download section. They very limited but sometimes fun to play. Psychophage allowed I think.

Darn, I love that old lead. I think some times to buy one or two recasts they pretty affordable locally, but I don't wand lone mini on shelf and I'm to young to collect lead army, except old IG guys. Vostroyans I'm looking at you..

@ Nev & Pious - yeah ok I will go with that narrative, field promotion following a stalwart defence of the banner, I like it - thanks.

@ Kabaakaba - I’ll check of warcom thanks. Some of the old lead is great, I usually try and keep an eye out for it on eBay but it rarely comes up, especially in an unpainted condition. I’m lucky that I’ve been around a while and have some older stuff, which I am finally getting round to starting! Some of the old imperial guard stuff is great, I have a few catachan and cadians knocking around, vostroyans deliberately avoided due to the fluffy hats and my aversion to painting them!

One of the (few) perks of being older then dirt is the classic lead hiding at the bottom of the Pile of Shame.

So tonight I managed to find an opportunity's (after the swimming lesson debacle) to sit down and engage in one of my favourite past times. The painting area was re-established (we have been using the dining table recently as the “in-laws” are here) a beer was cracked open and the water pots refreshed.

I think I’ve managed to wash and highlight everything now, just need a little more work on the base and it will almost be complete. The banner has had multiple layers of white (of various shades) to get to the stage it is at now, and I am happy with it. I’m also pleased with how the chaos banner on the base turned out, as the colour should stand out nicely once it is all done. I’m probably going for a grassy flock once I get to that stage which will tie in with the majority of the 2nd company.

I would be grateful for any comments or advice from you good folk.

Also I’m tempted to enter it in the monthly competition, which will be my first entry ever, so just need to get it based and dig out the unpainted pics!

Looking fancy! Great touch the chaos standard in the mud.

Looks awesome! And the chaos banner on the ground is a really neat touch!

Only comment would be a pretty minor detail I noticed, it looks like you've missed the bolter grip inside his hand?

@muette - thanks, I wanted the banner to stand out a little and I think I’ve managed it. Just means I will have to now paint up some chaos marines to come and wrestle it back!
@pious - yup your right, thanks for that I will need to go back and correct it next time.

Just seen some of the releases that have been previewed, and whilst nice I’m not really drawn to impulse buying any of them - which is a bit of a relief! The corsairs (red and eldar) both look really good, and I think that it is great they have updated Huron and provided a means of modelling an army with him. The Tarellian bounty hunter looks awesome, reminds me of an old world Saurus or Bossk the bounty hunter, I imagine there will be a kill team of them following soon! Marines tanks are good, but I have one or two already I need building so no point adding to that pile. Although I have always liked the look of the Fellblade, so never say never. The custodes (male and female) are the most tempting of the models on offer I still have those from the Burning of Prospero box to complete (start), but the dreadnought looks a thing of beauty and I have always been tempted to get one, hopefully it will be available outside the battle group box (some time in Q3 this year so I have some time to clear the decks a little!

Today I managed to get a little done on the tactical squad, all the base colours are now complete, and washes have been applied, the only thing left is to highlight the gold and silvers, put some effort and colours onto the plasma weapon and sort out the scanner. I think once these are done illl have a good number of models (20ish) to base so will have a session to get them all done. Then pictures and migrating to the cabinet.

I was also happy to see the arrival of my final Xmas present (thanks sis). I ordered a banner from Archie’s forge to add to him, and also picked up a second company one at the same time. He will be added to the prime pile for when the weather improves!

I had a good weekend, managed to finish the 5 tactical marines, so all that is needed to glue on the arms, get them based and then they are good to go.

Managed a trip into town as well so I’ve signed up for the painting challenge, pledged 25 to the cause so hopefully that should be doable over the next few months - I think I might do a few tyranids or epic models to increase the numbers quickly. I also acquired the latest freebie thats been given out, (actually got two as the misses picked up on as well), so will try and use a few skitarii parts to change one up a little.

Not sure what to put next on the painting table, there are four guardians I need to finish, the veterans squad (although I might leave them for the February painting challenge), some deathwatch or maybe another terminator or tactical squad…. Hmmm will have a ponder and see what strikes my fancy.

I've read the first two pages of your blog, and I'm enjoying it. Keep up the good work It's funny what a draw it is to try to make an entire Space Marine company. So many of us are doing it. I'm doing it too. I'm trying to make the entire Dark Angels 5th company, all firstborn marines. I'm happy to see that so far you are sticking with all firstborn marines for your Ultramarines 2nd company, too. Best of luck. How close are you to finishing your company, now? I still have to make and paint both assault squads, part of both devastator squads, chaplain, some 2 dreadnoughts, several sergeants, and probably so other stuff.

Hi Syro, glad you like it so far, a company used to be such a big target to achieve, collecting never mind painting, but with age comes wisdom and more models, but it is still a hell of a lot of painting to get through. I’m always impressed when I see other peoples efforts and so I’ve always held on to this dream of getting it done.
In terms of models, I have about 7 devastators (mainly heavy weapons to complete), and 3 tactical squads to do then I could technically say I’m done. (I have one more squad built and undercoated, a 2nd edition squad that needs resurrecting and then I need to figure out what bits I’m going to use to put the last one together - either mk7 or mk6) I should probably put together a proper command squad and get that painted as well - I recently got the 2nd company banner which I should do as well. Chaplains and librarians are all done, no lieutenants, but I do have an old school Sicarius I want to get done as well. All will be first born so no need to worry about that!!
Sounds like you are quite a way on with your company as well, and we probably have about the same amount of models left to paint. Going to see what I can do this year to move it along, but can’t see me managing to keep motivation for 3 tactical squads, but will have to see. I have managed to speed up my technique so will have to wait and see. When was the last time you managed a family photo of them all?

And just by chance as welll I snapped a photo tonight of the finished marines for the 3rd tactical squad, so just need to be based then they will be good to go!

Good work on squad. Old plasma da best. New one looks a bit naked of details.

Cheers Kabaakaba, it feels good getting this squad done, one down a few to go.

Managed to get a little time tonight, so put a few colours on the guardians, well actually was a couple of layers of white. I’m not the biggest fan of the white helmets I’m doing, they are a pain to get right, but never mind. Helmets are done now, and wash is applied to the armour so they just need highlights, and spot colours then they are done! Also decided that I’d continue with (2nd edition), he was on the painting tray and easy to hand so he had a bit of gold applied. I think once I’ve done the metallics on him, then all the cloth/robe/sash in yellow then he will a good portion through to being completed.

Once these are completed (it will probably be Feb so I will move on to the veteran squad), but if not I’m thinking the next tactical combat squad and probably some tyranids (barbgaunts) and tau (stealth suits) to mix things up a little and give me options. I do have 10 ,ore termagants I want to build then going to try and attempt some indoor priming (and hopefully not get caught by the misses!)

 JordySteve wrote:
Hi Syro, glad you like it so far, a company used to be such a big target to achieve, collecting never mind painting, but with age comes wisdom and more models, but it is still a hell of a lot of painting to get through. I’m always impressed when I see other peoples efforts and so I’ve always held on to this dream of getting it done.
In terms of models, I have about 7 devastators (mainly heavy weapons to complete), and 3 tactical squads to do then I could technically say I’m done. (I have one more squad built and undercoated, a 2nd edition squad that needs resurrecting and then I need to figure out what bits I’m going to use to put the last one together - either mk7 or mk6) I should probably put together a proper command squad and get that painted as well - I recently got the 2nd company banner which I should do as well. Chaplains and librarians are all done, no lieutenants, but I do have an old school Sicarius I want to get done as well. All will be first born so no need to worry about that!!
Sounds like you are quite a way on with your company as well, and we probably have about the same amount of models left to paint. Going to see what I can do this year to move it along, but can’t see me managing to keep motivation for 3 tactical squads, but will have to see. I have managed to speed up my technique so will have to wait and see. When was the last time you managed a family photo of them all?

Thanks Jordy. My last comment was going from memory, so I may have been over estimating. The last time I took a full army shot of my Dark Angels was a year and a half ago. The pic is near the end of page 54 of my blog, if you are curious. Unfortunately, I only have 3 sergeants painted. If I had 3 more painted, then all 6 tactical squads would be complete. I have 12 marines (no sergeants again) of the two devastator squads. A captain, a librarian, and a scratch-built dreadnought. No assault marines, no chaplain, and no command squad, which I probably need. So, 69 total painted Dark Angels, I still need to make and paint 41 marines and two dreadnoughts to complete my 5th company. It's a slog, and you may have to put it down and come back multiple times, but you may want to try batch painting those 3 tactical squads all at once. It feels great once you finally finished. I did 21 Dark Angels tacticals at once, one time. I don't know if I will even have time to add to my Dark Angels this year with how much else I already have planned, but I am planning to do group photos of each of my armies in March. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress of 2nd company (and 1st )


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Oh yeah. I also saw in the back ground of one of your photos that you have Asimov's Foundation series. I've heard good things. What do you think of it? Would it be worth adding to my already too big book collection that I don't have enough time to get through?

Love the old metal Librarians, I listed over them in many an issue of White Dwarf and the Citadel catalogues. You’ve certainly done them justice, especially with the hot effect swords. Not seen the banner bearer before but he’s coming along nicely now

@Syro - just looked at your dark angel stuff and they look great, on a side not your mental!! Painting 30 tactical marines in one go - that’s crazy! Very efficient thou and a great way to bash them all out, but wow you must need some staying power not to go a little nuts doing it! I find 5 at a time hard enough, I can extend that to 10 for termagants but thats cause I am using a simpler scheme! I might try and up the numbers just to get some of the basic guys done and out the way, maybe try my best at the next tactical squad I have ready to go! I’m going to try and batch all the remaining devastator heavy weapons, I think they are all built and primed so just need to schedule them in (and based on Nev’s advice might need to change them up a little)
lol don’t joke about the 1st company, I think I’m half way there by accident!
Asimov - Foundation, yes - great series, first couple of books are really good, goes a little off piste towards the end if I remember correctly, but still a really good read. And if you are wanting something else sci-if to add to the list, try E E Doc Smith the Lensman series, definitely worth it if you can find it, I’ve just started it again and it’s as good as I remember!

@gobert - thanks glad you like them, the old original reg/green/blue citadel catalogues were a treasure trove of models that I wished I could get but never managed to purchase. I’ve managed to source some over time, which has managed to satisfy my inner child! The standard bearer is an old skulls reward model, I think from the 90’s, he had been on my radar to try and get for a while.

Painting the past couple of days has been slowly progressing the guardians, one more left to dry brush and then on to highlights for the four of them. I’ve also been slowly working on another librarian (shock!) but this time it is chief librarian tigurius (pre primaris) getting sorted. I think all the base colours are done, wash has been applied to most areas and the yellow is now finished. I need to get the gold shining, and decide what colours to add to the staff to make it stand out (I’m thinking silver), but he is getting there slowly.

That OG Tigurius is such a great model and the paint job is looking real good too!

Very nice work there ! The yellow on Tigurius' toga is amazing !

Evening,I’m a big fan of the OG models and old school metal, the sculpts are good and there is something really satisfying about the weight of a metal model, (although not if you are trying to base some of them….!)

@Pious & @Sarpedon - cheers guys, I relay enjoyed doing the yellow, not something I would have considered a few years ago (ok a lot of years ago) as yellow had notoriously bad coverage, but new paints make it so much easier to get good coverage and nice shading/highlighting!

I managed to get him finished yesterday, and the four Eldar guardians on the paint station have been completed as well, (I may have had a brandy whilst doing them so no guarantees I didn’t miss something on them…..). They have now all moved to the base it pile, which is probably now at a stage where I need to do something about it (currently 20+ waiting to go). With all that completed I’ve decide what the next batch will be, 4 Tau pathfinders, 1 tyranid warrior, and finally the 10 veterans (my aim is to get them done for the monthly competition.

Evening, a bigger update than usual tonight, as I have managed to get through the basing pile, and then photograph them (some better than others), so apologies in advance for the photo dump. Also in another milestone of a personal first I have submitted my entry for the monthly painting competition (thanks for running it Nev!), I'm not hoping for much but kind of fun and helps steer the narrative a little on what needs to get completed next so that's quite helpful!

So here is the list of whats been based and added to the display cabinets:
- Tigurius, he has been in the too do pile for over 25 years now so it is good to finally get him completed.
- 1st Company Medic, my adaptation of brother Omnio for Ultramarine duties!
- 2x Librarians, with the completion of these 2 I now have 6 finished, with one (possibly 2) more to go.
- 3x Chaplains, this is all four of my chaplains now finished and ready for duty.
- 2nd Company Standard, my entry for the monthly competition, the old Skullz edition Ultramarine standard bearer, quite a nice model and fits in well with the rest of the company!
- 2nd Company Tactical squad, not the best photos, and I haven't added the little details (squad markings and chapter symbols) that I did on the last squad so i think I may need to revisit these at some point. But that is 3 done now, 3 more to go!
- 2nd Company dreadnought, he was painted in the 90's, and has now just been gorilla glued to base so he doesn't fall over! He weighs quite a bit, so I am slightly worried if he does fall over he might go through the glass shelf - but i hope not!
- 4x Eldar guardians, that is 8 now done and only 2 more to go, I think these are painted better than the first four, but I'm not sure the photos do them justice.

You’ve been busy Jordy! Love that medic terminator, neat little conversion

@gobert - thanks, glad you like it, it’s a new favourite of mine!

So for this months painting challenge I decided to try and complete the outstanding vanguard marine squad thats have been ignoring for the past few months. It would therefore make sense to start painting those models, but no, I decided to start/finish the tyranid warrior, and in all likelihood I will probably finish off the pathfinders before starting on the marines, which is crazy, but my slight OCD demands it, which means I might not finish the marines by the end of the month, but that’s a risk I’ll take!
Photos of the warrior (and probably pathfinders) will follow in the next day or so!

Nice collections of marines. Keep at it!

@Nev - thanks - trying my best to keep some momentum!!

Here is the tyranid warrior in all his glory, off to the basing pile!!

So it’s been a little slow recently, with a distinct lack of time for painting. The youngest has just started nursery and is a veritable plague monster at the minute. He has also decided that when he wakes at 3 in the morning for a feed it’s time to get up, so muggins is staying awake for 2 hrs trying to tire him out! Fun fun fun - it’s just a phase…hopefully a short one!

I have managed to get little bits and pieces done, 4 tau pathfinders are now complete (although the colouring in the photo isn’t the best - colours are all off slightly - I blame the camera man!), and I have managed to do some spray painting in the house (naughty but just about doable with out gassing out myself or the dog!), so the honour guard, Victrix guard, Calgars and tyranids are now all undercoated. Just starting to work on the vanguard models now for the monthly challenge and doing tidying on the first four. Really quite enjoying the models and no idea why I have put them off for so long. Hopefully be able to get bits done over the next week - if the little guy lows me sleep!!

When I first saw that pic of the pathfinders I instantly went back to the classic genestealer paint scheme. Wrong Xenos.

Kiddos are germ magnets. Nothing for it. Just get what rest you can and keep at it. Things will get better. Or differently bad. They joys of parenting!

Managed to settle down for some painting for an hour or so tonight, which was nice. Decided it was worthwhile starting on this months painting targets for the competition. I’ve tidied up and finished off the first four veterans, as you can see they are fairly ‘armless marines, but the majority of the work is done on them. Hopefully get the arms done tomorrow, then can start on the next four over the weekend.

Well it has been a busy weekend with the family, which translates to very little painting time. I did manage to complete the outstanding arms at the end of last week, and over the past two days I’ve managed to make a start on the next four marines. The blue is finished (shaded and highlighted) and I’ve just about finished the white. I’m finding the white such a pain to get good, consistent coverage, multiple thins coats is trying my patience but I’m almost there, one more to to get to then the white on all four will be done. They are starting to come together nicely and I can almost see the light at the end. I don’t think I’ll get all 10 done for the end of the month, but they won’t be far off (probably two short).

White sucks to paint.

Most of the white I do these day is base coated Grey Seer, an Apothecary White contrast wash, and then edge highlight with an actual white. A lot less trouble trying to get an actual white to cover and not end up looking chalky.

Keep at it! Get that paint down.

I’ve been using a similar method, a light grey (I think it is astronomican), followed by corak white and then a birght white (the name escapes me at the minute - I checked and I think it is White Star ) on top. Thin layers, followed by thin layers, and then thin layers to finish

Well the white is now done, or at least as done as it is going to be at the minute, I will no doubt look at it next time and add a layer or two more. Tonight was spent doing purity seals, and shoulder parchments - hooray! Next will be shoulder trims in gold and tabards in grey (or at least a few shades of grey).

And as it was a slow day at work, I’ve decided to do the (Tau) stealth suits and barbgaunts next - unless the monthly challenge intervenes and I have to think of something else to do. I’ve noticed that currently (by accident), I’m working three combat patrols at once so I might else well keep them all going at a slow pace alongside each other. I will have to figure out what to do with the marine one as well, my head says not ultramarines, so might try something more exotic (tbc and tbd), but it won’t be blood angles or imperial fists either!

Next month the compition topic will be “Space Marine” but I can’t promise what will show up for April. If you need help motivationg to paint something, when I ask for suggestions on what topics to put in the poll for the next month, feel free to toss loaded ideas my way. Just keep them open ended enough that you could interpret it for a wide selection of minis, both sci-fi and fantasy.