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Dakka Painting Challenge Round 133 March 2025: Space Marine  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
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Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

Welcome all to the 133rd round of the Dakka Painting challenge. For the unfamiliar, this is a friendly painting competition open to members of all skill levels and experience, whether your entry is your first or you thousand-and-first time painting miniatures. Each month, finished entries are collected into a thread where the community can vote on their favorite pieces, and those votes go towards an annual overall League that runs for 12 rounds.

This month the topic is: Space Marine. Our annual start of the competition. Do want want to travel to distant planets? See exotic creatures and planets? And kill them? Then sign up for the Space Marines today? Not just GW’s Space Marines, but any future soldier that fits the bill. Day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm, every meal's a banquet, every paycheck a fortune, every formation a parade. All right, sweethearts, you're a team and there's nothin' to worry about. We come here, and we gonna conquer, and we gonna kick some, is that understood? That's what we gonna do, sweethearts, we are going to go and get some. All right, people, on the ready line! Are ya lean? Are you mean? WHAT ARE YOU?


- You may enter up to 5 MODELS as a SINGLE ENTRY, and are permitted one entry per member per month. If you enter multiple models, they should ideally be related in some way, such as part of the same squad, unit or scene if you are doing a diorama
- You may enter at any time during the month, up to the last minute. We do encourage people to enter early, as to be part of the community, but if you can’t start until the 11th hour, that’s OK.
- You MUST post a 'proof' picture of your entry in the thread of the state it was in before you started working on it; this must be either unassembled, unpainted, primed or coated a single colour. Entries that do not submit a valid Proof Picture will not be eligible for voting.
- After this, you may post WIP pictures in this thread and your own if you wish, and on completing the entry, you may post up to 6 final pictures IN THIS THREAD that will then be used for voting. Please note that pictures in a montage or collage picture will be considered individual images for this purpose, so while these types of presentation are certainly acceptable, please keep the image limit in mind when compiling them. For example, a collage of 5 images and one separate image would count as your 6 picture allowance.


So What Do I Win?
- Points... and points mean... bragging rights for the next month! Following the vote, points will be awarded to every entrant. This year, the Points you receive will be equal to the Percentage of Votes your entry receives in the final Voting thread; if you get 10%, you get 10 points, if you get 6% you get 6 points, so on and so forth.

These points will be used to form a league table, which will be updated month on month as the results come in.

How Long Do I Have?
This challenge begins 1st of March and will end at midnight EST on March 31st. After this, I shall compile the finished entries into a new thread, and voting will run for 5 days.

   
Made in au
Dakka Veteran






Sydney

For space marine month, I will be painting space marines:




   
Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

 Daia T'Nara wrote:
For space marine month, I will be painting space marines:


Look, I’m having enough problems deciding what to paint. Don’t make me break out the 2nd bolter huggers.

Nice vintage squad there!

   
Made in de
Liche Priest Hierophant






As we all know Space Marine is short for Marine Life... in SPAAACE!. So I'm going to paint this fishy looking space wizard apprentice.


Nehekhara lives! Sort of!
Why is the rum always gone? 
   
Made in us
Utilizing Careful Highlighting





Tangentville, New Jersey

Hmm, do I support my Eldar brethren in the long war or do I paint that old RT Tzeentch marine I finally tracked down after 30 years?


 
   
Made in de
Liche Priest Hierophant






 KidCthulhu wrote:
Hmm, do I support my Eldar brethren in the long war or do I paint that old RT Tzeentch marine I finally tracked down after 30 years?


Paint both the sorcerer and a seer if you have one for the ultimate showdown between magical masters of fate.

Nehekhara lives! Sort of!
Why is the rum always gone? 
   
Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

Painting duel dioramas is perfectly fine. Don’t even need to have them on the same base. Just a group of minis facing each other in the lightbox is fine.

Just try to keep some thematic connection. While the goal here is to fight the long war against the pile of shame, we don’t just want random collections of minis entered.

   
Made in gb
Dakka Veteran






I've not quite decided what to paint for this month, it's either going to be this squad of Iron warriors

or one of these random marines I found skulking on the painting desk


Need to decide if I want to go with a more basic paint scheme for models that will join an army and see some use on the tabletop (Iron warriors), or put a bit more effort into a single model who's only use will be to look nice on a shelf
   
Made in us
Scarred Ultramarine Tyrannic War Veteran






Maple Valley, Washington, Holy Terra

I'll paint these Chaos Space Marines this month:

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2026/03/01 18:16:23


"Calgar hates Tyranids."

Your #1 Fan  
   
Made in jp
[DCM]
Incorporating Wet-Blending





Japan

I have four potential entries for this month:

1) Kharn the Betrayer, assuming I can find his head and pistol


2) The original Space Marine scout, possibly accompanied by his carapace armored friend


3) A demi-squad of Chaos Marines, left over from a long-abandoned army project:


4) A selection of Dudes With Rifles, some from Kryomek, others from RAFM:

Now clearing some unfinished projects!

Painting total as of 19 February 2026: 19

Painting total as of 12/31/2025: 152 plus a Deva King statue


 
   
Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York



Going to try to get some reivers done this month. Unless I change my mind again.

   
Made in gb
Liberated Grot Land Raida






Northern Ireland

Well I was given a box of old minis found this guy buried in it.

It’s the most classic 40k rescue shelter situation coming up right on time for March so he’s going in the paint stripper.

   
Made in jp
[DCM]
Incorporating Wet-Blending





Japan

 theCrowe wrote:
Well I was given a box of old minis found this guy buried in it.

It’s the most classic 40k rescue shelter situation coming up right on time for March so he’s going in the paint stripper.


Whoa! It looks like someone didn't understand the urethane dip method...

Now clearing some unfinished projects!

Painting total as of 19 February 2026: 19

Painting total as of 12/31/2025: 152 plus a Deva King statue


 
   
Made in us
Scarred Ultramarine Tyrannic War Veteran






Maple Valley, Washington, Holy Terra

 theCrowe wrote:
Well I was given a box of old minis found this guy buried in it.

It’s the most classic 40k rescue shelter situation coming up right on time for March so he’s going in the paint stripper.


Hah hahhhh! Good luck!

"Calgar hates Tyranids."

Your #1 Fan  
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Surrey, BC - Canada

 KidCthulhu wrote:
Hmm, do I support my Eldar brethren in the long war


Do you hear the miniaturists sing?
Singing the song of angry painters
It is the music of the painters
Who will not paint marines again!
When the tapping of your brush
Echoes the beating of the jars
There is art about to start
When the challenge comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond that Space Marine
Are there other models you long to see?

Do you hear the miniaturists sing?
Singing the song of angry painters
It is the music of the people
Who will not paint marines again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is art about to start
When the challenge comes!

Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!

Will you paint all that you can
So that our banner may advance?
Some will finish and some will not (dam)
Will you stand up and take your chance?
Marine helmets on the ground
Will cover bases all around!

Do you hear the miniaturists sing?
Singing the song of angry painters
It is the music of the people
Who will not paint marines again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is art about to start
When the challenge comes!

CB

   
Made in gb
Liberated Grot Land Raida






Northern Ireland

It may depend on the effectiveness of Dettol to get that bolter-hugger cleaned up. I probably haven’t painted an Eldar since this time last year.

   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut






Mostly, on my phone.

My plan is to do the Terror from Below set for Shatterpoint - aquatic Separatists seem to fit the bill of Space and Marine, after all.


Theophony"... and there's strippers in terminator armor and lovecraftian shenanigans afoot."
Solar_Lion: "Man this sums up your blog nicely."

Anpu-adom: "being Geek is about Love. Some love broadly. Some love deeply. And then there are people like Graven.  
   
Made in us
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain






A Protoss colony world

Hard to believe this thing has been running constantly for 11 years and we're kicking off year 12. In any case I'm in with the Sternguard Veterans from the Leviathan box set. Proof:

I primed them green because I was originally thinking I would do them like the old DA Company Veterans, but I've since switched and decided to do them in Deathwing bone white after all, so all I did was make things tougher for myself. No matter, a couple of coats of Army Painter Skeleton Bone and they are looking better already (sorry no WIP pic yet). Painting these will help me get closer to finishing off the Space Marines half of the Leviathan set, which would be nice since we're about to get a new starter set to work on later this year.

My armies (re-counted and updated on 11/7/24, including modeled wargear options):
Dark Angels: ~16000 Astra Militarum: ~1200 | Imperial Knights: ~2300 | Leagues of Votann: ~1300 | Tyranids: ~3400 | Stormcast Eternals: ~5000 | Kruleboyz: ~3500 | Lumineth Realm-Lords: ~700
Check out my P&M Blogs: ZergSmasher's P&M Blog | Imperial Knights blog | Board Games blog | Total models painted in 2024: 40 | Total models painted in 2025: 48 | Current main painting project: Tomb Kings
 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
You need your bumps felt. With a patented, Grotsnik Corp Bump Feelerer 9,000.
The Grotsnik Corp Bump Feelerer 9,000. It only looks like several bricks crudely gaffer taped to a cricket bat.
Grotsnik Corp. Sorry, No Refunds.
 
   
Made in gb
Death-Dealing Ultramarine Devastator





Uk

Here is my plan for the month, I’m hoping to get more done and I may switch half way to a different squad but for now this is the goal!!
[Thumb - IMG_9523.jpeg]
26-03 Proof

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2026/03/06 23:01:23


 
   
Made in au
Dakka Veteran






Sydney

Daia T'Nara - Squad Kirsch, Genesis Chapter, Empyrean Crusade

Spoiler:








Meant to be named after Timothy Olyphant's character Kirsh from Alien Earth, but I misremembered how that's spelled while I was painting and I'm not doing the shoulder nameplate again, so now they're named after the brandy.

   
Made in us
Grumpy Longbeard






The only SM I have at arms reach without digging out some boxes are these two guys.
Will attempt a rescue



Automatically Appended Next Post:

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2026/03/07 14:35:22


 
   
Made in fr
Fresh-Faced New User



France

Long time lurker, occasional painter, I'm gonna try to use this challenge to finally make a dent in my pile of shame.

Don't have a lots of Space Marines lying around, so I'll try to rescue this Captain I found;



Wish me luck
   
Made in us
The Marine Standing Behind Marneus Calgar





Upstate, New York

Welcome to Dakka and the painting comp!

Lots of good stuff showing up. Let’s get that paint flowing!

--

Basecoats going down

   
Made in gb
Liberated Grot Land Raida






Northern Ireland

After about a week in Dettol this thing is still stubbornly clinging to its former identity.


Time to get serious.


At this rate I’ll be choosing this fella’s chapter as punishment.

   
Made in us
Utilizing Careful Highlighting





Tangentville, New Jersey

Crowe: if after all that and he's still a mess, you should just mount him on a plinth, paint him like a copper statue with serious patina, and use him as scatter terrain


 
   
Made in us
Stabbin' Skarboy






Maybe one of these days I'll post a Space MarineTM proper, but thus far they have failed to really capture my imagination and consequently are not anywhere near priority in my painting queue. Until then, I guess I'll be singing along with CB.
Not all who take up arms and ply the Empyrean do so willingly.
Proof:


All Orks, All Da Zoggin' TIme. 'Cause Da Rest of You Gitz is Just Muckin' About, Waitin' ta Get Krumped.
My Painting Blog: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/689629.page  
   
Made in fr
Fresh-Faced New User



France



WIP my captain, started as a White Scar but I'm winging it, it's now becoming a NMM and limited palette study, I need to do the back, the sword, and then final touch on the details. I'm not sure about the greens pauldrons either. C&C welcome I just want to get better (also pictures are hard to take) and I'm still struggling with the resizing

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2026/03/09 16:28:30


 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut






Mostly, on my phone.


Terror from Below and outpost. Space / Marine!

Theophony"... and there's strippers in terminator armor and lovecraftian shenanigans afoot."
Solar_Lion: "Man this sums up your blog nicely."

Anpu-adom: "being Geek is about Love. Some love broadly. Some love deeply. And then there are people like Graven.  
   
Made in jp
[DCM]
Incorporating Wet-Blending





Japan

Snafu wrote:


WIP my captain, started as a White Scar but I'm winging it, it's now becoming a NMM and limited palette study, I need to do the back, the sword, and then final touch on the details. I'm not sure about the greens pauldrons either. C&C welcome I just want to get better (also pictures are hard to take) and I'm still struggling with the resizing


Check out Sanfu, bringing the A-game! I'm going to have to work a little harder if I want to compete.

Now clearing some unfinished projects!

Painting total as of 19 February 2026: 19

Painting total as of 12/31/2025: 152 plus a Deva King statue


 
   
Made in us
Utilizing Careful Highlighting





Tangentville, New Jersey

I may have to let Captain Brown down this month; my sci-fi painting is laser focused on the Inquisition. So no Adeptus Astartes, but I'm sure an Inquisitor Lord in Terminator Armor or Inquisitorial Stormtroopers are close enough to "space marine".


 
   
 
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