Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

[]Silver Skulls 8th Company Project Log

With 11th Edition on the horizon, I thought it was finally time to start a proper hobby log.

The main aim of this thread is to keep me accountable, track progress, set goals, and hopefully bring a bit more structure to my hobby projects. Over the years I’ve found that I work best when a project has a clear theme and objective rather than simply adding random units to an ever-growing collection.

I’ve been involved in the hobby for a long time and, until recently, played fairly regularly. Through 9th and 10th Edition I helped organise RTTs for my local club and spent plenty of weekends pushing toy soldiers around tables. Work has become busier lately, however, and I’ve taken a bit of a step back from the gaming side of the hobby.

Like many players, I have accumulated a sizeable collection over the years. My main armies are Silver Skulls and Necrons, and I’ve generally picked and chosen from those collections depending on what I felt like playing at the time. While I enjoy trying to win, I’ve never really considered myself a competitive player. The narrative and thematic side of the hobby has always appealed to me more.

With that in mind, I decided to let my local hobby group choose the focus of my next project. Rather than selecting a force myself, I put the decision to a vote and they chose the Silver Skulls 8th Reserve Company – the Close Support Company.

That gives me a clear framework to build around and, hopefully, a force with plenty of character. I’ve already added a further restriction of my own: every Sergeant in the company will carry a plasma pistol and power fist, mirroring the Jump Captain who will lead the force. Whether it’s the most practical choice is beside the point; I like the visual consistency and the theme.

The goal of this log will be to document the building, conversion, painting, and eventual completion of the company. There may be the occasional battle report or gaming update, but the focus will primarily be on the hobby side of things. I’m also planning to experiment with a few different painting approaches and techniques compared to my existing Silver Skulls, so this project should give me an opportunity to try something new.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully this thread will keep me honest and the grey pile under control.

Iron Within. Loyalty Without.

Oh yeah ! can't wait to see them i'm subbed!

Week 1

Before getting into the company itself, I wanted to set myself a simple goal for this log. I’m aiming to update the thread at least once a week, hobby time permitting. The main purpose is to create a bit of accountability and keep the project moving forward, even if progress is only a squad, character, or a few evenings of painting at a time. Hopefully having somewhere to record milestones, successes, and inevitable distractions will help keep the momentum going.

The Force

The project will be based around the Silver Skulls 8th Company, the Chapter’s Close Support Reserve Company.

Company Command
• Jump Captain (Plasma Pistol & Power Fist)
• Jump Chaplain
• Bike Chaplain
• Lieutenant (Plasma Pistol & Power Fist)
• Lieutenant (Bladeguard Variant, shield & sword)
• Apothecary

Project Notes
• The Jump Captain will set the visual theme for the company.
• Every Sergeant in the force will carry a Plasma Pistol and Power Fist to mirror the Captain’s wargear.
• The Jump Chaplain will be built from the Armageddon box miniature.

Veteran Support
• 5 Vanguard Veterans
• 6 Bladeguard Veterans

Project Notes
• Vanguard Veterans will be built from the Armageddon box set and equipped with power swords. The Sergeant will carry a Plasma Pistol.
• The Bladeguard Veterans will come from two Indomitus sets and will be supported by an Impulsor.

Close Support Elements
• 3 Squads of 10 Jump Pack Assault Intercessors
• 3 Squads of 10 Assault Intercessors
• 3 Squads of Outriders with ATV support
• 3 Squads of Inceptors

Project Notes
• Every Assault Sergeant will carry a Plasma Pistol and Power Fist.
• Each Jump Pack Assault squad will include an additional plasma pistol.
• The Jump Pack squads will be sourced from a mixture of kits and conversions:
• Squad I: Jump Intercessors with additional jump pack conversions.
• Squad II: Blood Claws based conversions.
• Squad III: Assault Intercessor conversions.

Armoured Support
• 3 Repulsor Executioners
• 1 Impulsor
• 3 Invader ATVs

Project Notes
• The Repulsor Executioners will provide transport and heavy support for the ground assault elements.
• The Impulsor will serve as the transport for the Bladeguard Veterans.

Company Assets
• 1 Dreadnought

Project Notes
• Currently planned as a Brutalis Dreadnought.

Project Goal

In total the company will comprise approximately 100 battle-brothers supported by armour and specialist assets. The objective is to build a force that feels like a coherent company (keeping close to the ‘1k marines per chapter of 100 marines per company’) rather than simply a collection of units, with recurring themes in wargear, markings, and modelling tying everything together.

Alongside building the force, I want to use this project as an opportunity to try some different painting techniques and approaches compared to my existing Silver Skulls collection.

First Steps

With the planning largely out of the way, it’s time to actually start putting plastic together.

Today’s goal is to build the first five-man Assault Intercessor squad. If all goes well, I’d also like to get some paint on them before the day is out. One of the lessons I’ve learned from previous projects is that I make far more progress when I break things down into manageable chunks rather than looking at the company as a whole.

The full project represents well over a hundred battle-brothers plus supporting vehicles, which can feel a little daunting when viewed as a single undertaking. Instead, the plan is to focus on one squad, one character, or one vehicle at a time and gradually build towards a complete company.

So, first up: five Assault Intercessors, including the first Sergeant sporting the company’s signature plasma pistol and power fist combination. Let’s see how much progress can be made.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Week 1.1

Squad I - Assault Intercessors

With the project finally underway, the first unit on the bench is a five-man Assault Intercessor squad.



The squad was built from an old 9th Edition Recruit starter set that had been sitting in the pile of grey shame for far too long. One of the goals of this project is to reduce that backlog while also keeping spending to a minimum, so using kits I already own is very much part of the plan.

Despite being push-fit models, I still think these are some of the best Assault Intercessors GW has produced. The poses are dynamic and characterful, and as a nice bonus they retain the Indomitus Crusade campaign badge on the left forearm, a detail that disappeared from later Assault Intercessor kits.

Most of the work on this squad went into the Sergeant. As mentioned previously, all Sergeants in the company will carry a plasma pistol and power fist to mirror the wargear of the Company’s Jump Captain.



For the plasma pistol I used the bionic right arm option, which immediately gave him a little more character. Finding the right power fist took a bit more digging through the bits box. After trying a few options, I settled on an old Assault Marine power fist. The pose matched surprisingly well and, even better, it carries the Close Support icon moulded onto the armour, making it a perfect fit for the project.

Swapping the arm did create another problem. The rest of the squad wear the Indomitus veteran shoulder pad, but the replacement arm wouldn’t have one, as they are built into the kit. My solution was to give the Sergeant a Deathwatch shoulder pad instead, marking him out as a veteran returned from service with the Long Vigil. Ideally it would be worn on the opposite shoulder, but sometimes modelling practicality has to win out over absolute lore accuracy.

I also attached the Sergeant’s chainsword to his belt. Rules-wise he has no need for it, but the Rule of Cool always takes precedence in my hobby projects. Besides, if your plasma pistol decides to imitate a small star at the wrong moment, having a backup weapon seems like sensible planning.



Elsewhere in the squad I made a conscious effort to break up the uniformity of the push-fit sculpts by mixing in different helmets and backpack designs. One of the things I enjoy most about Space Marines is the opportunity to blend armour marks and relic equipment together, and I want that to be a recurring theme throughout the company.

Finally, I’ve decided to lean into a slightly old-school approach and give my Sergeants squad banners. For this squad I used a Horus Heresy Legion Vexilla, which conveniently features a skull finial that feels right at home amongst the Silver Skulls. It’s a small touch, but one that helps the Sergeant stand out and gives the squad a bit more battlefield character.

Next step is paint. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going and get this first squad finished before moving on to the next element of the company.

What would you gonna use? NMM, TMM? Grayscale is a cool thing which allow many ways to done it.

This sounds like its going to be a really cool project. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Out of interest, was there a reason your hobby group went for the 8th company specifically?

This sounds like a great project, a company is a nice challenge to aim for. Good luck, i look forward to seeing it progress. I’ve found the blog hopeful to keep things moving, so I hope you find the same!

Why the 8th?

I actually left it up to the group.

I’ve already built a fairly substantial Silver Skulls force based around the 3rd Company, well beyond a standard company-sized formation, and that was essentially a traditional battle company without a particular theme.



When I started thinking about the next project, I put a poll up asking whether I should build another battle company (2nd–7th) or go for one of the more specialised reserve companies. The options included the 8th Company (Close Support), 9th Company (Fire Support), 10th Company (Recon/Scout elements), and even a 1st Company force with a heavy veteran and Terminator focus.

The group ended up choosing the 8th Company. Part of that was the timing of the new Vanguard Veterans, which fit the concept perfectly, and part was that the new edition looks like it may reward speed, mobility and melee. That made a jump-pack-heavy Close Support Company feel like a fun project that would play very differently from my existing 3rd Company force.



NMM, TMM, Grayscale?

I will be using TMM, I am by no means a competent painter. Basic but looking to try an build on that with this project. My last skulls were painted with Darren Latham’s old Silver Skulls tutorial. Using prominently drybrush techniques and washes.

I will try some different colours but very similar with this project. I need a technique I can stick with, especially with my minimal skill and restricted time.

I hope that answers the questions.

Following!
Looking forward to your project developing

Your previous the Silver Skulls are pretty solid. Looking forward to your progress with this project