A Long Absence...

Crikey! It has been several years since I have touched this blog at all. The demise of Google+ and the rise of easier-to-access and easier-to-be-noticed social media platforms has somewhat put the kibosh upon this particular blog. Until now, I suppose. I'm hoping that perhaps I will just chronicle my ongoing painting ventures here, for posterity, and if anybody sees and/or enjoys it, then well bully for them!

So, what have I been up to since I finished that Razorback? Hmmmm... Well, I re-re-did my Blood Angels, I suppose! Insomuch as I re-based a fair amount of them to 32mm bases. I also added a load of characters to their ranks and even, latterly (because, of course, the previous post PRE-DATES Dark Imperium!) some Primaris Marines! GASP! So let's start with those guys in red...

Dreadnoughts, Troops, Elites, Characters and Vehicles all received some love as a part of my big push to get these guys finished off. My big aim was to get the army generally finished, so that I could pick up units here and there to play with as mini-projects. And I achieved that, I think.

I had a lot of fun with the Blood Angels as a whole. Previously, I had avoided models with overwhelming amounts of detail on them (which is hard with a Blood Angel army), but when I got stuck in it was lots of fun! This, however, was the beginning of my journey into the realms of taking-too-long-with-models land.

I am pretty envious of painters and hobbyists who are able to say "Right! I'm just gonna paint these dudes to a tabletop standard and just razz through them all." My backlog of models is such that I would dearly love to be able to be able to do this - even just to get them to basecoat stage.

I did end up selling off a large portion of the old army that I had. I came to the conclusion that I would never field the army in full, and thus I would never feel the benefit of them. In turn, I used these monies to fund new projects (more on them in posts to come!) and I relieved myself of the burden of an ENORMOUS to-do list.

I ticked off a number of boxes in terms of characters - Librarians, Chaplains, Apothecaries and Captains - so hopefully that will give me a whole range of different options whenever I decide to dust them off and get them onto the tabletop.

Vehicles, as well: my Land Raider, here; some Rhinos/Razorbacks and even my Stormraven and  Drop Pods got shiny new paintjobs! Hurray!

By the end of it, I was able to assemble a whole range of different detachments. A regular Battalion Detachment using the whole Troops and HQ combo, but also a couple of Vanguard Detachments - one to represent my Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans, and another to shine the spotlight on my Death Company.

Speaking of which, I then had the opportunity to paint up this Land Raider Achilles - an item I acquired in a Facebook trade many years ago, and which previously had been painted up as a Thousand Sons tank. Still haven't used it, mind, and this was a couple of years ago, now....

But great fun was had. Conversions were made, experiments were partaken of with painting techniques, new backgrounds were established... It was lots of fun. And this army is probably my finest 40K achievement to date.

For now, though, it lies dormant within the confines of a generously-sized KR Case. All 5000pts of it. Just waiting to be woken from stasis to fight on in the name of the Emperor.

THE EMPEROR PROTECTS!

Blood Angels: Rhino/Razorback & Squad

Hurray! I have not only finished my 5-man Tactical Squad, but I have also built and painted their lovely car Dedicated Transport - a Razorback! This one has been kitted out with a twin-linked Lascannon for a bit of extra 'oomph'.

I have tried to use the correct markings where possible, showing company designation and vehicle numbering.

I opted for blue for the lenses on the Lascannon turret as a contrasting spot colour. I think it stands out quite well.

Whilst the basis for the Chapter iconography is the traditional black winged blood drop, I have added a little splash of colour to the drop itself to tie it in with the detailing on the Marines.

Etc etc.

For a bit of added flexibility, I built the Razorback so that it could be retro-fitted to turn it into a Rhino. Whilst a Razorback is currently ideal, my ultimate aim is to build (if not run) ten-man squads, so they need some bigger wheels.

Here they all are, showing off their new ride.

Chaos Space Marines: Chaos Knight

I haven't been able to post anything up recently, for a number of reasons: first and foremost being that I have been constructing a lot of the old kits that I have had lying in boxes for ages, in readiness for the weeks and months ahead. Like a squirrel preparing for winter, I have been constructing vehicles and then burying them away in KR cases. One thing that I have been able to paint, however, is my Chaos Knight! And I must say, I'm glad that I have done it now.

This is the FW Chaos Knight kit - not a conversion - although many of the conversions I have seen on line are much cooler - and as such, there was a high percentage of resin involved in the model. I don't like resin. Not necessarily because of the material itself, but rather the moulding process that means you have to use a razor saw to cut things off their gates and such.

There is also the fact that you have to rely on superglue, rather than plastic glue, and with big, centrepiece models, there is always that fear that they could be easily broken.

I really enjoyed painting this guy, once I had overcome my fear of the resin. I'm not sure how much I would have enjoyed painting it if it was dedicated to one of the fussier gods, like Tzeentch, but Nurgle allows for a sloppy paint job.

A lot of rust, dirt and mud has gone onto this model, and at times I wondered whether I should perhaps have just painted him entirely brown... But I think it worked out in the end.

I opted for the Thermal Cannon in the end, because... y'know... Thermal Cannon.

The Foereaper Chainsword was made entirely out of resin, which was generally fine, except for the interlocking mechanisms - otherwise known as the important bits - which were warped and/or needed heavy trimming. I got there in the end, mind.

I now have a centrepiece for my Sons Of Entropy Chaos Space Marines army! Excelsior!

Space Wolves: Blood Claws Pt.2

RRRRRAAAAARGH! They are complete! The second batch of Blood Claws are now ready for battle, which means that all of my infantry are painted in anticipation of my showdown with the ruinous powers next weekend.

Here is my Wolf Guard Pack Leader, who looks more than a little like Windsor Davies from the Carry On films. Once again - as with my last WGPL, he is brandishing a Power Fist for a bit of added Oomph.

I cobbled this chap together a looooooooong time ago, and I can only assume I was trying to arm him with a Combi-Flamer or somesuch... I will be using him as a Flamer-wielding Blood Claw.

He's quite owlish, I think... His hair reminds me of Night Owl from Watchmen, which is not the coolest look, if truth be told.

Here's a gruff soul, wielding a Plasma Pistol. One of my favourite things about the new Space Wolf Codex is the ability to trick out even the smallest unit with a few special weapons. Blood Claws can swap one of their Bolt Pistols for a Plasma Pistol and still have a Special Weapon (such as a Flamer) in a squad of just five men. It means they can quickly get expensive, but they are a lot more effective.

Cheer up! It might never happen!

Tadaaaaa! Six completed Blood Claws. Now, onto my Venerable Dreadnought and a couple of Drop Pods...

Space Wolves: Blood Claws Pt.1

These guys are being bashed out pretty quickly, as I have an impending battle next week, and I need a small squad of them ready and raring for action. As such, they are a bit rough around the edges.

This particular pack will all have red 'paint' (or blood, read into it what you will) daubed across their eyes, as a mark of brotherhood, and in an attempt to ward off maleficarum.

These three all have the same hair colour, but I shall intersperse the rest of the squad with different colours for variety. It just made batch-painting them somewhat quicker.

By my relatively slow standards, I am whizzing through these Space Wolves, and they have come as a welcome change from the Blood Angels with whom I spent ages adhering to the GW-prescribed method.

This was a Blood Claw model I fashioned whilst the old 5th Edition Codex was still lurking around. Of course, they've jibbed off the Mark Of The Wulfen rule, so now he just looks rather out of place...

His head was part of a set from MaxMini - I'm still not entirely sure whether or not they have crossed the goof rubicon, but I kinda like them.

Three down, three to go...

Space Wolves: Grey Hunter #5

And lo! With my fifth Grey Hunter, I have completed my squad! (I did five last year, so these were just rounding them out). I now have ten Grey Hunters in total, and a Wolf Guard Pack Leader to lead them into battle.

This squad have been fun (and quick) to paint. I'm moving onto some Blood Claws next, inspired by the pace at which I can paint these guys at, to a decent standard.

Here they all are - ready for battle!

Space Wolves: Grey Hunter #4

This is just a brief post, as I power my way through the last couple of Grey Hunters on my list of things-to-do. This grizzled veteran is a common-or-garden Grunter, with a simple, trusty Bolter with which to deliver the Imperium from the threat of Xenos or Maleficarum.

Just one more to do, before I plunge into a small squad of Blood Claws, which will provide me with the necessary two Troops choices that will allow me to field a battle-forged army.

Space Wolves: Grey Hunter #3

HURRAY! I got around to finishing the third of my Grunters (Grey Hunters)! This guy did not take an awful lot of time in and of himself, but it took a fair old while to do his banner. Said banner should provide a bit of interest to the squad, methinks.

Another grizzled veteran, obvs, this chap was nice and straightforward to paint, insomuch as he had an open stance, which allowed me to get to all the detail on his chestplate.

I'm enjoying painting aged faces at the moment. My Blood Claws will, naturally, be a lot more youthful and less white around the ears.

And so, onto the banner! The banner itself came from the Command Squad kit, and I painted it black before applying a black to grey gradient to the background with a bit of blending, and then a coat of gloss varnish. I then used an Imperial Fists transfer for the central moon motif, and a couple of numerals from the Space Marine transfer sheet to signify these guys being part of the 'Twa' of Hrothgar's Great Company - part of Bjorn Daemonsbane's 'Rout'. I then painted the moon over the Imperial Fist icon, and applied another coat of gloss varnish, before applying the wolves to each side of the moon. And then I painted the rest of it! AND BREATHE! I think it was worth the effort, mind...

Space Wolves: Wolf Guard Pack Leader

My Grey Hunter pack needed a bit of leadership, and so I opted to include a Wolf Guard Pack Leader, replete with a Power Fist - all the better for enhancing the richness of his own saga.

I wanted to add a few banners into the army, both for a bit more character and some added verticality. A lot of foot-soldiers doth not a variegated army make! Marching to the banner of the Ironwolf, these chaps make war with equal relish against the xenos, daemon and heretic alike.

Here is the aforementioned Power Fist - ideal for slowing you down in challenges! Hurray for the UNWIELDY special rule! Le sigh...

I also decided to equip him with a face, as these tend to be of great use among the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes.