Chaos Space Marines Troops finished.

*Squeek*
Busy week at work...must...go..to...bed...
...but before that, I wanted to post a couple of units of Chaos Space Marines that I more or less finished tonight.

Around 10 with bolters, 10 with CC weapons (Bolt Pistols and Chainswords) and finally a pack of guys with heavy weapons.

Pics below:

Actually, thought they were finished, but seeing photos on the screen means I can immediately see lots to do!
-heavy weapon barrels need boring out.
-I must bring myself to do the power weapons.
-layers on the flesh rather than just a wash.
-sprucing up the bases to make them more interesting (skulls? weapons? the battered bodies of the vanquished?)
etc.

a warlord's work is never done!
:-)
*Squeek*

Black Templars and Chaos Update

*Squeek*

Fellow warlords, it has been some time since my last scratchings, so I thought I should report on the progress of the Chattering Horde once more. I am embarrassed to say that I have been lured (or seduced) into following the ways of another great power in the weeks since I last posted, and have done little but work on painting an army of Chaos... 
... Chaos Space Marines that is! 

May the Great Horned Rat forgive me! 

m(_ _)m 

After finally managing to get my act together and get hold of some Citadel Black primer spray, I got the bases very roughly done and have moved onto playing around with some base colours. As seems traditional with the forces of Chaos, I have gone for metallic colours (as you can see), by which I mean lots of Boltgun Metal, not just for weapons, but for a main colour. 

In addition, I am using Dwarf Bronze and Shining Gold mix on shoulder pads etc. For the first time, I am also using some of the "new" Citadel Paints range. In this case, Leadbelcher, Screaming Bell and Hashut Copper (conversion chart here). They give good coverage and seem pretty easy to work with. At first I was quite surprised by just how "Red" the Hashut Copper was. As you can see in the images below it is very distinctive!

Screaming Bell/ Hashut Copper

Dwarf Bronze/ Shining Gold 

Screaming Bell/ Hashut Copper

Dwarf Bronze/ Shining Gold

Screaming Bell

A unit of Chaos Space Marines

The names that have come to mind so far for these units have included:

"The Bronze B@stards"
"The Brazen B@stards"
"Black Jack's Brass Legion"
Lots of "Brass" and "Bronze" etc, but I believe "Steel Legion" has already been taken....

I am a bit concerned as to how these will all come out in the end.My Skaven, Tau and High Elves never really saw any metallics used aside from on blades and breastplates etc. I am hoping though that applying some washes and then layers/ highlights should make them a little less garish. One question I am a is whether to use a black wash or an earth wash on the metallic? For weapons where I have used Leadbelcher I think Nuln Oil (Black) should he good, but what about shoulder pads? Agrax Earthshade? Also, as most of the Space Marine armour is simply black, would I wash those? And if so which washes would be best? Questions, questions! (all advice appreciated by the way!)

As well as working my way slowly through the CSMs, I also ordered two Rhinos and a couple of Landspeeders on eBay. Today I resprayed the Rhinos black and kitbashed a Lascannon turret and a Heavy Bolter turret so I could field a couple of Razorbacks if I wanted to (they aren't glued on). You can see them below:

"Old Style" Rhino w/ updated hatches (and smoke launchers?)

Twin Linked Lascannon

"Old Style" with Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters

Chaos Rhino

Landspeeder Typhoon

Landspeeder Tornado

My plan is to keep the Rhinos both black and relatively unadorned. That way (as the group I game with are very relaxed) I can use them with both the Chaos Space Marines and my Black Templars. 

The final recent addition was a small force of Black Templar terminators, again from eBay. I picked up 5 and the seller added in a couple more at a reduced price. These models have Forgeworld shields and were very nicely painted.

Lots to do then, including more work of the imperial "Fortress of Redemption"!

Cheers, 
*Squeek*

40K Fortress of Redemption Update #2

*Squeek*
Got some more work on the Fortress done over the last few nights. This was mainly applying some Devlan Mud washes over the Tamiya Grey undercoat. This was a bit of an experiment as I had no idea how it would turn out...

  

 

Sorry for the poor photos. Basically, the wash on the walls didn't work as intended, and it looks a bit thin, probably because it is in stark contrast with the very dark parapets and gantry that are up top. I was pretty disappointed with this at first, but I have a feeling it will look better with another wash as that should darken it down even further. I will also paint some Badab Black into the deeper recesses and apply some more details, both physical (shell damage) and specific washes (rust on some strategic metal areas that will also have stained the walls etc.)

I also started putting some base coats down on the main tower (statues and wings).

It took MUCH longer than I thought. Next is basecoats on the rest of the tower. I don't want to overdo the skulls at the base of the tower, so I will probably keep them a dark grey with washes etc. That should keep the focus on the "Angels of Death".

Getting very busy at work, so may not be able to do this for while. In the meantime hoping that the new Chaos Space Marines Codex I pre-ordered will arrive!

Cheers,

*Squeek*

40K Scenery-Fortress of Redemption update #1

*Squeek*

As part of the Black Templar haul that I was lucky enough to get second-hand the other day, I also got a Games Workshop Fortress of Redemption. As I have almost no 40K scenery (other than some scratch-built bunkers) I was pretty stoked to lay my hands on this.

Twin-Linked Las Cannon Interceptor at left...(removable)

Missile Silo

At the time I got it I thought, "Wow, this thing is big and is going to take quite a lot of painting!" 

Looking around, there are number of different paint schemes that seem popular, but the most popular ones seem to be either a "Dark Angels Green" or green or grey for the walls, and a dark grey or black for the giant Angel of Death statues on the tower. What to do?

As I don't have any Chaos Black undercoat to hand I decided just to use a grey Tamiya surfacer as the undercoat (the undercoat in the image above). Having done that, I ended up with a very light grey. Impatient type that I am, I have decided that I will see if I can use washes to darken the undercoat and see what we end up with. Although it might be cool, I have decided not to do the whole thing as a Black Templar base in black and white. I will be using some black though (probably on the Angels of Death) so it should still tie together with any Black Templars who end up defending it. 

After a couple of late-night sessions over the last week, I have got base colours down on the gantry-way, decorations, and skulls. Here is where I am now:

Dark Angels chapter icons (No, I am not going to convert them to BT)

A bit difficult to see, but the gantry is painted in Bolt Gun Metal

All I can say is, if only my Skaven had a hidey-hole like this!
(or maybe they can? mwahahaha!)

:-)
*Squeek*

Let the Black Templar Crusade Begin!

*Squeek*
With 6th edition out and in my hands I am definitely enjoying getting back into 40K.

While the dice gods are rarely on my side (as my opponents will acknowledge) they HAVE been unusually kind recently when it comes to excellent value purchasing opportunities. I recently picked up some Chaos Space Marines, and then this week some Black Templar Space Marines also appeared in my quadrant (and at a good price.) I was interested in the CSMs as a good way to build the foundation of an army that could grow later by purchasing the Cultists from the Dark Vengeance Box, but I basically got interested in the DTs after reading about them once I heard there were some available.

Here is what I picked up: (a big thanks to the original seller!) If I have got the names of the units or models mixed up bear with me - I am learning my way around!

HQ:
x1 Space Marine commander
x1 Emperor's champion (converted)

HQ (Command Squad)
x1 Medic
x1 plasma gun Marine
x1 normal space marine with bolter
x1 Standard Bearer
x1 Marine with power shield and flaming sword

Troops:
x1 Tactical squad of 10 (5 initiates + 5 Neophytes)
x1 Tactical squad of 10 (5 initiates + 5 Neophytes)
x1 Rhino

Elites:
x1 Dreadnaught (power claw/ assault cannon)
x1 Techmarine
x1 Swordbrethren squad (bolt pistols/ chainswords)

Fast Attack.
x1 squad of 4 bikes, (3 with power weapon)
x1 squad of 4 bikes, (3 with power weapon)

As you can see, this is the first army that I have laid my hands on that is already fully painted! Hats-off to the original owner for a job well done. :-) It looks to be around 1,000 to 1,250 points?

Reading around a bit, it appears that the Dark Templar Codex, like the Chaos Space Marines Codex, is a bit old, (new CSM Codex out this week!) but hey, they are a pretty damn cool chapter - as I am not a competitive player at all that makes them all good in my book. What kid isn't interested in the Knights Templar after all? (Especially a hard-core, far-future version with a massive chip on their collective shoulder pads, a never-ending crusade, and a definite disdain for typical Space Marine rules.)

The question is, are any other purchases essential for this army? E.g. Terminators always seem to be a good buy for Space Marines...

Any hints and tips out there?
Cheers,
*Squeek*

P. S. This purchase also included a Fortress of Redemption, so at least these Black Templars have a place to hang out!