31 Jan 2022

Its that time of year - Squaduary 2022 - Relictors Space Marine Biker Squad

Tomorrow is the start of my Squaduary project, My calendar year has two hobby community highlights I partake in, October "Dreadtober" and February's "Squaduary" - and its February so it's time I grabbed something that has been sitting around on the painting desk for all too long and got it finished!
Squaduary was run by Stepping Between Games blog, Thousand Eyes used to plow through the interwebz and Instagram for the Squaduary pledges and pooled them together. Last year this didn't happen (Covid?) but unperturbed I am doing it anyway even if the community isn't!
In 2020 it was a Devastator Squad with Heavy Bolters
In 2019, I completed a Vanguard Squad of Skitarii for my growing AdMech army.
In 2018 it was a Squad of RTB01 Beakie Marines.
And in 2017 it was the first squad of RTB01 Beakie Marines.

So, this year is a Biker Squad to join my Biker Cohort, I have four squads of Space Marine Bikers already but these will be armed with just basic weapons to pretty much bulk out other squads if points allow or get re-armed at a later date. I already have:
  • 2x5 Grav Gun Bikers
  • 1x5 Plasma Gun Bikers
  • 1x5 Melta Gun Bikers
  • 3x Attack Bikes
  • 1x Chaplain Bike
  • 1x Librarian Bike
  • 1x Captain on Jet Bike
  • 1x Master of the Forge on Bike (Techmarine with Conversion Beamer)
  • 1x5 Scout Bikers
Wish me luck and join in if you want! Cheers, Siph

28 Jan 2022

Daemon Princess or monument?

Hello All!

Thanks for stopping by!

As you might remember, a while ago I started work on a conversion using the momument from the Battle Sanctum, and parts from an old Daemon Prince, and the orginal Lord Of Change. 

I added the right leg to from the LoC to replace the human foot, I had to green stuff the claws so that it looked correct. The face of the Sister was cut away from the hair, and then a daemon head was cut to fit. The final addition was a right Daemon Prince arm.

The paint scheme was designed to look like a monument, however with a twist that the daemon element is alive. I opted for a Zandri dust base highlighted up, then washed with Agrax. I then added washes of Drakenhof Nightshade wash over the daemon parts, highlighted with white, and then Hexwraith technical paint to add a different hue to the model, this was repeated on the flames and candles to add to the otherworldly feel of the model. I then added red to the eyes to highlight the fact the momument is alive.

 Some images with some poor Guardsmen.

I am really happy with the way this model looks, and that the conversion was worth all the effort to cut the face away initialy! LH (10pts character or 5pts Scenery?)

24 Jan 2022

Legio Astorum - Lucius Warhound - WIP #1

Hello Titanseers, welcome to WeeMen and another Titan related post, I have been lucky enough to be able to buy an original Lucius Warhound Titan off of my pal Col. Hertford and duly repaint it. Col. Hertford had this Warhound commission painted by Golem Studios so no sentimental value was attached to the paint scheme. She currently is registered as Lucius Warhound (745) on Titan Owners Club blog of Legio Gyrphonnicus - but she has changed sector and allegiance and will now Walk for Legio Astorum!
The Titan was transported to Cumbria for repairs by my other TOC pal Lyden Miniatures, however somewhere in postal transport to me it was drop-kicked by the postie (?) and was in a sorry state, one weapon pinion was actually sheared (seen above on Plasma Blastgun) and a full repair was initiated.
I removed all the toes and reset the knee joint for a slightly different pose, this meant filing and shaping the toes to a different angle and extensive pinning. I chipped away all the baking powder/superglue/sculpty/polyfilla basing material and resprayed the legs from fresh. The plates were removed and resprayed Astorum colours.
As this was a vintage Warhound Lucius Pattern, I went with a retro Astorum Flame design for the Armour greaves, yes not 'flame' accurate with the tips in real life being the reddish, however from box art and old WD material the Astorum flame has the yellow at the extremities to contrast the most with the blue field.
The toes and feet were reconstructed and pistons and adornments repainted, piston tubes with Stormhost Silver with a line of grease/dirt where the tube travels up the sleeve, the ball joint alos got this treatment and the armour of the toes received Astorum (Kantor) blue.
The left most toe (right above) was fixed in place and wouldn't budge so instead of risking further damage, I left as it was - meaning a slight air gap but that can be filled with basing material - the toe on a rock makes the base and stance more believable anyway.

So, steady progress made, the Legs superstructure now complete, some highlighting of armour plates yet to be done but I should have this Warhound recommissioned and fighting once again. Lupus Excelsior will walk for Astorum!

Cheers, Princeps Seniores Siph



21 Jan 2022

Deathwatch Land Raider - Done

Hello all! 

Thanks for stopping by - another week, another comleted model.

This time its a ride for my FirstBorns, one of my favourite tanks, the Land Raider! I've had this waiting to be completed for a while. 

The tank has been painted like the rest of my Deathwatch force, with a black undercoat, metallic black base, hightlights with Eshin Grey, then Thunderhawk Blue. Red has been used across the weapons to tie in the with force. I've also added, like the other tanks, a silver panel on the left of the tank, and a colour one to denote the commanders chapter of origin - this on is Blue with a U, for the Ultramarines. 


Thanks for looking! LH (10 points)

17 Jan 2022

Chaos Daemons - Seekers of Slaanesh

Hi All, Happy New Year! - thanks for dropping by. I finally painted a squad of my own Seekers of Slaanesh, my first squad was painted by my good blogger pal Nick at The Burning Eye blog. A great set and well done. Seen HERE
Once the Contrast Paints were released they looked great on organics so I decided to paint some Daemons, I wrote a painting guide for Daemonettes HERE if you want to check it out.
The bases were my usual recipe. Mournfang Brown, Kommando Khaki and Ushabti Bone

The Seeker Mount was a simple job of two thin coats of Magus Flesh Contrast, one all over and a second partial coat on the upper surface. So simple, so effective.
Really happy with these, and didn't take too long. 

Cheers, Siph (10pts)

14 Jan 2022

Deathwatch Aggressors and Deathwatch Captain

Hello All! 

Another week, another post! Shocking I know Siph! (Gasp! - Siph) 

I've completed my 6 Aggressors for my Deathwatch force - these were done in the same style as previous Deathwatch Primaris, with a metallic black base, highlighted with Eshin Grey, then thunderhawk Blue. I've picked out details that match across the unit. I opted for 3 and 3 with the configuration to give me options as the force increases, whether they are played as a unit of 3, 6 or as part of a killteam with other Gravis armed united. 

The First Born Captain is based on a spare Ultramaine Chapter champion, with weapon swaps. I've given him a plasma pistol, and a Xeno blade (could this be where Sicarius is after he went missing?) I've tried to retain certain 'Ultramarine' elements, without the model looking out of place with the other Deathwatch marines.

I am very happy with the sword - the green has had 3 lighter shades applied, with then highlights with white to the edge. I then applied a wash of Tesseract Glow to give it a Xeno 'feel' with a final highlight to the tip in white. 

Thanks for stopping by! LH (22pts) 

10 Jan 2022

Relictors Space Marines - Chaplain #10

The recent Games Workshop made to order old school Space Marine Chaplain reminded me how understated and awesome this particular sculpt was. The grimacing visage and the low threat of the Crozius coupled with the lethal Plasma Pistol I particularly liked. So I scouted the interweb and bought one at a lot less than the £17.99 RRP. Above you can see the White Dwarf backdrop.
I mounted the Chaplain on a 32mm adapter to the base and inserted a few small rocks under the feet as the original owner had not fixed them to the base correctly, but I didn't mind as it gave a few more millimetres.
The studded Pauldron was painted in Relictors grey and metal studs. The Plasma coils my usual blues.
A nice great addition to my many Chaplains, I love Chaplains so I keep adding them to the ranks, a Chaplain Dreadnought, a Biker, two Terminators, one Primaris, one Jump-Pack and four Chaplains on foot. Others found HERE

Cheers, Siph (10pts)

7 Jan 2022

Lord TITANium Halfpenny - 2022 Update!

Hello one and all!

Thank you for stopping by! 

I am still here, and indeed will be planning more posts. I've gone through a little of a hobby-hobble, but now back and ready to get building and painting! Last year was a poor show on my part - Sorry Siph! 

Recently I started rebuilding the models that were damaged either by the house move, or when one of my bookcases collapsed - hence the hobby-hobble. I've rebuilt 3 of 4 Cerastus Knights, with the 4th ready to finish - I am just needing to rewire the LEDs. 

Daemons have had all parts broken repaired, or converted back to standard. This included my chaos spawn squid - from the LotR model, this was a pain as the tentacles were all snapped away from the model, with the pins snapped.. 

I still have 3 drop pods to redo, however I have taken the time to repaint some of the details missed previously. 

I am working on Deathwatch Primaris Aggressors at the moment, and hope to have these 6 finished soon, then onto the remaining 15 or so Primaris before I take on the first-born Marines that are sat waiting to be painted! 

My hobby goals for the year are to:

  1. Complete majority of my Deathwatch force
  2.  Start and complete my AT force (still in boxes)
  3. Terrain 
  4. Knights (this has been an annual pledge for some time now)
  5. Another Titan prior to end of year (not yet bought) 

Thanks All! LH

3 Jan 2022

Siph’s Hobby Goals and To-Do List 2022

Hello all, well I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions as I never stick to them and I prefer a less than rigid “goal” to work towards… so last year I was away for the most part with work, however a backlog of completed miniatures kept the blog ticking over nicely and when back in the country I could add to these posts and keep it going once again. You wouldn’t have noticed (even if you were monitoring, lol).
Rather than a wall of text, some photos of last years gems.
I had a bit of a Necron push
Alas, this year I am called away again with work, but have less posts to rely on, so you will see a drop of on regular content - fear not Blogger, it’s not the winding up of another blog heading for instagrat/facespam… it’s just I’m busy away :)
So, goals - perhaps this year when able:
  • Reduce some mass from the to do pile… failed miserably and added more last year! Whether this means sell what I’m never going to get around to, or trickle a few projects through when able, we will try. I have a disgustingly large capitalist greed pile of shame - Siph’s to-do Mountain
  • Complete Lucius Warhound
  • Construct Warlord no.2 - note construct, not complete haha, record so far is 3.5yrs…
  • Get Lord TITANium Halfpenny to post more regularly once again, someone has to keep it up
  • Paint some Custodes
  • Attend Titan Owners Club Walks when able - highlight of last year.
So, there you have it, some simple goals. I’ll blog when I can and get that Halfpenny character turned-to! 
Have a great 2022, and a safe year avoiding Nurgle’s pox once more! 

Cheers, Siph