Horus Heresy 30K - Death Guard - Primus Medicae and Death Guard Legion Scheme

Well, well. Yes it's a new army but one I have had for a while in the to-do pile, not jumping in Horus Heresy yet, just fancied a change of colour and watching a few YT videos to find a method and scheme I like. Here is my latest purchase, an eBay job painted as a White Scar Legion however with a change of trim and shoulder pauldron and a test of a YT 'Marine Juice' for weathering I give you a Primus Medicae in Cataphractii Terminator Armour.

So the original model when it was released I thought of one Legion and one only, it screamed Death Guard, its leather apron made the model look to have a distended belly like corrupted Death Guard, I liked it and once I had made my decision to choose a Legion, Death Guard it was - in some small part to this model which was then OOP... so I hunted for a fair priced one on eBay and the above was a good (enough) price and decent paint job. Instead of a strip and re-paint, I opted for a modification and wash.

Metal details were picked out in Decayed Metal - from Scale 75, a totally awesome metal for Death Guard Legion. The blood transfusion bags I opted to keep the turquoise wash the apron was and overpainted the apron with whites and contrast Skeleton Horde. The plain pauldron was a test for the Death Guard scheme, Death Guard Green (obviously), Nurgling Green highlight and edge of Kreig Khaki. 

The base was Stirland Mud with a Baneblade Brown drybrush and a black rim. Different from all of my 40K armies using Calthan Brown/Mournfang Brown base and edges.

The best thing is I really liked the scheme and the sickly green. I will get some test models done for Tactical Marines but before I forget or misplace the recipe I will be using:

Undercoat - Spray Chaos Black

Basecoat - Heavy-ish Zenithal spray Wraithbone

Greens* - DRPA Goblinoid Green (Citadel Warboss Green); highlight DRPA Troll Snot Green (Citadel Skarsnik Green); wash DRPA Necrosis Green Wash (Citadel Athonian Camoshade)

Metals - Leadbelcher, highlight Iron Hands Steel

Weapons - Black then Leadbelcher on metal parts, highlight Iron Hands Steel

Eyes - Blood Angel Contrast

Chipping - Rhinox Hide, White Scar on lower edges of big chips

Trim - Scale 75 Decayed Metal, washed AGrax/Terradon Turquoise 4:1 ratio, Balthasar Gold Highlight

Wash Everything - Marine Juice (Nuln Oil/Reikland Fleshshade/Lahmian Fluid 1:1:1 ratio)

Rust spots - Streaking Grime and Thinners

Base - Stirland Mud base, drybrushed Baneblade Brown, Black rim

* new green recipe, much more vibrant green as seen below. 

New green on shoulder plate and Mortarion's knees (his Shoulders are fabric)

Cheers, Siph (10pts)

Reaver Titan - WIP #14 - "We're gonna need a bigger brush..."

Hi one and all,

Another week past, another Reaver Titan update (Good going Lord H - Siph)

I've decided to add a 3rd colour to the armour, this time a rich metallic red to add another depth to the scheme - this is around the armour under and above the head. I intend to add black/white stripes to this to tie all the colours together.

The legs - I've started painting some of the details of the lower leg in preparation for adding the armour plates to the leg that coincidentally hide most of this detail! A base of gold, with a wash and highlight should be fine here.

The knee pads have been undercoated, the Mechanicus symbol has been based in the typical black/white - I'll paint the cog the opposite white/black so that it really stands out. The other knee pad has been quartered, with a white and red quarter and the other two the primary black colour scheme. These will have honour markings added when finished.

The large Carapace Imperial Aquila had some love given to it, with the eagle picked out with gold, then washed. This will be highlighted to add more definition.

So far, so good.. really happy with how the build is coming along!

Food for Thought...

Two scouts are at the bar when they are joined by a Veteran Sergeant..
"What are your plans for your future careers as Marines, Brothers?" he asked.
The first "battle line Sir, they are always ready, no matter the situation."
"Very good" the Vet responded "and you?"
"When I grow up, I wanna be a Primaris Marine.. and get to my true scale...". Cue bar fight.

Relictors RTB01 Space Marines

Hello Readers, thanks for dropping in, I picked up a squad of RTB01 from a well known auction site recently, for a bargain of about a quid each, so even cheaper in the States now Brexit happened! ;)  I already had a squad of my own from 1980's, but I thought I'd actually paint some up as Relictors to add to my ever growing (2nd) Battle Company - I mean 5th COY is almost complete, now I add units to the 4th COY....

The sculpts required quite a lot of clean up and mold-line removing, we just didn't care as much back in those days, this squad have some serious glue splodge issues too... the sculpt itself holds its own over time, nowhere near the level of posability or crisp details as the latest Tactical Squad, but I think these Classic marines look cool on 32mm bases.

I used the same colours and accents I usually do, brass magazines, red eyes, gloss Pauldrons, and based the same. I painted the powerpack vents metallic as they lack the detail of the new kits so looked better all metallic with a black dot on the underside rather than a grille.

Here is a size comparison shot of a modern Devastator, an RTB01 and the newest oldest LE2 Imperial Space Marine anniversary miniature.

As you can see against a normal MK7 Tactical Marine, the RTB01 is squatting a little and has thinner leg greaves, but overall I think these will blend into the Battle Company quite well. Just the other nine to paint up, I have had to add a FW Bolt Pistol to the squad Sergeant as an empty hand was lacking, plus a grenade holding hand on another marine as the poses were fairly limited if the left hand wasn't under the bolter casing, it was a closed empty fist.

Thanks for reading and I'll post some progress of something more shooty soon! Cheers, Siph.

Mechanicus Skitarii Vanguard and Ranger Comparison Scheme WIP

Hi all, a super quick post to finish off the last post really, here is the requested comparison test scheme for the Vanguard against the already completed Skitarii Rangers Squad.

Both have Red, Gold and Tan elements, the main difference is the Vanguard have more Leadbelcher and have Black Overcoats with a red lining. Both share the bright Blue power cables.

Col H, hopefully that helps the comparison, side by side... something I should perhaps have done in the first place...  more new content up Monday with some more Relictors goodies, flutter that hobby butterfly...

New Year, New Army - Vior'la Sept Tau

As GW was selling some great value New Army bundles, I bought a Tau one along with several other kits and the Damocles Infiltration Cadre. The scheme being tested here was meant to be the Stealth Suit version of more camouflage version of the Vior'la Sept White and Red, however, I liked the Zandri Dust colour so much, I will do the whole lot in this colour. A few units may receive the White and Red however the Codex states that the red markings are Vior'la, the armour plate may be coloured wherever the Sept is fighting, green in jungle worlds, grey in Urban zones, so the Bone/Brown colours suit my terrain and colour of the earth - Calthan Brown (Mournfang Brown).

I chose to do the 'metallics' black and grey as a departure from my normal SM Leadblecher, setting these Tau apart from human technology and copied the gold gyros from the GW normal to add spot colour to an otherwise 'drab' colour palette. The touch of red Vior'la Sept marking lifts the scheme too. Blue energy also emanates from lenses and energy couplings/vents etc.

The fatigues can be base coated with Mournfang Brown spray and the vehicles Zandri Dust to match the armour, now GW has decided to produce spray Zandri Dust once again. I was going to do the 'back pack' Zandri dust, but as these are stealth teams, they will remain brown. The base is finished as my previous bases, Calthan Brown, Kommando Khaki/Ushabti Bone drybrush, linking in the camouflage scheme to the environment nicely as I have used both those colours as line highlights.

Thanks for dropping in, cheers, Siph.

Relictors Space Marine Centurion Sergeant Honour Roll

Following the success both these Centurion Sergeants and their squads had at Warhammer World and BlogWars X, I decided to award both an honour marking to celebrate their squads achievements :)

The Assault Centurions charged 6thDegree's Warhound Canis Ferrum on the battlefield at Warhammer World and destroyed him in Close Combat and afterwards, avoided the worst of the Strength D apocalyptic meltdown and survived unscathed to go on to flame the last remaining Ork character who was claiming his home Objective, allowing the nearby Tech Priest Dominus to claim the objective and secure 15VPs. Well Done Squad Mortis - I have fashioned a Titan 'T' from two transfers on the AdMech transfer sheet the Sergeant now wears proudly on his left Shoulder Pauldron.

The Devastator Centurions destroyed a wayward Imperial Fist Grav Centurion Squad in their first game at BlogWars X, and in the final game managed to down an Imperial Knight Crusader, stripping 4HPs to help secure the victory for the Imperium. This Squad's Sergeant now proudly wears an Adeptus Mechanicus Cog and Skull honour marking on his left Shoulder Pauldron from the AdMech transfer sheet.

Do you like to 'award' heroic feats for your weemen? Let me know their greatest victories in the comments! Thanks for dropping by.

Cult Mechanicus Kastelan Robot Maniple by Mordian7th

Hello Readers, thanks for dropping in. Not my work to show you, I've just tinkered with the faces, fists and bases, all the hard work and most excellent praise should be credited to Mordian7th. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a fully painted Skitarii and Ad Mech army from Mordian7th along with the Vorax Battle Automata Robots I've already posted about. I wanted an Ad Mech army and happened across his post selling his, so I got some funds together and secured a purchase, he is a great chap who even offered my blogger discount on postage - top guy.

I really detested the 'Danger Robinson Family' look of the stock heads of the Kastelan Robots, so (apologies Mordian7th!) I took my dremel to them and removed the domed helmet and added these 'Wargame Exclusive.com' 3rd party company 'Imperial Mechanics' heads instead, changes the whole look of the model from 'cartoon' to 'battle worn robot' IMHO.

I did re-do the power fist fingers back to base metal colour, as my power fists don't have the blue glow that Mordian7th's did. I also weathered the Incendine Combustor barrels and did the bases to fit in with everything else I have. Other than that, it's all Mordian7th's great work!

Here is the Datasmith, in battle he is responsible for altering the protocols of the robots to suit the battle, either ranged, or CC bonuses - remove him and these become less than a dreadnought - stuck in a certain protocol.

And a shot of the rear of the miniatures.

And finally, a shot of Mordian7th's hard work untampered by me. Thanks for dropping by and thanks for these great miniatures Mordian7th! They will be used at BlogWars X next month! Cheers fella.

Mechanicum - Castellax Battle-Automata with Multi-Melta

Hello Readers, thanks for dropping in. here is my latest offering to the painting Gods, a Mechanicum Castellax Battle-Automata armed with Multi-Melta and Power Blades with Flamer and Boltgun.

This was a part-painted purchase I made at cost price as the old owner wanted to move on to another army and have made the scheme more Ad Mech than the original green US Army style the previous owner had started, but I liked some of the green bits, so chose to keep the torso and fists green. I painted the red plates, the details and power cables and lenses and weathered the battle plates, multi-melta and did the bases to my usual standard. The paint job before was rather limited and no details but was fairly neat so I didn't need to strip and start again as such.

I have no idea of the rules for 40K for these, hopefully I'll get hold of the Taghmata Army Book and field these with my Vorax Battle-Automata and my recently purchased Ad Mech and Skitarii units from Mordian7th. I did pick up some Ad Mech transfers so I applied these to make the force more coherent. I also picked up two alternative heads for the bubble headed Kastelan Robots from Wargame Exclusive.com, the original GW heads are too 'danger Robinson family' for my liking...

I have 5 Castellax Battle-Automata and 2 Thanatar Siege-Automata with Hellex Pattern Plasma Mortars! As well as a number of units from Mordian7th to update the bases to match mine. Great fun, I'll post once updated and battle ready now I've bought the Codex Ad Mech and Skitarii, some great units I may have to try out at BlogWars X friendly tournament next month.

Necron Destroyer - Final Colour Scheme Development!

So, with the Necron Warriors gauss energy red in colour, I had to re-paint the Necron Destroyer I painted as a test example literally years ago. The main colours for my ever growing Necron Army is obviously metallics as every Necron player knows, but also another colour - dark blue, with a Bronze accent colour and the gauss reddish energy.

It has taken a number of iterations to finally settle on a colour scheme I liked. Here are the previous incarnations, firstly black carapace with blue energy. This was the first attempt, I liked the black but it was missing something.

Next I tried a blue, aptly named Necron Abyss, and it worked well with the gold transfers but I wasn't overly happy with the gauss blue energy. I didn't want the over used Green energy, especially the plain green plastic rods - they look lego-like. I wanted painted effects so I experimented with a few colours before settling with a nice red blend to orange with yellow lightning flecks.

So now, with the red energy and the blue carapace I was worried it would clash too much but I like it and somehow it works I reckon. So there it is, the development of my Necron colour scheme. Now I am happy with it, I reckon the progress will speed up - can't wait to get these guys on the battlefield and battle Lord Halfpenny and 6thDegree with something other than Relictor Marines.

Thanks for reading.

Iron Warriors - Vindicator

Hi guys – sorry for the sporadic posts of late…geek’age is still happening up North…just at a slower rate of late.

Anyhow, here is a little toy I’ve had finished for a month or two but not had chance to take pics of yet – my first Iron Warrior Vindicator.

I picked the tank up of eBay randomly for an absolute steal of £10.50 – and it came with FW IW doors and some light chain-work conversions which I quite liked so kept.  I simply knocked together a quick combi-bolter to reduce the likelihood of those annoying weapon destroyed results.

It was painted up in my typical IW style and then treated to a lifetime of battering and weathering.

Only had one game with it so far – where it helped destroy Lord H’s Contemptor and made his Centurions very nervous indeed (S10 AP1 will insta gib the entire unit with no saves allowed…) – so pretty happy with the results so far!