Marksman Conversion WIP

My Forge World order still hasn't arrived (sigh), so I've been taking a look over my Empire, working out what I have already and what I still need to build/get hold of for my final list.

While playing with army lists, I decided I wanted ten (yes, ten!) Handgunner units, each with a Marksman with a Hochland Long Rifle. A tall order!

Unfortunately GW don't produce a specific Marksman model, outside of the awful plastic kit that makes the State Troops look like they're wearing onesies. They do have some nice Engineer models with Long Rifles that could be used as Marksman, which would fit right in with my Engineer-themed force, but I've got plans for both of them.

This left me one option: convert!

I started with an old-style Handgunner from one of my existing units (i think it's from the 6th ed Starter Set) and added plastic tubing to build it up into a contraption-of-long-ranged-extinction. I still need to add bits and pieces to it, but i think it's looking good so far:

The only downside is the fact that the model i used as a base is already painted, so I'm going to have to be extra careful when i come to paint it up, so I don't end up ruining the existing paint job, but that's a bridge I can cross when it comes to it

Terminator Wolf Priest WIP

While I wait for my FW order to arrive, I've been working on my Space Wolves. This time I've been working on a Wolf Priest in Terminator Armour, completing my quartet of HQ choices.

I'm undecided on a name and title for this guy at the moment, but I wanted him to look as aggressive as possible - something hard to convey within the limitations imposed by having him in Terminator Armour. The blood splatters on his base and the blooded Fang of Morkai help though, i think.

He was built mainly straight from the basic terminator box, with a few additions, like the crozius made from spare parts from the SW sprue and the totem pole, thrown together from a quick root through my bitz collection, but all in all, he was very simple to make.

It might not be obvious from this photo, but he's got a combi-plasma in his right arm, with a Reductor from the Grey Knight Termintor kit slung underneath. This, much like it does on my other Priest, helps emphasise the dual role he plays within the chapter, as spiritual leader and Apothecary in one.

He just needs a few runes freehanded onto his shoulder pads and he'll be ready to take his place amongst the Rout. Hopefully I'll get him done this week

Master of Signal WIP

Forgeworld have put up the Legion Champion and Master of Signal set. While I've just put in a large order, I was a week too early to grab those guys at the same time. I would've probably only ended up using the Master of Signal anyway, so I ended up building my own:

 If i grab the set later, this guy can always be demoted to a vox-operator in a Tactical Squad, but for now he makes a nice HQ choice.

I tried to get across the impression that this guy is a veteran who's served alongside my Praetor since they were inducted into the legion together on Cthonia - hence the massive beard. The head is plucked straight from the Space Wolves sprue and his backpack is simply the IG vox caster.When I get paid I'm going to be picking up some guitar strings to cut up and add cables linking it to his suit, but for now I'm happy with how he's turned out.

Completing him has given me the two main characters to lead my force, so my next step is to start work on my Veteran Tactical Squads in mkIII armour when my order arrives. Hurry up Royal Mail!

Wolf Priest WIP

A quick WIP of my Wolf Priest. You've seen him before so I'll let the pictures do the talking, rather than prattle on about things you've heard before

Hrogar and Mjor

 Here's two more members of the White Wolves, Hrogar and Mjor Darkhunt.

You've seen Hrogar before, but I've finally finished him off. He's nothing much though, just a rank and file member of the pack, yet to even earn his own saga.

On the other hand, we have Mjor Darkhunt, another of my favourites from the pack

Mjor is a possessed of a keen sense of stealth and a hunters instinct that puts him in good stead to carry a power fist into battle, for what are vehicles other than larger, tougher versions of the beasts the Rout hunt across the wastes of Fenris?

He is a man of few words. Indeed he rarely even removes his helm, a MK VI variant from the time of Russ, encrusted with runes of concealment, the better for tracking his prey and avoiding the eyes of the enemy whilst on the approach. Often, the first warning the enemy have of his presence is the arc of blue energy heralding their imminent death.

When not in battle, he spends most of his time in isolation, prowling the lower gun decks of the 'Lokhir's Heart', away from his pack mates. What he stalks in the shadowy depths of Tra's flagship though remains a mystery to all but him, for he refuses to speak of his prowlings to any man, be they Jarl or Shield-Brother.

Internet Sheep

The online gaming community really does make me laugh sometimes. You may remember a few months ago I posted an article on how Deamons are amazing under sixth edition, especially Flamers of Tzeentch. (if you don't, or you missed it, here it is) I was pretty much laughed at on Warseer and the 40k Forums and told I was an idiot.

Now lo and behold, someone at Bell of Lost Souls has found how nasty they can be and people are hailing them as the new messiah for pointing out that deamons have become a real cheese list, like it's something new.

 Good to see how the clique-y the online community is. Apparently nothing is true unless the big names are saying it too, at which point it becomes gospel. They're tring to claim a tournament list for them can be unbeatable, and I got shouted down and called an idiot for pointing out some very simple counters for it. *sigh*

To be honest, it doesn't really bother me, but it makes me chuckle to see it unfold.

Fenrisian Wolves done

I really seem to be getting models done at a fantastic rate at the moment. This time it's a trio of Fenrisian Wolves.

Admittedly, it's not enough to be fielded as a unit in their own right, but they always can be used with characters until their packmates are done.

These are nothing too special, built straight from the Chaos Warhound kits, with Green Stuff-ed fur over the holes where mutations are normally attached.

 This last one is the Cyberwolf. He's not cybernetically enhanced, just such a ferocious, mean-looking bastard that he's risen to be Alpha Male. I've put him on a raised base to make him stand out.

A couple of people have asked me why I didn't go for the proper Fenrisian Wolves instead the Warhounds. While I love the proper wolves models, I went for these for a number of reasons:

1. They look more feral and brutal than the Fenrisian Wolves. These look more like barely controlled predators than their tamed and well groomed official counterparts

2. The background for my Great Company has them marooned in the Warp for a while. Whilst the Space Wolves can resist its effects due to the Canis Helix, their beast companions weren't so lucky. The Warhounds represent that.

3. They're cheaper. You get twice as many Warhounds for the same price as the Fenrisian Wolves


So there you have it. I might get round to painting the rest of their pack mates soon, but I feel the Wolf Priest and Grey Hunters calling out to me to be finished next, so you might have to wair

Sons of Horus Apothecary WIP

It's not just Space Wolves I've been working on. I'm still plugging away at my Sons of Horus, although progress is hampered somewhat until I find my pot of Colicia Green or aquire a new one when GW Cambridge opens on Wednesday. That's the trouble with keeping an over-cluttered painting area, stuff does tend to wander off.

But enough about that, here's Legion Apothecary Grysus:

As you can see, he's built using normal marine parts, rather than the FW kits. The legs are Mk7, but that's because the materials I'm going to use for studs havn't arrived yet to make them Mk 5. I've been waiting for weeks now and the delay is really starting to annoy me, as they're a key part of the project.

I decided to use Fabius Bile's backpack for his Narthecium/Reductor. I figure that if Fabius was using one in the Heresy, then other Apothecaries probably were too. The Skulls on top represent his Augury Scanner (gives Interceptor to one unit a turn and lets you fire on units arriving from reserve). I figure that, much like Servo Skulls, they're probably housing some kind of scanning tech. Either that or so chaos sorcery, as I'm building them as a post-Istvann/Age of Darkness force.

The shade of his armour is the same recipe I used for the Praetor. The more I use it, the more I like it, although I'm finding I've got to be careful when applying it, as it has a tendency to pool in the wrong areas and look nasty - this guy was stripped and repainted three times!

There's a few details that still need to be finished on him, like the studs and Oath of Moment on his leg armour, but he's pretty much done.

As usual, let me know what you think guys, your feedback means a lot to me.

Wolf Standard finished

 More Space Wolf progress, this time I've completed Jarek the Stern, bearer of the Wolf Standard for the White Wolves.

Of all the models for my Wolves that I've worked on, I think I'm happiest with this guy. The shading's turned out perfectly and he looks hard as nails! I get a very definite sense of background and drama from him that really makes him stand out. Not bad when he's built straight from the box, except for the addition of a Mk 4 helmet from FW.

Skol Fireheart

 He's a nutter with a blue mohawk, wielding a Plasma Gun and Chainsword, how much cooler can he get?

He's also one of the few models in my Space Wolves (or any of my armies for that matter) not to wear a helmet. That's an 'honour' that I generally save for Psykers and particularly headstrong/foolhardy individuals. Skol happens to fall under both the later categories.

Here's the background I wrote for him (I always write this before I build a model)

Something of a loose cannon within the ranks of the White Wolves. Skol’s love for battle knows no bounds  and on the field of war his packmates will always find him in the thick of it, wielding his chainblade in one hand whilst letting rip with his plasma gun with the other, roaring with savage glee.

It is said he would’ve been happy to serve in the ranks of the Blood Claws for the rest of his career, but after the long years away from Fenris, all the recruits in Tra had been promoted to Grey Hunters, or higher still, so Skol was folded into the ranks of the White Wolves almost against his will. 

Although his ferocity is an asset to his pack, his headstrong nature has earned him more than his fair share of punches in the face from his fellow White Wolves, when his lust for battle has threatened an otherwise sound battle plan. Despite this, he possesses the fierce loyalty and bitter resolve that all within the Rout share and can be depended upon when the need calls for it, as long as his lord doesn't mind his goals being achieved with a lot of mess and extreme violence.

There you go guy. I'm really in a painting groove this week, so expect a lot more updates where this came from.