Smurfs In Spaaaaaaace!

[Megapope]

Hi there! So this is gonna be my army progress thread for my burgeoning Ultramarines crew. I'm a traditionalist so I'm sticking with the 2nd Company, and have so far amassed the following:

2 tactical squads
1 scout squad (bolters)
1 sternguard squad
Command squad
A generic captain that I've named First Sergeant since I plan on getting Sicarius at some point
Half an assault squad
1 rhino
1 dreadnought
1 bike

Currently I've just finished my first combat squad, which is a leetle rough around the edges since I've been remembering a lot of my paint-fu, but I think they as good as I'm gonna get them. I'm also various stages through the rest of that tactical squad, the scouts and the assault guys. I tend to flit from group to group as the mood takes me.

Anyhoo, that's the introduction. I'll post up pics as I take them and as I get stuff finished.

[Megapope]

aaaaaaand here is my first completed thing: a combat squad. Okay I know really it's just half a tactical squad, but I'm trying to feel good about my massively slow painting here.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0QYtsYBx-Y/TnfVC96KzfI/AAAAAAAABPU/7LCqkNxHo_k/s1600/SDC13053.JPG

 

Here are the boys. The transfers are a bit poos compared to what I've been able to do on later marines. These ones went on before I got myself some microset and microsol, heh.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2rtRfPtvlUM/TnfVPx7ah_I/AAAAAAAABPY/GVpb_likhF4/s1600/SDC13047.JPG

 

This is Brother Gaius. He'd be the squad leader if such ranks were still used. Pretty pleased with how his shoulder clothy thing came out.

 

My biggest failing so far I think is missing a bunch of mold lines. Sigh!

[Megapope]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQRC3EGhKyk/TncZ2JUvyZI/AAAAAAAABO4/NSMXvEFsrQ0/s1600/SDC13038.JPG

 

This is my mainly finished first assault marine, from Squad Gladius. I think I can tidy up the highlighting a bit more and OH LOOK MORE MOLD LINES ON HIS HELMET AND LEG I really need to watch out more for those things. :(

 

Otherwise pretty happy with my new levels of transfer-fu. I think microset and microsol is bloody amazing.

[Jerre]

These look nice! Crisp painting.

 

I am happy to hear you are having succes with the transfers. They are the bane of my existance :(

[Grimdarkness]

There's some mold lines but they look good well done.

[Zincite]

Very nice. I'm jealous of your neat writing on that chainsword.

[A17roolz]

Courage & Honour fellow Ultramarine Commander!

 

Loving the work, very neat and crisp paint work and dead jealous of the neatness of your writing, excellent work! Although, and this is personal taste and not a criticism, I do prefer the vertical arrow and roman numeral numbers... I like my Roman themed Ultras :o

 

Oh yes, and if you want a little constructive criticism, file down the mold lines on your models. It's slightly time consuming and seems very minor, but it goes a long way to making them look even better ^_^

[Squadinho]

How do you get the freehand so tidy?

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

Looking good brother. I like the bases with the sponge flock. I laughed at the title itself, seeing how I represent the "Call me big papa" smurf shirt when off duty.

 

Keep up the great work and I look forward to more pictures and details.

 

 

Glory to Ultramar! Courage and Honour!

[Megapope]

Haha I almost feel like I'm revealing a guilty secret after those compliments on my "freehand writing" but that's actually from the Ultramarines Transfer page, available from Forgeworld at the reasonable price of nine pounds. It's enormous; A4 in size and contains everything from enough squad markings for a whole Company, plus cool names, phrases and other images.

 

lol feel like a total sell out ;)

 

I guess I should at least feel complimented on my transfer skills though if people thought that was freehand!

[Khargan]

they look really good although I hate to say it but I spy with my bionic eye, something beginning with M and ending with old line!

[Megapope]

So I figured Wednesdays could be a good day to go through my collection and show the highlights, current projects, points of interest and so on and so forth. Mainly because today is Wednesday and I just thought of doing so.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gCjy9B61qFg/Tnkita4QQnI/AAAAAAAABPc/AROmUtE9dfY/s1600/SDC13060.JPG

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qB7xFecL7Ew/TnkizbXQ21I/AAAAAAAABPg/yrhdaky3xus/s1600/SDC13096.JPG

 

First up is the scout squad! As of yet unnamed, but I wanted to show them for two reasons. Firstly they're over halfway finished, but more importantly BEHOLD the awesomeness that is the new heads I ordered for them! They are from the good people at Pig Iron Productions and were inspired by this dude and his awesome Crimson Justicars army. I never really liked the original scout heads on those models, though amusingly I've now put one of them onto my flamer guy in Squad Vorolanus. ALSO it's hard to tell in the light but I did my first ever blending job on the green visor. It looks pretty cool in person. You'll have to take my word for it.

 

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tEuJWeje9ac/TnkkiN6Q-PI/AAAAAAAABPk/8WwK8G6LRV8/s1600/SDC13064.JPG

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hISPaZG8uLQ/Tnkkli9grHI/AAAAAAAABPo/bKGJKhbzsbY/s1600/SDC13065.JPG

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J8CW6rVYAfE/Tnkkow5NLDI/AAAAAAAABPs/wualOB4NRWo/s1600/SDC13068.JPG

 

Next up are three of my homebrew entries for Squad Adamantus (shamelessly stolen from a White Dwarf article, in your face Crimson Fists!), my Sternguard squad. The rest of the squad including the five awesome resin dudes that a friend got me for my birthday follow...

 

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pOUBIdMpX7c/TnklocfaYhI/AAAAAAAABPw/z9PjaGqbnqo/s1600/SDC13070.JPG

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NR9QESH1uGU/TnklsHNJTyI/AAAAAAAABP0/8hJoG0Ij2n8/s1600/SDC13072.JPG

 

Though after having found out that storm bolters can't use the special ammo that the Sternguard have, I'm going to have to change the weapon on my veteran sergeant. Waaaaah.

 

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MKeu_vsGTfk/TnkmgZsPO1I/AAAAAAAABP4/XW4oWpCvSaE/s1600/SDC13073.JPG

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fc4PyAqs-LE/TnkmkPL4CcI/AAAAAAAABP8/pwubJTcNT5U/s1600/SDC13076.JPG

 

Some unpainted guys! I gave the banner bearer the wreath around his bonce. I think it looks pretty cool. With the Missile Launcher I'm hoping to accomplish a relatively simple conversion of having a missile firing out from the launcher with a trail of smoke behind it. Pretty sure I have the technology. Stay tuned!

 

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZjCmrshcBM/TnknHAd0maI/AAAAAAAABQA/x8e_HM3EHos/s1600/SDC13078.JPG

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQx5vevi3Jo/TnknLv2bZBI/AAAAAAAABQE/70wd1HvQJCE/s1600/SDC13085.JPG

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0F-6IcjASMA/TnknQOad-RI/AAAAAAAABQI/YJ8tpMrl6Gc/s1600/SDC13086.JPG

 

Say hi to the friendly folks from Squad Gladius. They enjoy long walks in the park, romantic candle lit dinners, and tearing the spleens out of heretics as they simultaneously bite the faces off alien scum. In their spare time they... haha, I kid. They have no spare time. Ever.

 

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CVZqNKbn8zg/TnkoH7oaD_I/AAAAAAAABQM/Yf4ghXpuwxw/s1600/SDC13088.JPG

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j3cxCxbho2I/TnkoLpzifAI/AAAAAAAABQQ/S0UKgM7ynhM/s1600/SDC13090.JPG

 

Finally on this week's State Of The Union, I present the sergeant and flamer dude, as of yet unnamed, from Squad Vorolanus. I've decided that all my sergeants are going to be Beakies... it's a nice simple way of tying them together. You'll note the afore mentioned scouts head sticking out from the flamer guy there. I had to fiddle around with a little bit of plastic to give him a neck, but otherwise I think it works quite nicely.

[Jerre]

Those scout heads are realy nice. I also really like the paint job on the flamer dude's face.

[Megapope]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LDtBGOz9al0/TnmU80i8LeI/AAAAAAAABQs/C6aJuQX8fMg/s1600/SDC13124.JPG

 

Woohoo. The mark 5's from Forge World arrived today. They'll be added in as veteran sergeants, Sternguard and other models throughout the army. Definitely keen to get some crusader variants at some point too.

[Guest kodopitharos]

I really like the scout heads. It never made sense to me for entire squads to go to battle without a helmet.

The lack of a helmet came up in my GURPS Warhammer 40k campaign when the players, starting off as scouts, were getting hammered by modern day assault rifles simply because they were often got shot in the head.

 

And we're not talking aimed shots - we're talking about stray shots!

 

If I ever come around at collecting scouts Ill definetely use those heads.

[Megapope]

Quickie update.

 

The lovely people at Secret Weapon Miniatures sent me my Greek crests. Whoo! Here are four of the five that they sent me.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-67h2aOlArxo/TnxOEtXBvCI/AAAAAAAABQ0/8LpJiQBArM0/s1600/SDC13151.JPG

 

They also gave me a free thing! Looks like it will make a great objective marker once it's painted up.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W9xXjN2aZac/TnxN-pZ3SjI/AAAAAAAABQw/vT4Na-Kp9fg/s1600/SDC13148.JPG

 

And here is one of my mark 5 dudes who's going to be a veteran sergeant in my command squad, showing off a crest.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6bPnwuWe4-c/TnxOJaAZdhI/AAAAAAAABQ4/9V1ma1B3bAs/s1600/SDC13153.JPG

[Jerre]

They also gave me a free thing! Looks like it will make a great objective marker once it's painted up.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W9xXjN2aZac/TnxN-pZ3SjI/AAAAAAAABQw/vT4Na-Kp9fg/s1600/SDC13148.JPG

 

That looks great but I can't find it on their website. Any idea under which heading I should look for it?

Did you get a receipt with a name or something?

[Megapope]

That looks great but I can't find it on their website. Any idea under which heading I should look for it?

Did you get a receipt with a name or something?

 

Sadly it wasn't mentioned on the receipt, it was the first place I looked. I'll have a rummage about on the site though, now I'm curious too haha

 

Oh and while I'm praising third party companies, Pig Iron sent me an extra sprue of scout replacement heads too. I ordered ten and got twenty. So far I'm very happy with the online bits people. ^_^

 

EDIT: Can't seem to find it. Either my search fu is weak or its a special freebie thing they give out to customers.

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

That looks great but I can't find it on their website. Any idea under which heading I should look for it?

Did you get a receipt with a name or something?

 

Sadly it wasn't mentioned on the receipt, it was the first place I looked. I'll have a rummage about on the site though, now I'm curious too haha

 

Oh and while I'm praising third party companies, Pig Iron sent me an extra sprue of scout replacement heads too. I ordered ten and got twenty. So far I'm very happy with the online bits people. :pirate:

 

EDIT: Can't seem to find it. Either my search fu is weak or its a special freebie thing they give out to customers.

 

 

No, it's because you are an Ultramarine and we are the Emperor's best. =D

[Zincite]

Haha I almost feel like I'm revealing a guilty secret after those compliments on my "freehand writing" but that's actually from the Ultramarines Transfer page.

Cheater. :pirate: I've never seen them before, they look good.

 

Very good, clean, work! The scouts look particularly nice. Question, where's that head from on the Missile Launcher guy?

[Megapope]

Haha I almost feel like I'm revealing a guilty secret after those compliments on my "freehand writing" but that's actually from the Ultramarines Transfer page.

Cheater. :tu: I've never seen them before, they look good.

 

Very good, clean, work! The scouts look particularly nice. Question, where's that head from on the Missile Launcher guy?

 

It's just one of the heads that comes with the tactical squad box. :pirate: If I recall it was sitting on the same sprue as the missile launcher bits.

[Olgerth Istaarn]

Quality smurfage! I especially like the Pig Iron heads on scouts. Always wanted to see them on actual models.

[Slyfox1990]

I would hugely appreciate some advice/a guide on how you paint your models. I have been doing some recently and although I was initially happy with my scheme, I now feel it is a little too dark. It look's like your process is similar but I guess you are using different shades of colour.

[Biohazard]

Ypur Ultras are looking really good. Moldlines are always a nightmare but once you sort those this will be awesome. Ive been looking at those Pig Iron heads for ages but wanted to see them on an actual scout. You have made me very happy my friend. An order has been placed. :D

[Megapope]

I would hugely appreciate some advice/a guide on how you paint your models. I have been doing some recently and although I was initially happy with my scheme, I now feel it is a little too dark. It look's like your process is similar but I guess you are using different shades of colour.

 

Sure thing. :-) Although they DO look a lighter than they actually are due to the lighting, here's how I do them:

 

 

After undercoating black, I base coat with Mordian Blue, then run over it quite heavily with the Asureman Blue ink, making sure that all the lines are especially filled in. After that I paint all the raised plate areas with a 50/50 mix of Mordian and Ultramarines Blue. Then it's first level of highlights with straight Ultramarines Blue and finally a second highlight using a 50/50 Ultramarines and Spacewolf Grey.

 

Really I just wanted mine to look like the one's from GW, and I got this guide from their website. Though now I can't seem to find it! They just have the crappy dry brushing one up.

 

 

Ypur Ultras are looking really good. Moldlines are always a nightmare but once you sort those this will be awesome. Ive been looking at those Pig Iron heads for ages but wanted to see them on an actual scout. You have made me very happy my friend. An order has been placed. :lol:

 

Awesome. :woot: I'm glad that my pics help a good business get more orders!