Kortmer's Oldhammer Rescue Projects

[K0rtmer]

Hi. A couple of months ago I got my hands on a lot of 21 – yes, actually 21! – Plague Marines. Many models are old, OOP, 2nd ed. and (I believe) RT era. Almost all are in bad states of repair. Here's a group shot and a series of close-ups.

The first complete squad I ever put together for 40k was a squad of seven Plague Marines. Ever since I've a deep affection for Plague Marines, their aesthetics, and how it's changed and developed across the editions. I'm kind of collecting Plague Marines models for basically no particular reason.

The obvious question is now: what to do with the lot of 21 above? They're sitting in a container of Simple Green at the moment, but I'm unsure where to take it from there? How to do these beautiful models justice? I'm considering

• to just strip them and keep them as pristine as possible;
• to strip and repaint them – individually, in different color schemes of different warbands and Death Guard;
• to strip and repaint them – using a consistent color scheme across all models; or
• to even incorporate them into a Black Legion warband that I'm planning to build in the future, and bring them back to the table top at some point?

I'm really undecided. I really want to do them justice, but I'm not sure how. I'd be curious to learn what people think and suggest?

Edited August 25, 2017 by Brother Kortmer

[Warsmith Uveron]

to strip and repaint them – using a consistent color scheme across all models! 

 

With 21 you can make 3 Squads of Plauge Marines... Which is basically a whole Army. Add in a HQ and you will have a very cool looking force! 

[Iron-Daemon Forge]

to strip and repaint them – using a consistent color scheme across all models! 

 

With 21 you can make 3 Squads of Plauge Marines... Which is basically a whole Army. Add in a HQ and you will have a very cool looking force! 

 

I'm with Uveron.  Got to get these models painted & added to your Chaos army.  Make sure post photos up of the models when there finish :D

[Kierdale]

I'll echo my esteemed colleagues above.

Choose a warband, paint them up and be proud.

Paint me jealous while you're at it, those are some very nice old minis. :tu:

[Thedarkprincesnun]

Strip them and repaint then in a consistent scheme. I have some of the old plastic plague marines myself they are very cool looking

[Sternenfaust]

Nice! Those 2/early 3ed ones are imo the best ones, GW ever did.

[Excessus]

oooh, awesome old rt/2nd ed chaos! I agree with the others, strip-paint-post pictures :)

[KrautScientist]

You can add my vote to the "consistent scheme" pile -- with one caveat: I wouldn't paint these as Black Legion. Maybe it's just an emotional thing, but I feel the models deserve a suitably Nurglite paint scheme, and that means off white, green or brownish hues. They could always be an allied warband, a small Plague Cult or even a Kilteam (I've done something similar with my own vintage Plague Marines, although I don't own as many of those wonderful 90s Dave Andrews Plague Marines as you, unfortunately).

[K0rtmer]

Thanks, everybody, that's a quite uniform set of responses. I reckon I'll invest into a small ultrasound bath and give all of them a proper clean ... and, yeah, repaint them. Particularly the idea of an Oldhammer Kill Team is extremely inspiring. I love it.

 

I guess the question now is: how to paint them? I understand that the typical RT era paint jobs used to be somewhat more vibrant and colorful. I also believe I remember vaguely a description of Nurgle renegade color schemes from an old Epic: Space Marine rule book: green, orange, and purple? Yes? 

 

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

[Pariah Mk.231]

What to do? Why, donate them to me of course. 

 

I've got a handful of those chaps around here somewhere myself and they're absolutely beautiful. I'll have to look at getting them fixed up when I'm done with the current workload.

[Thedarkprincesnun]

When I paint Nurgle I tend to go for quite a dark scheme.

[DominikB]

When I paint Nurgle I tend to go for quite a dark scheme.

I have too on my plague marines and plaguebearers

[Thedarkprincesnun]

 

When I paint Nurgle I tend to go for quite a dark scheme.

I have too on my plague marines and plaguebearers

My Nurgle Daemons look like they have been swimming in a green sea

[Iron-Daemon Forge]

Thanks, everybody, that's a quite uniform set of responses. I reckon I'll invest into a small ultrasound bath and give all of them a proper clean ... and, yeah, repaint them. Particularly the idea of an Oldhammer Kill Team is extremely inspiring. I love it.

 

I guess the question now is: how to paint them? I understand that the typical RT era paint jobs used to be somewhat more vibrant and colorful. I also believe I remember vaguely a description of Nurgle renegade color schemes from an old Epic: Space Marine rule book: green, orange, and purple? Yes? 

 

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

 

Could be cool painting them in the Heresy era colour scheme of the Death Guard Legion.  Or maybe white undercaot & useing diffrent shade & typhus corrosion, along with the rust effect.

 

Try out a few idea on any spare models you have, see which one your happy with.  Check out great army logs & the Death Guard commuinty topic for idea's.  But I think they should be painted & use in game.

[Kierdale]

You could try Googling 'rogue trader nurgle space marines', 'realm of chaos the lost and the damned Nurgle space marines' etc. and you should find some good old schemes.

I'd find some and link myself but I'm on the phone. Perhaps later.

[Lay]

A bright and clean paintjob works really well on older minis because of their comic-like aesthetics - even if it's Plague Marines. I like Dave Perry's Chaos Marines: http://eldritchepistles.blogspot.de/2013/10/the-dave-perry-collection-chaos-space.html

 

Apart from the green of the Death Guard, there's other warbands schemes:

The Lords of Decay - dirty white armor and gold trim are pretty close to the pre-heresy look of the Death Guard.

The Apostles of Contagion - bronze armor and gold trim are a bit monochrome, but can be broken up with red panoply and maybe some purple here and there.

The Purge - bright green and black are easy and won't look out of place next to Black Legion Marines

The Tainted - Green and brown armor with runes (if you have a steady hand)

[K0rtmer]

Lay, thanks heaps for the link to Dave Perry's site. I'm not sure if I like the way he's painted these particular models, but they're clearly done extremely well and I'm already feeling inspired. I see what you mean, that a brighter, clearer paint job will suit them better. I'm not sure how, um, clean I want to paint mine, but I get your point. 

I was wondering if somebody could help me out: what were the backpacks the original RT era models used to come with? Is it these backpacks (below)? Or the other older variant, the one that most of my own models happen to have?

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/8/7/126752_sm-Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Out%20Of%20Production%2C%20Rogue%20Trader.jpg

 

I just got my hand on another six models from the same generation, but unfortunately three will come without backpacks. I suppose now I'd need to know what I'm trying to track down on ebay or elsewhere?

 

Many thanks in advance!

Edited December 1, 2015 by Brother Kortmer

[Kierdale]

Yes, those look like the RT era backpacks.

If you can get them, excellent, but personally I wouldn't be too worried (particularly if cost is an issue).

[KrautScientist]

If you cannot find the originals, there's always the option of going for the backpacks from Space Crusade, as those are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing and may be easier to find...? Come to think of it, I might even have three of them that I could send over, provided you're not living on the other side of the planet ;)

[K0rtmer]

Hey KrautScientist, thanks for your advice and the generous offer.

 

I'm a German migrant living in Auckland, New Zealand. That's actually a little bit closer than the other side of the planet (considering that all of Germany's antipodes are in the South Pacific).

 

I've tried to source Space Crusade CSM off ebay or the New Zealand equivalent for a while, but with no success. They might be easier to get hold of than original RT era backpacks, but – yeah, still very difficult overall. I might send you a PM with an idea. 

[KrautScientist]

Haha, da wäre ich im Leben nicht drauf gekommen!

 

Auckland was pretty much exactly the other side of the planet I was referring to (I kinda suck at geography, if you hadn't noticed), but you make an excellent case in your earlier PM, so I'll be messaging you shortly.

Edited December 4, 2015 by KrautScientist

[K0rtmer]

I managed to strip everything bare in the meantime and decided to take people's advice. I'll paint them in Death Guard colors or something very similar, possibly moving towards brighter, more cartoonish paint schemes for the RT-era models.

I'll start with building a Kill Team of 200 points. I got my hands on another OOP model with heavy bolter, pristine in a blister, which is now part of the crew. I've built and based them, but won't paint before I made it through my single ETL vow.

I couple of weeks back I also managed to source an old, used Great Unclean One on the New Zealand ebay equivalent. I would've preferred the other head option, and it came in a rather unfortunate state of repair – but nothing is ever perfect. I made a before-and-after picture to show how far it's come. I like to think it's got a better home now.

[Isengrin]

Thanks for providing me with my daily dose of nostalgia, Brother Kortmer. You certainly did some good work for that GUO.

[Evil Eye]

That's a superb job you've done on the Great Unclean One. I can't wait to see the Plague Marines painted!

Speaking of the Plague Marines, I have two suggestions for colourschemes for them (assuming you haven't already decided on one):

 

1: The Cleaved. Simple enough- basically off white with greasy, oily fluids seeping from the joints. Somewhat plain but not often done and IMO has potential to look amazing.

2: How about going with colours rarely seen on Nurgle CSM, like yellow or red? I'm planning on adding a Nurgle contingent to my army called the Congregation of Filth, who will have rust-red armour with corroded brass trim.

 

Just thoughts anyway. In any case I'm sure you'll do those gorgeous minis justice!

[K0rtmer]

Squigsquasher, mate, thanks for your suggestions. Good thinking there.

I honestly don't like the look of The Cleaved too much personally. And I actually already have a yellow mono-Nurgle army. (Not a screaming bright yellow, but I've painted enough of it.) So I'll be going for something close to 40k Death Guard for these.

I've tried to learn more about OSL in painting the plasma gunner. The picture isn't too great, but it shows where I'm wanting to go. I've made some progress, but have put the project on hold until after the ETL.

Let me know what you think.