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Marqol's WIP: 34th Grand Battalion


Marqol

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Hello!

I have been in and out of the hobby the last year due to a variety of reasons but life is now stable again that I can really concentrate on it. With the release of Burning of Prospero I have an easy to access supply of Mark III marines, this has reignited my imagination for my Iron Warriors, an army that I've had in a few iterations through the ten or so years I've been in the hobby. With the Traitor Legion supplement it has also added fuel to the creative fire, though a shame no basilisks.

My aim for my Iron Warriors is to build a 40k era chaos force with less emphasis on the mutations and the horns etc. To help keep me focused (I have a terrible habit of building models how I want and not painting them fully) I am building my army in stages. Stage 1 being a warsmith, two rhino bound squads, a large maxed out chaos marine squad and a hellbrute. Progress so far has the majority of the two rhino squads built and the metals are done.

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Here is one my favourite marines I have built, I'm really happy with the striding forward pose. The mkIII legs are really awesome, give this very heavy feel. I did try mixing the plastic chaos marine parts and most of them work well though the legs really show their age.
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This one actually has some Forge World MkIII legs in and a few more chaos parts.

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The Champion of Squad 2. Again a bit more liberal with the chaos parts, trying to merge the Pre Heresy and Post Heresy designs in a way that feels right to me.

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Squad 1 Champion. I have had a servo arm from a techmarine hanging around for a while, servo arms scream Iron Warriors to me so this champion gets one as a power fist.

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A group shot of the progress so far. I didn't fancy paying out for the Forge World Legion shoulder pads and I am a bit unsure about the IW transfers., so at the moment the shoulders are blank, debating how to decorate them. Maybe using chaos stars or roman numerals to indicate squad numbers.

Also the title has 'Aquillas' in it. The hobby mainly interests me in the modelling and painting aspects rather than the gaming. I have a few imperial projects in the works as well. The current one is my Inquisitor Foxe. A few minor changes to the Grayfax model, a head swap and a bit of green stuff fur to add to her cloak.
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Hopefully next update some paint will be on foxe, my first two squads will be full strength and I can have some progress to show on my warsmith.
Thanks for reading!

Edited by Marqol
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@foamy248 Thanks. The Greyfax model is nice and all just the hat and all of the armour felt too different to me, I had to do something to it.

I have gotten some paint onto my Inquisitor. Not sure I'm 100% about the colouring on the fur cloak but I'm very happy with the armour colours. Though I am still trying to work out how to paint the sector imperialis bases, thinking of going for a basic silver and stone work.
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I've been working on the first hellbrute tonight, tried a few leg movements to try and change the pose, I don't normally go that far on conversions so it's been interesting. No where near the painting stage yet, need to make it a bit more chaosy, going to get some of the etched brass for some nice IW skulls.
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While I like the hellbrute model I prefer the dreadnought style for my Iron Warriors, the donor for this one being a venerable dreadnought. Ancient Vykul crushing an Imperial Fist.

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I added the terminator autocannon bayonet just to break up the profile a bit and make it look different.

I managed to get my hand on the ultramarine banner bearer that FW released in GWs for a limited time. At first I was planning on giving it to my pre heresy Ultras but after having a look at it I noticed how unique the armour was. I decided this would be perfect for my Warsmith, as the commander of my force I like him to look different, easy to spot amongst the sea of iron. At the moment he is just missing a head as the spot is made for the supplied bare head. A volkite to count as a plasma pistol and the Iron Hand Forge Father axe to be the new IW artifact axe with of course a servo arm, can't have a Warsmith without one in my opinion.
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I'm thinking of giving him one of the FW IW helmets but I'm not sure if that will work as most helmets seem to sit forward too much.

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To help make him stand out I built up his base with some sprue and smoothed it out in green stuff, then stuck some barb wire, cotton buds and a bit of tank trap to add some colour when painted.

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I felt his back was a bit bare, I thought about using pouches but then I found this in my bit box and thought it fit rather well though think I still have some work to remove the RUSS off of the casing.

I have a few more marines to paint and build for the 2 rhino riding squads and I am gathering the parts for my 20 man squad. Going to my local on thursday so I might try to pick up the first rhino, I have a resin door and front kit hanging about so it may get to use that too.

Thanks for reading!

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@Bjorn Firewalker: Thank you for the kind words. One of my modelling new years resolutions is to do more work with green stuff, taking small steps at first.

@ShotgunFacelift: Thanks, I do try to do at least simple things to models, sometimes simple is better.

@Brother Dallo: My recipe is a sort of mix and match between a number of recipes I have been told in person and via forums like here.
Leadbelcher base followed by nuln oil, agrax and then another nuln oil. I then drybrush over with leadbelcher.
For the trim I base Balthasar gold, wash it black, layer over Gehennas golds (quite thinned) then a wash of agrax.

I will add the photos seem to bring out the gold better than they actually are or the lightning I have in my room is just off.

I have got the first 2 squads all built up now (apart from 1 members knee) three need to be painted but the rest have all their metals done, just need to add the smaller details to finish them off. My large twenty man blob is now in process of being built, I have the parts for 12 of the squad so might need to look at getting a second prospero box to add to the mk3 supplies. My second hellbrute is being built up as well though taking my time as I am waiting on some brass etch to arrive and want to try and make it look different from the standard pose of the dread.

The black shoulder pads have been blank for most of the time, I tried some hazard stripes on 2 models but I wasn't a huge fan of how they came out. A few got chaos looking runes and chaos stars which I'm liking a lot, breaks up the black. The Legion symbol I didn't want to free hand as I'm going to have at least 50-60 marines and that is a lot of skulls which I'm not feeling up to yet. So looking around at pre heresy symbols and I found a few which are just a solid yellow stripe down the centre which I like a lot with the colour scheme.
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Here is the style I'm going for, need to tighten up the line a bit and maybe give it a highlight after the wash. Also adding squad numbers to help fill out the black, may even add the Legion number in the yellow stripe as I've seen on a few examples.

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I've done more work on the Warsmith, Metals all done, now onto details, hazard stripes and the weapon. I am still deciding on a head and then how to attach it. Any helmet sits too low so I will need to construct a green stuff neck.

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Trying to add a few more pre heresy style details to my army, so Legion number etc.

Now something I've had waiting to be finished is an obliterator. While not on the first phase of the army I decided to finish him up and give him a pal to go cause destruction with. I am not a fan of the finecast models so I wanted to build my own, I've always liked the idea of beefy terminators with guns bolted on rather than just a mess of weapons exploding out of the skin.

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Here is the first one that has been sat in partial states of WIP for the last year and a half, maybe longer. Assault cannon attatched to one arm, storm bolter on the other.

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His friend also with an assault cannons, this one is the Wolf Guard Terminator one so there is an ammo box connecting to his back which helps the bulk. I had a few other wips I tried, one with a plasma gun and another being made from a Tartaros terminator but they lacked a bulky sorta hulking feel that I was after.

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And last but not least, my first Rhino. An old set of FW doors and front armour that I now realise I can no longer buy from FW much like the chaos dreadnoughts. I'm on the hunt for luggage and things like that to help give the Rhino a more used look. Some chains maybe on the top with some cargo, maybe a radio antenna, those sorts.

My aim for the next update is to have the first two squads completed and to give the Warsmith a nice new head.

Thanks for reading!

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Bjorn Firewalker: It is there for two reasons. Firstly there was a wolf emblem there that when I cut off made the handle a bit too skinny so the skull acts as a nice decoration to also hide the remains of the wolf :tongue.:

I have not had a huge chance to do much hobby this week, had to pack some things away and only just managed to get them back out again. Rhino is under development and I've been doing some shopping to help expand my armoury. One thing I really wanted was the new(ish) Fw heavy weapons. So picked myself up some Mars Heavy Bolters and the Ryza Lascannons, along with some more IW heads.

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I've also decided that I want a group of chosen to rock around with my HQ. Mainly because I had the idea of adding the deathwatch shotguns to some mk3, make a group of close combat marines, the type that will storm a breach, always be in the thick of the fighting. Of course Chaos do not get to use Deathwatch shotguns so they will just be bolters for in game purposes.

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Here is the first design I did, decided to leave the arms on as the hands are all angled for these particular arms. And a wrist scanner makes them look a bit more specialised.

I have talked about previous incarnations of my Iron Warriors. Going through my old carry cases I found a cataphractii sorcerer I was making at one point. While not in my plans for my phase 1 of the army I thought may as well give him some attention.

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The classic use of the GK force stave, an open hand to be summoning the winds of the warp and a leather utility belt thing to add some colour to the model. I need to scavenge a spare shoulder pad for his left shoulder, I have one in my bits box I am sure of it.

Now I have the FW goodies soaked and washed and in a week or so I will be buying a second Prospero box to give me some more lovely mk3, that should give me enough bodies to complete my 20 man squad, my havocs and my chosen squad.

Thanks for reading!

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Not much painting for this update but I have got a lot built. The second Hellbrute is getting built up, need to cover some holes around the cockpit and throw in a head. This one will be using the Lascannon to help provide some AT for my army, went for a more normal pose here and just tilted the fist arm so he's gunning down some enemies with the soon to be there Storm Bolter.

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Four of the heavy bolters have been put onto some marines. These are awesome looking kits but I am having difficulties getting the belts to wrap into place. Not sure whether to paint them and come back to it or just wait till it's all done.
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My sorcerer is now ready for undercoating which I'll do tomorrow. He has some skulls for a bit of decoration and I gave him mechatendrils to keep him inline with the theme.

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I'm not sure how I'm going to add terminators to my force yet and they aren't in the first phase of my army but with the tartaros terminators hanging around I really wanted to build one. Reaper Autocannon guy up and running, ready for undercoating.

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Now the bit of painting I got done, a Rhino for one of my squads. I want to get a bigger drill bit to make the exhaust holes and a few details need to be painted still. The pintle gunner is seperate and waiting for a spray of paint too.

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I hope to get a few low point games within the next few weeks so I can give the new (for me) traitor legion rules a go.

Thanks for reading.

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A small update today, got work done on two of my terminators. Getting a prospero box tomorrow so will be able to beef up the terminator squad to protect my sorcerer and the rest of the mk3 I need to fill in my remaining squads.

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Need to add a bit more shading to make some areas more defined but progress is going well I think.

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I do prefer the cataphract terminators for the Iron Warriors but seeing the Tartaros pattern in the colours appealed to me so the first terminator squad shall be Tartaros. I have plans for a deep striking combi weapon squad as well as a close quarters squad to jump from a land raider so when I get round to these I'll add in Cataphracts and Indomitus.

Next on the workshop side of things is to add some green stuff to some of my dreads to fill in gaps and then it's round to painting.

Thanks for reading!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got some more MKIII marines so I've been stuck in getting squads up to strength. Getting close to having the marines for my list physically built and ready for painting. I have also been trying to not fall into my usual trap, I get the main bulk of a model finished but then I never finish the details and I move onto something else. I have forced myself to finish five members of my first squad.

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So here is squad champion with servo arm (power fist) a melta gun and three of the bolter marines.

I also got most of my chosen built up too, the plan for these is to run around with the warsmith and be his bodyguard.
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The shotguns will just be bolters for game purpose but it makes the chosen look different enough than standard marines. I'm missing a sixth member who I plan to give probably a plasma gun to so they have some more firepower.
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The sergeant I've given the chaos lord tabard thingy to show their allegiance better.

The new prospero box is also allowing me to build up my two havoc squads which I'm really liking the new FW heavy weapons but I am having to modify ever single mkIII arm to fit them. I still haven't gotten the will to try bending the ammo feeds but I will force myself this week.

Thanks for reading!

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  • 3 months later...

Okay it's been a while since I posted in this thread, over the past 3 months I've had my hobby space upturned and the space I was using in the mean time was very uncomfortable. But things are getting back to usual now so I am building away. I also paused my Iron Warriors on the run up to 8th just to see what was coming and where I wanted to take them. With the ability to have more FW goodies for chaos I have decided to take them on a more chaos oriented route rather than have them planned for both 30k and 40k. I'm using the Tale of Hobbyists to keep me going and having a deadline of sorts is helping to keep me focused on finishing models.

Though with the release of 8th I got my hands on a Dark Imperium box and have been seeing what I can do with it all. For the Primaris marines I am giving them to my DIY chapter, the Void Ravens, a fleet based Raven Guard successor. I wanted to keep the marine feel about them and while I do like the new helmets of the mkX armour I decided to switch some round with the mk7 types just to make them a bit different.
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The force at the moment is going to be the Lt, 5 intercessors and then 5 hellblasters.

But only 5 intercessors? There are 10 in the box. Aha, I have also been putting together a shadow war team. I've been using my Iron Warriors as stands in for now but with Dark Imperium and larger marines I decided to go into my Alpha Legion team. They have always seemed the perfect force for something small like this.
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Here is the kill team leader, nothing too crazy. Cut off the helmet on the belt, the purity seals and the imperial emblems on the gun and chest. I then cut up some spare corsairs I had to take their cloaks to just add a bit of character.
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As you can see I still have a bit of clean up, bit of green stuff and I can finish it.

And then there are the Death Guard. Most of the models I was happy to see as they were, the sorcerer I'm working on changing but thats very WIP at the moment and needs much more work before I feel I can show progress. The Champion of the unit I decided I didn't want a power fist for so instead I've done a bit of cutting and given him a plasma pistol. The left hand I'm debating on a power weapon like an axe or a sword or keeping with the plaguesword .

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Should be more regular with posts now that things are getting back to normal.

Thanks for reading!

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  • 2 weeks later...

So it's been a couple of weeks of getting my basic chaos marines finished up completely, hopefully I can kick the habit of nearly completing models and then doing something else. Saying that though I did need a break from painting metal and yellow so I decided to re visit my DIY chapter, the Void Ravens, that I've been working on for around a year. Their original colour scheme I devised I wasn't finding very fun to paint and luckily I had only done a few models in it. With the new Primaris marines I decided to try my hand at a new scheme which I'm quite happy with. It also makes me practice edge highlighting which is a technique I need to get better at.
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So here is the Intercessor squad Sgt. I've gone for a kind of N7 styled armour colour as the red arm was part of the original scheme that I liked, though previously it was more of a stripe. I have the rest of the squad and the 5 hell blasters built up and I was thinking of leaving it there with an ancient and an LT, but after seeing the Reivers I am 100% going to include them in my Imperial force.

After a few games of 8th I've decided I need a dedicated combat unit or two. The first will be a squad of Berzerkers that I have parts ordered for and should be here soon. The second is a squad of mutilators. Now Obliterators and Mutilators are not my favourite models, so like my Obliterators I've gone about converting some. For now the base of them is done, chaos terminators with lightning claws though I want to either source some servo arms or craft some and add them to give bulk as well as more weapons.
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And also with the introduction of 8th I am required to have 3 obliterators in a unit rather than able to have solo squads. I used to run 2 individual ones so I am now in need of a 3rd model.With the same box of terminators I've crafted up a heavy flamer wielding obliterator.
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To make it seem more than just a heavy flamer terminator though I am trying to find a missile launcher or pod of sorts to attach to its armour top or perhaps another weapon to add bulk to the model and help make it look different.

Now I feel a poor Iron Warrior at times as I've not really ever had a Warpsmith. The model while awesome proved a pain to transport and quickly I found the mechatendrils snapped off in between games. So I've gone for a new one, based on the FW mk3 Techmarine.
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Nothing too different apart from a head swap, different shoulders and I used some resin cables to be mechatendrils, coiling from behind the backpack. I might add a few more, maybe with something that can represent flamers and melta guns that the model comes with in his box of tricks.

Thanks for reading

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  • 4 weeks later...

A lot of my hobby time have been completing models for the Tale of Hobbyists but I have been putting time into other models as well. I've never really used Icons before apart from the fearless one in 6th/7th but I've decided to try a few out. The first unit to get one is going to be my plasma/axe terminator squad. Their main use will be to either deep strike and rip apart with their combi plas or to be a bodyguard unit for a HQ or my Daemon Prince. I've been toying with names and thought the good old Google Latin would be useful and have come up with 'Ferrum Tauri' Basically Iron Bulls according to google and I'm willing to trust it that far.
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To mark them as different I'm using the Alpha Legion heads that are sort of more armoured, had a few spare so thought why not. I had a banner planned but it doesn't really fit so I either need a new one or I have to build up part of the banners connection point. I am building the brothers of his squad now.

I also have a fluff/modelling project in the planning stages which is a Khorne warband that follows my Iron Warrior Grand Company on its adventures bringing siege warfare to the citizens of the Imperium. The force plans to be some berzerkers with a few world eater themed units alongside khorne daemons and a traitor knight house. I'm starting small though so here is a berzerker.
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My loyalist DIY chapter has had Reiver reinforcements. Foregrips and pouches galore, its what I've wanted from marines for years.
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I'm half tempted to fill an entire vanguard detachment with reivers.

Anyway as I've said I have terminators to build and after facing sisters of silence flamer squads I'm now building a flamer havoc squad.
Thanks for reading.

Edited by Marqol
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@Aasfresser Thanks! The GW upgrade kit is one of my favourites, even if none of the lascannons ever matched up for me. The 'Viking' helmet as I always call it seemed perfect to go onto the warpsmith.

@Thamier Iron Warrior metal is something I've tried to be happy with over the last five years but never got content with the results untill this version of my army. It means a lot that someone else likes it too!

While trying to free hand Iron Warrior symbols onto some of my units, I've been building up some units outside of the Tale of Hobbyists. My Terminator command squad finally got its leader. Rule wise it's a Chaos Lord but in my armies structure he leads the Iron Bulls. Hence his helmet. I'm not 100% on it though so for now it is blue tacked in place.
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Weapon wise he was going to have a power axe and a power sword, mainly just because I liked how it looked. How ever with the Murder Sword relic rules out and about I think his sword might become that.
The blade was one of the Blight Bringer weapons I believe, looks particularly brutal and jagged, perfect for murder.
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I had spare terminator lord parts left over so thought I might actually build a sorcerer that is like the one from the box. I'm still finding a suitable helmet but a few minor work here and there and I have something I am happy with. The floating skull I happened to come across in my bits box and thought something warpy and other worldly helps sell the sorcerer idea.
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I had a rather embarrassing defeat in my first Konor game the other day, one of the worst things I came across was a Sisters of Silence witch hunter squad. Well two of them. Such a crazy amount of auto hits just forces even marines to wither away. So if you can't beat them, grab a flamer and burn them back!
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A havoc squad all kitted out with flamers and the champion with a combi flamer, and stylish servo skull companion.

And last but not least I've been working on my daemon prince. Since I saw the Redemptor dread, I've been wanting to use it for something. A friend suggested a Daemon Prince and I leaped at the chance. So far I'm building it up in stages so I can start converting it in pieces. The sarcophagus I've removed the flat plate and added the aspiring champion chest front inside to turn it into a shell being controlled by a marine. The armoured front has been chained shut and I plan to green stuff around the body so it looks fused with the machine.
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The plan for the rest of the body and legs etc is to add daemonic flesh metal with green stuff covering part of the machine parts, a sort of techno virus taking it over look. Weapon wise I'm not really bothered about the best choice so I'm thinking Warp bolter and malefic talons.
The Warp Bolter I'm using the gatling cannon but I've given it the zombie dragon head to make it look more possessed. This does however make the rest of the gun look small so I might thicken the barrel to help meld the parts together.
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Thanks for reading!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Flesh metal everywhere!
I've been cracking on with my Daemon Prince. To give the idea of flesh metal erupting from beneath the armour joints I've dome some green stuffing. Not my speciality but I've gotta get better with practice I guess.
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The front shot. I've kept a lot of the parts the same but just tried to chaosify it. Out of my Iron Warrior force it is the most corrupted thing I can think of that I have added.
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The arms a bit relaxed as I haven't glued them properly, keeping them detachable for painting as well. And notice stomped on Primaris. Unsure whether he will be an imperial fist like most of my dead loyalists or whether an ultramarine might find it's way in.
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I've tried to vary the fleshmetal and while I don't think I've gone overboard I do wonder if I've done too little and need to add more.

I had a game with him as well but it was against grey knights. He was a nice aura bubble that sat in cover throwing smite out so he had his uses. The theme for my Iron Warriors has always been more on the side of renegade rather than full on chaos worshippers. Keeping to the outskirts of the Eye of Terror while they undertake a 10,000 year scouring.

Speaking of theme I have also chosen a name for my Iron Warrior force. The 34th Grand Battalion. I hope to get some more backgrounds for my characters and larger units as I find it's half the fun of the hobby. Though I am unsure whether to make this corrupted guy the Warsmith or to have an astartes as the leader.

I'm now working on a few dreadnoughts so hopefully I can show some work on those soon.

Thanks for reading!

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Whoa this was a fun read man!!! Glad to see the iron within bursting out on your DP;) I'd add a lil more fleshmetal myself...

Love the skull cannon and want to say that his head tilted up on top there gives him a staring into the Eye and seeking some guidance kind of look:)

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This is only my opinion, but you could add "rail" under the gatling and skull, connecting base of it to the skull itself. Otherwise it would be funny if that skull went around with gatling barrels.

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@Bjorn Firewalker I'm going to keep it as it is, to look like it's just bursting through from under the armour plates. 

@lionofjudah Thanks! Yeah I think I might add a few more patches just coming through, help break up the armour when I get to painting. 

@Jukkiz That is a very good point actually, I didn't think about the logistics of it all. I'm picking up some plasticard soon so will add some square rods and see what I can do. 

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