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Tormentors WIP Log (small Guard detour)


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Hello!

This thread will serve as a registry for my timid reentry into the modeling side of the hobby. I'm obnoxiously slow, and there's almost no chance I'll ever get these guys painted, but at least I want to have a place to put out some of my fluff and conversion ideas.

So I've been a part of the hobby since 1995, toward the tail end of 2nd edition (I discovered the game when I was in 5th grade). I started with an Ultramarines army, but in 1999 I created my own Chapter - the Tormentors. In 2006, inspired by the Medusa V campaign, I actually joined this community and posted my very first IA. Unfortunately, interests and life events intervened and I went dormant in the hobby for quite a few years - though I did generally follow major events and fluff articles, I didn't pick up a model until 2014, when I got some of my old figures from my parents' house. Since then, I've very slowly put together some supplies, and tried rehabbing what I have while slowly collecting some new miniatures.

I've finally got the ipad versions of the rulebook, codex, and Angels of Death book. I built up my first Army List since 2007 - and now I want to slowly build that up and have something playable. The likelihood that I'll actually play a game is very small - but at the very least this will give me some motivation to work toward - any MAYBE later let me participate in an ETL?

I should give you a disclaimer that I'm not a great modeler. However, I think I have some cool ideas - really I hope that some of my stuff can inspire someone else that can do a much better job - I'm more of an idea guy!

This first page will serve as a table of contents for my progress, and will link to major updates. As I finish a unit, I will change its entry to a hyperlink so you can access it easily.

Battle Demi-Company

- Chaplain Levatus of Belosorra(bp/crozius) completed 3/23/17

- Tactical Squad 522-A (5 men, combi flamer, flamer), Razorback (heavy bolters)

- Tactical Squad 522-B (5 men, heavy bolter), Razorback (lascannons)

- Tactical Squad 523-A (5 men, combi-grav, grav), ( completed 3/23/17) Rhino

- Attack Bike 523-B (heavy bolter)

- Devastator Squad 622-A (5 men, 4x lascannons)

Skyhammer Annihilation Force

- Devastator Squad 514 (10 men, 4x multi-meltas, cherub), Drop Pod

- Devastator Squad 524 (10 men, 3x heavy bolters, 1x gravcannon, cherub), Drop Pod

- Assault Squad 531 (6 men, vet sergeant GP/LC, 2x flamers, 3x BP/CS)

- Assault Squad 532 (7 men, sgt w/ BP/hammer, 1x eviscerator, 1x plasma pistol, melta bombs, 3x BP/CS)

HQ:

- Lord Commander Brutus of Calidan (counts as Chapter Master)

- First Captain Sythane of Cressus (counts as Captain Lysander)

- Captain Adamus of Strantana (5th Company)

Elites:

- Honor Guard Squad

- Command Squad 501 (Champion, Ancient w/ fist, 2x plasma guns, 1x melta)

- Terminator Squad X32 (Tactical, 1x assault cannon, 2x chainfists) (completed 3/14/17)

- Sternguard Squad X12 (5x combi-melta)

- Vanguard Squad X22 (1x SS/LC, 1x bolt pistol/grav pistol, others TBD)

- Venerable Dreadnought (TL heavy flamer, flamer, CCW) (completed 3/25/17)

- Ironclad Dreadnought (Hammer, CCW, 2x heavy flamer)

- Dreadnought (TL lascannons, missile launcher) completed 3/31/17

Troops:

- Tactical Squad 521 (vet sgt w/ combi-melta / fist, meltagun, multi-melta)

Fast Attack:

- Land Speeder (1 speeder, heavy bolter)

Heavy Support:

- Vindicator

- Land Raider

- Predator (TL lascannons, 2x heavy bolters - yeah, I know, it's 13 years old and I'll fix it!)

Other:

- Relic Glaive Superheavy Tank

I've started (and aborted) a WIP thread before, but this time I'm trying to keep it organized - hopefully that'll help!

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So my first entry has nothing at all to do with my main Army, but instead some Terminators. I have some old 2nd edition terminators in a hodge-podge squad (back when I could have a single thunderhammer guy in my squad with a cyclone launcher). Next to modern Space Marines, they look a little anemic, so I set out trying to find some cheap modern plastic Termies to play with.

As luck would have it, I found a cheap set of Battle for Vedros Terminators on eBay, pre-painted, complete with a captain, too! I won't use the captain, but the terminators will provide a nice base to work from. Before converting them, I came up with a set a parameters that they needed to match.

  • Must be Bulky. Fluff-wise, this armor is some of the best stuff out there, but it's heavy, bulky, and cumbersome. Therefore, I don't see the Terminators as having wild running poses - I see them as much more deliberate - a wall of armor spitting fire and they amble relentlessly toward the enemy. Either on the field of battle, or in the cramped corridors of a space hulk. Therefore, I'll want them to be appropriate bulked - standard terminators are a bit austere around the midsection, so I'll want to visually boost that.
  • Must be able to sustain long operations. Terminators go into the harshest conditions - being the first wave against a space hulk, teleporting into the midst of high-value enemy forces, etc. They cannot rely on quick resupplies, so have to carry as much as possible on their bodies (with extra supplies in their boarding torpedoes, Land Raider transports, etc). Failure is not an option with these guys, and that includes "we ran out of ammo because we thought this would be a quick operation." Therefore, Terminators must plan as if they are going to fight for a week without a resupply.
  • Reloading is a pain in Terminator armor. This seems like the biggest hassle with Terminators. Their storm bolters have big box magazines, but only one usable hand! They can probably use their fist hands to reload, but I can't imagine how cumbersome that would be. To fix this, I've come up with the following solution: All storm bolters must be belt fed, to minimize the need to reload in the heat of battle. In addition, the storm bolters keep their box magazines as a sort of backup ammo supply - the ammo is switchable so that you primarily use the belt feed, and when you run out, you switch to the magazine on the front (sort of a more advanced version of current machine guns that can switch from belt feed to magazine feed). Then, additional magazine are placed on the front of the Terminator's armor, so they can simply eject an empty box, then slam the bolter down on a fresh magazine to reload.
  • Must be appropriate height. I do a very basic form of true-scaling - basically I just add height to the waist. I don't touch the legs because I usually screw it up (this runs the danger of making them look a little gorilla-esque, but with proper equipment you can mitigate that sense). This makes the Space Marines stand a head higher than the Imperial Guard, which is all I want. Terminator heads and Power Armor heads should be roughly the same height (though the Terminator will stand higher overall due to the additional bulk over the head).

With that in motion, here is what I did!

http://i.imgur.com/b6SSfqQ.png

Open the spoiler for the rest!

Annnd, here is the final squad, "ready for painting," meaning they'll probably sit like this for years. I think they are suitably bulky in the way I imagine them to be, and hit the other requirements. They should be equally at home exploring a space hulk alone, fighting to secure a beachhead on a battlefield, or teleporting, alone and unafraid, into the heart of an enemy army.

http://i.imgur.com/aI7hOpT.png

Here is some detail on how the bolter feed stacks up (There is some bolt-rotating mechanism inside the storm bolter), and how I built the chainfists. I wanted something that had teeth on both ends (so that a termi can punch forward to carve a hole, instead of having to "chop" downward, which is what I think you have to do with the official chainfist models that only have teeth on one side).

As well, you can see how the size and height match up with my up-scaled marines, and a mortal guardsman. I think it's good - the height matches up with the Terminator's brothers, but the Termi is signficantly bulkier and heavier-looking.

http://i.imgur.com/qA3lKcX.png

I'd love your thoughts and critiques!

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Cool start, looks like you could have something awesome in the making here! Will we be learning more about your version of the Tormentors at some point?

Thanks Draakur!

I've written a couple of IA's (one in 2006, an updated one in 2014), so I've got the ideas floating around in my head - however, I think I'll probably save the fluff for an updated IA - I'll post up a link to it once I get it all down (more pictures, less text).

I intend for this log to be purely on the modelling ideas. However, to give an idea of where I'm coming from, here are some of the design goals that I have with these guys:

  • Extremely focused on the practical - they are similar to Raptors in a lot of ways, in that the Tormentors don't place a lot of emphasis on pomp and circumstance - they approach combat with a dispassionate view - so there's not a lot of yelling and valiant poses, but instead a very cold, quiet, relentless, which instills a fear of its own to the enemy. Sort of like the difference in a bar fight - the guys who are the loudest, ranting and raving, yeah they might throw a punch or two but they aren't committed. The guy who smirks and calmly pulls a knife? Yeah, he's going to try to kill you.
  • There won't be a whole of super dynamic poses, unfortunately. I like to model my guys as if they are on patrol, or they are in the driver's seat on an attack - so established in firing positions, etc. I see them as an unstoppable force advancing to their objectives, and there's no reason for them to be jumping around and looking unsettled (except for assault marines, of course). Additionally, I want guys like Terminators and (eventually) Imperial Knights to look appropriately heavy and dense.

With that being said, I've got two updates today!

The first is the Captain - the first "up-scaled" model I ever made, following Veteran Sergeant's lead. I hadn't put any thought into the list when I made him, so it was purely on a whim.

Really nothing too crazy about him - I decided that Artificer Armor will be modeled with the eagle-headed backpack and the thigh guards you see on him (unless a model already has different thigh guards).

I didn't realize how many mould lines there still are on this guy until I see him up close in photos! I'll have to go back on him later and clean him up. Otherwise, nothing special here, I figured I'd just be remiss if I didn't post him up:

http://i.imgur.com/MvjWChH.jpg

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Tactical Squad 531, in all it's combat-ready glory!

In my view, Astartes are typically heavily loaded for combat. Lots of ammo and lots of equipment - these guys generally execute the toughest possible missions (you know, the type of missions that would cause you to request super-human lab-built megawarriors to fly through the warp to come help you). Combat is unpredictable, and even Marines can't rely on constant resupplies if something doesn't go to plan on the ground.

In addition, every squad member has an additional role that they play for the squad (in addition to shooting and smashing things).

Here is the squad! First, Combat Team A:

http://i.imgur.com/m7imDVC.png

And, Combat Team B:

http://i.imgur.com/4M6DPyp.png

So, with that out of the way, I figure I owe some explanations - in the spoiler section:

Company Organization.

http://i.imgur.com/wtbDs1T.png?1
Company / Section / Squad organization

Each Company of the Tormentors is further split into Sections, each comprising between three to four squads, depending on function or type. The first squad leader of each section is the Veteran Sergeant, who leads his squad and can lead the other squads in the section (when the Captain, Champion, or Chaplain aren't around to lead). Here is the breakdown:

The squad you see in this post is from the 5th Battle Company, 2nd Section, 1st Squad, so it is 531. In this case, because it's the first squad of the section, it is lead by the Veteran Sergeant. In old editions, I explained this as the reason for having a "Force Commander" unit with a veteran stat-line. After all, in the fluff a single squad can handle itself so a Captain isn't needed everywhere all the time, right?

BATTLE COMPANY:

  • First Section focuses on the initial strike - they drop in and smash everything on the landing zone - these guys would be your Skyhammer Orbital Force or just a plain old Drop Pod Force.
  • Second Section focuses on main engagements - they will typically use battle tanks/armor/etc. Of course First and Second section can easily swap roles (and trades squads around as the mission demands), but these are their focuses.
  • Third Section focuses on close assaults (hence all Assault Squads), and also mans the Company's bikes, land speeders, etc.

RESERVE COMPANY:

  • First Section is the Orbital Reserve. While the Battle Companies are on the ground fighting the good fight, this section sits on the cruiser, ready to drop down if anyone runs into trouble (or to take on targets of opportunity). These are also the most experienced Brothers in the Reserve Company, so replacements will be drawn from this section.
  • Second Section is the Armored Reserve. Where possible, these guys will crew the tanks, or provide heavy fire support, so that the Battle Company brothers can fight on foot up close as they prefer. When a Brother has proven that he understands the ebb and flow of battle, the importance of fire support, and how to aid his brothers in the close fight, he gets promoted to the First Section and fights in the Orbital Reserve's tactical squads.
  • Third Section is the Aerial Reserve. They will fly large land speeder formations, massed bikes, or massed charges. They are the newest Brothers in the Chapter (freshly promoted from the Scouts), and have to prove that they have the tenacity and ferocity required of a fighting Astartes. Once they prove that they have the "balls," they are promoted to the Second section, where the Devastator Sergeants will make them prove they have the "brains" to think logically through battle and support.

EQUIPMENT.

So, every space marine carries equipment, organized as one of two types:

  • Basic Battle Kit: This is the equipment that the Marine will always carry by default - ammunition, grenades, normal supplies, etc.
  • Mission Kit: This is the set of specific equipment that a single Marine will carry, either as part of his specific job on the squad (e.g., first aid), or for the mission (e.g., fancy computer decoders to break into a secure facility, extra melta bombs against a bunker complex, etc.)

Basic Battle Kit:

At a minimum, every member of the squad is responsible for carrying the following:

Weaponry:

  • Primary ammunition: 7 reloads (each pouch carries two magazines, so a bolt gunner has 6 mags plus one in the weapon)
  • Secondary ammunition: 2 reloads (for the bolt pistols they carry)
  • Squad ammunition: 4 bolter mags on the backpack (Marines operate on the battle buddy system - if they run out of their own mags, they grab a mag off the backpack of their buddy) - so if a Tactical Marine is carrying a bolter, he's got a total of at least 11 magazines or 330 rounds if using 30-rd mags.
  • Combat blade - personal knives, daggers, etc, always come in handy, both in and out of combat
  • Grenades - at least two, can be a mix of frag or krak as the sergeant or Marine prefer

Medical:

  • First aid kit, with basic tools to allow a Marine to self treat during a fight - quick bandages, stims, staples, blood clotters, etc
  • "Tacmat" - basically, this is a tactical mat that a Marine carries for general use. He can lay it out if he needs a place to put stuff, cover something that needs to be covered, or if he goes down then a buddy and connect the mat to hookup points on the armor and drag the wounded Marine to safety. Obviously, this must be a very tough cloth/material.

Personal Supplies (all goes into the Marine's butt pack):

  • Combat rations (10 days): Marines feast at home and on ships, but on missions they carry small vials of hyper-dense nutrients and appetite-suppressing stims. The Marine can either eat one a day, or inject it into the armor for automatic dispensation. Think of it like an energy bar in size - Marines only need one a day to function, but it tastes like crap - they are certainly happy when they get back to the ship and have real meals!
  • Weapons Toolkit: Small repair/maintenance kit when the Marine needs to maintain his weapon in the field.
  • Signal Devices: mini flares, electronic signals, and/or strobes for when the Marine needs to be seen or heard (either as part of mission coordination, emergency beacon, etc)

Other Tools:

  • Small basic explosives: You know, just in case you need it. You've got blasting caps, some detonation cord, spark/flame tools (like lighters), etc.
  • Platefill: This is like first-aid for your armor - if you get a chunk knocked off of your armor in a fight, dispense this gel-like substance into the hole - it'll harden (like putty) and provide SOME protection on that weak spot - at least until you get back from the field and the Artificers can properly restore the armor.
  • Electronics/Tools: Who knows what goes here - little multi-tools, electronic scanners, radio monitors, etc.
  • Maps/Writing Utensils: Sometimes your radio signals will be jammed, or the helmet cogitator will fail. It's always handy to have some "manual data retention" tools available.
  • Other items as needed: Personal items, devotional items, etc that the Marine carries (maybe a toothbrush?)

When I get a chance, I'll post up exactly where I have everything on my Marines - it's not the same for every Marine, but generally it's all there (modelling space permitting).

Tactical Squad 521 packs a hard punch - but, unfortunately, it doesn't fit in my initial 1500 point list, so will be sitting on the sidelines for now.

Next, I'm working on a Razorback and a Vindicator will full interiors/crews. I'll post some WIPs of that soon!

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So, do you see it as the transport is crewed by the squad, or are the "vehicle gunner/driver" backup vehicle crew members?

 

It has always been my view that the vehicle crew are separate from the squad (otherwise, how does the vehicle drive around and shoot at its full BS when the troops are away), but the official representations of chapters being 1000 marines don't seem to account for those "incidental" marines, just the actual models that would be on the field.

 

Inquisitor Psychologis Ruminahui

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So, do you see it as the transport is crewed by the squad, or are the "vehicle gunner/driver" backup vehicle crew members?

 

It has always been my view that the vehicle crew are separate from the squad (otherwise, how does the vehicle drive around and shoot at its full BS when the troops are away), but the official representations of chapters being 1000 marines don't seem to account for those "incidental" marines, just the actual models that would be on the field.

 

Inquisitor Psychologis Ruminahui

 

Awesome question!

 

Those last two guys in my squad are backups / the go to guys when the squad is required to provide crew.

 

As for how crew are normally accounted for - I think the answer is "whatever you think is best" - as unsatistfying of an answer I know that is.  And, honestly, I think this why it's just wonderful to have a DIY chapter, because, since you're the Chapter Master and you are wholly autonomous, you can decree whatever you like, and it doesn't matter if some other Chapter Master doesn't like it.  So, you can do what makes sense to you.

 

The 1000 Marines rule is clearly not all-inclusive - a Battle Company is supposed to have 100 guys at full strength, but that's just the 10 Squads.  A Captain of a Company already puts you over the "limit."  Factor in command squads, techmarines, Apothecaries, Chaplains, Librarians, etc., and it's beyond obvious that the 1000 Marine is a "soft" limit.  The real question, of course, is what all is included in the "supernumeraries?"

 

In my Chapter, I have all of my crew coming from squads, but it makes total sense if you want them to have dedicated crews.  I'll lay out my reasoning, but you are free to have your own doctrine:

 

Having a dedicated Rhino driver is a waste of a healthy Space Marine.  

  • In modern tank crews, the driver is typically the newest, greenest member of the crew.  It's not hard to drive a tank (it's just bigger, harder to see out of, and there are more buttons to push... sometimes).  Imagine if you were a police officer, and you spent a year at the Academy and had a long 20 year career of driving a police car around, so that OTHER police officers could work while you chill in the car.  Yeah, it's pretty relaxing, but are you really being used to your potential?  Is the police department getting good use by paying a training a person to be a police officer, but only having them drive others?  Now imagine that you're a bio-engineered, posthuman god-among-men.  After years of surgery and training, potentially decades in service as a Scout, you are promoted to Full Battle Brother of the Adeptus Astartes.  Congratulations!  You will spend the next three centuries being a glorified Uber driver.  It's just a waste of training and resources to have someone fully committed and dedicated to doing such an low-effort task, that's only SOMETIMES needed (just sitting on the launch deck while the 'real' Marines execute a drop pod landing, for example).
  • It could make sense having a permanent driver if they were horribly mangled - but I'd still argue that they might be better off working at the staff level, where they are doing analysis/tracking battles/handling communications, etc.
  • It would be more efficient to simply have guys rotate that duty - as in - "Bob, on this mission, you'll be driving a Rhino for us.  Tomorrow you'll be on foot, don't worry.  Steve, you're really good at (X) so you'll do it more often, but remember that your real value is punching peoples' faces off, not driving a car."

Having Techmarines crew all tanks kind of ruins their value.

  • You can have junior techmarines crew vehicles, but then you run into the problem above - they are WAY overqualified for the job.  Most Techmarines are sent to study on Mars and become masters of the mechanical realm.
  • Well, maybe they drive tanks for a while first and THEN go to Mars and move on to bigger and better things?  Well, if that were the case, then you're telling me that at any given time there are 100-150 JUNIOR techmarines?  How many Techmarines are there in total, then?  There would have to be 2-3 companies' worth of just Techmarines!  It seems like a waste of what is supposed to be a pretty valuable resource.

It takes skill to be a good tanker.

  • Well yes, that's true, but I'm an old infantryman so I have a bias :-P.  So, you might say that we need dedicated tankers because they need to be very well-skilled.
  • Okay, I concede that!  However, my counter is this:  in the current day, a 20 year career in the military is considered long.  It may take 10 years to get REALLY good with a tank, and by then half the career is over - there wasn't time to do more.  With Astartes, you might spend 20 years just waiting to get the call up to a Scout Squad!  When careers are measured in centuries, there is PLENTY of time for Astartes to cross train, and become excellent crewman even if it's not their primary job.
  • I would say it would make more sense to have most vehicles crewed by normal Marine, with "elite" crews consisting of specialized Tank Marines and Techmarines - but I'm talking in the realm of like 10-20, not 100.

How do the Tormentors do it?

 

For a normal mission, here is the order in which I would assign people to man crews (let's assume I am the 5th Battle Company, and I'm fighting with a Demi-Company):

  • Tell the Reserve Company that I need some guys to crew Rhinos and Predators for me.  They send me 6 guys - I have 4 of them driving 4 Rhinos for my squads, and 2 will hop into a Predator.  This serves two purposes:  it allows me to keep my full squads doing what they do best, AND it allows the Reserve Marines to get into the battle and get experience, which is the whole point of being in the Reserve Company at this point.
  • If Reserve Marines aren't available, then tell Squads that don't need to be at full strength to give up crew members.  For example, let's say that 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tactical Squads are leading an assault.  I also have 10th Devastator Squad coming along with 4 lascannons.  I really need their lascannons, not their bolters, so I tell the Devastator Sergeant that his guys will be crewing vehicles for this mission. 4 guys drive Rhinos for the Tacticals, and 1 guy drives the Razorback that's transporting the remaining 5-man Devastator Squad with lascannons.
  • If I can't get other Marines to provide crews (say, the entire company is mobilizing), then I'll have each squad provide their own driver.  For example, 1st Squad might go down to 9 men so that one can drive their Rhino, while 2nd Squad goes down to 7 men - one to drive their Rhino, and 2 to drive a Predator or a Vindicator that will support them.

 

Guys who are supernaturally spectacular at crewing vehicles will get noticed and earmarked to be permanent crews for super special vehicles - for example I have a Glaive that was recovered and rebuilt - the Techmarines won't let anybody except someone who "really deserves it" the honor of driving a Glaive, but that's not necessary for something like a Rhino.

 

I DO have dedicated aircraft/naval crews though - flying is a totally different beast than driving, so my Thunderhawk/Storm Raven/etc pilots are strictly pilots - and I don't think anybody will think less of them for it, with the amount of work that they do!

 

Does that make sense?

 

Of course, I'll reiterate that, as the Chapter Master of the Tormentors, this is how I do it.  You are free to do as you please, because you're the master of your own dominion.

 

If, in your view, it makes sense that your Chapter has fully separated crews, that's totally fine - I would just be concerned that the guy who permanently drives a Rhino for a living will probably be looked down on for his whole career by the "fighting" Marines.

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You've obviously given this a lot of thought. :happy.:  Add as for context, I haven't played for 2 editions and have never played marines (I'm aspiring to play chaos marines - busy painting), so I really have no idea how things work in the current space marines codex.

 

As you've noted, there are problems with all the theories for how dedicated transports might be crewed.  I would like to add the following comments:

 

- I agree that crewing a rhino with a dedicated space marine is kind of a waste.  But I think we have to conclude that they are so crewed, if only for the fact they have the same ballistic skill as a marine.  But that's a problem under any of the theories... so, its kind of unavoidable.

 

- I also agree that having them all be full fledged techmarines doesn't make much sense either... unless techmarines are similar to a rank (like sergeant) which all vehicle crew can aspire to be promoted to.  That said, I don't have a problem thinking of them as apprentices to the journeymen techmarines... there's a large pool of them, who while between assignments/battlefields maintain the chapter's equipment, and whenever an opening for the techmarine position is expected, the best and brightest are sent off to Mars for training.

 

- I further agree that being a tanker requires skill - I again point to that marine crew are as good with the vehicle weapons systems as a marine is with a bolter.

 

- Drawing from the reserve company only works if companies drag components of the reserve company around with them... my understanding is that is not what occurs, but that the reserve company is usually off doing its own thing like training junior marines and guarding the homeworld and such.

 

 

Myself, I'm inclined to think that a marine chapter has a pool of marines whose primary role is to crew vehicles, whether or not these are all junior techmarines.  I would think that under such a system, you would start off in a rhino but train for the other machines - so, marines who show a particular talent towards a given vehicle will be "promoted" to crew it when there is an opening or new equipment.  I see that pool be somewhat permeable, with these marines being drafted into tactical squads when more boots on the ground are needed, and tactical marines being required to crew vehicles when there aren't enough "regular" pilots in the pool to crew all the machines they want all going at once.

 

But as you said, its really up to each player to decide for themselves how it works.

 

One question, do you make any game allowances for how you see vehicles being crewed (for example, do you field a 9 man squad when you give them a rhino)?  Is that even possible under the current codex - I seem to remember when I last played that the marine codex only allowed tactical squads of 5 or 10 models.

 

Inquisitor Psychologis Ruminahui

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Just a small update today, as I've been busy upscaling all of the dozens of Marines I've collected since 2nd edition, sorting, finding bits, etc. Here's what I have for today:

So I created this guy because I needed a cheap commander for my 1500 pt list, so he is barebones.

http://i.imgur.com/ZAeOQny.jpg

More in the spoiler:

http://i.imgur.com/OCdtHok.jpg

I didn't really like any of the current chaplain models (a little TOO ornate for my tastes), so I ended up just kitbashing him from a bunch of different kits and scouring eBay.

Here is the list of components:

  • Helmet: Skull helmet, but I can't place exactly where it's from, but it's at least 10 years old. If you recognize it, please let me know because I want to buy another one!
  • Torso and legs: Assault Marine box
  • Backpack: old Legion of the Damned backpack (I think)
  • Braided cord w/ chest adornments: Blood Angels assault terminator kit
  • White resin pouches: Victoria miniatures
  • Crozius: snipped off of the old Chaplain biker model and pinned on here.

Also, here's a little preview of some mockups I'm doing - two Vanguard vets:

http://i.imgur.com/q5QIU6l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aauUG6Q.jpg

Please let me know what you think!

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I made a thing:

http://i.imgur.com/RW8W2Rt.jpg

I made up a tow bar to sit on the front (to make recovery quick and easy - no fumbling about with tow chains on top of the vehicle when you're in a hurry), but that's probably the least special thing about this tank.
Follow the spoiler to see inside!
http://i.imgur.com/9Y0LkPq.jpg
There's crew inside!
It's not finished (i want to add a third rack of shells for a total of 9 in the rear, plus one in the load ramp, plus one in the cannon), and it needs a loading crane system and some other doodads, but the concept is all there. I followed the forgeworld interior sketches as close as I could (except where it didn't make sense).
http://i.imgur.com/g1FRUKw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8FCPR1B.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zBkpL3K.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Zlm7E1c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EMLw426.jpg
I know it's not painted yet, but please let me know what you think of stuff so far - do the pouches on the Marines seem realistic? What can I do better on these figures before I commit them to basing/priming?
Thanks!
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Just a minor update today:

 

I forced myself to sit down and base/undercoat everything I have that's ready - so basically every model that isn't waiting on some bits/pouches/etc - roughly 75% of my total force.

 

My plan was to get to that stage and consider the model "finished" - I have no paints or supplies and figured that later I would either bite the bullet and buy new materials, or just commission someone to paint them.

 

Well.... until I saw the challenge that the Imperial Fists sub is running, and it inspired.  So, I went to my local hobby store and my local GW and dropped ~$200 on new paints and supplies, and I vowed to complete the Terminator squad this month.

 

Here is the layout of the new digs and my Termi squad mounted on new cork!

 

http://i.imgur.com/w8jOOBM.jpg

 

I've been poring over dozens of guides and walkthroughs and finally built up the nerve to put brush to paint, for the first time in 13 years.  The last time I painted, my technique essentially consisted of "prime black, then drybrush," so we'll see how well it goes.  This means that my first squad is also going to be my test scheme....

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I really appreciate everyone's comments so far!

 

I am almost finished with my very first miniature - all that's left is to highlight the main gray armor (I forgot to buy that shade so I will buy it tomorrow), put on some transfers, varnish, and then add static grass.

 

Here is my test mini - the first model I've painted since 2004 so there are a lot of techniques I've learned from reading tutorials here and on youtube (including the boss power weapon tutorial from Midnight Runner's Flesh Eaters blog.

 

Please be extremely critical!  I want to make sure these guys are decent before I put the varnish to them (actually the first models in my life that will receive varnish, as pathetic as that is...)

 

Thanks!

 

http://i.imgur.com/7bZnL2G.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/Xy8BPPR.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/T5VpBev.jpg

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WOW! That is an awesome army you have there!  I really like how the marines look loaded up with all the gear.  Your finished terminator looks fantastic too, are you sure you hadn't painted since '04? :wink: Also, the inside of that vindicator is beyond amazing, I can't wait to see what you build next!

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SQUAD COMPLETE!

 

I really have to thank Augustus and Lionofjudah - their work in the Tale of 20 Hobbyists thread is what finally convinced me to stop making up excuses and paint guys for the first time in 12 or 13 years.  At that time, painting for me was essentially 1) prime in main color (black), 2) drybush, 3) pick out details.  No highlighting, no shading, no basing aside from painting bases green.

 

I learned techniques from months and years of watching other Fraters' logs, tutorials, youtube videos, blog posts, etc.  A few days ago I went out and dropped a big chunk of change on brand new paints, brushes, palettes, basing materials etc.  Yesterday, I finally bought a daylight-bulb lamp to work at night.  Therefore, this squad represents a series of "firsts" to me, and I hope they came out okay:

 

FIrst:

  • use of edge highlighting
  • use of blending (on the sergeant's power sword)
  • use of custom made decals (designed in powerpoint, printed on testors decal paper)
  • Use of microsol and microset
  • thinning of paints (never added water before, and boy was it a game-changer)
  • Use of basing material (mix of ballast, gravel, rocks)
  • use of PVA glue on a model
  • Use of varnish (both gloss and matte)
  • Use of shading (primarily Nuln Oil and Agrax)
  • Creation of a glaze (watered down Mephiston red)
  • Painting of "gem-like" lenses
  • Painting of multi-colored mud
  • Use of static grass
  • Drilling of barrels (in a painted model)
  • Use of cork to mount models on (wow, made it so much easier)

With no further ado, here they are.  I hope you enjoy!  I would really appreciate your critiques, because I want the next batch to be better.

 

Note:  I am actually having back surgery tomorrow so wasn't able to wait for better light for these pictures.  Also, this was a prepainted barebones Battle for Vedros squad I picked up on eBay, and I didn't notice many of the moldlines/issues until after I started painting - I will be more deliberate on those for future models.

 

http://i.imgur.com/00aPnTg.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/X4eoMU6.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/mI8bHwi.jpg

 

More pics in the spoiler section:

 

 

Sergeant Cyprus:

 

http://i.imgur.com/pxAIDyj.jpg

 

Terminator Skaye:

 

http://i.imgur.com/rmMMe4E.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/DDtwZXd.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/ZURtNKz.jpg

 

Terminator Tayus:

 

http://i.imgur.com/wQapmqT.jpg

 

Terminator Rydaean:

 

http://i.imgur.com/V1vhTrA.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/ItD2C9p.jpg

 

Terminator TBA (my son named him and I can't remember it right now)

 

http://i.imgur.com/NNiuZdf.jpg

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Amazing stuff in this thread, your attention to detail is extraordinary! The terminators look good painted, but what is absolutely breathtaking is the Vindicator, the interior is so cool!

Keep on the good work!

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Definitely impressed by your work. I had read your two articles about Rhino assembly and bolt ammunition sizes so I had an idea of how realistic you liked to be with your hobby but this... this is on another level. I especially like the Vindicator interior. It really showcases the dedication and skill you have.

Also, for someone who hasn't painted in over a decade, the job's a bloody good one. :tu:

 

Edit: Typo. <_<

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@robofish7591: Thanks! That last time I picked up a brush was in high school, but in the years after I was a regular lurker on these forums, so I've picked up a lot of techniques through osmosis and the trial and error of much better painters on this forum.

@The Traitor: Thank you! I'm waiting on a couple more vindicator shells and then i will try to complete it - but my back is sensitive after surgery so I'll be focusing on painting what I have primed so far.

@Kierdale: Thanks! I have a fear that some of it will be considered a little over the top, since it's easy to overwhelm a tiny model with extra bags - so it's been important to rely heavily on third party sources for flatter pouches, etc, to offset the bulging GW bits. I think I've hit a happy medium where the gear doesn't look like too much, and it satisfies my need to look at a figure and think it looks somewhat realistic. That's also part of the reason for the "upscaling" - making the Marines slightly taller makes the kit fit in a little better.

@Dosjetka: As I've said before, your work is a huge inspiration for me so I'm really happy to hear your positive feedback. I'm a (huge) nerd so I enjoy trying to take some of the "it's 40k, it's not supposed to make sense" out of the game, and figure out how it "could" work, even if we don't have the knowledge for it today. I'm taking the insanity a little further by making decals for rank and company.. we'll see how that goes...

I had back surgery last week, so I've been sticking with painting instead of building at the work desk. The upside is that I'm not going back to work until the first week of April, so I've been able to really hammer into the painting.

Before I started with the Terminators, I was extremely apprehensive. My previous work isn't great (it sucks), but after finishing the Terminators, I'm really getting into it!

After finishing the Termies, I got to work on a couple of Tactical Combat Squads, and my Chaplain.

The Chaplain is a basic, no-frills Chaplain - just to meet the HQ requirement for a Battle Demi Company. Both Tac Squads are 5 man - one with grav/combi-grav, and one with combi-flamer/heavy bolter. The heavy bolter will actually go to a different squad, but my flamer guy is in the dunk tank stripping off 4 different coats of paint, and I didn't want to paint an incomplete squad...

Here they are at this point - I've finished the painting and done my initial coat of gloss. Right now I'm waiting on a second sheet of decals to finish drying, and then I'll get to work on those and the grass:

This is a terrible picture, I know. Once I get the details on, I'll post up close photos and some before-and-afters:

http://i.imgur.com/cDcxqVp.jpg

While I'm waiting for varnish and decals to dry, I'm going to get started on this guy:

http://i.imgur.com/JEBSyZD.jpg

He will count as a venerable dread with twin-linked heavy flamer (on the arm) and an underslung heavy flamer.

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http://i.imgur.com/3wUwR5M.png

Chaplain Levatus is the 5th Company's Chaplain. He carries relics and other cult nonsense. He is responsible for the spiritual health, as well as the day-to-day training of the company. He is not in the traditional chain of command (Brother > Sergeant > Champion > Captain), but can lead elements that require his zeal - such as leading assault elements, etc.

http://i.imgur.com/sGsKCiK.jpg

Here are the Tormentors from Tactical Squad 523A. The Tormentors have an echelon between squads and company - the "Section." So, this squad is 5th Company, 2nd Section, 3rd Squad, Combat Team A, or 523A. From left to right:

  • Brother 1 is the squad's first aid man - he carries first aid tools to help stabilize a wounded brother long enough for extraction, or for an Apothecary to get to him
  • Brother 2 is the squad's designated "breach/demo man" - when they need to make a hole in something, he's your guy. On his backpack, he carries the squad's meltabombs. Beneath those are two breach tubes, similar to bangalore torpedoes. Then some smaller tools beneath that (det wire, triggers, etc).
  • Brother 3 is the sergeant
  • Brother 4 is the weapon specialist / comms guy. He is responsible for setting up long range communications when the power armors' built in systems aren't enough. He is always close to the sergeant, so that the sergeant can direct his special weapons' fire as needed, or to reach other units through long range comms.
  • Brother 5 is the battle-tracking/ prisoner guy (if they actually take prisoners) - he carries the unit's mission maps and plans, as wells as detaining tools when needed - he is also the designated recorder for the squad's reports and interrogations.

http://i.imgur.com/xTBqPDK.jpg

This Combat squad is a mix of both combat squads (since the flamer guy usually rolls with the sergeant, but he's in a Castrol Super Clean bath right now). The left three Brothers are from 522A, and the right two from 522B. From left to right:

  • Brother 1 is the breach man.
  • Brother 2 is the first aid man.
  • Brother 3 is the sergeant.
  • Brother 4 is the heavy gunner from Team B. He obviously carries a heavy bolter :smile.:
  • Brother 5 is the ammo carrier from Team B - on his back he carries a spare heavy bolter barrel (the one that's wrapped up, underneath the bolter mags), and extra heavy bolter ammunitiion. Where the HB guy goes, he goes as well.

Note that all of these guys have company shield badges (right shoulders) and rank icons (left shoulder). I should probably update my IA with what these mean, but for now the black/white quartered shields designate 5th Company, and the rank is as follows:

  • Two black bars: Battle Brother (Battle Company)
  • Two black bars + Red Skull: Squad Sergeant.
  • Black square with three right bars: Battle Chaplain.

Work progresses on the dreadnought - i've drilled out the flamer barrels and painted a thing black...

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Finished up this bad boy last night:

http://i.imgur.com/zFJTgRL.jpg

Here is the army so far:

http://i.imgur.com/1JvO7w3.jpg

It actually feels really to good to finally have a playable, painted force - the last time I had a HQ, it was the old metal Storm Bolter/power sword captain. I gave it to my then-fiancee in 2007 as a keepsake (she wanted to have it on on her bookshelf for some dumb reason), and I ended up breaking it off with her like two months later. I was too happy that I didn't think about trying to get it back - now I wish I could!

More photos in the Spoiler section:

http://i.imgur.com/rvZvCPm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FyIvHt2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bglfUKF.jpg

Daylight photos:

http://i.imgur.com/7y45LV8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nPSDK7k.jpg

Here are the decal sheets that I printed out:

http://i.imgur.com/YH368tG.jpg

Thanks!

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