The Heads of the Hydra Strike!

[hushrong]

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt!

-Sun Tzu, Old Earth War-Philosopher

Yesterday morning I had a wild idea and got to work last night. If I make an X with the greenstuff cabling I could have a mk5 torso. And what if I could cut the cabling in half and put it on filed down thigh plating. I'd have a mk5 marine, right? Well, I ended up with the guy above and I am pretty happy with him.

I also put this guy together.

Super stoked the first Mk6 cabling work I did super well got super covered up by a bolter. Super but that just means I have to make more.

Fortunately this means my heralds kill team is getting closer to finished.

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You're a skilled painter. The models are well-posed.

Thanks and thanks Bjorn! My painting still has a way to go but I am happy they look good enough for the table. I also totally jacked this paint scheme from Kizzdougs/

That's a lovely colour you've got on these fellas, the modification of the torso and knee plates has worked well to create the distinctive look of MKVI rather than just MKX. How will you be tackling the Terminator armoured models, modifying the regular kits or converted Gravis, perhaps?

Thanks Pearson! I am loving the color and I keep going over Kizzdougs' log going over how he did it. As for the terminator I am using Apologists true scale tutorial. This is as far as I've gotten:

Nothing is glued. Just either pinned or resting in place. He also still needs a few things I want to detail on him like the waist/hip armor on his sides, some bonding studs, and a personal teleporter. I am also debating if I will keep that powerfist or try to swap out with some other weapon. Lastly I am trying to figure out how to rest his helm into that opening/gorget. So its either something like the one pictured up there or the one I used below for a scale shot.

The earlier pic has an older terminator whelm while the second picture has a helmet used for the DA terminators. The older helmet has a longer snout than the DA one and looks appropriately more bulky. I have been thinking about trimming away a bit more of the gorget for the older helmet but something about the shorter DA helm looks pretty good tucked in behind it. I have time to think about it since I still have plenty of work to do but input is always appreciated.

That's all I've got for today. Thanks for stopping by!

[Atia]

Omg this is so awesome - would love to do a bunch of truescale 30k Kill Teams this way - what did you use to make the cables and studs?

[hushrong]

Thanks Atia!

 

The studs are '10g Micro Beads no hole 1mm' I got off eBay. I just take my trusty dremel, make a little hole, and pop these in with some glue. I wish I had better applicator for the glue and some kind of tweezer for the beads for a cleaner fit. However this will do.

 

The cabling is made with a Green Stuff industries tentacle maker. I bought a random set a long time again and finally put it to use. I have their SAW-020, VEX-040, and SAW-050. I used the SAW-050 to make the cabling on the first two mk6 marines and the mk5 marines. It’s honestly kind of big. I liked the VEX-040 better as it’s more compact, which can be seen on my recent mk6.

 

I hope this helps and I hope it means we will see some HH kill teams coming from you soon!

[Vazzy]

Looks great Hush! Big big fan!

[Pearson73]

The Aquilon conversion is working really well, I prefer the second helm behind the gorget, it adds to the hunching, unstoppable look of the Terminator. The pose of the Terminator is also looking good, as is the scale compared to his power armoured brother.

[hushrong]

A whisper calls.

And a serpent answers.

Call and reply of the Whispers of the Serpent Cell

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Two more infiltrators are ready to rock! I now have 5 marines, one chosen, and partially complete terminator done. I've got one more chosen to make and two raptors to finish this team off. However that won't be the end of it.

I want to model some better aiming poses as I am having a heck of time trying to model some of the arms with that extra coiling going over the shoulder. My main issue is I am trying to use the shoulder pads to cover up where the coils end. I like these two last guys but I would love to have them look a little more tactical aiming down the sights of their bolters.

Also, I have been daydreaming about other units I could make for this team. Little one offs that'd be fun to build, paint, and use. I have been thinking about using the AoS slaughterpriest to make into a Thunder Warrior. It would be an asset, brainswashed to their whims, that this cell keeps on cold ice until they need a murderous hulkamania monster. I'd use him as a mutilator. Another idea I've been thinking on was either using a man of iron or a castellax automata as an obliterator.

Time will tell though.

Looks great Hush! Big big fan!

Thanks Vazzy! I hope theses guys can keep your interest.

The Aquilon conversion is working really well, I prefer the second helm behind the gorget, it adds to the hunching, unstoppable look of the Terminator. The pose of the Terminator is also looking good, as is the scale compared to his power armoured brother.

Thanks Pearson! I am very happy he is in scale with the marines. I honestly started coming up with other leaders for this kill team thinking even the new CSM terminators wouldn't look right. I think I am going to keep with that head but may make some alterations.

[Atia]

Hydra Dominatus  

 

Do you have any 30k specific rules for Kill Team? Once again I feel the sting of Alan's demise, because that's exactly the stuff of stuff he would have loved (and don't get me started on the new apocalypse rules which would have been perfect for 30k from the go ....) 

[Markus_]

I am stoked by these, fantastic job! I'm going to have to grab that mk5 idea though.

Edited May 27, 2019 by Markus_

[Leviathus]

Fantastic stuf!! Love the poses.

[hushrong]

We are all Alpharius.

I got back from my trip to Germany & Belgium and ready to get to work on my beloved 40k. Except readjusting to my timezone, being overloaded with a backlog at work, and playing video games kinda pumped the brakes on that. Even got to hang yesterday with my bud but we watched John Wick 3 (awesome by the way), played one game of Shadespire, and then more video games. However, I was able to chip away at the plastic horde here and there

Before I get to that I had to fix something with my earlier operators. Below are the marines from my latest posts. I kept going back over them and realized that I hated the mk6 helmets from the dark angels deathwing/black knight box. So I scrounged around for some nice helmets to replace them and even changed a few other things.

I am not looking for any accolades but I am much happier with them now. They are ready for some paint once I get my hands on some primer.

Now this is meager offering but I was able to put the next to operators together this past week.

The 'big deal' with these marines was using the boltguns from Primaris Reivers. I really wanted some good looking bolter marines and nothing I was doing was working. So I decided to try out the Reiver's arms and bolters with their sweet grips & upper rail and I think they worked well. I also have some thermal sights ordered to equip on them for tactic-coolness.

Another big deal was tackling the cabling going over the shoulder. I cut the cabling at the shoulder and tried to hide it with the shoulder pad. Sometimes fitment made it tough. I still have the cabling going up to the shoulder but I have green stuffed a port on the shoulder next to collar where it plugs into it. Doesn't look too bad I think and I like that it makes the marines shoulders broader. I'll have to improve on this but I am very happy to be going with this route.

Here is a side by side for some comparison. Operator on the right has his cabling cut exactly where the shoulder pad meets it and I am happy I will not be doing that again.

And last but not least a very minor paint job.

I tried painting the eyes but I am terrible at it. I'll have to keep trying because I want something like a low lit red glow in the center of the lenses.

Well, I hope to have a more colorful update in the near future. Thanks for tuning in Operatives!

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Hydra Dominatus

Do you have any 30k specific rules for Kill Team? Once again I feel the sting of Alan's demise, because that's exactly the stuff of stuff he would have loved (and don't get me started on the new apocalypse rules which would have been perfect for 30k from the go ....)

Thanks Atia!! *do the Hydra Salute! And holy smokes I am terrible at replying

For kill team my buddy and I are using Heralds of Ruins rules which I've got linked here. It's fan created stuff but I love how I can pick and choose units I want. GW's Kill Team is fun but I am just a bit sad I can't have my possessed, berzerkers, or noise marines take to the field. And Alan and HH goodness. I always wished to see a HH KT game. I used to drool over battle reports of HH ZM and would hope something smaller scale could coax my friends into it. At least Heralds has some Heresy goodies.

I am stoked by these, fantastic job! I'm going to have to grab that mk5 idea though.

I am happy to hear that and if it wasn't for you Markus this wouldn't be happening! And I'd love to see you use the mk5 idea. So I can copy how you would do it better.

Fantastic stuf!! Love the poses.

Thanks Lev! I hope it can keep it fresh. May have to get fancy

Edited May 28, 2019 by hushrong

[BadgersinHills]

I love the models. Great work

[Pearson73]

The adjustment to the cabling looks good, as you say, the added width to the shoulders is a nice effect. The Reiver carbines look spot on too.

[hushrong]

I love the models. Great work

Thanks Ash! I’m hoping they will look better with some colors on them. Happy to say my painting supplies are on the way now I just hope Texas will have some agreeable weather for priming. :)

 

The adjustment to the cabling looks good, as you say, the added width to the shoulders is a nice effect. The Reiver carbines look spot on too.

Thanks Pearson! I’m very happy with it. I want to try and work on making it look better. I mentioned earlier that I wanted these suits to look like slightly modified mk6 and that’s my excuse for greenstuffing that extension from the collar.

 

The reiver carbines are very nice as they look good and fit easily onto intercessor bodies. I want my AL to look HH-esque and those bolters don’t look too out of place.

[Atia]

These are so sexy - keep them uuuuup . 

 

From where are the bonding studs? Also, could you give us a size comparison with the new Chaos Marines?

[hushrong]

These are so sexy - keep them uuuuup :wub:. 

 

From where are the bonding studs? Also, could you give us a size comparison with the new Chaos Marines?

No worries, I’ve got Alpha Legion on the brain so more are coming Atia! :) The first ones were testers for building these, seeing if I can still paint, and I’ll try to apply some transfers with microset/microsol. I also want to try BCK’s tissue cloak on one of the marines. I want to make Effrit operatives and I want them suitably garbed.

 

The beads were off eBay: '10g Micro Beads no hole 1mm' and they are a great size for this scale. And I am sad to report I do not have any new CSM to compare them to (yet). However, any comparison of a primaris to new traitor marines should do the trick in the mean time.

[hushrong]

They live by their creed. It is the only truth of them I know.

For if you cut off one head two shall take its place.

No matter how many of their ranks are slain there are more waiting with blades drawn.

They are truly legion.

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So this is just weekly proof that I am still at work with the Alpha Legion. I got my primer late last week and was able to prime and spray on the metallics. Then I had to wait until this week for my clear blue wash and thinner. As of tonight this is as far as I've got with my operatives:

Pretty much anything that isn't their armor color got blacked out. Parts of the power-pack, their chest cabling, pouches, and weapons. With a bit more work they'll be caught up to my earlier Alpha Legionaires. From there I will work finish up small details and figure out how I want to paint the bases.

These will be the start of my Effrit Stealth Squad members (chosen, seekers, headhunters, etc). I *love* this color (thanks again for your painting tutorials Kizzdougsz!) but being a dark color I got too sloppy with my washes but I will just use that as wear on the edges of these guys' armor where I will highlight. They're at the same point as their blue battle brothers so just some more painting details (and transfers) and voila!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

[Galloway]

Look great, and definitely digging the use of the primaris bits.

[hushrong]

Thanks Galloway! I've been real happy with how these came out but couldn't have done it without Markus_' help. After seeing his mk6 converted primaris I knew I had to copy it.

 

A little update on plans for this week is to do more painting (just need a dose of motivation ). I also need to start building the rest of the team. I have the chosen in the pipe and I want to put BCK's tissue cloak tutorial to use. I want those guys looking to the nines like astartes special forces operators and I think the cloak will do the trick, like how Cadmus Tyro did his seekers. I also want to build a raptor but haven't had luck procuring an RG dark fury jump pack so I may just use what I think is the mk4 one (like the ones that come with sanguinary guard). Hopefully my next post will have some eye candy.

[Markus_]

Coming along nicely.

[Atia]

Yeah cool as always 

[Cadmus Tyro]

I don’t usually like truscale marines, but those mk6 are looking great, the best I’ve seen in terms of proportions! Teal is looking spot on, keep it up mate.

 

Cadmus

[Vazzy]

Looks great Hushrong! I'm sure you've mentioned it, but I can't seem to find it, how are you doing your cabling? Is it greenstuff?

[hushrong]

@Markus_: Thank you kindly! I find myself going back over your DG log and contemplating about a much larger, truescaled force (*come on 8th Ed Zone Mortalis!). It's a bad influence!

 

@Atia: Thank you! Trying to keep these boys as cool as a cucumber...sneaky cucumbers 

 

@Cadmus: Thank you but I cannot take credit. When I saw Markus_ post his primaris-to-mk6 conversion I knew I had to do this and I later I knew it would be great for the AL. It was a lifesaver because I was in a hobyying rut and one perpetrator was scale creep.

 

I should also be thanking you too as I went ahead and ordered anvil industry thermal sights for my bolter Effrit, just like your guys. I even ordered the same heads you used for your Recon RoW AL (and now I remember I have yet to receive those from puppetswar.) In fact, I plan on copying your more recent seeker squads for my chosen. I keep going over your AL posts studying them because they are superb. 

 

@Vazzy: Thank you and thank you again for the Tamiya thinner suggestion you mentioned earlier. I could have done better mixing it in but it helped a ton. Next time I apply clear I just need to remember to water it down. And the cables are definitely greenstuff. I was going to try guitar string but it was no bueno trying to get it to bend and shape nicely to the armor. I used a tentacle maker from greenstuff industries and it worked like a charm, I just had to go watch a tutorial video from them on how to do use it.

 

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And apologies, nothing new to show off. Schedule has been wonky this week and I think I need to re-clean my hobby desk before getting back to work. As always though thanks for tuning in operatives!

[hushrong]

"Every lie I tell is to hide a hundred truths."

Ain't dead yet just been maintaining a holding pattern.

Last two or so weeks I have gone down the rabbit hole with another hobby but I had to carve out some time for my Alpha Legion. I was planning on playing a Heralds game today so last night I put some operatives together. Didn't game but I glued my terminator together and churned out a chosen. So progress has been made and that's a win!

Terminator needs some added details but I need to think of what to add. Maybe some bonding studs on a shin and torso. In Heralds I have him equipped with a personal teleporter so I want to model some funky device on him to represent this too. Very happy to have put this guy together because he is a unit! He is much bigger and I think in scale with primaris true-scaling that is going on here. So huge kudos to Apologist for his terminator true scale tutorial.

I am also liking my chosen and soon I will put BCK's cape tutorial to practice on him. I have two more chosen I want to build in a similar fashion with the big knife and combi-plasma. As I have been building and planning this little team I want to copy the way Cadmus did his seeker squads for his AL for my own units too.

That's all for now. Sorry there was nothing exciting like a BatRep but hopefully I will get some time to build & paint and have some goodies to show in the future. Thanks for stopping by!

[BadgersinHills]

They look really nice! Adding more spikes like the pauldron would make the pauldron blend in better with the rest of the model. Maybe you could freehand some scales on the greaves.