We have come for you..... A return to darkness (and pics)

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

The new Chaos Marine range has caused me to succumb to the lure of Chaos once more, the new ‘upscaling’ of the range appeals to me, giving the marine the ‘bulk’ they should have. The overall aesthetics too have impressed me too, I was initially concerned they might go down the Dark Vengeance chosen look and have a little too much organic piping and tentacles for my liking – fortunately not! I can share the frustration of many in the community bemoaning the lack of a true multipart kit – however I really do enjoy converting and have had a lot of fun with ‘heresy-ifying’ the Death Guard kit, so I’m up for the challenge of kitbashing the new range! I am a veteran of metal minis so cutting up plastic or resin really is a walk in the park! You younglings don’t know you are born……

My main interest in 40k is and always has been the Horus Heresy and running the Chaos Marines as Legion based forces – I can still hark back to the days of the 2nd edition Codex where the traitor legions got a little more background and a more defined look! Indeed I still have my copy of this mighty tome and intend to go a little ‘retro’ with this project. To that end I will hark back to what originally tempted me back into the hobby – The Night Lords. I think I’ve finally got the ability to paint the lightning that my poor 12yr old self didn’t have! I really think the new range suits the ‘scavenged’ and under resourced look of the legion as described in the ADB Night Lord trilogy! However, I shall attempt to merge them with the heresy range to create a force that can fit into both 30k and 40k systems. The new range is a little chaosy but I think the skulls and demon faces can fit into the ‘fear’ factor of the legion – that and I’ll scrape off the worst of the teeth/mutations/chaos stars.

My plan was be to make around 30 marines using the Shadowspear and multipart CSMs. Initially I was thinking of a squad of bolter marines and a squad of close combat guys. Then I started considering the 30k aspects and thought about Terror Squads, especially using the more close combat equipped guys to represent them.

However, I stuck the Night Raptor heads on some and thought, hmmm, these could look good with jump packs….

So I came up with these guys!

Stand by for a few more in the coming days.

I am just toying around with the following ideas at the moment.

Should I have all the 10 Raptors with the bat wing helms? Or mix n match. Obviously they can double as 40k Raptors too.

Should the 10 Terror Squad all have skull helms? And should I mix in volkites? I am thinking the options for terror squads as melee and bolter make them ideal for utilising the options in the multipart kit and doubling as CSMs. I appreciate volkite isn’t a thing in 40k, but they can just be count as bolters. ( I will probably magnetise the heads anyway and I need to get some volkite ordered, so this wont be a unit completed anytime soon.

I’ve finally come across a metallic blue scheme I like, but I am pondering the trim colour, silver being pre heresy and bronze being post. I am gravitating towards bronze.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Lord Commander Eidolon

[Pearson73]

The jump packs work really well with the new marines' poses, I think a full squad with those winged helms would look cracking.

[BrotherEndcat]

Proper well done mate, the night lords heads work so well with these new sculpts!

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

The jump packs work really well with the new marines' poses, I think a full squad with those winged helms would look cracking.

Thanks matey! I wanted the use the classic Raptor packs, but alas I used them up on my EC marines! I have a few 'alternate' winged heads to show off, but I'm liking it he idea is the unit having the Night Raptor heads!

Proper well done mate, the night lords heads work so well with these new sculpts!

Thanks! I think FW heads will work pretty well on the new range! Hopefully you'll approve of my next selection of helmets!!

I'm taking my time with these guys - normally I magnetise stuff halfway through painting or even after but drilling holes or cutting stuff off, but because these will be metallic with clear blue I won't be able to paint over missed bits or bluetacked parts. I might also need to green stuff some of the necks so they fit ok as some body's have a deep neck well.

I've decided to try to make the basic 'bolter' squad to look a little plain, unchaosy and not overly wingy/skully - so I'm thinking relatively 'normal' helmets, meaning the eventual terror squad can look even meaner...

I quite like this guy, not entirely sure he works as a Raptor but I like the use of very normal uncorrupted human/marine heads - especially in Nostraman skin tones. Eventually I'll use this head to represent Kellendvar when I do my Terror Squad Headsman! I've already got plans for the bolter squad Sgt!

Edited August 1, 2020 by Lord Commander Eidolon

[AgentOrange]

I like the nonmutated head. Is the hair sculpted or is that a stock bit? If so, what kit?

[BrotherEndcat]

 

I've decided to try to make the basic 'bolter' squad to look a little plain, unchaosy and not overly wingy/skully - so I'm thinking relatively 'normal' helmets, meaning the eventual terror squad can look even meaner...

 

 

I think this is a good idea, I think a lot of Night Lords armies can end up looking a little "over the top batty" if you catch my drift when everyone has the stylized helms (unless thats your thing then do you boo).

 

I'll definitely be following along this thread :)

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

I've decided to try to make the basic 'bolter' squad to look a little plain, unchaosy and not overly wingy/skully - so I'm thinking relatively 'normal' helmets, meaning the eventual terror squad can look even meaner...

I think this is a good idea, I think a lot of Night Lords armies can end up looking a little "over the top batty" if you catch my drift when everyone has the stylized helms (unless thats your thing then do you boo).

I'll definitely be following along this thread

Yeah. I'm hearing you with the battyness - I've got the old skool NL upgrade kit, and well whilst I want to like them I think the wings are crazy big; I'm determined to find a use for them....

I like the nonmutated head. Is the hair sculpted or is that a stock bit? If so, what kit?

I'll definitely use it - it may not stay on the Raptors though. I recall Zso Sahaal described as having a certain innocence re the warp in Lord of the Night, I like the juxtaposition of these horrendous killers looking quite normal beneath their helms...

The head is from the Empire greatsword kit.

I managed to pick up a bargain (for Australia) priced set of Chaos Terminators. Not a great fan of the kit, it's highly limiting, not quite as bad as the Blight Lord kit but duplicates will stand out...

I'm thinking I'll run these as an Atramentar command Squad - I'm working on magnetising the banner arm so I can swap it with a heavy weapon if I use them in 40k.

A homage to Brother Heinrich's Terminators that tempted me with Night Lords all those years ago....

Edited July 31, 2020 by Lord Commander Eidolon

[Pearson73]

The Atramentar looks brutal and I think he's going to look even better in midnight clad. I knew there was something familiar about his look, Heinrich's Terminator Lord is a piece that continues to inspire me.

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

The Atramentar looks brutal and I think he's going to look even better in midnight clad. I knew there was something familiar about his look, Heinrich's Terminator Lord is a piece that continues to inspire me.

Thanks mate; I really think I should do something similar for a Terminator Lord myself, however I've a few very dark plans for one of my own devising! Although at the moment I'm just trying to get the Squads done....

Here's the latest offering - couldn't resist the using the Bane head, think it's appropriate for this pose.

I've slogged my way through the marines - got most of them built, but I've managed to lose half a set of legs!! Frustratingly this means the bolter squad is one man short. I just need to magnetise heads and jumppacks and then I'll worry about basing.... then it's batch painting metallic blue blue and more blue. I'll get more photos of each squad member in due course!

The 5 Terminators are done, bar armaments for the champion. I'm thinking I might give him a chainglaive - but what's the consensus of a good load out. I've got 3 axes, a chainfist, I'll then magnetise the guns on the squad to alternate between combi plasma and bolters.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Lord Commander Eidolon

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

Well, well, well, what have we here then ......

Personal reasons and a little stint painting up Warhammer Fantasy has kind of side tracked me for a while, keeping me well away from the forum. That and Tiny Pic going the way of the Dodo meant all my photo's have disappeared, which kind of sapped any motivation I had left with my blogs, given the loss of photos of my progress over the years. I've done a little posting on Insta but I do much prefer forums as I get some feedback here. I was initially thinking I'd tidy up some of my Hall of Honour threads, as I can simply re-take pics of my completed models, but that just seemed too much effort....

For whatever reason I decided to start re-reading the Night Lord trilogy and stumbled on a tutorial for metallic marines and decided now was the time to revisit old projects. I've really got a nice blue recipe going on now, so have batch painted a lot of marines! I might try to get them done for Armies on Parade, if that actually goes ahead. Luckily I have most of the WIP photos saved so I can easily re-upload stuff and give this thread a new lease of life...

As always the metallic isn't showing up as well as i'd like, but I will try to get some better pics in a light box.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Raptor.

[BadgersinHills]

Great painting!! :) :)

[Yosef Hausakluif]

Metallic blue looks great!

[Loquille]

The Raptor looks great.