The Atrocity at Calth - True Scaled Ultramarines

[Grim Dog Studios]

Can never have enough infantry! Could be worth looking at the Primaris, they had some fresh, dynamic poses. Would be cool to add some kneeling chaps, hopefully won't add too much more time, if you're already cutting the legs to upscale them.

 

Good idea, I've used quite a few Primaris bits throughout the force that I've bought from bits stores/Ebay, but never really paid much attention to the actual figures themselves. I have thought about doing some kneeling legs but haven't worked up the courage to chop the legs into even more pieces yet haha.

 

Looking good, Jay! Nice to see you working on your Ultramarines again.

 

Would you mind sharing your recipe for the blue armour you're using, please?

 

Cheers mate! I'm glad to be working on them again, I have massive pauses between hobbying sometimes but I have really been bit by the hobby lately. The recipe for the blue is mostle just the "official" GW scheme really. I primed the figures using Tamiyas Light Grey Fine Surface Primer, expensive stuff but I really like it. Then just a spray of macragge blue, nuln oil in recesses, highlight of calgar blue, then extreme highlights in fenrisian grey!

I've found by experience using a dark primer like black really darkens the first basecoat of blue, which was something I didn't want to do this time hence my use of the light grey primer instead.

 

Cool posts throughout!

 

Thank you very much! 

[Grim Dog Studios]

 

Apologies for the double post, but I have a small update that I wanted to post!

 

I have gotten around to priming and basecoating my tactical squads, which unfortunately sort of shows how rough my attempts at upscaling the marines are. I've fixed what I can after priming and before basecoating blue, but some of them don't look, ...great. I'm hoping that once I start painting them it won't look too bad, and I can blend some of it into the battle damage/paint chipping, and the lower greaves are going to be drybrushed and weathered like my test model, so I'm hoping this will hide a lot of it.

 

It's definitely a learning/experience thing, my first tactical squad looks worse than the latest one, so I'm hoping as the army progresses my technique will greatly improve and I can mix up the marines a bit to hide some of the bad ones into newer squads (I'm aiming for a lot of marines eventually). Can't really tell from the picture what I am talking about, I just didn't want to do an update without at least some form of picture to post!

 

 

With Forge World opening tomorrow I will definitely be placing an order. What I will be ordering I am not sure yet, but for the 2000 Point List I'm planning as a starting point I currently need 3 Deimos Rhinos, a MK IIB Land Raider, another Storm Cannon Array for my Leviathan, and two Kheres Assault Cannons for the Contemptor. However, I'm also thinking of replacing the Contemptor with the Ultramarines one which looks infinitely more suitable for my army than the Emperors Children one I had been planning on using.

 

Annoyingly, I've been toying with the idea of making an upscaled MK VI DIY Chapter army for regular 40K games with a lot of inspiration from the old Rogue Trader miniatures for posing/conversions/paint schemes for a while now as a "break" project once I hit the 2000 point painted mark for my Ultras. But with all this talk of 40K 9th and the Crusade system, it's getting pushed to the front of my mind. I know I should at least get a playable army of Ultramarines done before moving onto other things for a bit, I just can't rid myself of these thoughts.

What do you guys do to keep on track with a current project, as I feel like this plays a big part into the reason why I've never had a fully painted army before. I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts on the matter!

 

Thanks for looking!
James

[jaxom]

 

 

Apologies for the double post, but I have a small update that I wanted to post!

 

*SNIP

 

It's definitely a learning/experience thing, my first tactical squad looks worse than the latest one, so I'm hoping as the army progresses my technique will greatly improve and I can mix up the marines a bit to hide some of the bad ones into newer squads (I'm aiming for a lot of marines eventually). 

 

 

No worries, double posting is very common in WiP threads. As one who was in a similar place, I can say it does get better, but there is definitely a learning curve. Most early jankiness isn't visible from 3 feet away, but mixing earlier attempts among later attempts sounds like a good idea.

[Pearson73]

Looking forward to seeing the squad painted up. Though I do love the Emperor's Children Contemptor sculpt, I think the Ultramarines one is really cracking too. Perhaps you could alternate between squads of Ultramarines and 40k chapter (and Custodes)? Allows you to build up both forces and keeps your mind fresh by changing things up frequently. Alternatively, you could set goals, i.e. switch after 500pts completed? This second approach is probably more conducive to building playable forces.

[BadgersinHills]

Great and promising progress. I have difficulty keeping on track as well, but my desire to get an army done prevails. I've never painted up a full army, though, but this year I hope to get one done. As with essays and the other difficulties of academics, breaking the task into many small pieces is what I find helpful to get it done. As for the Contemptor, plenty of swapping groups on Facebook you could look at. Best wishes for your project! 

[Grim Dog Studios]

Thanks guys! I love the idea of 500 Point bitesized chunks Pearson, definitely something I will keep in mind. I browsed the FW store earlier today, and kept to my plan and ordered the 3 Deimos Rhino bundle, so hopefully they will be with me soon. Not sure how fast FW will be pumping out deliveries having only opened today. Think my next purchase will be the MK IIB Land Raider, it's a lovely looking model and I've wanted one for quite a while.

[hushrong]

Oh yeah!! Paint! I know that pain of primer/paint showing off some unwanted detail but I think with more paint and detail you’ll make it work. Looking at the one pic there is nothing glaringly sticking out.

 

And if you haven’t check out some of Markus’ Death Guard. I bugged him for help and copied his work turning primaris into MkVI marines for my Alpha Legion. Regardless of how you build them a MkVI marine with Rogue Trader influence has me excited.

[Grim Dog Studios]

Oh yeah!! Paint! I know that pain of primer/paint showing off some unwanted detail but I think with more paint and detail you’ll make it work. Looking at the one pic there is nothing glaringly sticking out.

 

And if you haven’t check out some of Markus’ Death Guard. I bugged him for help and copied his work turning primaris into MkVI marines for my Alpha Legion. Regardless of how you build them a MkVI marine with Rogue Trader influence has me excited.

 

Cheers mate! Yeah, I'm a big fan of Markus' Death Guard, and I've just had a look through your AL thread and they look fantastic! Not sure how I'm going to go about it yet, but definitely something I will keep in mind. I just hate working with green stuff haha.

 

In other news, I've started the first 5 marines and have done most of the edge highlighting for the blue on them. Just need to go back and clean a few bits up with Macragge blue and then onto the rest of the details. I'm currently aiming to get about 5 marines done a week which I think is a manageable amount. Hopefully as I get further into and I'm more comfortable painting the scheme things will speed up a bit.

 

 

The Deimos Rhinos also came in today, so I'm going to make a start putting them together this weekend.

 

 

I've been stockpiling bits lately as well, amassing the parts for another 30 marines of some description. My only issue is I'm running out of resin MK IV heads, as I much prefer them to the plastic MK IV heads. Paid a small fortune for 20 of them on EBAY the other day.

 

My current long term plan for the Ultramarines infantry-wise is to have 110 Space Marines, not including HQ models etc. Thinking of about 50 Tactical Marines, 10 Heavy Support Marines, 10 Tactical Support Marines, 20 Breachers, 10 Locotarus Storm Veterans, and 10 Veteran Tacticals. So, a lot of leg extending in my future!

 

Thanks for looking!

James

[jaxom]

Looking good!

[hushrong]

Fortunately with Markus’ style you only need a wee bit of greenstuff for the cabling on the total and the tentacle rollers make it a breeze. One good session of mixing and rolling greenstuff made enough to do all the guys I built so far.

 

The fresh paint is looking sharp on the Ultramarines! Looking forward to seeing you churning out 5 a week. Also, that is quite the stockpile you’ve got and some. Ice plans for your army. Definitely looking forward to seeing it get built up!

[BadgersinHills]

Looking nice. Posing really makes an army characterful, each soldier being a distinct individual but the totality being cohesive. I've been planning to truescale my marines as well, using the greenstuff method as I have no plasticard. 

[Pearson73]

Highlights are looking good. Five guys a week is a nice manageable amount that is still going to add up, giving two squads a month (or one big tactical blob). The plans for the army composition also sound good, massed infantry formations are what 30k is really about in my mind, especially when true-scaling.

[Grim Dog Studios]

Thanks all for the comments, the first 5 Marines are complete, transfers and bases aside.

 

 

And just a close-up of this guy, because I am particularly proud of the face, although I haven't plucked up the courage to attempt to paint the eyes.

 

 

I'm waiting for some decent weather so I can mass spray all my Sector Imperialis bases and spend a day getting them ready to glue Marines on.

I'm going to be going for something along these lines for them (image not mine, found here https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/comments/gn92jc/i_like_it_rusty_and_dusty_sector_imperialis_bases/):

 

 

 

I also bought the UM Contemptor on thursday, and he arrived yesterday so I spent some time this morning getting him glued together. The base is a WIP, going to try and make it fit in with the Sector Imperialis bases.

 

 

Going to get the the second 5 marines done this week. I spent longer than a week to do the first 5, but it was a learning process on what order to batch paint bits of them, so hopefully now that I know what I'm doing I will be able to speed the process up a bit!

I have also bought a basic lightbox setup off amazon, so hopefully the quality of my pictures will be a lot better in the future!

 

Thanks for looking!

James

Edited July 5, 2020 by Centurion Jay

[hushrong]

Coming along superbly!! Paint job looks spot on and crisp plus the weathering is looking sweet.

[Pearson73]

That face is definitely one to be proud of, I get you re the eyes though, still a challenge I'm yet to face up to. I'm struck once again by the poses in that demi-squad, an interesting mix of motions and action.

[Gederas]

Lovely Smurfs Jay. Just one question:
 

 

How'd you do the weathering/dust around those lads legs? I'm trying to do something similar for my Dark Angels and the result is... nowhere near as good.

[Grim Dog Studios]

Coming along superbly!! Paint job looks spot on and crisp plus the weathering is looking sweet.

 

Cheers mate, some spots on the paint job I need to go back and fix but I'm very happy with them so far!

 

That face is definitely one to be proud of, I get you re the eyes though, still a challenge I'm yet to face up to. I'm struck once again by the poses in that demi-squad, an interesting mix of motions and action.

 

Thank you! I may go back and attempt the eyes once I get a bit of confidence to do so. I'm glad you like the mix of poses, I'm really trying to keep the armour mostly plain and uniform befitting the Ultramarines and so the posing is where I am attempting to get a bit of individuality in the marines.

 

Lovely Smurfs Jay. Just one question:

 

 

How'd you do the weathering/dust around those lads legs? I'm trying to do something similar for my Dark Angels and the result is... nowhere near as good.

 

The weathering is just a simple drybrush of Army Painter Skeleton Bone. I start off pretty light and slowly add layers to it, with less at the top. I try to make the top less unifrom by "stabbing" at it rather than a smooth stroke around the top to try and get some irregularity to it.

 

In other news, I'm unfortunately not going to get any painting done for the foreseeable. I was struck down with appendicitis in the early hours of monday morning, and once diagnosed was quickly rushed into hospital and have had keyhole surgery late tuesday evening and have had the offending organ removed. Got home last night so today is the first day I've managed to get back at a desk, but I'll be in considerable pain for the next few days so doubt I'll get much done, other than spending money on the FW store I probably shouldn't spend. I have got a 2 week sick note off work from the Hospital though, so once I'm feeling a bit better over the coming days I will hopefully get a fair bit of painting done, pain-dependant.

 

Thanks all!

James

[Pearson73]

 

 

That face is definitely one to be proud of, I get you re the eyes though, still a challenge I'm yet to face up to. I'm struck once again by the poses in that demi-squad, an interesting mix of motions and action.

 

Thank you! I may go back and attempt the eyes once I get a bit of confidence to do so. I'm glad you like the mix of poses, I'm really trying to keep the armour mostly plain and uniform befitting the Ultramarines and so the posing is where I am attempting to get a bit of individuality in the marines.

 

 

In other news, I'm unfortunately not going to get any painting done for the foreseeable. I was struck down with appendicitis in the early hours of monday morning, and once diagnosed was quickly rushed into hospital and have had keyhole surgery late tuesday evening and have had the offending organ removed. Got home last night so today is the first day I've managed to get back at a desk, but I'll be in considerable pain for the next few days so doubt I'll get much done, other than spending money on the FW store I probably shouldn't spend. I have got a 2 week sick note off work from the Hospital though, so once I'm feeling a bit better over the coming days I will hopefully get a fair bit of painting done, pain-dependant.

 

Thanks all!

James

 

Aye, I think in the legions, each marine was less an individual and more a part of the whole, so unique and embellished armour is going to be much less common amongst the rank and file. Interesting poses and actions are what really sets each soldier apart. Fingers crossed you're feeling healthier soon!

[jaxom]

Get well soon!

[Grim Dog Studios]

Thank you both for the well wishes, should hopefully be back to it in no time!

[Grim Dog Studios]

So, it's been a few months since I worked on my Ultras, got a bit sidetracked by my DIY 40K Chapter but I'm back working on these guys for a bit. I have major motivation issues and I'm struggling to get much painting done, I love the building aspect but detest the painting side of it. However, I've pushed through and got my Centurion Jay painted up who I've decided is going to be a Warmonger! 

 

 

 

I am hoping to try and get a 1000pt Zone Mortalis list painted up over the Christmas period as I have two weeks off work. I have possibly bitten off more than I can chew but I can only try to get it done!

 

Thanks for looking!

James

[BadgersinHills]

Lovely painting! :) :) 

[Sherrypie]

Very atmospheric models, their legion's character comes through well.

[Dosjetka]

Great to see you back at these, Jay :tu:

 

Any chance you'd be willing to share your recipe for blue, please?

[jeremy1391]

Amazing work! When heresy era Ultra Marines are done right they look fantastic on the table top!