The First Legion: A Test Model

Greeting Gamers.

As I get back up and running in my new hobby space, I have shown the light of hobby back on my Dark Angels.  Along with some hobby effort going into my 40K army, I have been champing at the bit to go after a 30K force.  Not for the game so much, but for the pure joy of finally modelling the First Legion without endless scratch building and compromise. A combination of the Betrayal at Calth boxed game and the recently released Forge World First Legion upgrades have made for some promising fun! These will be true representations of forces from the pre-Heresy First Legion!

Below is a test build and paint scheme for a 30K First Legion marine.  This model will become part of a 5-man heavy support squad.  I wanted something very different for bases compared with the balance of my 40k armies which use primarily sandy/earthy schemes.  So I invested in "steel plating" resin bases from Secret Weapon Miniatures. I think these make for a good theme for this 30K force as I imagine them campaigning within orbital defense stations, within the bowels of great warships, within the great forges of the Mechanicum, etc..

 

I started by mounting the model on a old cork stopper and basing it with Army Painter black primer. I've always based my miniatures before priming and would hold the bases, or the models, while painting.  Sometimes this resulted in some paint being worn off during painting but for the most part I was just transferring a lot of oils from by skin to the model during painting. Not to mention fussing with not getting model paint on the bases and base paint on the model. So I'm trying to improve in that aspect with this project.  I don't need or really expect to play with this force, so there is no rush to get them table-ready.

I reached this stopping point and flat-coated the model to seal the paint job.  It'll stay in this state while I plan and apply transfers, then consider how I want to complete the highlighting and weathering.  I stuck close to the Forge World imagery from book six of their Horus Heresy hardback series and from their website.

A Squad of 30k Dark Angels painted by Forge World

To me this is now the modern canon for what First Legion marines looked like. I will get some better shots of the completed model.  These pictures are quite washed and I didn't realize that while taking them late last night. I'll leave you with a few more images of the test model.

Comments are welcome. Hopefully I'll have some completed pics to put up here soon.
 

The test model has been painted entirely with Vallejo model and game color paints. I love the dropper bottles (I have need moving certain GW paints to these types of bottles, especially the Lahmian Medium) and the colors and coverage.

A predator tank and three Contemptor Dreadnoughts waiting the wings for my to practice a scheme for the vehicles of this force.  One day, these may be joined by Rhino transports, a 30K mark of Land Raider and possibly an additional support tank or two (Sicaran anyone?).

Until next post, Happy Gaming!