My pledge for #MonsterMarch3

image courtesy of swordmasterofhoeth.blogspot.com

Well, those following my blog understand I like a good blogger challenge.  And having just finished up with Squaduary 2019, its now time for #MonsterMarch3!  Since I was looking at moving on to some Adeptus Titanicus work, I think I'll take the opportunity to tackle my first Warlord Titan for Legio Tempestus.  For those interested in the Legio Tempestus color scheme, check out my Reavers here.

I have both Warlord Titan kits so I'll have to decide which to build first for the challenge.  As cool as the claw looks, I expect both my warlords will bear shooty arms, similar to the GW stock model above.  Though, if the magnetization works out well, perhaps I'll build a claw for fun any way.  I'll have to see how the build goes.

For now, there is my pledge.  Expect regular updates as MonsterMarch3 gets underway.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

Squaduary 2019 Week 4 Update - Horus Heresy Dark Angels

We're in the final day for Squaduary.  I completed my pledge last week and decided to take up the second tactical squad that I had not finished in January.  They had come along nicely, but were missing highlights and the sergeant's head was unpainted.  That was no good, so I started there.

Just a simple base coat of Vallejo flesh with GW Reikland Fleshshade and a follow up of GW Carroburg Crimson on the lips and around they eyes.  GW White Scar was used to paint in the eyes and a careful dotting of GW Abbadon Black set the pupils.  More Vallejo Flesh was used to highlight the nose, brow ridge, chin, etc..

I had been watching the Oscars the night before...and maybe its just me...but doesn't this sergeant look a bit like a post-human Willem Defoe?  Anyway...I got to laughing so hard I had to take a break.

Next up the squad got metal highlights with Vallejo Steel and the power sword got some Vallejo Brass painted on the inlay.  Scrolls on the Sergeant's chest plate and one other trooper were also painted using my standard recipe.

One more session tonight will put paid to this squad I think.  The sergeant got his Vallejo Ghost Grey highlights on the black armor and bolt pistol, but the rest of the squad still needs these highlights. Then I'd like to lay down some additional decals to match the support squads.  Some red legion symbols on the knees that aren't studded and a squad number on the right knees.  Easy enough for one session.

There have been some truly great projects done this Squaduary.  Congratulation to all the participants this year!

With the completion of this tactical squad, I'll likely take a break and got back to painting Titans and Knights for Adeptus Titanicus...and probably put work in on the Blackstone Fortress models.  Plenty of new work to pick up and lots of interesting projects.  I'm especially looking forward to refining my skills with the Legio Tempestus camo and heraldry.

Until next time.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

Squaduary 2019 Week 3 Update - Horus Heresy Dark Angels

It's time for a Squaduary 2019 week three progress report.  This week I tidies up highlights, did a lot of work on transfers for squad markings and legion symbols, then brought both squads to DONE!

It started with the highlights...always the highlights...this time the Oily Steel needed a plain steel highlight to brighten and define the edges.  This provides a good highlight after Nuln Oil in my opinion for a simple silver metal look.  Then, I took to the decals.  I chose the same custom white horizontal double arrows for the tactical folks and the typical heavy icon also in white from the same custom transfer sheet I downloaded from bolter and chainsword to get the double arrows.

I had less than perfect results with the arrows, but no matter.  This gets cleaned up later.  This squad is also using a small black and white checker box for heraldry on their shoulder pads. A small nod to the checkers used by the other two tactical squads.  Below, you can see the heavy support icons laid down on the missile launcher marines.

I decided to use a red skull as heraldry for the missile launcher squad.  This laid down nicely over the heavy support icon. I then put squad numbers on the right knees and a legion icon on the left knees where there was a place.  I left it off any knee pad that had studs all over it, obviously.  After several coats of micro-sol to get everything to lay down tight over the curves and dissolve some of the decal film, I painted a thin coat of GW Lahmium Medium over all the transfers to seal them in.

Then it was just some tidying up and a final heavy spray of Model Masters Lusterless Flat Coat over all to seal the hard work and provide a consistent finish to all the surfaces.  Here's some shots of the squads from the light box.  It was getting late and I didn't get the focus or white balance down very well, but the pics are usable.

I really like the plasma squad in the mark III plate.  I hope the heavy plate keeps them alive long enough to lay the smack down on some traitors...at least until Horus Heresy moves to 8th edition rules for plasma.  Now on to the heavy support squad.

So with that, I'm calling this Squaduary 2019 project DONE.  And with a week left, I'm on to the bonus round where I'll either paint the HQ that got left out of my January challenge, or I'll complete the 10-man tactical squad that didn't' get finished in January either.  It'll probably be the tactical squad so I can call 31 HH marines done for two months effort.  That's a big time record for me.

I'm loving the other Squaduary 2019 projects going on and completed.  Best of luck with yours.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

Squaduary 2019 Week 2 Update - Horus Heresy Dark Angels

It is time for a Squaduary 2019 Week 2 update! I completed the black armor highlights, which was a major victory for me.  I still need to go back and do them on my second tactical squad from January.

There is some definition to the arms and missile launchers now. And then it was on to the tactical support squad...

I have some more cleanup to do, especially around the missile launchers, but I like it over all.  I definitely managed some thinner, more precise highlights this time around.  Maybe enough practice will make perfect after all.  Next up, I got down to the bases. Vallejo Khaki Brown was painted on as a base coat and then shaded with GW Agrax Earthshade straight from the pot.

The Agrax Earthshade can be seen above still drying.  Once that dried, I highlighted the rocky ground with Vallejo Light Brown using a simple dry brush technique.

Then I went back and cleaned up the base rims with GW Abaddon Black to tidy things up.  Here's a couple more close ups of the work so far.

Next week, I'll be looking at heraldry and squad markings. Oh, and I still need to highlight the metals.  Should be easy enough to have these guys in the done column by the end of the month.  While completing the bases this week, I even finished the highlights on the bases of the second tactical squad that I had put aside form January to start these Squaduary projects.  Dare I hope to complete that squad as well this month??

You'll just have to check back to find out.  Best of luck to all the other Squaduary projects going on out there.  There are many, many great projects underway this year.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

On the Workbench [February] - Blackstone Explorers and Titanicus

Greetings.  I took a short break form Squaduary 2019 to assemble the explorers from the Blackstone Fortress game.  Several times I've wanted to try out the game, but without the models assembled, it just hasn't happened.  These models are push-fit and assemble easily. I used plastic cement regardless to ensure they stay together once painted.  Use some care when removing models from the sprue as there are some super tin bits that won't take much abuse, and you really won't want to cut the wrong thing either.  Be sure that what you are clipping is really a sprue gate!

I also found some time to assemble one of my boxes of Titanicus buildings.  These also got together very easily and were a pleasure to assemble.  It is truly creative how the pieces were made to be so very module and interchangeable. Here's one example.

Straightforward and too the point.  Good cover and should provide a nice backdrop tot the game once painted up. I especially hope the look great on my new gaming mat for Titanicus.

The Titanicus battle field assets were assembled and primed as well.  These will get used in games and to dress up the building terrain.

So, not a lot of model building this month, since the focus has been on my two support squads for the Squaduary 2019 challenge. But still some progress into the other hobby areas that I have been interested in.  It is a good practice to maintain some diversity in the hobby projects to keep things fresh and interesting, after all.

Next up will be Squaduary progress for week two.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

More Squaduary 2019 progress - Horus Heresy Dark Angels

Some additional photos of my Squaduary 2019 projects.  As I close out the first week of effort, I was able to clean up the black armor and get some shading done on the armor and equipment.  I used a 60:40 mix of GW Nuln Oil Gloss and GW Lahmian Medium.  This was applied over all the silver bits, the leather holsters, grenades, and shoulder pads.

I then worked on the Dark Angel icon highlights, using GW Wildrider Red.  This was also applied to the crests on the squad sargents' helmets. Next I shaded the plasma coils on the tactical support squad with GW Drakenhof Nightshade.  This was highlighted first with GW Templeguard Blue concentrating the color toward the center of the coils.  A second highlight of Baharroth Blue was applied from the center out, avoiding the edges.  Then a final highlight of GW White Scar was applied just to the center of the coils.  These highlights were applied with a GW medium drybrush, using a dry brush technique. 

While I don't personally prefer OLS effects, the dry brushing has left some "glow" around the gun casing and hands close to the coils.  I'm letting that stand for now before deciding whether or not to clean it up.  The color is a nice pop among an army of black and silver/grey and balances nicely wit the red, in my opinion.  Tune in next week for more.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

Squaduary 2019 Week 1 Update - Horus Heresy Dark Angels

Time for a week one update.  Since I am working with models that were previously built and primed, I got right to the painting.  First up, I hit all the left shoulder pads with GW Mephiston Red and GW Calaban Green (where appropriate - for Calabanites!). Sergeants also got red crests. Two of the missile launcher troops were previously painted as I worked on a test scheme for these guys.  Some of it stays, some is getting painted over to match my final color scheme.

Next I hit up the armor trim, back packs, and grenades with Vallejo Oily Steel. At this point, I'm just laying down base colors.  I will be going back to touch things up before applying shades. I found my previously fastidious nature was bogging me down.  Now I crack on until everything is colored, then make a pass to tidy things up.  I seem to make better forward progress this way and get less burned out in the process.  Its much like over editing initially when your are writing, I find (for any writers out there).

Next up it was time to get some base colors on the leather holsters and weapons.  This is GW Doombull Brown for the weapons and Vallejo Gunmetal for the metal weapon portions (blades, gun bits, etc.).  I use GW Sotek Green to base my plasma effects.

The missile launchers got some gunmetal as well and a splash og Vallejo Brass for some pop on the winged skull icons.

And that is where things stand so far.  I'll get two more sessions in this week, maybe a third.  I can only manage about 2 - 3 hours a session but it gets work done.  pretty standard progress so far.  I like how the Terrans are standing out from the Calibanites without anything too over the top going on.  The still work as a coherent force when viewed together.   Once Squaduary completes, I'll do a quick family post to show all for squads together (these plus the two prior tactical squads).

I hope your Squaduary progress is going well - It isn't too late to get started on a pledge if you don't have one yet...

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

Squaduary 2019 Pledge

It's SQUADUARY time again!  This year I am pledging two small squads, 11 models in total.  Both squads have been assembled and primed prior to the challenge.  I post a few WIP pics below to show how assembly went.  These squads are part of a Horus Heresy Dark Angels Legion army I've been considering for quite some time.  In January, I painted up (mostly) two squads of 10 tactical marines for this army.  In February, I'm adding to the force.

The first squad will be a tactical support squad in mark III plate armed with plasmaguns.  These were built from the Burning of Prospero sprues with Forge World Dark Angels mark III shoulder bits.  These marines are drawn from the Legion's original Terran forces.

The second squad will be a heavy support squad in mark IV plate armed with missile launchers.  These were built from the original Betrayal at Calth sprues and include Forge World Dark Angels mark IV torso, shoulder, and head bits. They are drawn from the new Caliban recruits and will display the Legion icon on a field of Caliban green as the Lion decreed.

This squad was an original unit I started a while back.  The front right model is the test model for the paint scheme.  The model on the front left was the next I had started painting before I took a break to work on other projects as I had no Horus Heresy players to play against. I re-based the models to match my new thoughts on the force and added a sixth marine to round out the points for an initial 1000pt  army.

Both squads are fully primed now and it's time to get painting!  As a stretch goal, I would REALLY like to complete the second tactical squad that I didn't get done last month.

Best of luck to all of my fellow Squaduary challengers.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!