Vallejo Shifters

...are pretty cool for 'mechs!

--Teun

Teun's Death Guard (Photo Dump 10/02)

 OLD

NEW 

Medusan Wardens

Something New: Some Death Guard

For your perusal, here are two of the test models I am working on to base my new 30k Death Guard army off of. I am going for a somewhat cleaner look, though I am not keeping it quite clean and crisp by using some Sepia and Earthshade washes.

Keeping Up With The Tanks: Iron Hands Techmarine on Bike

So in order to keep up with tanks in an Armored Task Force, I decided I needed to make a more mechanized version of a Techmarine. I also dig the idea of a Conversion Beamer, blasting things from afar and staying in the backline with a mobile kiting unit, making the techmarine a dual-purpose unit.

So, here is the finished product, after much kitbashing and converting. I'm pretty happy with the result, and look forward to using it in the future.

Teun Tries Terrain: -Easy- Zone Mortalis Board - Caverns (Part 4)

As the end of this side project nears completion, you can really start to see the caverns take shape!

But first: How I got here! I used scrap from the carving of the tunnels to bulk the board up a little higher.

Then, I enlisted the aid of my girlfriend to help me paper mache the entire thing. Then I sealed it with PVA glue brushed on over the top!

I used toothpicks, and hot glue, to make some creepy rock formations inside the cave... I also used some screen and a few straws to make a nifty pipe and industrial area.

Lastly, I sprayed the entire board with spraypaint, after leaving it overnight to dry. I put black primer on first, then dusted it with a ruddy brown color I had left over.

I still have some details to finish up on. I plan on adding bulkhead/hatchways at strategic locations in the caverns. I also want to flesh out a few more industrial areas. However, you can see that the basic layout and shape of the tunnels has now been completed! I am very excited that I can begin to use this board for Zone Mortalis games in the future.

Hammer of the Gorgon

Finished my terminator squad, which I dub "Hammer of the Gorgon." These bruisers are going to be used as Gorgon Terminators, and are equipped with heavy anti-vehicular weaponry in the form of multiple chainfists. These guys are intended to hunt Superheavies, and as the toughest terminators available to the Iron Hands, they may just survive long enough to do it. Hopefully I can flesh out this squad to full-size in the future, to ensure the success of their mission.

A Break from the Normal

Taking a break from Iron Hands and terrain projects, I took a little bit of time last night to work on some traitors I had sitting on my backlog for a while. It was very relaxing. I should paint traitors more often...   ;)

Dreadtober Complete!

Finished the base up, and now my Dreadtober project is complete! On to other projects!

I Like My Assault Cannons Well Done

Worked on my Dreadnought a bit, and tried out a new "hot barrel" effect on the assault cannon. I think it came out well.

Watch Sergeant Morghulai: Former White Scar Vanguard Veteran

Watch Sergeant Morghulai

Although many tithed White Scars utilize motorized bikes, Morghulai has always been more skilled with a Jump Pack. Falling from the skies like a fearsome cyberhawk, this sergeant of the 1st Watch Company leads the vanguard in attacks that shock and awe his foes.

Watch Captain Karrus: Former Iron Father of Clan Kaargul

Did some work today on getting the method down for my Deathwatch marines. The blue tint is working well for me, and this captain was a good example of the pop it can bring to my models.

Here is the fluff behind my Watch Captain:

"Watch Captain Karrus, formerly an Iron Father of the Iron Hands' Clan Kaargul, most notable for his work improving the the output of his Clan's Razorback engine spirits, is now tithed to the Watch Fortress Doomhold (sister to Watch Fortress Doombreak). Captain Karrus now lends his expertise in mechanized warfare to his new Ordos brothers, calculating the most efficient means of combating their Xenos foes with all the speed and terribleness of the legendary Storm Raisers of his Clan's heritage."

The best part about a Deathwatch army? A little goes a long way. Since they are comparatively expensive vs. most other armies' troops, painting a few Deathwatch models completes a sizable chunk of your army's point values. This Captain is not the biggest points investment, but he takes up about 10 percent, which makes me quite a bit ahead!

Proof of Concept: Blue-Tinted Black Power Armor

Late last night I made a run to the game store before they closed. I picked up some colors that I was suspicously missing, such as Kantor Blue and Leadbelcher. (Weird that I didn't have those, right?) With those, I managed to get a test model for my blue-tinted Deathwatch.

I wanted to differentiate them from my Iron Hands, and I thought going for a more bluish hue was a good way to do so. So I used the skills I learned with my Iron Hands to edge-highlight up a good test model.

This picture isn't the best (as the white backgrounds have a tendency to dull the models' colors in the photos) and I overcompensated a bit while editing the photo, but it's close.

I made a mistake on the bolter casing which I realized later, in which I toned down the highlight. But the rest of it is pretty spot on.

Makes for a good test model. I will be picking up new basing material here shortly, so we can see how it looks then!

Paint it Black - My Watch Begins

I am finally ready to reveal my secret weekend-project.

I enjoy a challenge, from the hobby perspective. I like taking methods that most people find hard, and tackling them head-on. For this reason, Deathwatch (and many forms of black power armor) have always fascinated me. People say that black power armor is really hard to get right... I have always wanted to master it.

Back in 2010, I had a new Iphone 4 (fancy, at the time). I wasn't very good at photographing miniatures with it, however. But I posted this:

http://teun135miniaturewargaming.blogspot.com/2010/10/finally-we-have-photos-again.html

It contained my first forays into black armor (aside from a handful of Black Legion models that I sold off):

It also was my first foray into free-handed Chapter symbols. I would later use these skills in a lot of my work.

I used these guys as my Sternguard Veterans in my normal Space Marine armies. I thought it was thematic and cool that they would be the elite of the elite, having access to special gear and ammunition.

I visited the idea again years later, when I bought my first new tactical squad box in years... I wanted to perfect my execution of black power armor.

I wrote this post: http://teun135miniaturewargaming.blogspot.com/2016/05/on-my-table-562016.html

I think I nailed it... these guys looked good and were some of my best work to date. Many times, I'd get comments on how crisp these guys looked.

I was hooked. I wanted to keep painting black power armor.

Then I started playing Iron Hands. I liked their Feel No Pain, and their dour pragmatism. Their calculating logic. Their superior use of armor and mechanized warfare.

So I looked into playing them in 30k. I dabbled in 30k but the necessity of Forgeworld models made the price point a bit steep for me, so I swung back into 40k with Iron Hands. When Angels of Death came out, I finally had a reason to go whole-hog into Iron Hands. I sped up my technique (sacrificing a little bit of the crispness for a huge increase in speed and uniformity) and managed to finish an ENTIRE ARMY to a high standard in the course of a scant few months! Anybody who knows me also knows that I typically do not work this fast.

Now, in 2016, they came out with Death Masque. A new starter set, containing Watch Captain Artemis and his merry band of xenos-killers. Coupled with a new Deathwatch Codex, I finally have the tools and the hobby practice to undergo my most ambitious hobby challenge: A complete Deathwatch army.

This weekend I took my first steps toward that goal. I bought, built, and even have started to paint; the makings of my first entirely-independent Deathwatch Black Spear Strike Force.

I bought a trio of Razorbacks, and with the contents of Death Masque, I should have a good start to my Black Spear Strike Force. I also added a few newly-converted HQ units (see top of post) and I still have a squad or two of regular tactical marines to assemble with their new Deathwatch shoulder pads.

It's going to be a long road. But I feel like I am ready. I look forward to the work ahead... I think the end result will be spectacular and worth every ounce of effort.

--Teun