Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

Posted by johnnya10 on 23/05/2016
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 2 Comments

blood angels contemptor dreadnought

My Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought is now complete and I’m very happy with it. Atheon (as I have dubbed him) was a joy to do, and despite being the Contemptor from the Calth box, I think I managed to get him to look a little bit more dynamic than many others I have seen (despite the static stance) which is nice. Let’s take a good look, from many angles, at the first slightly-larger kit that I’ve completed for my Sons of Sanguinius.

Firstly, my love for Mephiston Red continues. It really is a glorious shade and it’s pretty cool to watch the three or four thin coats become that deep, luxurious, carmine red. And also, shout out to Evil Suns Scarlett and Fire Dragon Bright for providing the perfect highlighting colours too. But my favourite colours on this come from my home-brewed brass shades, used on the end of the multi-melta and the exhausts. It’s really just a blend of golds and silvers, but it works so well. And it really does look just like brass!

dreadnought with multi-melta

The flames on the leg (yes, I know I showed them to you in the WIP post last week) are still one of my favourite features. I feel I really got them spot on with this guy. The shoulder pad on this side though, was an unrelenting nightmare. I screwed that one up so many times, but eventually, the slightly stylised ‘IX’ and the rest worked out ok. And Forge World etched brass is as uncooperative as it ever was – nice to know some things never change.

Blood Angel Dread

Sorry for the darkness of this pic – was trying to ensure that the details on those wings were picked out (which they are) but in doing that, everything else had to be a little darker. The ones on the shoulder sit there perfectly, and being a tad larger than the shoulder pad surface works out nicely. I was tempted to do a bit more freehand on the power fist, but at that stage, I thought it might be overkill. There are lots of fun details all over this and squeezing in more flames or blood drops felt a little OTT. In the end, I like it. That’s what counts.

contemptor rear

I won’t bore you too much about the back end of the dreadnought – once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all. I will talk briefly about the base though. It’s not exciting at all, and I have a reason for this. I kept it simple because I’m going to be wanting a full talon of Contemptors in the future, and I want to be able to easily match them to each other. In the same way that one bases squads the same, these guys should be similar and it may be quite a while before I get round to the next two. Because of that, I kept it simple. No bits I might run out of, or techniques I might forget in that time. Just rock. Hopefully the model looks good enough that no-one will be concentrating on the base too much anyway.

red contemptor

I kept the weathering very simple. Abaddon Black was sponged on where appropriate, and the feet and lower legs received a little grey fleck here and there to represent the ash-covered/moonscape look that I tend to favour. The exhausts have a little Rhinox Hide at the top to represent the exhaust fumes leaving their mark too. And that’s it. Nothing over the top there.

A word on the kit – it’s ok. It’s a plastic Contemptor, and that’s great. But the body is a mono-pose piece and that does mean you end up with something that can end up looking static. That’s where arm positioning comes into making him a little more dynamic. Take a lot of care to fit everything together perfectly, and make sure you fill in any tiny gaps and remove mould lines as ever. Wouldn’t it be great to see proper plastic Contemptor kits in stores though?

john ashton contemptor

The scrollwork on the chest was fun to work on again – not done that since I put my Grey Knights Contemptor together. The scriptwriting ended up being tough and that really is a skill that I need to spend more time practicing, but it turned out well. And I left the head black, with those glaring green eyes. The black helmet indicates the warrior’s closeness to death (being that he’s stuck in a walking sarcophagus) . Don’t know where I got the idea for black armour representing death from though. 😉

And that’s about it! Very happy with the above. I seem to be saying that a lot recently, and that’s always a good thing. Not sure what I’ll be working on next, but it may have a bit more of a resin feel to it. Forge World Open Day is coming up soon (did you get your ticket?), and I want to have a new shiny toy to show off in the painting comp. But more on that in later posts. Once again, thanks for reading – Onwards!

Blood Angels Contemptor WIP

Posted by johnnya10 on 16/05/2016
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 4 Comments

Apologies, dear readers, for the lack of posts over the last week or so – it’s been a busy time indeed. Between work, social obligations and setting up my own small business (which is exciting in a terrifying sort of way), you would be excused for thinking that I’ve not had the chance to make any progress on the Blood Angels, but there you would be wrong. Here’s a wee peek at my Contemptor Dread:

dread wip

Yes, the big lump of plastic from the Calth box is well and truly under way. In fact, the legs and groin/bum bits are all done, bar a little bit of weathering and clean up. This is the first time I’ve done red on such large areas and I have to say I’m enjoying it. Getting a smooth finish takes about 4 thin coats of Mephiston red, and while this can get a little tedious, the effect it produces is certainly worth it.

FullSizeRender_1

Before they went out of production, I picked up some of the BA bits from FW. These have helped me to add a little bit of personality to the blank canvas of the model. If you also have some, and haven’t used them yet, be warned: they are fiddly as hell. Only put the craft knife into my fingers once though, so that’s a minor victory. I also picked up the BA etched brass which you’ll see more of in later posts.

FullSizeRender

Of course there are some flames! Didn’t think I was going to leave those out, did you!? 😉

contemptor legs rear

The most boring bit of the model is the back of the legs, and because of that, despite having three completed contemptors to my name already, I don’t think I’ve ever shown them off here. So here you are! The back of some big small legs. Fascinating.

FullSizeRender_3

There are one or two more details that I’ve added to ensure that this resembles a true IXth Legion dread. I took the wings that you can see on the shoulder here from the Stormraven kit. They just about fit with a tiny bit of overlap, but that appears to work quite well on first inspection. The proof will be in the painting.

I got a chance to work a little more this morning on the torso and that’s coming along nicely now. Hopefully I’ll be able to show you the finished product next week (other activities allowing). As it is, it’s time for me to change my paint water. It’s looking rather gory now…

FullSizeRender_5

For Sanguinius and the Emperor! For Baal and Terra! Onwards!

Blood Angels Praetor

Posted by johnnya10 on 04/05/2016
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . 17 Comments

Blood Angels Praetor

I’ve finally finished my Blood Angels Praetor from the Betrayal at Calth box and I am very happy to show him off to you here today. I actually feel like I did this guy quite quickly for me too, which is novel. Usually something like this would take weeks but I’ve really been enjoying painting the big lug – it really does make a difference when you’re almost skipping home after work to get your paint brush out.

His colours and iconography are based very much on those of the Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition box cover art by John Blanche, and while it’s obviously a different model, that overall feel has translated well across the miniature. Well, I think it has anyway. Including the yellow gun. I was very hesitant about actually painting the gun yellow as I didn’t want it to look too cartoony, but it actually works! Chuffed with pulling that one off.

betrayal at calth praetor

The one thing about this post that I don’t like is the photography – I ended up having to do it with an iPhone and while it looks ok, I’m annoyed with myself that despite playing with my proper camera for ages (two sessions over two days), I just couldn’t get it right this time. But enough about that – more on the model.

I think the stance of the mini works really well on the slanted base. He’s such a beast he’s probably going to be pointing his gun downwards most of the time anyway (except when he’s trying to kill a titan or a small moon), and it definitely gives him a slightly more dynamic feel. It compliments without obscuring – a great thing for a base to do.

leopard print cloak

Well, I couldn’t not show it off again, could I? The more I look at this cloak, the more I like it and I think it’s one of the best bits of freehand I’ve done. Painting those pturges over the top of it was proper stressful but my paintbrush did not slip and all was well. It’s only annoying that it’s at the back of the model really.

Regarding the pturges (and thank you to WestRider for telling me that that’s what those dangly bits of leather are called), I’m really happy that I went with yellow. They really stand out against the red and I actually really enjoy working with yellow, which I know is weird because it’s quite a tricky colour to get right. I dare say if I were doing an Imperial Fists army, I might not be so chipper about it, but I’m not so I am.

praetor with chainfist

The other fun bits of freehand are the black flames that crop up on the legs and the left fist. They are a lot trickier to paint than you’d think but they do look really nice against the red armour. I also got a bit better at doing the classic iconography from the original which you can see with a little more clarity from this angle:

2nd ed iconography

The hazard stripes on the chainfist were a bit of a pain to get right, but as I discovered previously, weathering and distressing is your friend with these. Rough them up enough and they look fine – hopefully no-one will be counting the millimetres between the stripes.

blood angels chapter master

That little skull on the belt was a real pain to get right. Despite my years of practice with the Mortifactors, I’m a little rusty these days and the smaller they are, the fiddlier they are to get right. But it’s on the 2nd Ed box guy, so it’s on this guy too. It’s not just an excuse for me to paint skulls – if I needed an excuse, I’d just go and finish off the Mortifactors! I’ll add a picture of the box art below for your reference.

The model itself is a little tricky to paint all in one piece and I’m really glad that I did a few bits before assembly. Overlapping plates, wires and cloaks getting in the way… there’s plenty of stuff to keep your brush at a strange angle. There are also mould-lines aplenty so be sure to go over the whole mini before undercoating and painting. Other than that though, it’s a joy. Great pose, lots of places to add freehand work, loads of different textures to work on. Top stuff.

praetor space marine

And that’s about that then. Really happy with this guy and looking forward to whatever I’m doing next (as yet undecided but certainly Blood Angels related). Need to crack on with improving the photography skills (AGAIN!) and work out what went wrong this time. But despite that one minor downside, I’m tickled pink (or blood red in this case). Onwards!

2nd ed blood angel

Blood Angels Praetor – WIP 2

Posted by johnnya10 on 27/04/2016
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . 3 Comments

It’s been a busy week or so. Hunting for a new job has intensified, the social calendar has been plenty busy and to top it all off, I was hit with a particularly unpleasant bout of food poisoning too. However, all of that has not stopped me from doing a little bit of work on my Blood Angels Praetor.

Now, when I say “a little bit of work on my Blood Angels Praetor”, I really mean that. Here’s where he’s at at the moment:

ba praetor wip

So I have done the grand total of… one leg. And I’ve started on the other. But I have many reasons for the somewhat slower progress than planned. Firstly, I got the fear that the way I was approaching the armour made him look a bit Thousand-Sons-esque. Red and Gold, you see. Now, we all know the Boss ranks of the Blood Angels like a little bit of Gold (in the same way that Tony Montana liked a ‘little bit’ of cocaine), so it makes sense that it’s there, but combining it with the red did making it look a little bit Prosperoean (Prosperen? Prosperoish? Prosperoian?). I feel that has been remedied with some of the embellishments though – the flames and the hip plate – but it did make me stop and think for a little while.

Another thing that has been bothering me are the dangly bits. No, not those (cheeky). But the bits that hang down from his belt (still cheeky) and shoulders (hmmm… not cheeky unless you’re particularly talented). I can’t quite decide what colours to do them. Black? Black and yellow? Black and red? Yellow? …still not sure on that. If you have any ideas for those dangly bits, or even a better name for them than ‘dangly bits’, please let me know in the comments below. It’s amazing how making decisions like that can slow you down though. Just having to take time to think can really slow your progress. It requires coffee, pondering and procrastination and it really isn’t conducive to one’s labours.

hip plate

And that hip plate. I’m trying to incorporate those touches of the 2nd Ed box cover guy, and this is the main symbol that runs across that guy, but dear Emperor was it tricky. Not only is putting a white spike in a black stripe on a yellow base a shape-based pain in the trouser seat, but with a cloak and a wire in the way, the natural angle of paintbrush approach is totally cut off. It involved a great deal of doing, redoing and at least a couple of words you wouldn’t repeat in polite company.

There’s still a lot of touching up and finishing off that I need to do on this leg – want to bring out a bit more of that gold, tidy up those flames and a few edges, but this gives you an idea of where I’m going.

Now, I said earlier that I had done a “little bit”of work on the Praetor, but the base is another story. That’s now done and waiting patiently for the big chap to stand on it. Here it is…

land raider door base

I didn’t know I could weather like that! I’m really happy with this one, to the extent that I’m a little annoyed that I have to cover it up by putting a miniature on top of it. Lots of sponges and washes and technical paints applied with various methods. It’s really going to give the praetor a setting to stride over.

FullSizeRender_1

And I’ve kept that nod to the 2nd Ed box cover here too. The little bits of barbed wire, the broken masonry, the skull. I’m really happy with that little bit of scripting too. If the whole model looks as good as the base when I’m done, I will be very happy indeed. Maybe even ecstatic. Who knows. Will update.

So, there you have it. Slow progress but progress nonetheless. Hoping to have a bit more time to work on this in the coming days and have something a bit closer to completion to share with you next time. And now that my calendar’s a little less full and I can go for longer than thirty minutes without rushing to the toilet in pain (never eating the burger from that pub again), I may even have a chance to get it completed by the next post! Fingers crossed. And if you have any ideas, comments, questions, other things… perhaps a recipe for a strawberry cheesecake or a favourite haiku, please add it/them below. Onwards!

 

P.S. Here’s the 2nd Ed box cover guy for reference for you to see what I’m blathering about if you don’t know:

2nd ed blood angel

 

Top 10 Unique Pieces of Wargear in 40k

Posted by johnnya10 on 22/04/2016
Posted in: Silliness and Stuff, Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 3 Comments

wargear

There are many awesome pieces of wargear in the 41st Millennium, with every species having access to something cool. From Thunder Hammers to Iron Halos, from Big Shootas to D Scythes, there are so many options out there for our armies that our chalice really does runneth over. And then among all of those sweet bits of gear, there are some unique pieces that really give the game its flavour. I’ve picked out 10 of those unique pieces of wargear that I consider to be my favourites. It should be noted that this isn’t about rules –  it’s about fluff. If these things had the rules they deserve, games would be a lot shorter (and though one player would be having a lot more fun, the other probably wouldn’t). Anyway, enough of all that; let’s dive into the list. In descending order, the 10 coolest pieces of wargear are…

10. Trazyn The Infinite’s Empathic Obliterator

Empathic Obliterator

When the ‘Archaeovist of the Solemnace Galleries’ (as this pretentious robot likes to call himself) hits you with his big stick, you know about it. Well, you know about it for a split second before a psionic shockwave rips your body to pieces from the inside out, killing any of your buddies who were dumb enough to be stood next to you. This staff is rumoured to contain some sort of horrific primordial energy that was used by the Old Ones themselves, and only an expert collector like Trazyn could get his hands on that sort of thing. It would be a pretty cool way to go, but you wouldn’t be around long to appreciate it.

9. Jain Zar’s Jainas Mor

jain zar

Howling Banshees are pretty terrifying in their own right. Swords whirling, masks screaming as they rush towards you at terrifying speeds, but their big chief is even scarier. Jain Zar, the Phoenix Lord of the Howling Banshees not only has a terrifying mask and a weapon known as the ‘Blade of Destruction’, but she also has… a boomerang. Yes, the grimdark’s own homage to the classic Australian curvy stick (well, if you stuck three of them together). The Jainas Mor (that’s ‘Silent Death’ for those of you who don’t speak Space Elf) flies through the air, its blades wreathed in black fire, before decapitating everyone and then returning to Jain Zar. Good on ya’ mate.

8. Commander Farsight’s Dawn Blade 

dawn blade

So, the most famed member of one of the newest space-faring species in the galaxy is wielding one of said galaxy’s oldest weapons. That’s already pretty cool, but this blade is actually making Farsight live longer (not that he knows that). According to the books, the Dawn Blade has ‘chronophagic alloys’ (obviously *snort*) which take the life force of any individual it kills and bestows that life force to the user. Farsight didn’t know this when he picked it up for the first time to kill a Bloodthirster, but I’m sure he wouldn’t give it up now, if only because it’s so darn useful. It’s powers have helped him live longer than any fishface before him, and it’s pretty much the only sword in the ranks of the Tau. Also, it’s so old, no-one knows where it really comes from. Intriguing…

7. Gabriel Seth’s Blood Reaver 

blood reaver

Chainswords in general are among the most common weapons in the grimdark, but Blood Reaver is a bit special. For a start, it’s an eviscerator (or two-handed chainsword) which immediately elevates against most other chainswords, but this one is even more special. Because it kills everything. And because it belongs to Seth who, despite being a bit of a moderate of the chapter, is a Flesh Tearer. The angriest of the Blood Angels successors, and named after the often-censured, rage-filled Captain Amit, these guys cleave through armies like a lawnmower going through dry grass, and Blood Reaver is always at the front of the action. And it looks really cool. So there.

6. Lucius The Eternal’s Armour Of Shrieking Souls

armour of shrieking souls

Let’s just start with that name. The Armour of Shrieking Souls. How cool is that!? But names alone don’t get a piece of wargear into this list. So, what’s so cool about the Armour of Shrieking Souls? Not much. Just that it’s a sign of Slaanesh making Lucius immortal! When a swordsman beats Lucius (which is pretty rare) Lucius is reincarnated in that warrior’s body, and the face of that warrior ends up howling and grimacing forever as part of the Armour of Shrieking Souls. Not only that, but those howls can be focussed into a freakin’ doom siren – the best of the sonic weapons. How’s that for a slice of fried terror.

5. Maugan Ra’s Maugetar

99800104021_MauganRaNEW_01

The Phoenix Lord of the Dark Reapers has one hell of a fancy gun/farming implement to play with, and though there are similar weapons to Maugan Ra’s ‘Harvester’ (I’m looking at you Death Jesters), none of them are quite as cool as this bad boy. Even the Eldar aren’t quite sure where this shuriken weapon comes from, with many believing it was forged by the Gods or… something else. It can slaughter foes at range with its unusually large discs, or it can be used as a warschythe which, when operated by someone with the stats of a Phoenix Lord, makes it ferociously deadly in close combat too. From its psychoactive grip to its spirit stones, this is the weapon the Grim Reaper himself would buy, though I doubt Maugan Ra would sell it.

4. Garran Crowe’s Blade of Antwyr

Garran Crowe’s Blade of Antwyr

Farsight may have a blade that’s helping him to live longer, but Garran Crowe is such a badass that he’s walking around with one that’s actively trying to kill him or turn him to Chaos. Now, walking around with the sharp, pointy embodiment of the Chaos Gods isn’t necessarily cool (err… yeah, it is!), but when Crowe wades into war, he can coax this weapon into doing some pretty gnarly stuff. It makes him one of the best swordsmen in the grimdark and even Lucius would probably think twice before trying to add Crowe to his tally. If the blade meets a daemon it had beef with way back when, it will actually help Crowe kill it. Of course there are times when it meets an old buddy and then Crowe has far more problems than any genehanced, psychic super-soldier ought to have. Swings and roundabouts.

3. Kaptin Badrukk’s Da Rippa

99800103019_KaptinBadrukkNEW01

Ah, the joys of Orky ‘technology’. There’s not much to dislike about the Ork equivalent of Captain Jack Sparrow, but his gun is a particular favourite of mine. Da Rippa used to be a Ripper Gun, as wielded by Ogryns across the galaxy. When Badrukk’s Meks got hold of it though, they made him one of the most Orky weapons you can get. Instead of firing the garden variety oversized shotgun shells that it used to fire, Badrukk had it built to fire unstable canisters of plasma energy. Because that sounds totally sensible. You shouldn’t even be on the same battlefield when he fires this thing. It gives off horrendous levels of radiation when it’s not firing but when it does go bang, you get to witness the energy of a small star obliterating the enemy, and then all your skin melts off. No wonder Badrukk wears a lead-lined coat.

2. Abaddon The Despoiler’s Drach’nyen

Abaddon The Despoiler’s Drach’nyen

Most swords can cut through armour. Some can cut through the hull of a tank. Drach’nyen can cut through reality. It can literally rip a hole in space and time, and if you happen to be standing in the same spot, it’s ‘good night, sweet prince’ for you. Its other names include ‘Shard of Madness’ and ‘Thorn in Reality’, and whenever it kills someone, their skull can be seen writhing and twisting down the blade itself. Not only is it that unsettling, but it inspired the 1st Black Crusade and made Abaddon the powerful Warmaster that he is in the 41st Millennium. As far as game changing swords go, this pointy stick is one of the most important and impressive in the galaxy. In terms of legendary status, it’s up there with Anathame and the Blade of the Laer. It really is one hell of a sword. When you absolutely, positively have to kill every Imperial pigdog in the joint, accept no substitutes.

1. Inquisitor Karamazov’s Throne of Judgement

Inquisitor Karamazov’s Throne of Judgement

“COME CLOSER SO I CAN KILL YOU WITH MY CHAIR!”

Need I say more? Well, I will because it’s my blog and I get to do that sort of thing. Only an Inquisitor could see a Space Marine dreadnought, say ‘Mine’ and then actually turn it into a walking throne, pulpit and weapons platform. And why have a standard two-barrelled multi-melta, when you can have one of your little slave servitors stood next to you firing a THREE-barrelled Multi-melta? Covered with scrolls and parchments to the extent that it looks like a walking printing press, this is, as far as I’m concerned, the coolest bit of kit in the grimdark. From its flaming braziers to its big clompy feet, I actually want one for myself. I would consider going back to uni for 10 years, mastering engineering and robotics, and then building one so that I can sit in it, stomp around in it and scare the neighbours. The Inquisition really does get the coolest toys, and this is top of the pile.

 

So that’s my list. Do you agree? Disagree? Too sword heavy? Not enough guns? Tell me what I missed out by leaving a comment below. If the above list is anything to go by, I can’t wait to see what wargear we get in the future. Onwards!

Blood Angels Praetor – WIP 1

Posted by johnnya10 on 20/04/2016
Posted in: Basing, My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 2 Comments

I’ve just started working on my Blood Angels Praetor using the big fella from the Betrayal at Calth box set and I just wanted to give you a quick update on my efforts so far. I’m only in the very early stages, but thought you’d be interested in seeing the direction I’m going in with this guy.

praetor wip

To start with, I’ve painted a few bits of the model before even putting it together. The model is now in one piece but there were a few bits I painted separately just because it would be easier to do so. The inside of the gorget, the head, the inside of the hood and the inner lining of the cloak were all done in this stage. The head sits so snug into the armour that a) you can barely see the insides of that hood piece at all, so I just gave that a quick once over, and b) the head would have been a pain to do if it was already put together.

I’ve decided to go with my brassy gold on much of the armour’s trim, and the lining of the cloak is a very subtle black-to-deep-purple colour. I was concerned that this might look a little too much like Emperor’s Children colours, but I think it will be fine. Praetorian purple was a thing 2000 years before GW got hold of it so I’m going with that. Worst comes, I can say it was pre-heresy gift from Eidolon or something like that.

2nd ed blood angel

I’m using the above Blood Angels Hero, of 2nd Ed box cover fame, as a source of inspiration for this guy. I won’t be doing like-for-like colours, but the styling will be in part taken from John Blanche’s design. Although I’ve put the guy together, I’ve not started on the armour properly yet, so in future WIPs, hopefully you’ll see more what I mean. And yes, that does mean that there will be a few black flame patterns here and there.

scenic base

FullSizeRender

In a rare move for me, I’m working on the base separately from the mini because I’ve gone with quite a complex base, again, with elements from the 2nd Ed box art. Note the wire, the rubble and the skull (well, I always do skulls on bases – I think that’s now a thing) that nod to the above image. I’ve also added the ripped apart Land Raider door for the Praetor to stand on, and a couple of shell casings too. I got a chance to start putting some base colours down this morning and here’s where it’s at right now…

FullSizeRender_3

So, very early doors there then (pun intended). Just getting some base colours down to get an idea of what it will look like (a little bit of a test too), but still a huge amount of work to do here. This was a just to give you an idea of the direction I’m going with this. Why an Iron Warriors Land Raider door? Well, a) Hazard stripes do look pretty cool and b) I remember an old, long since retconned bit of fluff that noted the IW and the BA have a particular beef going back to the Heresy. So why not?

Last night, I also got the chance to work on the guy’s cloak as well. Thought you might like to see that…

leopard cloak miniature

I couldn’t resist. 😉 Will hopefully bring you another update in the near future with a few more fancy details done. Onwards!

Salute 2016 Review

Posted by johnnya10 on 17/04/2016
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment. 3 Comments

salute 2016 banner

Yesterday, I spent the day at London’s best and biggest miniatures and wargaming convention, Salute, and I’m here to tell you all about it. And that’s pretty impressive given the amount of time I spent at the Fox pub outside excel drinking with the charming folks from the Hate Club – if you’re a gamer in London, they’re worth checking out. So, hangover not withstanding (and I’m not standing at all), here’s the lowdown of yesterday’s events.

salute at the excel

As I mentioned last year, getting to the Excel is a bit of a pain in the backside, regardless of where you’re coming from. It’s London’s largest building (in terms of its footprint) and there’s always loads of conventions taking place there. With only the DLR to get people there, those driverless trains get pretty packed. We miniature-enthusiasts, as a group, are not renowned for being the most slender or, unfortunately, the best at applying deodorant so if you’re getting one of those trains, gas masks, vapo-rub under the nostrils… well, bring something. But enough moaning about the venue – that’s not what this is about. This is about a magical day that comes but once a year that even all the BO in the world can’t ruin.

So after a long queue (that moved steadily), and receiving my goody bag (free commemorative die, magazine, couple of minis), I got to the doors. To give you an idea of how big Salute is, I snapped off this shot…

salute 2016

An aircraft hanger full of glorious, nerdy stuff (and the above picture only shows half of it). What’s not to like about that? There were plenty of great stores offering awesome wares. So let’s talk about them.

Forge World and GW had a long stall there with an even longer queue for most of the day. New releases were all on offer, from Black Library books to the Limited Edition Imperial Space Marine. Of course the latter sold out in minutes and I ended up having to buy mine online, but that’s fine. I picked up the Horus Heresy Modelling Masterclass book and some weapons for future Blood Angel usage. One thing I did notice that’s pretty cool was the new blog, regimental-standard.com which I will definitely be keeping tabs on.

regimental standard blog

Other great stores that were there included:

miniature factory

  • Miniature Factory – These guys are doing some really fun minis that look pretty cool. They do some pretty amazing busts too and though there stall was small, it was always busy.
  • MDP – I mentioned these guys last year but they had an even bigger stall that last year with even more useful things for giving your miniatures those perfect finishing touches. Check them out for display plinths, tools and basing solutions.
  • Figone – If you’re thinking about going down the route of busts and large scale miniatures, this is the place to check out. Jeremie has some great products.
  • Zinge Industries – Another one that I raved about last year too. So many useful bits that no one else is doing.

There were loads more too – too many great businesses to name. That’s what makes Salute so good. Being able to see all those new games and ideas going on, witnessing all that enthusiasm and seeing people really enjoying their particular slice of the hobby pie.

There were some really cool minis in the display cases as usual, and the standard for the painting competition was very high. Unfortunately I can’t give credit to all the painters purely because I don’t know all of their names. If one of them is yours, or you know the artists, please let me know in the comments below. Here’s a selection of my favourites:

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White Scars Commander by Henry South (well, I couldn’t leave him out could I?)

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The Saint by Chris Duchesne (GingerDuck Painting and Conversions)

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Tau Ghostkell by Paul Bullock

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Like I said, if you know who I can give credit to, leave a comment below. There were lots of other really cool minis but these were my faves.

There was some pretty cool Cosplay going on as per usual. Among the historical soldiers, my buddy from last year, the Blood Angel and his guardswoman wife were there, as were the usual array of stormtroopers. Always good to see these guys posing for pictures and strolling through the hall making people smile.

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There was a pretty interesting stall that I wanted to give a shout out to – The Orc’s Head. This is an idea to create a dedicated pub for miniature wargaming enthusiasts, with tables and scenery to use in London. It’s a great idea but I think they may have jumped into setting up a kickstarter a little too quickly without getting enough people pumped about the idea – and they need to do more press! But to give them a better chance, I wanted to give you a link to their kickstarter page – support them if you can/want to.

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As always, there were plenty of display boards with demo games going on and some of them were spectacular. There was also a giant space ship to promote DropFleet and DropZone Commander. Here are the pictures:

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We hung around for the painting competition results at 3:30ish and then retired to the pub. Another criticism of the Excel is that the pub and drinking venue choices are very limited and disappointing – The Fox really is a hole. But it serves a purpose. I came away from the event with a great little haul that you’ll see in heresyandheroes.com in the future. It was a great event and I’d like to that South London Warlords for putting on another cracker. If you’ve never been, and you can make next year’s event, you must try to go.

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Already looking forward to Salute 2017 but right now, I’m looking forward to a nap and some unhealthy food. Onwards!

Space Marine Chapter Name Generator

Posted by johnnya10 on 12/04/2016
Posted in: Silliness and Stuff, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 19 Comments

kharn vs Azrael

How do you come up with a good Space Marine chapter name?  In this ‘just for fun’ post, I’ve built you not one, but two name generators to help you bestow a monicker onto your Space Marine Chapter, and also your Chaos Space Marine Warband too! How’s that for a slice of generosity on toast?!

I was talking to a few people about my post from last week where I was listing all the things that I liked about Space Marines (because I’m that sort of annoying person who will write a blog post and talk incessantly about it afterwards). When asked ‘how many chapters are there?’ I replied ‘Well, loads. Like a thousand. Maybe more!’. The follow up to this was ‘Well then, were I to create a new chapter, how would I come up with a name that doesn’t already exist?’ to which I then replied ‘…I dunno…’. The truth is, there is nothing new under the Sol, and the likelihood is that when you’ve come up with a name, someone, maybe even GW themselves, got there first.

But in an effort to improve your odds, I have created the Space Marine Chapter Name Generator. It’s not perfect. If your name is ‘Chris Lloyd’ you will end up with the Celestial Lions, and if you’re ‘Sam Smith’, you’ll get the ‘Silver Skulls’, both of which are definitely already taken (and also, I know people called Chris Lloyd and Sam Smith so apologies to them). The sharper among you will  have probably already worked out how this works, so let’s have a look:

space marine chapter name generator

Going by the above, my chapter should be the Jade Angels – not bad! What’s yours? Stick a comment below and let me know what you think about it? Also, if you do come up with a name that’s already taken, or if you’re not quite happy with it, try flipping it around and adding ‘of’/’of the’ in the middle. So the Jade Angels become the ‘Angels of Jade’.

But I promised you more, and after making this, with all its noble nouns and heraldic adjectives, the Ruinous Powers convinced me to do the same again, but this time with the Chaos Space Marines. So, for you heretics out there, here you go:

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That gives me the Jealous Axes – very Slaaneshi if you ask me. But again, that could be flipped to the ‘Axes of Jealousy’. If you like what you got, stick it in a comment down below. What would your warband be like? Khorney? Nurgley?

And that’s it! No deeper meaning than that – just an excuse to do something fun on a slow weekday, and an added celebration as the Space marines turn 30. If neither of the above are your thing, I did a similar thing for Ork mobs way back when – you can find it right here. I hope you enjoyed them. Onwards!

Blood Angels Despoiler Squad

Posted by johnnya10 on 09/04/2016
Posted in: My Painting and Modelling, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 1 Comment

blood angels despoiler squad

And they are done. My Blood Angels Despoilers are finally complete, and, if I’m being honest, I’m thrilled with them. Using the miniatures from the Betrayal at Calth box and almost every chainsword and bolt pistol in my bits collection (along with some Forge World accessories), I’ve created a squad full of variety that looks great, and they’re my first proper unit for my 30k army. It took a lot longer than I’d hoped (what with one thing and another – it has been a very busy year so far) but hopefully this will kick off a period of a few more completed units in the coming weeks.

These guys were a lot of fun to put together and paint, and I’m still really loving Mephiston Red and the Blood Angels scheme that I’m working with. I hope I’m still taking that 2nd Ed feel into 30k and getting some good results. I’m really happy with the subtle weathering that runs across this squad, and also the different chainswords and how they give each Space Marine a bit of added character. One thing I don’t think I’ve cracked is the green lenses, but I’m getting there – I spent so long doing blue lenses, it’s kind of weird doing them in a different colour.

blood angels legion vexilla

I keep looking at that Vexilla and thinking about how happy I am with it and all the details I got in there, as well as the colour choices. In truth, it was a pain to paint and the yellow text was redone several times due to it taking on odd angles but I got there in the end. In the above image, I’m still also very fond of what I call the ‘adidas sword’ – you can probably work out which one that is. 😉

The Forge World shoulder pads are really fun to work with and they work really well. I like the old school Blood Angels emblem and I’m pretty proud with how I painted them too – especially the red, gem-like blood drop. I didn’t want to go down the violet/purple drops that seem to be used in the GW range today, and so went with a red-through-orange look that has a great vibrancy to it.

betrayal at calth blood angels

Painting the tactical markings on the other shoulder pads were probably the trickiest part of the whole project. When you’re trying to make freehand like that look so uniform, you’re always up against it. It’s never quite right, but you can get it to a state where it looks good enough. If I had enough of the knobbly shoulder pads, i’d have just used them, but I’m saving the rest of those for later.

I think the bases are something to be happy about as well. They’re very simply done – just a bit of extra slate here and there, but they add uniformity, a touch of character and in some cases height too. I was almost tempted to go with the green bases with simple green flock a la 2nd Ed tradition but I think that would have been a step into nostalgia too far.

red chainswords

For all that I’m happy with, I never want to paint another bolt pistol or chainsword ever again. I am seriously sick of them. I know I’ve said this in the WIP posts but I would just like to reiterate given how strongly I feel on this subject. They can both do one.

blood angel sergeant

My sergeant has a hand flamer and a power sword. I love the effect on the sword – red fading to black – an idea given to me by Mr Henry South. Definitely the right call. I was a bit worried about the yellow icon on the shoulder but it sits very nicely on the black field there, and though the picture doesn’t quite do it justice, there’s some good definition there as well. The sergeant also carries the nuncio vox. It’s a little annoying that they didn’t include this in the BaC box set, but you can’t have everything I suppose. As it is, I bought the upgrade set from Forge World, so I have another one for another squad in the future.

BA tactical squad with chainswords

And so that’s them then. All done and on to the next project. I’m not 100% sure what that will be just yet, but I think it’ll be a single character – I don’t think I can handle another 10 man squad straight away. So the Blood Angels are very much under way, and I’m really chuffed with the start I’ve made to them. Onwards!

 

10 Things To Love About Space Marines

Posted by johnnya10 on 05/04/2016
Posted in: Thoughts and Comment, Uncategorized. Tagged: . 6 Comments

ultramarines

As Space Marines turn 30 in a few days, I thought I’d put together a list of 10 things that I love about the grimdark’s most famous sons. Now, it should be pointed out that some of these will be sensible and some will be silly. None of it will involve rules – this is more about the idea of the Space Marine as a character and how it has evolved. This blog post is also my way of responding to all the negative neophytes who, whenever some Space Marine related news or rumours appear of sites like BOLS or Warseer, have to chime in with comments like ‘ugh. more Space Marines. Excited NOT. ugh’. I think it’s fair to say that though they may be the most loved faction in the 41st millennium, they probably get the most hate too. But hey, that’s what happens when you’re so popular. Anyway, here, in no particular order, are 10 things that I love about the Space Marines.

1. Pick A Chapter, Any Chapter

space marine chapters

In 30 years, the sheer volume of chapters that have been created, and that are being created right now, is frankly overwhelming. This points to two very important things – the scope of the human imagination, and the love people have for the big, power-armour-wearing space heroes. In fact, the above image is but a fraction of the chapters that are already recognised. Furthermore, GW itself has crammed as much info into the relevant codices as it makes sense to do so, allowing you to find the flavour of each one, from the name of their homeworld to notable campaigns. And if you can’t find one that suits, you can create your own and no-one’s going to tell you that you’re not allowed to do so. Yes, the Eldar, Orks and others have plenty of variation too, but no one has the amount that the Space Marines have and that does make them a bit special. They are the poster boys for the game and GW want you to have fun and do whatever you want to them (provided that you buy them at full retail price, of course) and that’s what attracts many people to them in the first place. Choose wisely, but remember that you can always choose something different later.

 

2. Armour Through The Ages

armour through the ages

From the ancient Thunder Warriors to the much-prized MkVIII ‘Errant’ armour, there’s so much to choose from when it comes to designing your force, and this comes from the fact that over the last 30 years, GW have done a great job of fleshing out the history of the Space marines and what they look like. Ok, so it would be pretty tricky to build a Thunder Warriors force (though I have seen a couple of squads before – very cool), but the above models have gone from rare collectors pieces to being widely available from Forge World. When I started out in the hobby way-back-when, everything was either MkVII or MkVI. That was it. That was where variety stopped. Now, the basic tactical squad box contains elements ranging from MkIV to MkVIII and you can go all the way back to MkII with Forge World. How’s that for variety! Not only do these give your armies a great look by adding in all those options, but they also give it a sense of history. You can see the Great Crusade, the Heresy and so much more in your forces now that back RT era wasn’t defined and in 2nd Ed wasn’t available, and that’s just grand.

forge world space marine armour patterns

 

3. Camouflage And The Space Marine

space marine land raiders camo

Ah, the camouflage issue. A long time ago, camouflage was encouraged in your armies. After all, the armed forces that are around today employ camo as an aid to survival, so why wouldn’t the armies of the future do likewise? I wouldn’t mind seeing Dark Angels in tiger stripes, or Ultramarines in jungle green. But I get the feeling the conversations in the future go a little like this…

Sgt: ‘Our brothers are ready to deploy, Captain. What colour armour should we wear for this mission?’

Captain: ‘What do you mean, Sgt?  We’re Blood Angels. We wear blood red. It’s in the name’

Sgt: ‘I understand, Sir. But, er… well, this is an ice world…’

Captain: ‘So?’

Sgt: ‘…well, it’s just that it’s… well, it all white and bluey out there, Sir. Red tends to show up a bit against white.’

Captain: ‘And? Are you fearful of our enemies, Sgt?’

Sgt: ‘Of course not, Sir. I know no fear.’

Captain: ‘Oh, so you’re ashamed of our heraldry then. Is that it?’

Sgt: ‘Of course not, Captain! My breast swells with pride that I’m a Blood Angel! it’s just that…’

Captain: ‘What?’

Sgt: ‘Well, I’d just rather not get shot straight away, Sir. I’d quite like to be able to see the enemy before he shoots me and he’ll be able to hit me a mile away if I’m dressed like Santa Claus in an Amsterdam window.’

Captain: ‘I see. So that makes you a… HERETIC!!!’

…or something like that. Well, I suppose if you are the Emperor’s finest, and you’re armoured like a walking tank and have no fear, I guess you don’t need it. Also, flat colours are easier to paint and more people will recognise Ultramarines if they’re painted blue as opposed to desert ochre. Forge World has tried to bring this back in a small way, helping those Howling Griffin fans who aren’t so fond of painting quarter colours, but that’s about it. I do wonder if it will ever come back though…

howling griffin camo

 

4. You Like Guns? We Got Guns. Really Cool Ones Too.

imperial weaponry

Now, this is a personal preference, but I’m going to say it: Space Marines have the coolest guns. Like, loads of them. From flamers to meltas, from bolters to assault cannons, they’ve got a bucket load of kickass shooty toys that other armies, stylistically speaking, can’t quite compete with. Yes, the Tau have their massive guns, as do the guard, and the Orks have their originality while the Eldar have plenty of sleek looking weapons, but none of them stack up against the arsenal of the Space Marines. I enjoy a shuriken catapult as much as the next man, but against a bolter, it just can’t cut it when it comes to an iconic look.

 

5. How To Choose Your Chapter: What’s Your Favourite Point In History?

space vikings

If you’re ever unsure about which Chapter to work on, you can always just ask the above question. You like, the Romans? Ultramarines for you. Vikings? Space Wolves, my friend. If you want to imagine your Chapter Master kicking a Hive Tyrant off the board while shouting ‘THIS IS SPARTA!!’, you can even pick the Minotaurs. And it’s not just historical references either. We even have Space Vampires! Space Wolves work for Space Werewolf fans too. How about Space Knights? Yep, got a couple like that. GW has used history a great deal to influence the Space Marines and as derpy as this could have ended up, over 30 years, it really has bedded in nicely and many of these chapters now have taken the best part of these influences and dropped the bad. However, there are a few that really show their age, though these have, for the most part been hidden away. That brings me on to the next couple of points…

 

6. The Fact That The Rainbow Warriors Exist

rainbow warrior ship

In 1985, a year before the Space Marines appeared, the French Secret Service bombed and sunk the famous Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace’s anti-whaling flagship while it sat in Auckland harbour. It was very big news at the time and it’s fairly obvious that someone at GW was a big supporter of these particular environmentalists, given that, one of the 12 chapters to feature in colour in the Rogue Trader book were called The Rainbow Warriors. Yes, among the Blood Angels, Dark Angels and Crimson Fists, there was a chapter that sounded like it had been born out of a bronie meetup that got out of hand (not that bronies were a thing in 1985). They didn’t last long and weren’t particularly popular, but it goes to show how cultural influences in the 20th/21st century influenced the 41st Millennium. I think the Emperor can probably do without them on the battlefield – being descended from Greenpeace activists, this chapter probably spent more time trying to raise awareness amongst the others that destroying the Ork was wrong and that everyone should hug the fungus instead. Bloody hippies.

rainbow warrior space marine

 

7. Space Marine Freemasons

space marine freemasons genesis chapter

Yep. I’m guessing we’ve got some funny-handshake-giving members in the design studio. The Genesis Chapter are clearly based on the Freemasons and what’s more, they’re still in the Codex today! It’s amazing that they th… *whispering in ear* …ah, ok. I’m not allowed to talk anymore about this. Moving on.

 

8. Pop Culture Heroes

pop culture space marines

Space Marines are the recognisable face of 40k, and as such have entered the realm of popular culture beyond the hobby itself. They are stars in their own right and their popularity has probably brought a lot of new gamers to the table top – certainly more than other races. The fact is that they are now an established part of the Sci Fi pantheon and hold cult status beyond that as well, as the images of Darth Vader and Deadpool above attest to. Go onto reddit or imgur and post an image of a Space marine and someone will comment ‘HERETIC!!’ within about five minutes. They’re the heroes of the hobby (like it or not) and they’ve earned a deserved place at the top tables of the genre. Power armour is extremely recognisable and it’s rare to go to a comic book or Sci Fi convention these days without spotting someone clomping around in a homemade suit. And the fact that cosplay enthusiasts have embraced it (almost as much as Sisters of Battle but that’s because of different reasons) again points to the Space Marines’ secure place in the Pop Culture sphere. Not bad for some 30 year olds from Nottingham who spend all their time indoors.

 

9. Chaos Space Marines

old chaos space marines

There’s an old football adage; you can only beat the team in front of you. If the team is bad, no one will give you the credit if you win, but if they’re a great adversary, you’ll get the plaudits. Now, it’s important to remember that I’m NOT talking about rules here. Chaos Space Marines have been the whipping boys of their relationship with their loyalist brothers for a while now, but in terms of lore, style and ideology, the Chaos Space Marines are the perfect adversary. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that without the Chaos Space Marines, regular Space Marines would not have been nearly so popular. Batman needs the Joker, Professor X needs Magneto, Space Marines need Chaos Space Marines. They are the best bad guys out there, and they make the good guys look good. The fact that they also look like the good guys is an added bonus.

 

10. You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

space marine sculpting evolution

Over the last three decades, we’ve been able to watch Space Marines grow from men in space suits to fully fledged space heroes. We’ve also seen their look change in terms of their sculpt and how they are painted, and what a long way they’ve come. The painting standards of competitions and commission painters today is mind-blowing compared to what it was like when I first started splattering humbrol onto un-undercoated lead. The miniatures themselves have gone through such a change from lumps of Pb, through white metal and finecast, to the glorious plastics we see today. Yes, this is true of all the armies. They have all come on leaps and bounds, but always at the heart of the evolution were the Space Marines. They have come so far, and it has been a joy to watch them grow. If Marine Medic Kyle, with his weird little laspistol could see the Sanguinary Priest of today, I’m sure he would be a very proud grandfather.

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So, there you have it. You may still despise Space Marines, or you may well be wondering what this article was all about. Was there a point? Not really. I just wanted to point out some achievements, some quirks, and some history of an Icon who turns 30 in just a few days. GW owes its success in many ways to the Space Marine, and they know it too. What’s more, many of us owe our love of the hobby to these guys too – I’ve painted more than a few in my time. Space Marines; here’s to the next 30 years. Onwards.