Warhammer 40,000 is the 800 pound Gorilla sitting at the top of the tabletop wargaming world. If you're a gamer and you're not playing, you should be. If you're on the fence about whether or not to get into the tabletop wargaming, this is the game you want to break in with.
Why?
Glad you asked...
40. Black Templar
Do you like knights? How about guns? Wish you could play an entire army of 8 foot tall super human knights who have guns? I know I did, which is why I built and played a Black Templar army for many years. This chapter of the space marines is unquestionably heroic in their appearance and they have the gear to match. It's only a matter of time before their rules are revisited for 5th edition. In the mean time, they're still a solid army with loads of conversion opportunities and a solid miniature range.
39. Blood Angels
Space marines live a long time, like, a really long time. The ones that don't get killed in battle live well over 300 years. To a Blood Angel that's just getting warmed up. Even the basic Blood Angel can live to be 1000 without breaking a sweat. So what do you do with ten centuries as a soldier in the 41st millenium? A lot of killing apparently, something the Blood Angels do rather well. With a some of the best plastic kits space marines have access to, the Blood Angels are currently top dogs when it comes to an elite power armored force. They're big, they're bad, they're psychic space vampires. Did I mention some of them go crazy and become even bigger and badder? Yeah, apparently that's how they roll.
38. Chaos Demons
Evil? Excellent! Read on.
If you dream of wreaking havoc among the poor souls of a planet, these are your boys, girls, and others. You're actually getting four armies in one, each with their own style. You've got the classic red nasty devil types (Khorne), highly agile speed freaks (Slaanesh), unstoppable hulks of decay and rot (Nurgle), and the quintessence of psychic power and magic itself (Tzeentch). Play up with a pure force of one, go for a two prong attack, mix it up with three, or have a blast and include all 4. Whatever you want, they've got some of the craziest and most otherworldly designs you've ever seen in miniatures, with rules to match.
37. Chaos Space Marines
If you like your evil a little bit more on the human side of things, step right this way. Chaos Space Marines are at an interesting juncture in the 40k universe. Once occupying a single slot alongside demons, they have since struck out to carve their own identity. These dark soldiers carry brands like heretic, traitor, occultist, and renegade. If some or all of these appeal to you, definitely consider this army. You can keep it clean with straight chaos marines or go all the way down the path to ruination with cult troops, chaos sorcery, and demoniacally possessed war machines. You won't find an army in 40k that offers quite so much variety in theme or appearance.
36. Dark Angels
Monks. Robes. Holy Men. Keepers of Knowledge. Gigantic Missile Launchers... wait, what?
The Dark Angels are one of the most secretive and darkest (no pun intended) chapters the imperium of man has to offer. They're steeped in arcane lore, driven beyond all else to hunt down the fallen, marines from ages past who turned to chaos. The current Dark Angel codex was a revolutionary entry for it's time, serving as the bedrock for all subsequent marine offerings. It allows players to take specialist variants of the army, fielding nothing but mighty terminators and dreadnoughts in the Deathwing or an entire force of high speed assault vehicles known as the Ravenwing.
35. Grey Knights
Space Marines are the best humanity has to offer, the heroes of worlds transformed beyond the constraints of their humble origins to become the perfect warrior. What a Space Marine is to a normal man, a Grey Knight is to a space marine. Trained to even higher standards and outfitted with gear that befits commanders of entire armies, even a single Grey Knight is a force to be reckoned with; a psychically empowered super soldier with the resources of the entire imperium at his disposal. Play as the ultimate good guys, the best hope for humanity, the elite of the elite, the Grey Knights.
34. Dark Eldar
How fast do you like to drive?
If your answer involved the words 'rattle', 'impossible', 'cops', or 'on fire', you may have a future with the Dark Eldar. These guys are as fast as it gets, often taking to the battlefield and striking before your opponent has had any chance to react. You are the ultimate aggressor, dictating the terms of the battle, forcing your opponent to react to you, rather than the other way around. They're lithe, deadly killers with a look to match. Freshly redesigned front to back, the Dark Eldar are now as stylish as they are powerful. Plastic sets abound that let you flesh out your force in wicked style. Fast and relentless power is yours.
33. Eldar
The ultimate thinking man's (or woman's) army. Every unit has a distinct appearance and function on the battlefield. You still have speed, but you also have specialized units that excel in their given field. Got an enemy tank that needs sorting out? Why bother with a normal army where you have a single guy per squad who can hurt the tank? The Eldar bring Fire Dragons, every last one capable of turning any armored menace into a hulk of burning slag. It's kind of like the iPhone of 40k armies: there's a troop for that. If played correctly, this army is ready for every situation; annihilating the competition.
32. Imperial Guard
It's all about the guns.
Sometimes you don't really feel like assaulting the interstellar terror on the other side of the board. you just want to lay down a dozen templates and roll countless scores of dice until Mr. Merciless Destroyer is nothing more than smokey swiss cheese. Featuring some of the greatest firepower the current game has to offer, the Imperial Guard has some extra ammunition for any situation. Play the army with all armor and watch as your gigantic warmachines rumble forward, blasting the enemy to. The Imperial Guard also offers great options to the infantry-heavy player, letting you field massive numbers of noble every-day soldiers who together face down the horrors of the universe.
31. Necrons
Remember Terminator? Man, that was an awesome movie, especially the future scenes showing the war between man and machine. The Terminators just kept pushing ahead, wrecking house with the pitiful humans who were trying to stop them and save the day (not a very likely scenario, given just how jacked even the basic terminator was) Now imagine that you can command that army of machines from the dark future. Imagine that in addition to everything that Arnold offered you, you could also gain access to one of the most powerful vehicles in the game, a massive hovering pyramid-like structure that unleashes wave after wave of devastating raw energy. Oh, and if your boys get shot down, there's a 50% chance they just stand right back up like it wasn't a deal. Imagine no more, and welcome to the Necrons.
30. Orks
What's not to love about the Orks? They're big, bad, completely crazy, and did I mention they have cockney accents? These greenskins are several steps of wacky beyond their fantasy cousins, wielding insane technology that only really works because as a race a nascent psykers, they believe it does. They do whatever it takes to get the job done, the job itself being very little more than getting to the next huge fight. Apart from Space Marines, the Orks enjoy the largest variety of plastic kit support, every model characterful and hilarious. In such a dark game, these green skinned psychopaths are a gem of comedic light that lends the entire narrative a certain sparkle. When it comes down to it, Warhammer 40k just wouldn't be the same without it's beloved Orks.
29. Space Marines
What can you say about the iconic warriors of the 41st millennium? They're the first and last thing you see when you play this game. Wildly popular beyond any other army, you'll always be in good company when you're rolling with the finest humanity has to offer. They represent everything that 40k has to offer, bigger than life, powerful beyond all belief, and ready to bring the fight to anyone who stands in the way. They're so important to GW that the company went ahead and developed 4 separate chapters in addition to the dozens of existing official ones to keep the line going, adding new rules, models, and stories for each.
28. Space Wolves
Space Vikings. If you need to keep reading you've missed the point.
Space.
Vikings.
...
In space.
These guys have attitude to spare (but no hair gel, they need the entire supply). With a codex chalk full of pain-dealing options, and an extensive plastic upgrade box, the Space Wolves are a dream for hobbyist and gamer alike. In true 40k style, they blend a wide variety of historical cultures with the dark technology of the far future, resulting in a force of warriors that is truly unique. From their rune covered armor to the gigantic cyber-wolves they ride to the half crazed werewolf-style warriors they roll with, the Space Wolves are the everything you've ever wanted in a norse inspired force that packs a serious punch on the battlefield...
SPACE VIKINGS
27. Tau Empire
Giant robots are awesome; no arguments there. Now throw in an entire force of sleek, streamlined warriors that look like they could fit in the Gundam or Robotech universes and you've got a very unique entry into the 40k game. The Tau Empire opens the door for a lot of sci-fi enthusiasts who would otherwise not have much to get excited over. This is the olive branch that connects the dirty, gothic inspired 40k vision of the future with the ultra clean, modernist alternative. That the story is big enough to hold both is testament to just how much ground this game covers. Beautiful, sleek plastic kits make assembling the force a dream of well engineered design.
26. Tyranids
So far we've only been discussing humanoids, but for the monster movie fanatic in us all, we have the Tyranids. Utterly alien, this army is an essential build for any hardcore H.R. Giger fan. They are a diverse force, able to bring an almost unstoppable weight of numbers down on an enemy, or a force of oversized monsters. The conversion crazy will find a welcome home here, with multiple plastic kits that were designed to fit together in a very organic fashion to create a menagerie of brutal adversaries. Even those who don't want to spend the time to make new beasts will still have plenty of options open to them with the standard issue sets. With more plastic kits than ever, there's never been a better time to join the swarm.
25. Ultramarines
If you've ever heard of or seen Warhammer 40k, then you've most likely seen the Ultramarines. Clad in the iconic deep blues and golds of the second company, the Ultramarines benefit from being the single most representative image of the game. If you join up, you are instantly added to the ranks of some of the greatest players and lore masters of the universe. You will have access to many unique characters, images, as well as video game and movie appearances. You're virtually guaranteed to see your boys front and center. If you are the type who likes getting behind a strong brand, you can't go wrong with these guys.
24. Witch hunters
In a rather unique move for a traditionally male-dominated genre, Games Workshop has created a force that can be exclusively female. The witch hunters epitomize purity, while bringing unstoppable wrath to any who stray from the path of the righteous. Packing fire and sword in equal measure, there isn't much that can stop the sisters of battle once they get rolling. They also have the ability to call upon miracles, divine intervention directly on the table, proving beyond any doubt that they are the favored ones.
23. Movies
Some years ago, the Warhammer community was treated to an opening cinematic to the Dawn of War PC game that transformed our perception of what 40k could be. A fully rendered CG battle that finally did justice to the wars we had been imagining all these years; finally! We watched it again and again, eyes wide with wonder. How amazing it would have been if GW had managed to take such a powerful storytelling technology and leverage it to make a feature length movie...
oh wait, they did that.
22. Comics
Having grown up with the X-Men, it made perfect sense to me when I first heard that Warhammer 40k was getting the graphic novel treatment from Boom! Studios. The larger-than-life attitude of the universe was the perfect setting in which to base a comic-style story. Thankfully, Boom! had their heads screwed on straight and delivered a series of stories that, so far, is absolutely spectacular. Taken from the vantage point of a comic book collector, they make a fine addition to any sci-fi library. As a companion piece to such a deep game experience, these books are fantastic.
21. Video Games
With so many bloody battles and so many visual inspirations, the act of developing a video game for the 40k universe is just too obvious not to do. The surprising part of the experience is the sheer breadth of game types that you will find. Developers give us a range of of ideas and experiences at different levels, offering anywhere from controlling a single warrior through a campaign to entire armies and battles that span the scope of entire continents and even worlds. First person shooter, strategic role playing, and even an upcoming MMO, theres something for everyone in the world of 40k videogames.
20. Books
Warhammer just wouldn't be what it is without the incredible story that ties all it's disparate elements together. While the short stories included in the army codexes are vital to the flavor, the books flesh out the universe as a unified whole. With some serious writing talent behind them, Games Workshop has created an entire library worth of literature on the experience of Warhammer 40k. And better yet, the entire collection is in the process of being moved over to digital publication, so in the very near future we will be able to access the lore of the game anytime anywhere. Throw in audiobooks complete with background sound effects and incidental music and you have more story than you'll know what to do with.
19. Hordes
Sometimes it's just really fun to move a ton of models on the tabletop. Seeing the look on your opponents face when you open the third case of figures to put down on the table is a great moment. It takes a while to hack your way through all that painting, but it always pays off. For the player who really like to have the weight of numbers on his or her side, there are a number of distinct options open to make sure that the battlefield is choked with soldiers, beasts, or worse.
18. Tread Heads
If you're only wish is to take to the battlefield with engines roaring and super heavy cannons ready to shred the enemy, 40k has you covered. Your only difficulty will be choosing between the more traditional heavy armor or the super sleek, high tech, death dealers the universe has to offer. Of course, if this proves to be too difficult a choice, there's always the option to get them all. There's an entire gametype dedicated to letting you play all your tanks at once...
17. Godzilla Fanatics
Warhammer 40k is such a huge game, it has more monstrous creatures than some game systems that have nothing but monstrous creatures. The galaxy is host to demons, aliens, beasts, and mutants of a staggering variety, and if you prefer to bring an army of towering giants, you've come to the right place. Because while there are other games out there where you might be able to find the big boys, only in 40k do you have the opportunity to watch them run rampant and wreak havoc among so many other types of models. There just isn't anything quite like watching a foot tall demon model slam into a hundred tiny humanoids.
16. Robo-Techies
If the giant robots had been limited to just the Tau, then this section would be redundant. However, it would be a mistake to list them as the only source of tech enhanced damage dealers. Gigantic robots and walkers of a variety of origins abound, armed with firepower and close combat gear of a very nasty disposition. Styles span the races with the graceful and elegant wraithlord, massive dreadnought, wicked tomb spider, and insane ork deff dread, not to mention the towering stompa and super-heavy walkers...
15. Terrain Maniacs
If making a scene is your thing, then Warhammer has something for you. Combining the best of gritty industry with a strong gothic style, the terrain kits of 40k and it's cousin warhammer fantasy are easily the best in the business. Once again, GW delivers in terms of scope, quality, and the sheer variety of terrain pieces available to the hobbyist. Such a range of options opens up possibilities for massive conversions, while keeping the price reasonable. Players can even purchase modular plastic game boards for the complete experience. What could have been an obvious oversight turns into a great strength for 40k.
14. Easy to find a game
In such a specialist hobby as tabletop wargaming, a common difficulty to overcome is the social aspect. 40k is a game best enjoyed among friends, and finding a connection with an established community can be the difference between a casual game and a lasting investment. This is where 40k really shines, being at the head of the pack. The odds of finding other 40k players in your area are much higher than some of the smaller specialist games out there. And if you can't find an existing community, there are more than enough resources to help you build one.
13. Battle for Black Reach
One of the hardest things for a new player to do is to try and wrap his or her head around the sheer enormity that is 40k. There are so many things to consider: what books a player needs to play the game, what models comprise a game-ready force, what accessories a player will need, and what to do if they don't know what army they even want to play? GW has all that covered in a single box, the Battle for Black Reach. By purchasing this box, a player has all the rules, models, and accessories for 2 medium sized forces and is ready to play 40k. The models, while easier to assemble than most plastic kits, are of such high quality that the box is still being purchased years after it's initial release for the models alone. This high standard of quality persists for the other elements, from the rulebook to the templates and more. Made for beginners but suitable for veterans, Battle for Black Reach has something for everyone.
12. Plastics Everywhere
Plastic models are just plain better than metal or resin. They're tough, lightweight, flexible, easy to convert, and deeply customizable. With a constantly increasing standard of quality design, plastic molds are rapidly outpacing their cousins. It used to be that you had to choose between the quality of a metal mold or a simpler plastic. Today's plastics have both superior materials and design. GW has plastic boxes available for every one of their armies, and with each update, several old metal kits are replaced. Inside a generation or two, there will be no reason why anyone will have to use a metal model in their army.
11. Deep Roots
It takes a long time to generate this much content; a really long time. GW has had about a quarter century to create everything that exists today, from the stories to the successive generations of models to the massive fanbase to the creative talent that now drives Games Workshop forward. Warhammer 40k is unique in that it was essentially the first of it's kind to build a lasting foundation. It is this foundation that allows it to exist in a class all it's own, with a seemingly endless narrative and a compelling range of content.
10. Never has to be the final frontier
And it is because of 40k's deep roots that the game has the power and flexibility to go almost anywhere. The universe is a big place, and there's always a seat open for you and the story you want to tell. In fact, Games Workshop openly encourages players to contribute, leaving certain points of the story open to interpretation. It is this personal investment in the growing story that keeps many coming back year after year, to see the very thing they helped create become something even more vibrant and spectacular.
9. Worldwide Phenomenon
And these players come from all over the world. Not many games manage to transcend the culture of their origin, but 40k is everywhere. Players from Europe, the Americas, and Asia comprise a massive international fanbase that far outstrips it's humble British origins. The number of warhammer players in other countries varies, but some of the best painters and players have been known to come from countries besides the USA and UK. It's always cool to see a really great paintjob online, only to discover the ensuing discussion is in Japanese. No matter where you hail from, chances are you are living in a 40k country.
8. Gothic Techno
Warhammer 40k has a style all it's own. So often we see visions of the future that are very well polished, literally in some cases. Humanity sails the stars in silvery ships that glow and radiate with energy. The universe is a wide, silent sea, punctuated by tiny deposits of planets and other interests, otherwise a tide of deep blues and purples. In direct contrast, the universe of Warhammer 40k is tumultuous to say the least. Outerspace is constantly boiling over with furious storms and disturbances. The very center of the cosmos swirls with chaos, evil lurks in every corner, and technology is a dark and gritty affair. Humanity exists by the billions, in a state of unending war with countless horrors from beyond the void. The very concept of space itself can hardly be trusted, and one must always be on guard.
7. Ancient Origins
With such a dark setting, it's hard to imagine how such a diverse group of warrior archetypes could have existed or been developed to begin with. For inspiration, we don't turn forward, but rather to the past. Much of the aesthetic value of the Warhammer universe borrows heavily from the warrior cultures of old. Drawing from the beauty of Rome, Egypt, Japan, England, Greece, and many more, the visual style of Warhammer 40k has it's roots in our society, giving it a recognizable and classical feel, while remaining unique. It is a blending of the historic and the fantastic, a world of familiarity, presented in a new light and a fresh perspective.
6. Games Workshop Support
Of course, nothing in the above list matters if GW didn't make supporting the game their #1 priority. They've spent a long time setting up this world for us to play in, and the sheer amount of work that goes into maintaining it would be enough to keep any company busy. But they are constantly expanding their efforts to vitalize the game. Every year players can expect to see 3 or 4 armies updated, old metals replaced with amazing new plastics, and the story continues on. The rules are tweaked and reexamined for the next iteration, grand tournaments are held, and players from the around the world can shop and interact directly with the company via their website. Games Workshop, and all those who share their world, are the single driving force behind the universal experience that is Warhammer 40k.
5. Simplified Rule System
With a game like 40k, the likelihood of the rule system slowing down under it's own weight is a constant threat. However, Games Workshop has done a fantastic job of keeping the core rule system relatively simple and easy to follow. 5th edition was all but universally hailed as a massive upgrade and simplification to the existing ruleset. GW has continued this trend by revamping existing armies to keep gameplay fast and easy to understand, but deep enough to keep players going. As revisions come in, the game gets closer to a vision of an accessible experience that can be enjoyed by novice and veteran alike.
4. Forge World
Rather than let the potential model designs go to waste, GW started an entire company, Forge World, to bring them to life in resin kits. Forgeworld kits comprise some of the highest level of detail as well as some of the wildest and customized items in the game. Forge World also produces their own stories, books, and rules to keep the 40k universe alive and well.
3. Apocalypse
Sometimes with so many great models to collect and paint up there just never seems to be enough points to play everything you want to at the same time. Welcome to Apocalypse 40k. An additional game type, Apocalypse plays just like a game of 40k, but on a much larger scale. Destruction abounds when massive super-heavy class tanks and walkers take to the field. Say goodbye to the force organization charts and say hello to cramming in as many models as you can. You don't even have to worry about what army your models come from. It's all covered in one gigantic book.
2. Planetstrike, Spearhead, Cities of Death, Mission Book
Somewhere in between a standard game of 40k and the madness that is Apocalypse, these further game types keep things fresh. Games Workshop is always hard at work, adding new missions, gameplay variations, and entire new supplemental rule sets to keep 40k growing. If a standard game of 40k isn't what you want, there are tons of different rules to keep you occupied for dozens of games to come.
1. You
One of the greatest strengths of the Warhammer experience is you, the online community. Thousands upon thousands of player congregate in a virtual space to share in stories, ideas, strategies, and collective enthusiasm for the game. No Warhammer player is ever truly alone when he or she is near a computer. There are message boards and community sites for every aspect this game has to offer, and it's growing daily. From internet radio to independent websites to youtube channels to Games Workshop's blog, there's always something new brewing for 40k on the internet.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Doug-Wing Part 1
I'm out for the next week, practicing Tae Kwon Do in the mountains of New York with the headmaster, but that doesn't mean the posts are going anywhere. This is part 1 of 2, showing some of my more humble beginnings. Several years ago I painted an entire deathwing army for my friend Doug. This army was affectionately known as the 'Doug-Wing'. We decided it would be cool if the army was painted so each squad looked like it had come from a different chapter, so I set to work on the largest batch of metal models ever to cross my painting table.Here I will be showing what my painting looked like in the mid-2000's, and what lessons I learned from this project.
One thing that never really sank in with me the first time I painted red was that it needs to be highlighted a little differently than other colors. There's a whole explanation that goes along with this that has to do with lightwaves, the human eye, and color theory, but it doesn't change the solution. The fact of the matter is that to avoid flat red tones, you need to go to a different color, instead of a brighter hue like you can do with every other primary color. When I did the Howling Griffons, I used a razor-thin line of orange to pick out the highlights that I had done with blood red, and the depth it added was critical.
Another problem color, white is simply a pain to get right, especially on dark surfaces. My solution is to simply start with white, so you don't have to try and built it on top of a dark color. If circumstances don't afford you that plan of attack, a coat of foundation grey will do wonders to help you out. These models were painted before foundation paints and magic washes existed, so I didn't have that luxury. It really is a world of difference to now have those products readily available.
I'm a guy, and even as a guy who went to art school, I'm still a guy. Purple and pink were two colors I stayed away from at all costs for many years of painting before I did this squad. When I had a chance to see the test model painted up with the white and gold trim, I was pleasantly surprised. Purple and even pink, under the right circumstances and with proper complimenting colors, can be really nice. Just take care not to overdo it, lest you wind up with a "Hello Kitty" army.
I intentionally didn't paint my Black Templar army black because I didn't want to try and break up all that dark space with color. Little did I realize how potent the red and white trim effects could be until I saw them in place on these models. Yes, when painting black armor, highlighting is very important, but it makes the rest of the model extremely vivid in comparison. It's a bit of a misnomer in that regard; for a low contrast color, you get a high contrast model.
And that's it for now. Enjoy the pics and the lessons, and next week we'll pick up where we left off with the other half of the Doug-Wing!
Lesson 1: Highlighting Red
One thing that never really sank in with me the first time I painted red was that it needs to be highlighted a little differently than other colors. There's a whole explanation that goes along with this that has to do with lightwaves, the human eye, and color theory, but it doesn't change the solution. The fact of the matter is that to avoid flat red tones, you need to go to a different color, instead of a brighter hue like you can do with every other primary color. When I did the Howling Griffons, I used a razor-thin line of orange to pick out the highlights that I had done with blood red, and the depth it added was critical.
Lesson 2: Solid Whites:
Another problem color, white is simply a pain to get right, especially on dark surfaces. My solution is to simply start with white, so you don't have to try and built it on top of a dark color. If circumstances don't afford you that plan of attack, a coat of foundation grey will do wonders to help you out. These models were painted before foundation paints and magic washes existed, so I didn't have that luxury. It really is a world of difference to now have those products readily available.
Lesson 3: Purple can be Your Friend
I'm a guy, and even as a guy who went to art school, I'm still a guy. Purple and pink were two colors I stayed away from at all costs for many years of painting before I did this squad. When I had a chance to see the test model painted up with the white and gold trim, I was pleasantly surprised. Purple and even pink, under the right circumstances and with proper complimenting colors, can be really nice. Just take care not to overdo it, lest you wind up with a "Hello Kitty" army.
Lesson 4: Trim and Dark Colors
I intentionally didn't paint my Black Templar army black because I didn't want to try and break up all that dark space with color. Little did I realize how potent the red and white trim effects could be until I saw them in place on these models. Yes, when painting black armor, highlighting is very important, but it makes the rest of the model extremely vivid in comparison. It's a bit of a misnomer in that regard; for a low contrast color, you get a high contrast model.
And that's it for now. Enjoy the pics and the lessons, and next week we'll pick up where we left off with the other half of the Doug-Wing!
Doug-Wing Part 2
I'm out this week, practicing Tae Kwon Do in the mountains of New York with the headmaster, but that doesn't mean the posts are going anywhere. This is part 2 of 2, showing some of my more humble beginnings. Several years ago I painted an entire deathwing army for my friend Doug. This army was affectionately known as the 'Doug-Wing'. We decided it would be cool if the army was painted so each squad looked like it had come from a different chapter, so I set to work on the largest batch of metal models ever to cross my painting table. Here I will be showing what my painting looked like in the mid-2000's, and what lessons I learned from this project.
Painting a color scheme like the original Dark Angel terminator pattern showed me just how potent a limited palette can be. Having bone for the main color, red and green are introduced as a supporting but not overwhelming accent. The key is to break up those big chunks of space with the supporting colors. That way you end up with a model that's easy to take in without having so much variety that you lose your place.
Important note
When counting your colors on a model that you're working on, neutrals are excepted from the rule. In other words; black, white, and grey don't count. It's fine if you're working with those colors as a primary hue, but a section of boltgun metal or pure black will not detract from the focus of your work like a non-neutral color would.
This squad was by far and away the easiest of the ones I worked on. I needed zero reference material and I knew exactly what I wanted to do before I even cracked the box open. Prior to this army project, I had painted over 3,000 points of Ultramarines, and with that level of experience under my belt to begin with, there was no stopping me. Though I do advocate branching out and trying minis from different systems and styles, there is a huge advantage to having a solid base of knowledge and practice with a specific army. Take a look at the last mini you painted from your current army versus your first one; it's amazing to see the difference.
It's a little difficult to see from this picture, but the ribbing on the back of the leg armor on these terminators was painted black against the stark white/blue of the main armor. I have no idea why I did this, but I distinctly remember the amount of pain it caused me every time I made a mistake. As I said in part 1, this was before foundation paints, so any mistake was several coats to correct. I shook my head as I went back over and over again to fix the inaccuracies that stuck out like a sore thumb. The worst part? It didn't even look that good. Consider the result before indulging in the process. Just because a technique is difficult doesn't mean it's going to result in a superior product. In many cases, simpler is better.
Just don't; use brown or tan. That way you won't have to go back to clean up every single last armor panel and basically have to repaint the entire model. Painting a model once is fun, painting the same model again is just painful.
And that about does it. Next week we're back with Project: Stranded as we finally get to start unveiling all the work that went into it!
Lesson 5: The Rule of Three
Painting a color scheme like the original Dark Angel terminator pattern showed me just how potent a limited palette can be. Having bone for the main color, red and green are introduced as a supporting but not overwhelming accent. The key is to break up those big chunks of space with the supporting colors. That way you end up with a model that's easy to take in without having so much variety that you lose your place.
Important note
When counting your colors on a model that you're working on, neutrals are excepted from the rule. In other words; black, white, and grey don't count. It's fine if you're working with those colors as a primary hue, but a section of boltgun metal or pure black will not detract from the focus of your work like a non-neutral color would.
Lesson 6: Experience Counts
This squad was by far and away the easiest of the ones I worked on. I needed zero reference material and I knew exactly what I wanted to do before I even cracked the box open. Prior to this army project, I had painted over 3,000 points of Ultramarines, and with that level of experience under my belt to begin with, there was no stopping me. Though I do advocate branching out and trying minis from different systems and styles, there is a huge advantage to having a solid base of knowledge and practice with a specific army. Take a look at the last mini you painted from your current army versus your first one; it's amazing to see the difference.
Lesson 7: Risk vs. Reward
It's a little difficult to see from this picture, but the ribbing on the back of the leg armor on these terminators was painted black against the stark white/blue of the main armor. I have no idea why I did this, but I distinctly remember the amount of pain it caused me every time I made a mistake. As I said in part 1, this was before foundation paints, so any mistake was several coats to correct. I shook my head as I went back over and over again to fix the inaccuracies that stuck out like a sore thumb. The worst part? It didn't even look that good. Consider the result before indulging in the process. Just because a technique is difficult doesn't mean it's going to result in a superior product. In many cases, simpler is better.
Lesson 8: Don't Shade Yellow with Black
Just don't; use brown or tan. That way you won't have to go back to clean up every single last armor panel and basically have to repaint the entire model. Painting a model once is fun, painting the same model again is just painful.
And that about does it. Next week we're back with Project: Stranded as we finally get to start unveiling all the work that went into it!
Back-to-back Razorbacks
Another week brings us closer to the successful completion of Project: Howling Griffon.
This time through I chose to focus on the mainstay of a flexible marine army: the transports. The Razorback offers a cheap and reliable vehicle with some decent ranged combat options. Though it doesn't have the ten-man capacity of a Rhino, it more than makes up for it with the 36" range of the heavy bolter. Throw in the fact that tactical squads can combat squad and deploy the flexible arm in a transport and you've got a lot of options for a very reasonable investment.
It's just a shame the Razorback turret doesn't follow suit.
The heavy bolter turret is in five pieces. The two half bolters end at the top with a tab that's meant to "plug in" to the underside of the cover. While this sounds simple, this requires spot-on gluing and positioning on an already awkward assembly. If this doesn't line up properly, the turret cover will not fit.
My Solution
When this problem reared it's ugly head on my second Razorback, I cut the tab off of one of the bolters, but only as far as the slot it as meant to occupy. I essentially split the difference between the top of the bolter and the top of the tab, which gave me an even surface. I was then able to put the turret cover into one of the tabs, while leaving the other as a support. This solution works well, as the top piece covers any corrections you may have to do.
My Solution
Here are a few items that I was able to mix up while still keeping the tanks as a unified whole.
The formula I use for armor pocks:
I start with a line of light color, in this case I used Dheneb Stone, as I find foundation colors easy to work with. I don't worry about keeping the line ultra thin at this stage, and just let the paint flow as it wants to.
I go back over the first line with a dark color (Scorched Earth here.) I push the bottom of the dark color just to the edge of the light , so the dark sits just above it. The light color always needs to be on the underside of the chipped paint in order for this illusion to work, so it looks like the edge of the damage is catching the light. I then push the upper section as high as I want the damage to spread, although I've found jagged edges covering a smaller patch of the model works best.
And there we have the last of the Rhino-Chassis models for the Griffons. Only a few key sections remain before the project is complete!
This time through I chose to focus on the mainstay of a flexible marine army: the transports. The Razorback offers a cheap and reliable vehicle with some decent ranged combat options. Though it doesn't have the ten-man capacity of a Rhino, it more than makes up for it with the 36" range of the heavy bolter. Throw in the fact that tactical squads can combat squad and deploy the flexible arm in a transport and you've got a lot of options for a very reasonable investment.
Assembly
This is the second and third time recently that I've assembled a Rhino chassis and it's easily one of the best kits I've worked with in a long time. Everything just fits. There's no fiddling or guessing here, this tank was built to be built. It's a good thing too; it serves as the foundation for the Rhino, Razorback, Whirldwind, Predator, and Vindicator tanks all at once.It's just a shame the Razorback turret doesn't follow suit.
The heavy bolter turret is in five pieces. The two half bolters end at the top with a tab that's meant to "plug in" to the underside of the cover. While this sounds simple, this requires spot-on gluing and positioning on an already awkward assembly. If this doesn't line up properly, the turret cover will not fit.
My Solution
When this problem reared it's ugly head on my second Razorback, I cut the tab off of one of the bolters, but only as far as the slot it as meant to occupy. I essentially split the difference between the top of the bolter and the top of the tab, which gave me an even surface. I was then able to put the turret cover into one of the tabs, while leaving the other as a support. This solution works well, as the top piece covers any corrections you may have to do.
Harmony and Variety
A big problem a lot of hobbyists run into is how to introduce variety into their models without breaking too far out of the mold and causing a distraction. It's a tough line to tread, because you don't want to be boring, but you do want coherency.My Solution
Here are a few items that I was able to mix up while still keeping the tanks as a unified whole.
- Reposition the Logo
But still keep it in plain sight. I made sure the large Howling Griffon icon appeared on the left, right, and back sides of the tanks respectively. - Mix up the extras
I have been adding bits to my tanks to give a more urban feel, and I kept going here without repeating myself. Antennae, radio bands, weapons, and more were glued on for interest. - Numbering
Numbering is a great way to visually separate two identical models. Not only does this serve your aesthetic goals, it also makes gaming easier when you can name a vehicle by number. - Positioning
Perhaps the easiest way to add variety, just switch the left and the right. In this case, the radar dish and the hatch switched places. Just make sure it doesn't affect the usability of the model (ie: true LoS from guns.) - Color
Sometimes just a little bit of color mixup can really make a difference. In this case, I let the black from the side panels bleed over on the front panel of the second razorback. - Freehand
In a universe as rich in iconography as Warhammer, it's easy to add any number of appropriate and varied images via freehand.
Beautiful Scars
For me, the thing that really sets a vehicle above and beyond the norm is the damage and dirt. It adds much needed variety to the large flat surfaces, and helps to immerse the model in the narrative you are creating when you paint an army.The formula I use for armor pocks:
I start with a line of light color, in this case I used Dheneb Stone, as I find foundation colors easy to work with. I don't worry about keeping the line ultra thin at this stage, and just let the paint flow as it wants to.
I go back over the first line with a dark color (Scorched Earth here.) I push the bottom of the dark color just to the edge of the light , so the dark sits just above it. The light color always needs to be on the underside of the chipped paint in order for this illusion to work, so it looks like the edge of the damage is catching the light. I then push the upper section as high as I want the damage to spread, although I've found jagged edges covering a smaller patch of the model works best.
And there we have the last of the Rhino-Chassis models for the Griffons. Only a few key sections remain before the project is complete!
Tackling Large Projects: Land Raider Redeemer
We all have our comfort zones. Some people are right at home when they have a month and half to spend on a single HQ, while others are more content to hammer out 30 guardsmen in a weekend. Inevitably, when working on a full army, we run into a model or series of models that push us outside that comfort zone. All too often this can lead to a staring contest with grey plastic, still on the sprue, while your mind tries to wrap itself around what to do first. Here's a few tips that I picked up to help with the biggest kit a marine hobbyist can stare down: The Land Raider.
When my dad is working on a huge project like a house, he concentrates on one room at a time. If he is working on the master bedroom one day, the kitchen does not exist. If he's working on the bathroom, the living room belongs to someone else. This way he keeps himself sane and on-task, two things that are constantly in danger of slipping away when faced with such a huge project. As wargaming hobbyists we don't have as many things to keep track of, but the strategy works just as well.
In my case I base coated all the individual pieces I would be working on, then set them in a box, which I placed above my eyeline so I couldn't see all the pieces I had yet to work on. I could only see the pieces I was currently involved in, and I stored the finished pieces on a lower shelf so I could see I my progress. This saved my brain.
There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, it's too easy to get the exciting models out of the way first and then get stuck with the 50 troopers that you I never end up finishing. I get the grind done with first, and earn myland raider.
On a more practical level, I know that when I bring an army out, there are certain models that people are going to look at first. The basic troops almost always get glazed over in favor of the big shiny elements. I want to be as well practiced as possible before I bring a brush to the flash I'm going to be packing. I had painted the Howling Griffon logo well over 50 times before I put it on the side of the raider, and the experience paid off.
Which brings me to one of the main reasons to wait until the last few models to paint.
Whether or not I realize it, the whole time I've been painting the army, I've been defining the visual scope of the armies appearance. In essence, I've written the rules on how to paint the Griffons. Now is the time to break those rules.
I realized that I had never done an oversized griffon on any of my tanks. The Land Raider was the perfect opportunity to break away from the mold as paint a large-scale detail of the icon. Where I had stayed fairly utilitarian in my design of the freehand , I now had the room for scripture. In this way, I was easily able to keep the main battle tank within the bounds of what made the Griffons vehicles their own, but also with a distinct identity.
And so the last tank of the Howling Griffons project is done.
One Room at a Time
This is the fourth Land Raider I've painted, and it's still intimidating to look at the mountain of bits still on the sprue. I start thinking about all the detail that needs to go into just one piece, then my eye shifts to the next one and my thoughts follow suit. I can spend hours just staring at the project, lost in thought. It's the same problem my dad deals with when he's renovating a house.When my dad is working on a huge project like a house, he concentrates on one room at a time. If he is working on the master bedroom one day, the kitchen does not exist. If he's working on the bathroom, the living room belongs to someone else. This way he keeps himself sane and on-task, two things that are constantly in danger of slipping away when faced with such a huge project. As wargaming hobbyists we don't have as many things to keep track of, but the strategy works just as well.
In my case I base coated all the individual pieces I would be working on, then set them in a box, which I placed above my eyeline so I couldn't see all the pieces I had yet to work on. I could only see the pieces I was currently involved in, and I stored the finished pieces on a lower shelf so I could see I my progress. This saved my brain.
Go Big or Go Home
I like to leave the "showcase" elements of an army for last.There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, it's too easy to get the exciting models out of the way first and then get stuck with the 50 troopers that you I never end up finishing. I get the grind done with first, and earn myland raider.
On a more practical level, I know that when I bring an army out, there are certain models that people are going to look at first. The basic troops almost always get glazed over in favor of the big shiny elements. I want to be as well practiced as possible before I bring a brush to the flash I'm going to be packing. I had painted the Howling Griffon logo well over 50 times before I put it on the side of the raider, and the experience paid off.
Which brings me to one of the main reasons to wait until the last few models to paint.
Whether or not I realize it, the whole time I've been painting the army, I've been defining the visual scope of the armies appearance. In essence, I've written the rules on how to paint the Griffons. Now is the time to break those rules.
I realized that I had never done an oversized griffon on any of my tanks. The Land Raider was the perfect opportunity to break away from the mold as paint a large-scale detail of the icon. Where I had stayed fairly utilitarian in my design of the freehand , I now had the room for scripture. In this way, I was easily able to keep the main battle tank within the bounds of what made the Griffons vehicles their own, but also with a distinct identity.
Fight the Fatigue
But no matter how hard I try, it will eventually become a slog sometimes. It's summer and I have no AC, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I really want a coffee (okay, I do break for coffee). There are a million excuses the mind makes up for not getting things done. My rule is that it's fine to contemplate quitting and doing something else, so long as I'm painting while I contemplate. The only way to finish a project is to get it done.And so the last tank of the Howling Griffons project is done.
The wind beneath my wings
Bases
I chose to build up an urban rubble base using some left-over bits from a cities of death box. If you're planning on making an urban combat themed army and need broken stuff for your bases, you can't get a better deal than a single small building from this set. Even with liberal use, one box will give you enough panels, architectural details, and wall sections to last an army or two.
I also chose to leave the peg unglued for ease of transport and replacement. It also leaves things open for the future if I wanted to created a tilted pin for the speeder to be displayed at an angle.
What Not to Paint
As I paint everything before assembly, I made a couple mis-steps with the first speeder that I was able to correct for with the second.
You can see in the image above that there is a dividing piece of plastic that the speeder uses for structure that you will never be able to see once the speeder is assembled. Also notice that the back side of the panel that has the seats on it will also be closed in and needs no paint.
The other thing to pay attention to is the area directly to the right of the diving panel. I had already painted the area for the second time when I remember that it too would be covered completely. See the image below to get a better idea of the complete assembly.
Assembly Tips
I noticed with both of the speeders that there was a problem getting the top/front panel to sink all the way into position. You can see what happened here:
I realized that there was a small nub on the controls that was not allowing the top to sit correctly. You can see the worn down point where the two pieces didn't fit correctly:
I chose to solve the problem by simply cutting the nub off:
Once the cut-off surface got a coat of boltgun metal, the top fit perfectly. The missing piece leaves no noticeable gap. It's something to bear in mind if you're having similar difficulties.
Detailing
Though there were some flat panels that got some freehanding love, I chose to focus mainly on weathering and damage to push the sense of speed like I did with the bikes. Though some marine chapters cover themselves in script and ornamentation whenever they get the chance, I wanted to keep things tuned down for that minimal urban design. Not only does it keep things simple, but it really helps focus the eye in on the details that matter.
Conclusion
These models are a very cool addition to any space marine army, paint up fast, and look great on the battlefield. With these pieces of knowledge, you can get yours finished even faster, and always just a little better.
The Sons of Hephastus
One of the main reasons for starting this blog was to bring inspiration to the rest of the world, but I never imagined my work would have such a direct impact.
After developing a cool homebrew marine chapter, one of my readers surprised me by asking that I take his vision into reality. His request was that I read the fluff and look over the color schemes he had generated. Based on this information, I would produce a marine that would serve as a template for the rest of his army. This was entirely too cool of a proposition to pass up. After reading all the obvious care and dedication that went into the Sons of Hephastus, I knew I had to do this project.
Normally I'm not a huge fan of colored primer, but in this case I was okay using a grey primer to get things started. Black, white, and grey primer are all good colors to keep handy, as they come use in a variety of situations. As the other major colors of the scheme were red and black, I wasn't afraid of losing the vibrant saturation of the paint color, often a pitfall of starting with grey. Black is all but impossible to mess up, and red is a powerful color that doesn't fade easily, or at all.
After starting with grey primer, I used foundation grey to create the base coat of the armor. By applying two successive layers of roughly the same hue, I had a perfectly smooth finish after a single coat of paint. Even with the advent of foundation colors, this is rare.
The only reason I'm not a huge fan of colored primer is that if you plan on painting a whole army, you are forevermore anchored to that primer. If the color goes out of print, or your favorite hobby store stops stocking the color you need, you have to resort to the internet and pray that whoever is running the store on the other end of the world isn't asking for too much money.
In almost every case, I highly recommend white primer. It coats clean, smells less than black primer, and forces you to be a better painter by not covering up your mistakes like black and grey do. I used white primer on this model for the should pads only, but that made a huge difference with what I was about to undertake.
The color scheme called for flames to be painted against a black background. Rather than try to paint over black, I elected to start with the colors I needed for the flame and go from there. With a blank space, I was free to be as messy as I wanted, which livened the colors up considerably.
Once I had the gradient the way I wanted, I painted in the edges of the fire, blocking out the area that would remain colored. It was a much simpler and cleaner job to block out the black areas. This method allowed me to finish the shoulderpad in a very short amount of time with a high degree of precision.
This technique was ideal for the white anvil on his other shoulderpad. As hard as it is to paint yellow on black, it's ten timers harder to paint white.
Normally I highlight my black armor in tones of blue, but with this color scheme, it seemed another color would confuse more than define. I elected to keep the highlights grey to match the rest of the model and limit the color palette to four basic colors (Black, Grey, Red, Yellow/Gold)
Once you get past the third of fourth color, things can get ugly, if not gaudy. Yes, if you plan on doing a Harlequin troupe, add colors to your heart's content. But if you're looking to push a strong visual color theme, keep it simple. Less colors means easier recognition and less time spent painting, not a bad deal.
Overall, it was a great experience. Sharing in someone else's inspiration is a wonderful thing, and it tells me this site is heading in the right direction. I look forward to seeing what models this single marine inspires in the future.
After developing a cool homebrew marine chapter, one of my readers surprised me by asking that I take his vision into reality. His request was that I read the fluff and look over the color schemes he had generated. Based on this information, I would produce a marine that would serve as a template for the rest of his army. This was entirely too cool of a proposition to pass up. After reading all the obvious care and dedication that went into the Sons of Hephastus, I knew I had to do this project.
Colored Primer
Normally I'm not a huge fan of colored primer, but in this case I was okay using a grey primer to get things started. Black, white, and grey primer are all good colors to keep handy, as they come use in a variety of situations. As the other major colors of the scheme were red and black, I wasn't afraid of losing the vibrant saturation of the paint color, often a pitfall of starting with grey. Black is all but impossible to mess up, and red is a powerful color that doesn't fade easily, or at all.
After starting with grey primer, I used foundation grey to create the base coat of the armor. By applying two successive layers of roughly the same hue, I had a perfectly smooth finish after a single coat of paint. Even with the advent of foundation colors, this is rare.
The only reason I'm not a huge fan of colored primer is that if you plan on painting a whole army, you are forevermore anchored to that primer. If the color goes out of print, or your favorite hobby store stops stocking the color you need, you have to resort to the internet and pray that whoever is running the store on the other end of the world isn't asking for too much money.
In almost every case, I highly recommend white primer. It coats clean, smells less than black primer, and forces you to be a better painter by not covering up your mistakes like black and grey do. I used white primer on this model for the should pads only, but that made a huge difference with what I was about to undertake.
Bright vs. Dark (extreme contrast)
The color scheme called for flames to be painted against a black background. Rather than try to paint over black, I elected to start with the colors I needed for the flame and go from there. With a blank space, I was free to be as messy as I wanted, which livened the colors up considerably.
Once I had the gradient the way I wanted, I painted in the edges of the fire, blocking out the area that would remain colored. It was a much simpler and cleaner job to block out the black areas. This method allowed me to finish the shoulderpad in a very short amount of time with a high degree of precision.
This technique was ideal for the white anvil on his other shoulderpad. As hard as it is to paint yellow on black, it's ten timers harder to paint white.
Color Palette Limitations
Normally I highlight my black armor in tones of blue, but with this color scheme, it seemed another color would confuse more than define. I elected to keep the highlights grey to match the rest of the model and limit the color palette to four basic colors (Black, Grey, Red, Yellow/Gold)
Once you get past the third of fourth color, things can get ugly, if not gaudy. Yes, if you plan on doing a Harlequin troupe, add colors to your heart's content. But if you're looking to push a strong visual color theme, keep it simple. Less colors means easier recognition and less time spent painting, not a bad deal.
Overall, it was a great experience. Sharing in someone else's inspiration is a wonderful thing, and it tells me this site is heading in the right direction. I look forward to seeing what models this single marine inspires in the future.
On a Steel Horse I Ride
Often overlooked because of their points cost, space marine bikers can be a potent asset in any army if deployed properly. In an urban combat themed army like the Howling Griffons, even a small unit of space marine bikers is a natural fit.
What not to paint
Due to the complex nature of the final assembly, it's almost required that you paint bikers in pieces. This suits me just fine, but it's been quite a few years since the last time I pained a loyalist bike. I forgot about the strange angles that really don't need to be painted at all. It's because of the way things assemble that many of the details end up being covered up. It's good they're there, but if you're going for a standard build, you can flat out ignore several areas.The first and foremost offenders are the inner rims of the wheels. There is a mounting bracket on the front and the back of the bike that will cover the rims up completely. Second up is the engine block located near the center of the main body. Though you'll still be able to see it all, the large power armored legs of the rider will cover up most of the detail here. A simple wash and highlight will look just as good as an extensive detail job once the rider get in the way.
The pads where the feet will rest are all but covered up completely by the giant boots of the space marine; simply wash the outer edges. The forward shield the bolters are mounted to have these tricky looking interior panels that you can safely ignore, as they will be covered up by the aforementioned bolters once they are in place.
Note:When assemblng the final build, make sure you glue your marine's backpack on before you glue the upper torso to the lower torso. The proximity of the seat back makes it likely that something will be caught if you wait.
Easy custom poses
I knew I wanted to do something unique with the bikers, and I found two alternate poses for them that turned out to be easy and effective.
Banking
For this first pose, you're tilting the assembled bike to the side until it comes to rest about halfway between upright and on it's side. The footrest will naturally stop the bike from falling, and will serve as a good new base for your guy. For this shot, I took an extended pistol arm and cut it so he was holding a meltagun. This sort of drive-by shooting gives him a cool, characterful look without having to spend an excessive amount of time converting.
Rearing up
This pose has two main components: the pin and the base. Once you determine what angle you want your guy rearing up at, you're going to drill straight into the rear tire for a good solid pin. Make sure to use a heavier gauge wire; you'll want the strongest possible reinforcement, and you can really take advantage of the extra-wide tire.
The second component of the pose is a piece of secondary terrain. Most of the time a space marine bike takes up so much of a base that there isn't really room for extra stuff on a base or much call for that matter. But when you have a bike popping up in the air, it exposes much of the base. The extra piece of terrain not only adds interest, you can slope it to provide a visual explanation of why your guy was airborn in the first place.
Weathering for speed
Not much says raw speed like a gigantic motorcycle, and a little bit of extra care can really push the g-forces. Even a few extra streaks when it comes to weathering can make all the difference. Consider extending the length of your weathering lines, while keeping them horizontal. With all the pock marks and mud stains clustered on the front of the model, you are adding that little bit of realism and extra care that separates a good model from a great one. Keep up the hard work and soon you'll have your very own group of (hells) angels ready to burn.
Grey Knight Terminators: Conversion Options
I got a great question from one of my readers last week, asking about the possibilities of adding a power armor chest piece to a terminator librarian back piece. I test fit the two pieces per his request, and the next thing I knew I was making all sorts of kitbash conversions. It turns out this is a very versatile box.
This is with no scraping or greenstuffing at all. You can see there is a small gap at the belt level, but that is easily closed with a couple minutes of cutting/filing. It fits a variety of heads and helmet types as well.
As I said in an earlier post, the Grey Knight Terminator helmets actually fit well on power armor marines.
Templar players are definitely going to want to get their hands on this box.
Especially in light of the fact that Games Workshop is discontinuing it's metal range with no announced method of replacing said models, plastics are rapidly becoming the best and only way to construct space marine HQ units. Thankfully, we have plenty of options available to us. This box can easily convert to make a Terminator Chaplain...
or Terminator Librarian...
of nearly any major chapter.
I hope this gives you some ideas of how to overcome the current lack of support for metal character models on GW's part. Let me know if you have any other good ideas or test fits you would like to see done.
This is with no scraping or greenstuffing at all. You can see there is a small gap at the belt level, but that is easily closed with a couple minutes of cutting/filing. It fits a variety of heads and helmet types as well.
As I said in an earlier post, the Grey Knight Terminator helmets actually fit well on power armor marines.
Templar players are definitely going to want to get their hands on this box.
Especially in light of the fact that Games Workshop is discontinuing it's metal range with no announced method of replacing said models, plastics are rapidly becoming the best and only way to construct space marine HQ units. Thankfully, we have plenty of options available to us. This box can easily convert to make a Terminator Chaplain...
or Terminator Librarian...
of nearly any major chapter.
I hope this gives you some ideas of how to overcome the current lack of support for metal character models on GW's part. Let me know if you have any other good ideas or test fits you would like to see done.
Massive Honors for Project: Howling Griffon
In what has to be the biggest news yet, a model painted for Project: Howling Griffon has won an honorable mention on the Games Workshop website!
Congratulations to all who entered, I am flattered to be shown in the company of such great painters.
Congratulations to all who entered, I am flattered to be shown in the company of such great painters.
3 Keys to Painting Under Pressure
What's that? A painting contest? sponsored by GW? For a gigantic tomb kings poster?
I sat up a little straighter in my chair. My RSS feed told me there was a competition afoot at the GW website, something to do with the elite. I began scheming what I could do to bring the pain, what models I could paint up to compete for the trophy. I was thinking of breaking into the terminators, maybe the lost and the damned...
due in a week.
Oh.
I immediately felt my carefully laid plans of several seconds fall away. How could I paint something up so quickly?
Here's how.
It's important to think realistically about the resources available to you. The number one rule: assume nothing. Don't depend on what might happen in the future. Moore's law is real. The guy who was supposed to get you the sword blade bit you needed so bad will flake, the store which had 2 crates of gorilla glue will be closed for inventory, and the client who hasn't emailed you for the past 3 weeks will be doing so. All of this and more will happen the one weekend you have to make this happen. Be prepared for the absolute worst, and you'll be ready or pleasantly surprised.
...
Yeah, I didn't believe that either.
Know your limitations as well as you resources. If you've never painted a carnifex before, don't assume you know roughly how long it'll take because you painted another model of equivalent size. In this case, any estimates you make need to be apples to apples; no oranges allowed.
In art school, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to take the project you wanted to do, and divide it in half. Consider that half by itself, let it really sink in, dedicated yourself to doing an amazing job with just that half... then divide it in half again and go do that. This method has never steered me wrong.
No matter how prepared you are, working under extreme deadlines will eventually result in you having to sacrifice something, usually sleep. Do yourself a favor and lose only half an hour every day for a week, rather than five hours the night before its due. You'll avoid the inevitable crash, your work will be better, and for you mathematicians out there, yes I just compared three and a half hours to five. You work will go faster when you're not exhausted.
And there it was, all shiny and ready to take to the field after less than a weeks work. I wanted to take some time off from such hastily executed paintjobs, but that would have to wait. DeviantART, one of my favorite communities on the interwebs, was hosting a custom character competition that was due in less than two weeks!
Here we go again...
I sat up a little straighter in my chair. My RSS feed told me there was a competition afoot at the GW website, something to do with the elite. I began scheming what I could do to bring the pain, what models I could paint up to compete for the trophy. I was thinking of breaking into the terminators, maybe the lost and the damned...
due in a week.
Oh.
I immediately felt my carefully laid plans of several seconds fall away. How could I paint something up so quickly?
Here's how.
Know your resources
I considered everything I would be doing in the next week. Between a full time job, sports practice, spending quality time with my wife, and all the normal stuff I do, there wasn't much time to maneuver.It's important to think realistically about the resources available to you. The number one rule: assume nothing. Don't depend on what might happen in the future. Moore's law is real. The guy who was supposed to get you the sword blade bit you needed so bad will flake, the store which had 2 crates of gorilla glue will be closed for inventory, and the client who hasn't emailed you for the past 3 weeks will be doing so. All of this and more will happen the one weekend you have to make this happen. Be prepared for the absolute worst, and you'll be ready or pleasantly surprised.
Be realistic
I only had one model on hand that I could paint up in a single weekend; the Ironclad Dreadnought. I had clipped it all up for an unboxed article a couple months ago. I knew for sure that I could paint a dreadnought in a single weekend, having just completed the more elaborate Furioso in the same timeframe. If anything I would be done early!...
Yeah, I didn't believe that either.
Know your limitations as well as you resources. If you've never painted a carnifex before, don't assume you know roughly how long it'll take because you painted another model of equivalent size. In this case, any estimates you make need to be apples to apples; no oranges allowed.
In art school, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to take the project you wanted to do, and divide it in half. Consider that half by itself, let it really sink in, dedicated yourself to doing an amazing job with just that half... then divide it in half again and go do that. This method has never steered me wrong.
Crush it
With my resources gathered, I stayed up a little extra every night to make sure I stayed ahead of schedule, and could really dedicated some extra time to every facet I wanted to. After all, once this guy was done competing, he would become part of the Howling Griffons charity auction.No matter how prepared you are, working under extreme deadlines will eventually result in you having to sacrifice something, usually sleep. Do yourself a favor and lose only half an hour every day for a week, rather than five hours the night before its due. You'll avoid the inevitable crash, your work will be better, and for you mathematicians out there, yes I just compared three and a half hours to five. You work will go faster when you're not exhausted.
And there it was, all shiny and ready to take to the field after less than a weeks work. I wanted to take some time off from such hastily executed paintjobs, but that would have to wait. DeviantART, one of my favorite communities on the interwebs, was hosting a custom character competition that was due in less than two weeks!
Here we go again...
The Results
While I knew I had created a model that would sit well with the rest of the Griffons, I had no idea that my submission would net me an honorable mention from Games Workshop. In between writing this article and today's posting date, GW announced the winner and gave out several honorable mentions. I was floored to see my dreadnought sitting on a page owned by Games Workshop, on purpose no less! I am grateful beyond words, and my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who have helped me get this far. Here's to another successful model for the Griffons!
Painting the Dreadknight
Putting the final touches on the model, I stepped back to admire it. The Nemesis Dreadknight.
It was taller than I envisioned, probably one and a half times taller than a dreadnought. The gigantic sword gleamed in the true-day lights, as did the clock, which read 1:21 AM. As I pulled my camera from its bag, I knew I wouldn't be going to bed until quarter to 2, which meant I wouldn't fall asleep until 2:30. In my college days this wouldn't have been cause for concern, but things are different now. Not to say I'm old, but when I stayed up all night in college I didn't have to be up at 6.
The rest of the kit is pretty cut and dry, save for a modular arm mounting system built in to support the different gun builds. Each of the three guns is constructed with flexibility in mind, allowing two of the three designs to be fully constructed and fit on either arm, largely without the need for extra bits.
It begs the question of how the designer of this kit could have gotten the formula so perfect on only half the model. Unfortunately, the static legs ultimately prevent this model from being a must-paint, much like the often neglected Eldar Wraith Lord.
If you look at the way a lot of people paint sword blades, it's a pretty simple formula. They fade from brightest to darkest and back a couple times and then do the opposite on the other edge.
I started with two coats of Ice Blue to give the blade a clean, solid base color. I then hung the sword upside down and gave it a wash of watered down Necron Abyss. The spiked loop on the end of the pommel made this simple. I then went back in with ice blue to build up the base tone in the highlighted areas.
The easiest way to build a gradient is with thin layers of pigment, in this case I was using a modified version of basic drybrushing. I then used washes and watered down paint to push the tones down on the blade shadows.
First and foremost, I was on a roll and I knew better than to try and stop. It's a waste of time and energy as I end up returning to paint regardless. I'm a fan of doing what works for you.
As humans, we work in cycles. I've realized in any given situation I have two choices, work with the cycles or suffer. If I wake up wide awake at 3 AM and I absolutely need to paint, I don't waste any time getting the brushes out. The sooner I get it out of the way, the sooner I can get on with other thing.
A painting hero of mine refers to this as the "Painting Mojo", the drive that keeps you joyfully on task. As painters, part of our job is to make sure that the mojo is flowing and ready when it comes time to paint. How and where we accomplish that is up to the individual, but it is certain that once that wave comes in, you ride it to the very end.
It was taller than I envisioned, probably one and a half times taller than a dreadnought. The gigantic sword gleamed in the true-day lights, as did the clock, which read 1:21 AM. As I pulled my camera from its bag, I knew I wouldn't be going to bed until quarter to 2, which meant I wouldn't fall asleep until 2:30. In my college days this wouldn't have been cause for concern, but things are different now. Not to say I'm old, but when I stayed up all night in college I didn't have to be up at 6.
Construction
This model is a beast. The legs alone total eleven pieces per side, and that's with virtually no pose-ability. The lower torso is essentially stuck in one position, except the feet plug into the legs with a ball-and-socket joint. This is limiting in the extreme, which explains why every dreadknight in this month's White Dwarf is virtually identical in pose. The strange part is the upper torso itself is brilliantly constructed, allowing for a fully realistic range of motion. While appreciated, it does beg the question of why the dreadknight couldn't have been given the same flexibility below the belt.The rest of the kit is pretty cut and dry, save for a modular arm mounting system built in to support the different gun builds. Each of the three guns is constructed with flexibility in mind, allowing two of the three designs to be fully constructed and fit on either arm, largely without the need for extra bits.
It begs the question of how the designer of this kit could have gotten the formula so perfect on only half the model. Unfortunately, the static legs ultimately prevent this model from being a must-paint, much like the often neglected Eldar Wraith Lord.
Nemesis Greatsword
What a weapon. I remember pulling the plastic from the sprue for the first time, wondering if I had gotten the right kit. For those of you who are curious, the answer is yes, this can double as a letter opener. I just had to make sure the paint job lived up to the standard set by such a magnificent sculpt.If you look at the way a lot of people paint sword blades, it's a pretty simple formula. They fade from brightest to darkest and back a couple times and then do the opposite on the other edge.
I started with two coats of Ice Blue to give the blade a clean, solid base color. I then hung the sword upside down and gave it a wash of watered down Necron Abyss. The spiked loop on the end of the pommel made this simple. I then went back in with ice blue to build up the base tone in the highlighted areas.
The easiest way to build a gradient is with thin layers of pigment, in this case I was using a modified version of basic drybrushing. I then used washes and watered down paint to push the tones down on the blade shadows.
The Painting Mojo
So why was I literally losing sleep to finish this guy?First and foremost, I was on a roll and I knew better than to try and stop. It's a waste of time and energy as I end up returning to paint regardless. I'm a fan of doing what works for you.
As humans, we work in cycles. I've realized in any given situation I have two choices, work with the cycles or suffer. If I wake up wide awake at 3 AM and I absolutely need to paint, I don't waste any time getting the brushes out. The sooner I get it out of the way, the sooner I can get on with other thing.
A painting hero of mine refers to this as the "Painting Mojo", the drive that keeps you joyfully on task. As painters, part of our job is to make sure that the mojo is flowing and ready when it comes time to paint. How and where we accomplish that is up to the individual, but it is certain that once that wave comes in, you ride it to the very end.
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