Badab War HQ - Novamarines got some paint!

I showed these guys off back in January, Blaylock on the left assembled only, and Durja on the right without banner and some details.  I've gotten Blaylock up to a similar level of tabletop suitability and done up the banner for Durja.   I haven't done any highlights except for some drybrushing on some of the marble effects, but I haven't done any highlights on the rest of the Novamarines so maybe it can just be something I do to the whole army when I get there (maybe it should say whenever..)

Blaylock (FW) & Durja (FLoT)

I've been definitely struggling with "batch" work of late, so a couple character models I can pick at and just paint what I want as I please have been helpful in feeling constructive.  I still want to do something more to Durjas force weapon, and I plan to paint some freehand on Blaylocks bare shouderpad.  I've based them so they look pretty close to done and I don't mind using them as much in games, but I can still work on them piecemeal.

ps. Blaylock allows your terminators to become scoring so I have plans for another terminator assault squad.  I have all the pieces except I need 3 more storm shields with the Novamarines chapter icon.  It looks like the icon I've used on top of Blaylock.  I have other storm shields I'd be happy to trade if anyone can help please get in touch.

Novamarines: Badab War HQ models

First "meat and potatoes" post.  While waiting to get some other miniatures primed I finished modeling Durja, began painting him and then started assembling Blaylock from some spare pieces.   Durja can obviously be used as a standard librarian whereas Blaylock will likely see the light of day more as himself than a simple captain with chain fist.


Mahabala Durja

This is for a Novamarines HQ entry in the Bell of Lost Souls Badab War play aid.  I started putting him together a while ago, but only recently finished assembly and began to paint him.  He's got a censor looking force weapon, and a storm bolter (because I think he's supposed to have one just a typo in the play aid) I've attempted sculpting some shoulderpad detail - you can see it in the inset photo - the picture is being quite generous, it doesn't look that good in person. There's a book attached to his chestplate (as in the play aid picture) and I'm going to attempt some OSL radiating from the book on him at some point since his armour is meant to be ornate and provides a 3+ invulnerable save but I used a simple AoBR terminator base - it doesn't look very special but I'm hoping some neat painting might hide that fact.


Mordaci Blaylock

New Novamarines HQ from IA9: The Badab War.  I just decided to throw him together with pieces I already had - I've been on a marine assembling kick.  I custom built his master crafted chain fist from a lightning claw and a chainsword.  I scraped down some crossed bones on the shield leaving just the skull to finish the chapter icon around and added the piece that looks like the chapter icon as his iron halo.  His nickname is "Stormbreaker" so I think I'm going to have to try some personal heraldry on his right shoulderpad.  In the rules he turns your terminator squads into scoring units so I definitely wanted a model for him!  I think I'm going to paint his helmet a different colour - since he's the captain of the 1st company I was thinking black with a white stripe a la Rogue Trader colours.  It will make him stand out a little more since his head won't be exposed.  I'd like to get a couple squads having veteran sergeants with helmets to paint them red.


As for the Novamarines, I need to sculpt a bunch of cloaks on the scouts before they will see any paint and get a land speeder storm. and some drop pods.  I have a second tactical squad to paint and also have plans in the far future for a squad of assault terminators all armed with th/ss using the shield that has the chapter icon on it.  If anyone wants to trade me that storm shield for one of the others please let me know!

Space Sharks: Captain Kundera

It didn't take very many games for me to realize I was unhappy with the armament I had given my Space Sharks captain (click link for original). A combi-plasma is ok but a chainsword was a weak selection - keeping his bolt pistol would've been better. Yes, I could've just called it a power weapon (he even had a bionic arm which could've been the reason behind it), but found I wasn't using him very much, preferring my Novamarines captain when I didn't use a chaplain or librarian.
A sweet bonus for switching to a simple bolt pistol + power/relic weapon is being able to count as Captain Kundera from the FLoT Genestealer Cult mini-dex (recently updated to v3.0 for 5th edition) A quick note here - I suppose Bell of Lost Souls (where the mini-dexes were originally published) has gotten so big they have done some rejigging - so be absolutely sure to check out the Fly Lords of Terra. The mini-dexes are what attracted me to BoLS in the first place. They are really well put together. I've just copied an image of the rules for you to see - I don't think this won't be a big deal. The bonus of getting him completed is there is an NPC nid in our VOGEN campaign @ 2HD, so he could even see some action as Kundera in that campaign.Finally I made my second attempt at a Sgt Lorenzo style power sword. I couldn't find my white dwarf with the masterclass in it, but Ron over at From the Warp gave it a whirl and documented his efforts. I don't think I even have a photo up of the Crimson Fist sergeant I tried it on first. This one definitely looks more like it's charging up to the tip, though I think it needed one more level in the blending of the electricity crackle, maybe an elf grey before the skull white.
damn, i just noticed now the edging on his back banner isn't painted.

Badab War: Space Sharks Hammerheads

I hope everyone by now has had a gander at BoLS new badab war play aid. I finally read the full fluff today and it's pretty well written. The modeling and gaming sections have sparked a ton of ideas, and here is the first I've started to put into effect.

I hadn't planned on including many veterans in my Space Sharks army, I was thinking more along the lines of a battle company (eventually!) and so hadn't even thought about termies/sternguard/vanguard much. The Badab play aid changed all that. When I was first thinking about making some hammerheads the obvious fluffy choice was truly chainswords, however being the clever chap that I am I thought of something even better. I had bought a bunch of dark angels backpacks with swords tied across the top, so I've given these to the hammerheads so I can just use them as normal sternguard in regular games. :)

I've used the same bits for body/head/etc, but have used the older 2nd ed. bolters (have a stock, need to add scopes) and a rogue trader era ammo clip on their backpacks. I also cut the sword out of one of the backpacks to make it more obvious they are really a weapon. I am planning to paint these guys (probably increase the squad to 10 eventually), plus a squad of termies and convert a Quintus model as well - all in the tranquility camo scheme from pg. 39 of the play aid. Going to give liquid mask a go.

group shot
sgt & vet
3 vets

Badab War playaid is available!!!

Play Aid: Badab War @ Bell of Lost Souls

This looks just as incredible as I was picturing, just having a quick browse while I'm at work - but definitely will be reading the whole thing tonight. The quality of it is literally beyond words.

FYI.. My space sharks rhinozerback I entered in the Badab APC challenge is pictured on page 20! W00T for me!

Space Sharks - BoLS Badab entry comments

I would really appreciate constructive criticism for my BoLS entry. Not in terms of "winning" next time, but in terms of really polishing her off with the little details.

So far here are some ideas I've had, let me know what you think of these or any other ideas you might have.

• "Danger/Hot" symbols around exhausts, rear of H/K missile, etc. (seems that space marines wouldn't need to know or indeed even care but ??)
• Naming the vehicle. Definitely not along the line's of "Blood of the Deep" but I was thinking more like just a generic female name, like Eileen or Susan.

Please tell me your thoughts!

Badab APC challenge - 4th place

Well the Badab APC challenge voting is over. I placed a respectable 4th out of the amazing entries, scoring just under 300 votes out of the near 2500 votes received. Nate's highly detailed Salamanders twin heavy flamer razorback just edged out Andy G's Raptors twin heavy flamer razorback by 14 votes in the final hours of voting.

Congrats to all the competitors, just goes to show the quality of 40K community - all of the entries were fantastic! I hope this spurs BoLS to hold more contests (especially Badab war related as many of my planned marine chapters fall into that category) and I especially can't wait for the scenario pack to make use of my guys in fun games.

ps. 50th blog post. :)

Badab APC Challenge voting starts

The voting has begun at BoLS for the Badab APC challenge.
http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2009/03/40k-voting-badab-apc-challenge.html

Currently in fourth place, some gorgeous models have been submitted, even another Space Sharks razorback with a dorsal fin!

Head over and vote!

Space Sharks - final Badab APC challenge entry

Here's my final entry I just sent in to BoLS.

Fluff
This vehicle was designated APC 3 of the Space Sharks - Green Company at the beginning of the Badab war and operated as a transport for Squad 3. During the war, the Captain of Green Company ordered functioning sponson weapons recovered from wrecked Land Raiders to be assembled as firepower turrets for available Rhino APCs. APC 3 was retrofitted with a turret and tallied 7 tank kills over the course of the war.

Final 3 pics

Space Sharks - on track for Badab APC hobby challenge cut-off date

Well I managed to get quite a bit more done today. All the basecoats are fully done, and I've gone ahead and added the decals. I have to touch up one of the side teeth and then touch up all the grey areas before doing some edge highlighting and weathering. Definitely pleased with the way it's turning out. :)

Here's a quick half dozen shots in various configurations.

Rhino config




Razorback config



Plus a close up of gunner and kill markings on turret

Space Sharks - more rhinozerback progress

Well I had the day off and mostly to myself so I made sure I got quite a bit done on this puppy.
Finished drybrushing the armour and have given a basecoat for most extra details (except metal, did black last and needed to let it dry) tonight I will hopefully get another coat on each (and the coat of metal) so I can look to start with decals and weathering soon.

Single storm bolter, dozer blade & hunter-killer missile.


Twin storm bolter and razorback configuration (both with searchlight).


I'm particularly pleased with the way the front 'teeth' came out, so it looks good whether the dozer blade is added or not. I need to sort out the side 'teeth' as well, and I was thinking the headlights could maybe be red to look like eyes? Comments/criticism welcome.

Space Sharks - razorback turret.

Well the masses (all 30 of you!) have spoken, nearly 3/4 of you voted for the razorback (73%) so I've begun work on one of the turrets I had started (twin lascannons were done).

Now this has been made from a LR sponson weapon, so it's not a proper razorback turret. I don't care as I want my Space Sharks equipment to look well used and sometimes thrown together. However I'm not sure if this will help or hinder my entry to the BoLS Badab APC Edition hobby challenge, so I'm asking you to vote again (sorry!) based on the look of the turret - would you enter it as a razorback?

Here's a couple pics to show it off.


I'll update the poll now. So... what do you think?

Space Sharks - rhinozerback (now for entry in BoLS Badab APC edition hobby challenge)

As promised here are some pics of my Space Sharks magnetized rhino. Not yet glued together, am ironing out the kinks in painting the interior. I want to glue it together before I drybrush the outside to try and get it looking smoother.

Please vote as to which direction I should take it for the BoLS Badab APC Edition hobby challenge.

You can kinda see the blue wash I gave the windows in this pic


Detail of interior


Two shots at rear-ish angle to show the turret magnet.



All the bits plugged in

BoLS Badab APC Contest - PERFECT TIMING

Some of you may have seen my post about magnetizing a rhino for my upcoming Space Sharks army.
I have made some progress on it to this point, it is primed, washed with some drybrushing/detailing on the interior.
I will take some more pics tonight to show you my progress, but how happy was I to see this post (http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2009/02/40k-hobby-challenge-badab-apc-edition.html) on BoLS today.

Great timing. Now I have some decisions to make - I have 3 razorback turrets I built from Land Raider sponsons, however they are not completely ready as I need some big washers to mount them to the magnet, and something to cover the rest of the hole in the turret rhino top (as used for preds/razorbacks/whirlwinds).

So do I put some effort into getting at least one of the turrets completed, so it can be displayed for the contest as both a rhino and a razorback? Or do I just run with the bits to make it a rhino for now? I've created a poll - cast your vote!

I should have no problems meeting the March 4th deadline. Need to get some decals printed, and resolve my method for painting the armour. Wish me luck!