This month, my offerings to the oldhammer gods are a Biovore and a Zoanthrope. Both have, again, been heavily influenced by the original ‘Eavy Metal studio schemes from days of yore.

The Biovore was one of my least favourite of the 2e Tyranid range and yet its been one of my favourite models to paint during this challenge… I’ve warmed to it quite a lot! It’s amazing how holding a model on your hand can give you a different appreciation that you just don’t get from a photograph. Got a few more of these in the pile of potential 

The Zoanthrope, on the other hand, is a model I’ve always liked (derpy as it is) yet it is the paint job I’m least happy with. Not really sure what happened but it’s just not quite right. Also, have to say I’m a bit gutted I lost the mandibles.

Next month it is the turn of the mighty Tyrant, for which I’ve finally managed to acquire a Lash Whip, plus a couple of Spore Mines to round out my 1000 point army.

Hello once more.

Tactical combat squad – 150

Missile launcher 45

195

4th month and I’ve finished another combat squad.  The first half of the second tactical squad for the challenge.  

I have been really down on painting this army for a while – I’ve not been enjoying it nearly as much as I had hoped.  Black particularly has felt worse than I ever thought it would.

However, about 2 days ago I suddenly started feeling good about it again.  I got this squad from about half done to finished mostly in one evening.  It was just feeling good again.  Particularly liked the flesh on the old mk 6 guy (I know it’s no longer sold – but the vallejo/nocturna fairy-flesh set is really nice).  Really like how the overall army is turning out.  I may have to go over and touch up the whole lot at the end as my technique has changed slightly.

I’m ready for the last push of 6 figures next month to finish 1000 points.  Then I’m trying to decide what to do for the bonus month and think I’ve decided on finishing the couple of plastic bikes that I still have – one more regular bike and a heavy weapon bike which I will have to re-arm as it’s missing the multi-melta.  

Welcome dear cannon fodder! Ready to die for the Emperor by being thrown into yet another meat grinder??? Excellent! You’ll be in splending company this month. 

Who’s that fellow in the black cloak staring down the bald bloke you may ask? Well if I were you I wouldn’t ask him any questions as the last trooper who did received the Emperor’s Mercy through the back of the head after morning prayer. The bald fellow with way too many visible veins in his head is the new Primaris Psyker assigned to the Oedo 808th. What? Rubicon Primaris? Truescale? Plot armour and the return of Guilliman?!? What the hell are you even talking about legionnaire?!? I’ll thank you not to speak so much nonsense so close to a member of the Commissariat…

Besides these two officers, we are also joined by a Lieutenant and his command section that features three plasma gunners and a comms link array and of course the wheels that keep the Guard turning – a second Infantry squad with an autocannon team and a flamer. 

When it comes to models and paint schemes, some of you may have noticed that this month’s entry features models from THREE different regiment ranges; Catachan, Cadian and even a Tallarn autocannon gunner! I actually wanted to test my scheme with different models and am incredibly pleased how easily they translate to each unit and so hope in the future to perhaps add more to the army. Also, the primaris psyker is in fact a Rogue Trader model that was a gift from a friend I’ve been gaming with since the late 90s so I was very pleased to finally add him after sourcing some arms and doing a bit of conversion work.

Well, that’s the end of this month’s entry and I hope you’ve got to enjoy it! Thanks again for joining us and hope you’ll join us again next month 🙂

Tain

Month 3 pledge:

Infantry Squad 2: Sergeant with bolt pistol and chainsword. One trooper with a flamer and an autocannon team. 127pts.

Month 3 bonus models:

Commissar: Sword and power fist.  51pts.

Primaris Psyker Master: Force rod and plasma pistol. 129pts.

Command Squad: Lieutenant w. shotgun, 3x plasma guns and a comms link. 109pts.

Total points: 416pts.

“Look alive, Ladies!” Sister Superior Katharina was walking along the firing line of her
squad with grim determination. An hour ago, at first light, the Sisters of Battle had attacked
along the whole front line – together with the remnants of the planetary defence forces. The
enemy artillery was mostly taken care of by commando surprise attacks from the Seraphim
squads during the night. The cultists never saw them coming.
Now her squad was holding a small fortified position against the inevitable counterattack.
And maybe it was their superior equipment or their good firing discipline. Or maybe the
God Emperor was down on them today. Either way, they made short work of the enemy
attack.
This month I was really struggling to finish everything in time, thanks to the blessing of
Papa Nurgle. Also, I underestimated how much detail these models have on them. This is
squad Berta with Melta and Multimelta, I mixed them up with the flamethrower squad
Anna. This month was Berta and next month will be squad Anna. During painting I
recognized the sister with the Melta had a miscast face; so she is now wearing an
eyepatch.

“AWRITE YOO ‘ORRIBLE LOT!! STAND TOO ATTENSHUN!!!”

The two groups of Blood Axe Orks pulled themselves into what could loosely be described as a line (if you squinted) and raised their guns for inspection. Well, I say raised, some raised them to chest height, some didn’t bother and I’m pretty sure one rested it on his head.

The Warboss inspected his latest recruits and nodded in what he assumed looked like a sage manner.

“Now den, yoo will be da BACKBONE ov our misshun ta stop dese stoopid Chaos boyz.. Yoo will ‘av ta stand der and take any ov der dakka dat dey yoose an’ den SHOOT ‘EM BACK! Oh, and sum ov yer will get ta punch ’em too.”

Surprisingly, the Orks pulled themselves up straighter and looked as motivated as it was possible for an Ork to look.

“WOT R YOO WAITIN’ FER?!?!? GIT OUT DER AN’ KILL SUM CHAOS!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!”

And with that, the two groups of Orks ran off, yelling their warcries.

Jean hoped they were running the right way though.

———————————————————————————

So, this Month was painting up two groups of 7 Blood Axe Orks, so I had some basic troops done. They are all the old RT plastics and I tried to theme them with their hats/heads for ease on the battlefield! Also, I love the old head with the cap 🙂

84pts 6 Blood Axe Orks, “Brahvo Sqwad” & 5 Bolters, Flamer

31pts Sarge “Ardgit” Eyeway, Blood Axe Nob & Power Fist, Bolter, Refractor Field

107pts 6 Blood Axe Orks, “Alfah Sqwad” & 5 Bolters, Missile Launcher

23pts Korporal Mashum Axeface, Blood Axe Nob & Chainsword, Bolter, Refractor Field

Maddix aka Warboss Blackaxe

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHH!!!

Month four of the third 2nd Edition Challenge has come to an end, and I have painted yet more Valhallans! I started the challenge very nervous about having to paint all of those white greatcoats, and was very concerned about my ability to execute my choice. While they are not the most technically excellent paint jobs they do the trick and I feel a lot more confident about my ability to paint white. I am very happy to say next month I won’t be painting any significant amount of weight because I will be focusing on my one non-infantry piece: the Baneblade. It will present challenges of its own but at least I can finally stop with infantry. In fact, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing as the bonus round in month six, but it almost certainly won’t be Valhallan infantry!

Squad w/ chainsword, bolt pistol, flamer, autocannon 127

You can read more about what I am up to on my blog: https://www.hmgs.org/blogpost/1767208/The-Wachtmeister-s-Patrol

-Wachtmeister 

Hello!

Yet again finishing at the 11th hour (after starting at the 10th hour..) I have managed to get my 5 assault squad members done for this slice! I found it was easier this time around than the first 5 since I already knew what I was doing the best order to lay the paint and decals on.

I found it hard to get going this month, mostly due to some big game releases that sucked all my time up… and then when I started on these models about a week ago I then got a bad cold that lasted until about today :). So a little rough going, but in the end we made it!

I also did a “bonus” this month, which was just putting some decals on my dreadnought that I had painted a few years back and finishing his base. Not very high effort on this one but nice to have finished nonetheless!

I have found that by this point doing decals (even old breakable ones) is getting easier! Practice really does pay off. Knowing where to slice the decals to help conform to the weird marine curves has made it much easier as I’ve been working on this project, and will continue to help into the future too 🙂

Bring on the heroes for the final month!

Whew! A photo finish. 

It sounds like a strange thing to say for three models, but there were days where I thought I’d have to take a mulligan on this entry. I couldn’t exactly tell you why, either. Maybe it was school; maybe it was the disparate color scheme, but every time I sat down to paint it felt like I was just toying around with the models, rather than getting some solid work done. 

Anyway, one of the hurdles of the three was that I thought I’d try practicing some two-brush blending on the robes, only to realize that I probably didn’t have the time to make it really pop, so opted instead for my typical basic layering and edge highlighting. The Warlock with the green robes was the toughest as I first tried a Snot Green base, then a Woodland Green one, but they both turned out to be too thin (even over a white primer!). Finally I went with a Dark Angels Green, with Sunburst Yellow then Skull White mixed in for the highlights. The helmets of the green Warlock and the Farseer were Bilious Green with Skull White added in for the highlights. 

Overall, I’m really happy with how the gold turned out (Shining Gold with a Chestnut Wash, followed by a Mithril Silver highlight).

Month 4 Army List Breakdown:

Farseer – 170 pts.

– Laspistol, rune armor

Warlock – 51 pts.

-Laspistol, rune armor

Warlock – 51 pts.

-Laspistol, rune armor

Total: 272 pts.

(When I wrote this army list I didn’t load these guys up with any wargear… Probably because my Dark Millennium box is in storage. Oh well, more points for my dreadnought next month!)

As always read more about my hobby exploits on my blog (www.onarollgames.com).

March was the biggest month in my plan, 2 vehicles. In words not so much, but the preparation, sub assemblies and amount of detail was even more than I had expected. But the results… I’m so happy! 

In previous slices I’ve taken inspiration from various 2nd Edition models and art, but this month I’ve gone back to White Dwarf 141 and a rogue trader battle report featuring the blood angels 3rd Company. The rhino in the battle report is assigned to squad 1, just like the squad I painted in December, and has a few unique markings such as the white panel for the squad number. 

I took some bold decisions such as trimming the inside track piece flush for a cleaner look, and removing the rear hull ‘flaps’ which half cover the light bar, but I like the overall look. Company markings on the doors and squad marking on the roof and front panel were done freehand, nerve wracking! But again I’m super happy with achieving that result.  

The battle report does also features a rogue trader landspeeder, crewed by a lieutenant no less! But that’s an idea for another time as I’m not painting one that old so my chunk of metal takes more from the codex scheme, with a little old school hazard striping on the lower engine cowling for a bit of fun. 

Working with old metal is always a challenge, but this was a chore. Nothing was straight or fit cleanly and everything was covered in an inch of glue. I kept most pieces as sub assembly which helped with painting, right until the end when I dropped the engine piece and chipped a bunch of paint off. 

The speeder got 8th squad marking as the codex version did, but I also gave them the correct knee pad icon, something missing from the codex. For basing I went with a steel rod drilled right into the core of the model and into a 60mm round base. It’s not 90’s but I have zero interest in dropping or knocking this model off a tiny clear period flying base. Sorry not sorry!

So an easy but brutal month but I’m glad I persevered and got it done. I’ll say again just how happy I am with these models. The rhino is gorgeous, and the landspeeder the model I remember buying from Metro-Centre Gateshead GW when it came out so very happy to add it to the force. 

Tally this month, 200pts

March

• Space Marine Land Speeder 145pts
• Space Marine Rhino with Auto Launchers 50+5=55pts

So onto the final planned slice next month, as i have managed to stay on track. Have to say im really enjoying this challenge and cant wait to see the full army together, might have to invest in a backdrop so i can fit them all in one picture.

Daskal Kilgore commanded his trusty Hellhound, the Aquila Ignea, along the narrow paths that criss-crossed the wrecked urban carcass for which so many of his compatriots had fallen. Some hours ago the tank must have taken a wrong turn, because there were all alone among the rubble: no Paradeshans, no Xenos, no locals. The voxcaster had been damaged by the glancing hit of an Ork rocket and the auspex showed no movements out there.

Lost and isolated, the crew decided to search for Candajar Avenue, one of the main routes of the Paradeshan 88th’s retreat, in hopes of reaching Imperial lines. After some time navigating the municipal corpse, the auspex comes alive with a harrowing “pigin” which are shortly followed by several more as a dozen white dots pop at the edge of the scanners’ screen. Before the commander can say anything, Konstantin Koverchenko sees a mob of Gretchin flooding the path in front of the vehicle while shooting their primitive weapons against them without even scratching the paint. The driver mechanically liberates the heavy bolter’s machine spirit, who gleefully releases a hail of explosive death against the petty aliens. As they ran away, another blob of white dots appear at the auspex joined by a discharge of “pigins” at the left flank of the Hellhound. A quick command from Kilgore is enough for Samad Avari to rotate the Inferno cannon against the ambushed tankbusta mob as the Greenskins move to destroy the steel beast. The Xenos have barely enough time to process their mistake before a stream of liquid hell incinerates them to an ork.

The Aquila Ignea has barely slowed down to deal with the ambush and picks up speed again, crushing the remains of the Gretchin under its tracks as Kilgore opens the turret’s hatch to let in the sweet smell of promethium and scorched Ork meat. Emperor’s Throne, he loved his job.

So, another month and another slice, this time, like two months ago, I have to rush the model in order to get it done in time. I expect to finish the weathering and the decals as a bonus for the next slice. and what about it? This time the whole slice was a Hellhound tank, which had been sitting on my shelf wrapped in its virginal plastic since I bought it during Games Day 2004, my very first one! I added to it several bits to achieve that religious/dark tone I want for this army while trying to maintain a colourful look. From purity seals to and High Elf phoenix including Bretonnian chains and a skull & bones from a local shop. The colours themselves are the same I used in the Sasori walker except for the red fuel tanks, which is an incredible stupid but pleasantly looking idea!

Slice 4

Hellhound = 165 points.

The Legionnaire beside Raphael began firing before the haze of teleportation had fully dissipated. The boltgun’s sharp report rang out across two realities: the in-between place of the chapel and the ruins of a shattered city. Green tracers knocked an Eldar Warp Spider off its feet. Shocked by the sudden enfilade, the rest of the troop engaged their warp generators. Before they could escape, Raphael unloaded the clip of his bolt pistol into the bulky backpack of the nearest alien. It fell sideways, trapped by the weight of its malfunctioning teleportation device.

Raphael could now see the girl, pinned beneath a ferrocrete slab beside the fallen alien. He reached down and the servomotors of his amour growled as he rotated the debris aside. The girl smiled faintly but could not stand. “Make them pay”, she said.

“Your death will be avenged. I promise.” Raphael vowed.

At that moment, a harrowing figure stepped out of the gloom. The sergeant stopped next to Raphael and glowered at the scene with dead eyes.  “The Legion does not make promises….” The fallen Eldar Warp Spider spasmed and screamed, then fell silent. An incandescent mist left the creature’s body, drawn to the skull the sergeant held in his right hand. For a moment its eyes glowed with necropotence, then the mist was on the move again, suffusing the body of the girl. She sat bolt upright with a sudden intake of breath, then scrambled to her feet, away from the mouldering husk the Eldar had become.

“…it cannot keep.” With that, Centurius strode off again. His haunting chuckle could be heard long after he vanished into the smoke and dust.