Khorne Catch-Up! New/Old 40K Project Summary

Well isn't this a surprise. A planned project is unceremoniously shouldered aside for an insane new project! This is a compilation of my posts about this project from the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge blog, just to keep everything in one place.

So... I've had ten assembled but unpainted second-hand Khorne Berzerkers (the old style multi-part plastic models from 1999) in a Plano case for years (over 10?) and on a whim decided "wouldn't these be fun to paint?" and it was on...

Several eBay purchases later I've got a pile of unpainted metal old-school metal models (and more plastic Berzerkers) for the army, and these are the first painted Berzerkers.

Of course I had to do a bit of repair and conversion (I wanted each model to have a bolt pistol and either a chainsword or chain-axe) but I think they've turned out OK. The paint formula is as follows: basecoat Khorne Red, overbrush Mephiston Red, wash with Vallejo Red Wash, paint metal bits Leadbelcher, wash the whole model with Nuln Oil, paint the brass bits Brass Scorpion highlighted Retributor Gold, wash the brass bits with Agrax Earthshade, that's pretty much it. On some of the models I highlighted the red back up a bit with Khorne and Mephiston Red, mainly on the helmets.

Groundwork starts Dark Brown, then Steel Legion Drab, then Rakarth Flesh drybrush.

Of course Kharn sneaks in a photobomb... but someone else did the basic painting on him, I just touched him up and redid the groundwork. I might still change the trim to bronze actually.

 

Next up in the Insane New Project sweepstakes, here is a Khornate Chaos Lord on a Juggernaut to accompany the Berzerkers.

Since our preferred edition of 40K is 5th, I'm trying to build my Khornate 40K army exclusively from models that were current for that edition, and that means everything but the Berzerkers will be metal, although I do have a random box of newer plastic Bloodletters that came from... somewhere, that may get assembled and painted for this army. Waste not, want not!

This model was obtained through the mail from Tista Minis in Hamilton, Ontario and I feel like it was a bit of a bargain. I think I paid $35 CAD for it, painted (badly) of course, but it stripped down VERY nicely to bare metal in no time at all. Contrast that with a new (plastic) Chaos Lord on Juggernaut, available from GW for... $83 CAD. Of course the new one is likely twice the size of this one (it comes on a 90mm oval base, as opposed to the 60mm base this model sports), BUT it's also 66 parts, when the old metal model was... ten parts. AND IT'S METAL. A no-brainer.

I just love the character on these old metal models. I think I finally discovered the blue formula for the armour deco.

The Juggernaut has a very determined look on its face too. This is peak 1990s GW isn't it??

 

Next up we have a metal Chaos Dreadnought done up in Khornate colours, for service with the Berzerkers.

Firstly a word on collecting these ancient out-of-production models. I might have mentioned this before, but generally speaking OOP Games Workshop stuff ain't cheap. Yes you might get lucky from time to time (like I did with the Jugger), but people on eBay generally are aware (or think they are aware) of the prices these models will bring and set their own BIN accordingly. Models sealed in original blister packs or boxes can be outrageously priced, but painted stuff can sometimes be had for not-unreasonable prices. This model was unpainted and loose and acquired on eBay for about $100 CAD. 

"A hundo for a chunk of metal that cost $55 brand new? That's crazy!" you might exclaim. But I have a perfectly reasonable justification for this. The Bank of Canada has an "inflation calculator" that compares the cost of a basket of goods in any year to its cost in any other year, and that's a good enough proxy for me. It tells me that $55 in 1999 is equivalent to $99.18 today, and that's about what I paid for the model. The other thing to consider is "what would an equivalent model cost, brand new from GW?" The answer here is... about $75 for the Space Marine Venerable Dreadnought. So maybe that's a bad example.

 

But then again, maybe not... is the new Venerable Dreadnought "comparable" to this classic Dreadnought? The new Dread is a million plastic parts that you have to assemble (correctly), and has a fist on it that would put Hellboy to shame. This one is METAL and fewer than 10 parts. I'm also paying for the old-school cool because this model fits right into the 25-year-old aesthetic of my project. To me that's worth $25. I know, this is all just to make me feel better, but it works :-)

How cool is this, right? I know it's missing the trophy pole but I have a plastic one I might add later... anyway the red was done with Khorne Red, highlighted Mephiston Red, washed with Nuln Oil, then brought back up with KR and Mephiston. Brass bits were done in Brass Scorpion, highlighted Retributor Gold then washed with Agrax Earthshade. The rest is mainly Leadbelcher washed with NO. Groundwork was Dark Brown, Steel Legion Drab, Rakarth Flesh as a final drybrush.   

    

              

Of course there has to be some daemons right?? Well, I'd painted three Bloodletters for an Idols of Torment game a few years ago and had four left in a Plano case. But Khorne's sacred number is 8, so I had to find another one... which I did, on eBay, a couple weeks ago. So the remaining five Bloodletters went under the brush.

This is the new one, he looks like a Champion of some kind which is good, he's the only example of this sculpt in the group.

The paint recipe for these guys is easy... the skin is Khorne Red, Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet just blended upwards. Horns and claws are Cantor Blue highlighted with Thunderhawk.

Eyes and teeth are Wraithbone, I was reading in the old Slaves to Darkness book that Bloodletters have "milky eyes" so I redid the eyes on the first three as well. The weapons were fun to do, they were painted Corax White and washed twice (heavily) with Biel-Tan Green. I think they look pretty cool and of course red and green are complimentary colours so that works.

 

Can't not post a bare-cheeked rear view of these daemons! ;-)

Anyway that's got us almost caught up on the Khorne 40K project. I've painted another tranche of Berzerkers since this lot, as well as opening up a sealed blister pack with a Berzerker icon bearer, so you'll see those soon as well. Until then... Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne of Khorne!

Dallas 

The rest of my submissions to the painting challenge

 Here are the rest of the submissions I made to the painting challenge which ended March 21st at midnight. I painted a few more units for the Tyrant’s Legion, but there are a few other random bits for 40k guard and some vehicle for Xenos Rampant.

Astral Claws Retaliators

Tyrant’s Legion Hellhound

Brotherhood of Steel Vertibird

3d print - Transport truck for New California Republic 

3d print - Tank for NCR

40k Officer of the Fleet

Command Squad Standard Bearer

40k Guard Ordnance Officer

This is one of the better outings I’ve had for the annual painting challenge. I made a real dent in the Tyrant’s Legion and only have a few more human units to finish before I dig into the Astral Claws. However, I will probably finish the rest of the vehicles I collected for the Executioners first.

Thanks for visiting!

Painting Challenge Submission #10 - Raven Guard Assault Optae

"Assault Optae" - Raven Guard Space Marine officer - multi-part plastic kit from GW with slight conversions.

This submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge was just a single figure - but it is one I have been looking forward to posting as it is connected to Curt and Sarah's recent visit to my place in Toronto! As Curt mentioned in his post earlier in the challenge, he and Sarah would be stopping for a short visit here in Toronto on their way back to Regina, and we will be looking to squeeze in as much gaming as possible amid good food and wine. As part of the hospitality, I have painted this figure up as a gift to Curt, so he can join the ranks of his new Horus Heresy "Kill Team" Project. 

It's just one figure. But even a single figure can still throw up a larger word count...so...buckle up...

The Basics

This is Space Marine Centurion in Mark II power armour, a slight conversion of a multi-part plastic kit from GW's latest "Age of Darkness" starter box. The figure is meant to be wearing a massive, billowing cloak (as one does) while sporting an insane vexilla on the top of a slightly fancy version of the power pack commonly seen on Space Marine power armour. I have done away with the cloak and some of those other bibs and bobs to give him the jump pack of an assault marine instead. This was done for a few reasons.

Legion numeral on the shoulder plate - and a nice view of the insane jump pack. 

The first reason is the most important: I wanted him to fit in! Curt's initial "Shattered Legions" Raven Guard force for "Kill Team" looks to be built mostly around Raven Guard assault marines - the crazy(er) ones who wear "jump packs" and to get to grips with their enemies at close range. So if this fellow is going to participate in Curt's squad, he should be wearing the appropriate gear. In their recent wave of releases GW has issued a new set of plastic kit assault marines in Mk II armour (they are awesome - just haven't got around to panting any of em' yet), and the whacky jump pack from those kits fits perfectly on this fellow's armour. 

I added a custom shoulder plate with the embossed Raven Guard legion symbol to complete effect. I also tried my best to match the dark colours and dark look Curt achieved on his guys. Critically, I was able to find a washer-type base, so hopefully he'll fit in without too much trouble. 

Another view of the crazy jump pack - and we can see the "power maul" is large enough to be wielded with both hands, should the occasion call for it.

The MkII armour has lots to recommend it to fans of the Horus Heresy setting. Lots of segments and plates, a less-efficient-yet-more menacing overall appearance. This centurion model retains all of those elements, but adds heaps the "bling" associated with Space Marine Legion officers. The effect is tremendous in my opinion. You can't see his face, but he still "looks" annoyed. It's a great miniature, and really neat that GW has taken the time issue plastic kits for the Mk II marines.

And yet...up above, I say, "the first reason". That implies more than one reason I did not build this kit as GW intended...read on...

Adventures In Modern Plastic Modeling

I mentioned above that this figure, as originally designed, is wearing a big cape (as one does), vexilla etc. He even has a friendly servo-skull (probably an old friend that he wanted to, er, "keep around").  The "intended" finished figure is indeed a fine-looking 30k specimen, sporting all of the very best, whacky 30k Space Marine silliness that Horus Heresy fans enjoy. I did manage to complete a version of this original figure. Here is how he turned out, painted in the colours of the VI Legion Astartes, the Space Wolves.

Space Wolf Centurion wearing Mk II armour, accompanied by his buddy, a floating skull because 30k. Painted last summer/fall. 

He turned out OK. But it was a hell of an adventure to get here - and required a replacement of the left shoulder plate (of course, I am the sort of dork who would have plenty of those handy, but still). You see, the original figure, as conceived by GW, looks beautiful in theory but is almost impossible to assemble as-is in practice. There is no way in which one can assemble the cape, the power pack and the shoulder plates in a fashion even remotely/distantly resembling the method laid out instructions. 

There is no physical way to get this...

...when trying to follow this....

Trying to follow those instructions lead to desperate repair attempts. The cloak needs to, at once, go under AND over the vents of the power pack. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE once the power pack itself is already fastened to the back of the model. Even proceeding cautiously ended in desperate repair attempts as it became clear I had made a major mistake by following the published instructions..such repair attempts don't always go well, as we see here... 

For f*ck sakes!! This is what happens when you need to make repairs...

This is why you often see alternate versions of this figure posted online, as I have done here - because the cape, power pack and shoulder plates defy assembly in any reasonable fashion, or even an unreasonable one for that matter. This is what happens when the people who design things with computers are not the ones who have to build and paint them, IMO. Oh well. 

The Final Bit - A Back Story

OK. Enough about the modeling - let's get back to this specific miniature! I know Curt loves the story aspect of gaming, and so this fellow would need a back story too. While I have not named him, I have that story ready...

I see him as an "Assault Optae", a veteran of The Emperor's Great Crusade, hailing from Terra! He has served in the XIX Legion for centuries of fighting! This sort of provenance would be ideal in a warrior, one would think, but...well, in the Horus Heresy story, this would actually breed division within the Legions. 

The Great Crusade lasted centuries. The Space Marines Legions all started with Terran "recruits", but as the Crusade expanded across the galaxy, the sources of recruits expanded too, and ultimately shifted to whichever homeworld their Primarchs were discovered on. As Primarchs took over their legions, they tended to distrust those Terra-born officers who had been serving with the Legion prior to their arrival - they looked rather to the fellow Marines raised on the Legion's new homeworld.  

Now, those "Terrans" were still loyal - and desperate to prove it - but these were among the issues that led to divisions building slowly within the Legions over the decades, ones the Horus and his dark allies would ultimately exploit. The "Terran core" of each legion was gradually sidelined.

Handy Raven Guard symbol embossed on the shoulder plate.

Different Legions handled this generational distrust in different ways. In some, these Terran veteran officers were merely sidelined, while in others they were sent toward certain death in battle. Some were sent off on pointless missions to the other side of the galaxy. Some were just quietly fragged and re-processed. 

Corax, Primarch of the Raven Guard, took the "I'll just let attrition handle some and sideline the others" approach. I see this fellow as a survivor of that process. So he was still around when word of Horus' betrayal broke, and the Raven Guard were mustered to attack the Traitor Legions on Istvaan V. 

As Corax mobilized the Legion, this fellow was among the few thousand Marines left behind as part of the garrison to keep an eye on the Raven Guard homeworld. Nothing personal, of course, no official reason - someone has to keep watch, after all - but he would know why, everyone would know why. 

Crazy gun? Check. Crazy "power maul"? Check. Let's get some revenge...

Betrayed at Istvaan V, the shattered survivors of the Raven Guard would have been rescued by guys like this officer! So he is at the forefront now...he'll still never be fully trusted by Corax, but there really are not many officers left...not many Raven Guard left in general! This guy is now at the forefront of the vengeful battle to bleed and harry the forces of The Warmaster as they march across the galaxy toward Terra and destiny. 

He is gutted that he was not there to face the dire fate of the Raven Guard on Istvaan V. Even though he helped rescue the survivors, this twisted survivor guilt drives him. Maybe he will never prove himself to his Primarch - not fully - but he will work to ease his guilt by opening the skulls of as many traitor Marines as he can manage...the fan-made version of "Kill Team" is perfect for games/scenarios with these sort of dynamics at play. I hope Curt enjoys him!

Thanks for reading - watch for more AHPC catch up soon!

Painting Challenge Submission #9 - More Legions Imperialis Marines

Some more "Legions Imperialis" Space Marines - these ones in the lovely green of the Warmaster's own legion, the Sons of Horus.

With this submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge I'm back with only a few odds and ends from GW's "Legions Imperialis" game, the reboot of the classic small-scale "Epic" game set in the Horus Heresy setting. There are elements from two different Legions Astartes - the Sons of Horus and the Thousand Sons. 

XVI Legion - The Sons of Horus

High command base for the Sons of Horus.

To the surprise of nobody, I already have a chunk of figures painted for this, the finest of the Legions Astartes. But you can always use more basic infantry. And in the case of the Sons of Horus, my initial efforts really disappointed me...I was pleased with the vehicles, but my method on the original infantry looked sloppy - I didn't care for how the green turned out. And if you don't like the green...well...the Warmaster won't be pleased, will he?

Tactical Marines and their Rhino APCs.

I had assumed I would not be able to replicate the green recipe from my 28mm collection on these smaller troops. But decided to experiment with it...and...well, it's actually not too bad! I like these much more. I painted up a high-command stand, and then a tactical detachment comprised of four bases. They also have Rhino APCs to give them a ride on the battlefield. 

Re-painted dreadnoughts - I like these much better!

Chuffed with the results on the infantry, I pulled the dreadnoughts I had completed before out of the box...knowing now that I could have done the nicer green on them drove me nuts - the OCD hobby monkey in mind started to scream and break things, so I opted to do a re-paint on them. Boom - OCD monkey at peace...for now...

Mobile fire support - Rapier on the right, "Quad Launcher" on the left.

To keep building up the firepower we have a couple of tracked fire-support platforms. Long-time Space Marine fans will probaly recognize the Rapier. The other one is a "quad launcher" - heir to the famous "Thudd Guns" of yore. There are supposed to be four tracked platforms in the unit, but I f*cked up a pair of the chassis from the box, so the XVI Legion will have to settle for a pair of them for now. 

Ready to drop some ordnance on those who would defy the Warmaster!

Finally, the Whirlwind is a classic mobile artillery support system for the Space Marines. The plastic kists for these are just lovely, and they allow for you to make two variants. These are "Scorpius" variants, with ammunition that hits vehicles a little harder at the expense of covering a much smaller target area. I just love the look of these things. Again...the kits have LOTS of tiny pieces, so assemble with care, but, wow, credit where credit is due - these are just a real treat to paint up.

XV Legion Astartes

A bit more fire support for Magnus' sons. 

A much smaller component for the Thousand Sons, but considering this collection is just getting started, they'll take it!

Beakies with shark-fin-style missile launchers - a classic!

Rhino APC with fancy markings for the "devestator" unit. 

Up first we have heavy support marines and their Rhino APC. If you look carefully, fans will recognize the classic "shark-fin" style missile launcher has been replicated in this scale. Now, this is a bit of a b*tch, as they come in two parts! But whatever frustration caused in gluing these tiny Marines together is lost once you are painting them - just wonderful to have "beakie" style Marines with these weapons. 

Mobile rocket artillery for the Thousand Sons.

Even space wizards need mobile firepower...

Finally, since I had assembled all of the Whirlwinds from the box, I thought I would paint two of them up for the Thousand Sons as well. You get eight models in a box, so there is still more to do there - maybe I'll even paint some for the poor loyalists? 

That's all for this one - watch for more soon!