Painting Challenge Submission 13 - To The King!

Erkenbrand and Eomer lead the Riders of Rohan to war!

Another Painting Challenge submission. Recall that, in terms of the "Challenge XII Quadrant Map", I had arrived on Arda. The theme for this planet called for something "Tolkeinesque" - here are a group of Riders of Rohan from GW's "Lord of the Rings" figure line. The Riders are lead by Eomer, Marshall of the Rittermark, and Erkenbrand, Lord of the Westfold. They are mostly plastic, but there are a couple of metal castings in the lot, as well as one "Finecast" (which still sucks!) figure.

I can hear you asking "Hey, Greg, didn't you have these guys already? I mean, you painted Erkenbrand back in 2019, right?" Well yes...without making the story too long, some folks may recall I moved house in 2020. That was quite the process, it all happened a bit suddenly, and required some hard decisions when in came to my large collection of figures. Some parts of the collection had to go...and one of those was my Riders of Rohan, who were sold to a new hobby home.

Some of the regular warriors, mounted and ready to fight for Rohan!

The whole move was not easy, but it got done (and many friends, contributors to this blog, were critical to that - thank you!). But wow, did I find that, as I unpacked my stuff, I regretted selling those Riders of Rohan. I had enjoyed so many great games of "Lord of the Rings" over the years with my friends, and I missed seeing those riders on the shelves. The ache was accentuated by the Painting Challenge, which would feature many great submissions of LOTR figures. For example, last year Dallas did an awesome run of LOTR stuff. This year, a number of Challenge participants are continuing the trend. 

I tried to shrug and say "oh, well, need to stick with my decision." But that didn't work...this year, I cracked, and did that dumb thing that we hobby people do sometimes: I ordered replacements to re-start my Riders of Rohan collection! 

Erkenbrand, on foot and mounted - figure from GW.

Of course, things have changed over the years - GW still makes the LOTR figures, and broadly supports the game and the range, but many figures that were once metal are no longer available as metal castings. Erkenbrand is now "Finecast". The plastic-resin of "Finecast" was rightly reviled when it came out, and it still sucks @ss today - the sword on the foot version of Erkenbrand here was drooped like a noodle, and even after a LOT of effort and boiling water, the sword it still not fully straight. Let's hope the Lord of the Westfold stays mounted...

Eomer, mounted and on foot - plastic kit from GW.

The new plastic Eomer is tricky to assemble, but just a stunning figure.

Then Eomer, who used to be a metal casting, is no longer available as a metal casting - he is, in fact, a multi-part plastic model. This brings some frustrations to someone like me. For example, the head was TWO parts, for a single 28mm figure, WTF??? But on the whole, the benefits outweigh the problems by a large margin.While I really like the previous metal Eomer, this plastic one is amazing. The pose is incredible, you get options for heads and weapons. The horse is customized, and because both horse and rider are plastic, you avoid another issue...

Generic Rohan command, mounted. These are metal figures on plastic horses, held up on the base by one leg...f*ck...

Generic Rohan command figures on foot. Note the finial on the standard was a mis-cast...oh well. These guys shouldn't be on foot too much anyway!

...and this will be familiar to many hobbyists already. GW is prone to brain cramps, and they had a major one when they designed the plastic horses for the LOTR range. These horse are bound to the base by a single, thin leg! This is the height of stupidity, and makes things tough - for example, the generic command figure and banner-carrier are both metal figures, and the single, thing, plastic leg is holding them all up. This is idiocy...but it is all we have to work with, so, prayers to the hobby gods...

A selection of plastic Riders.

I also want to thank Curt for his help in figuring out Eomer's armour. It is pretty complicated, with leather patterns worked on to sections of plate...not sure how well I managed it, but it was definitely a Challenge and I am pleased overall with how he turned out. It will be good practice for when I turn to King Theoden, who wears armour with similar complications.

To the king!

Anyway, it is lovely to be back in the LOTR game again! It warms my heart to once more see the Riders of Rohan on my shelf! Thanks for reading, and watch for more Painting Challenge content as we head into the final week! :)

Painting Challenge Submission 12 - Elucia Vhane, Rogue Trader

Elucia Vhane, Rogue Trader. 28mm plastic figure from GW.

Submission number 12 to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge was yet another single figure - it all has to do with moving around the Challenge XII Quadrant Map.  My exploration of the Challenge XII Quadrant started on Istvaan, and then moved to Glorantha. Further progress in the outer ring will require a journey on "Lady Sarah's Star Yacht" (see the map link for details on what that entails). For that purpose, I painted up Elucia Vhane, Rogue Trader and leader of the Elucidian Starstriders. Elucia Vhane is a 28mm plastic figure from GW.

Elucia's wardrobe combines elements of style AND practicality very nicely.

"Rogue Traders" are agents of The Imperium in the GW's Warhammer 30k and 40k settings. While the Imperium is vast, the galaxy still bigger, and Rogue Traders have the authority to explore, trade, conquer, pillage, negotiate - and more! - outside of the Imperium's boundaries. Rogue Traders therefore tend to be very interesting characters. They also get stuck into sticky situations...Elucia Vhane and her ship were no exception - I won't get into the details here, but let's just say things did not end well, and Elucia Vhane's team is a group of "survivors"...

I hope Elucia will enjoy Lady Sarah's Yacht, after things on her own ship, New Dawn, did not work out so well...

Elucia Vhane certainly evokes the style and poise one might expect from a Rogue Trader! She looks sharp, but also emits the proper level of menace. That pistol may look antique, but it can probably take out a squad in one shot. This is a brilliant sculpt from GW, and a lot of fun to paint. In fact, the entire group of Starstriders are excellent figures, and I hope to finish one or two more of them before this edition of the Painting Challenge concludes!

That's all for this submission, but I promise my next one has more than a single figure! Thanks for reading, have a great day!

Painting Challeng Submission 10 - 40k Raven Guard Contraption

Invictor War Suit for my Raven Guard Space Marines. Plastic model from GW.

Have I been asleep at the blogging switch? Well, yes, yes I have...work has been busy, eating into spare time (which is OK - it pays for miniatures!) but the remaining spare time has been ruthlessly focused on painting, and on meeting my commitments as a "Minion" for Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. So I have been posting stuff there, and neglecting here...enough of that! Time to catch up a bit.

Before I do, just have to acknowledge the work the Conscripts have been doing for this edition of the Painting Challenge. Frederick in particular is CRUSHING it, racking up huge points totals and keeping the honour of the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts up near the top of the league tables. Well done! Be sure to check out their work - as well as that of Dave (OGRE!), Mike F (More 30k! More!) and Byron (10mm Fantasy!) on the Painting Challenge Blog - and I hope they might also find the time to post here about it as well. And I know Dallas will be along soon to share some "Churchillian" efforts of his own...you guy have been doing great, and as the Challenge comes down to the wire, I'm sure you'll have more stuff to bring across the painting finish line!

OK - back to catching up on my own Painting Challenge stuff. Up first, another item for my 40k Raven Guard project. This is some sort of bonkers contraption known as an "Invictor War Suit". This is a multi-part plastic kit from GW, one of the newer releases for the newer Primaris Space Marine range of figures for their Warhammer 40,000 setting. It's a big walking thing with guns. 

Guns solve problems, right?

Followers of this blog will already be aware of how the grim darkness of the far future is in fact overrun with big walking things with guns. Some are big. Many are bigger. Some are quite huge. But they walk, and they have guns, and thus this "newer" design takes its place in an august lineup of universe-wrecking-walking-things-with guns. But it is also a little different, at least for Space Marines...

A view of the carbon-neutral power system...

That is because the pilot of the machine is, well, a Space Marine. Makes sense. But this is still different. You see, usually, Space Marine machines of this sort, called "Dreadnoughts", are 'crewed' by a near-dead Marine, who is essentially entombed in the machine, allowing them to fight for the Emperor for, like, nearly eternity. Lucky them. You don't see the 'pilot', because his remaining bits are plugged into arcane machinery, hidden under slabs of armour. 

So. Many. Guns.

But this thing...well, it just has a roll-cage, and the pilot can hop in and hop back out. Like a kind of regular machine. I mean, still a whacky, far-future, gun-festooned machine...but a pilot that can hop out, check things over, compare notes with fellow pilots...that seems borderline heretical! This design brings to mind the sort of "war-jack" type walker units seen in other sci-fi settings, such as the "APU Defense Sentinels" from the otherwise un-watchable "Matrix: Revolutions" film.

This kit was certainly a challenge to put together...GW made some heroic assumptions about what bits you might glue, and others you might not, and how the whole thing would work. I had major issues sorting out the cockpit, and a lot of trouble with the legs. Enough trouble that I am confident this will be the only such machine that will be joining my 40k Raven Guard forces...give me a normal dreadnought over this thing any day...

Some unsolicited feedback for the design of this model...

But for all the issues, more guns is more guns, and when you are defending The Emperor, it seems you can never have quite enough guns. This thing delivers - and for added fun, it can punch recalcitrant unbelievers into dust for sport. 

The cage doesn't exactly close, like it says it will in the instructions...but close enough. All aboard for fun!

I hope to bring this monster into action this weekend. That will be its first game. What could go wrong? We all know how newly-painted figures dominate the tabletop, right? 

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more shortly!  

Painting Challenge Submission 7 - Sons of Horus Command Rhino, Praetor and Techmarine

Some new additions to my XVI Legion collection for Warhammer 30k.

The last few editions of Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge have included some manner of map, to inspire participants to explore different painting themes, with the inducement of bonus points. See here for details. 

When I saw the details of the Challenge XII Quadrant Map, I knew I would have to give that overall aspect of the Challenge a pass. Very little of what I wish to paint/have lined up to paint would fit with with the worlds on the map, certainly not enough to get to the Quadrant Hub. But that doesn't rule out a stop here and there...and while most of my painting subjects fall outside planet themes, there was one planet that was right up my alley: Istvaan V. I did not have to reach far on my painting desk to find something to work for that theme.

Here we have a couple of Space Marines from GW's Horus Heresy setting ("30k"). Longer term participants of the AHPC will know I am a huge fan of the 30k setting, and probably will guess that I had stuff for Istvaan V within easy reach - and would have such items within easy reach on my painting table at any point of the year, Painting Challenge or no. Here we have a Praetor, a Techmarine and a Damocles-Pattern Command Rhino APC. All of these are from Forge World. All are painted in the colours of the XVI Legion Astartes, the Sons of Horus - a Space Marine Legion that fought at Istvaan V!

Techmarine

"So you say you hear a rattle in the wheels?"

Even Space Marine stuff will break down eventually, and when it does, they have the "Techmarine" on hand to help out. For the rivet counters out there (like me), this particular Techmarine is wearing Mark IV powered armour plate - the tech version.

ONE of these cables will plug in, no doubt...

Fixing things in the grim and dark future seems to involve..well...breaking them more first? That is all I can surmise from the huge axe this guy carries. He also has so many cables connected to his power armour he seems a bit like some sort of Dr. Octopus cosplay loser...Techmarines are not my favourite figures. They are of limited use during games, and they look...well, they look kind of "off" - although when you read about how the tech-types hold and carry themselves in the 30k setting, "off" doesn't begin to cover it... 

My motivations to paint this guy up were mostly completionist - I have a pretty large collection of Sons of Horus Marines, including a wide assortment of vehicles. So it just seemed wrong not to have a Techmarine on the shelf to take care of these lovely machines in the collection. The Warmaster Himself seemed to demand it! Good to have this guy available to ensure the hallowed war engines of Horus Lupercal stay in top condition.

Preator

"Horus for hope!"

This figure is a bespoke command figure, released by Forge World last year (in the summer, I think). Over time, Forge World has released a number of such command figures for the different Legions in the setting. I'm such a huge geek for the setting that I just had to have this guy, even if I don't totally love how the Forge World studio conceives of the Sons of Horus. He is wearing heavily customized Mark IV power armour.

Who says you can't rock a sweet cape while wearing power armour?

This armour bears the markings and features consistent with the Sons of Horus in the 30k story - not just the big creepy "Eye of Horus", but also features tied to the "character" of the XVI Legion. In the 30k story, we are meant to understand that most members of the XVI Legion, before they were "recruited" into the Legion, were members of violent gangs on their homeworld of Cthonia - a world where the primary economic activity was organized homicide. Thus there are etchings in the armour (meant to be 'gang markings', but coming across to most as 'hey look, random scratches for no reason'). There is the bronzed skull bearing the "XVI" (again, this would be a gang decoration, presumable the skull of a slain enemy). There is the general aura of ominous threat. Who could have believe they would have turned into bad guys, right?

This handy volkite weapon will help solve problems!

Always nice to wear someone's bronzed skull on your belt. You know. Because reasons.

There is one other notable thing about this figure - at least, for obsessives like me - he is rather tall. A lot of us in the 30k community are expecting GW will re-size the Marine models to more closely match the size of the new "Primaris" marine models in 40k. We don't know for a fact this will happen...the twats at GW, as is their way, are utterly silent on this...but this figure, being a recent release, is notably taller than the previous Mark IV power armoured Marine models. The same thing has happened with other recent 30k releases from Forge World - all noticeable taller than the previous Marines. Is this an indicator of things to come? I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

Damocles Pattern Command Rhino

A nice ride for the command elements of the Warmaster's own legion!

The Rhino is the standard APC of the Space Marine Legions - this specific one, as you might guess from the little rotating dish on the top of the hull, is a command variant. Again, this is kind of a completionist thing to have for my collection - in an actual game, I probably would not select this vehicle for a basic force for a pick up game, but it will make for a nice piece to have in scenario-driven games, ambushes etc. And again, I'm sure it will sit nicely with all of the other XVI Legion vehicles on my shelf.

Gotta sport the XVI Legion brand, even on the rear hatch!

Forge World sells (or at least, used to sell) Legion-specific doors for the Rhino kits, and this model is sporting some bespoke doors for the XVI Legion. The "Eye of Horus" sure looks spooky! Very nice! Not something I would want on the "regular" APCs, but I'm pleased with the effect for the command vehicle. Looking at that Preator figure, he would probably want some kind of OTT ride for the battlefield, and this will do the trick.

Communications array providing a solid, high-bandwidth 5G connection to nice folks aboard the Vengeful Spirit.

That was all for this submission - a nice little side-trip into 30k, and I always do have 30k stuff sitting and waiting for a bit of paint. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy the painting output of the Conscripts during the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!

Painting Challenge Submission 6 - Raven Guard Outriders

Space Marine Outriders move out for the gaming table.

More Raven Guard? Sure - more Raven Guard! My sixth submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge held a unit of Outriders - Space Marines riding cool motorbikes. Motorbikes with guns! And great big exhaust pipes! And they still have chainswords, because of course they would still have chainswords! And still have heavy pistols too! Because war everywhere! Right?

There are twin bolt rifles mounted on the bike, but of course it is more fun to hit people with your chainsword, right?

These are multipart plastic models from GW's "Indomitus" box set, the introductory 40k set for the 9th edition that issued a couple years ago. Or maybe a year ago? Who can tell. Whatever. Anyway, these were slightly tricky to assemble. In theory, these are push-fit kits, which should not require glue. But of course we all know "push-fit" stuff is mostly a fantasy, and it in fact the push-fit aspects made the kits harder to assemble, not easier.

These big, chunky bikes are fitting rides for the large Primaris-sized marines.

But whatever the trouble with the assembly, I love the look of these models. In fact, I have really enjoyed  all of the Marines from the "Indomitus" box. These bikers continue the theme and feel of just-the-right-amount over-the-top look for the new "Primaris" marines. Look at these bikes! The huge tyres! The massive exhaust! Not just one gun, but two - PLUS the weapons the Marine himself still carries!

Officer with a "beakie" helmet, as always...although his original helmet is clipped to his belt - there was no way to remove it. So he is all about safety!

As always, there was one Marine without a helmet, and as always, I hate that, so I swapped it out for a helmet. Of course, he still has his OTHER helmet pinned to his belt. So the guy has two helmets - one on his head, and a spare. Safety first, right?

That was all for this submission - stay tuned for more, and be sure to check out all of the other awesome submissions by Dallas, Frederick, Mike F, Byron and DaveV! The Conscripts are really dominating this year!

Painting Challenge Submission 4 - Raven Guard Specialists

Reinforcements for my 40k Raven Guard.

I continue to be a laggard when it comes to my Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge content posted to this blog! Apologies for that. Here is my fourth entry to the Challange - more figures for my Raven Guard forces in GW's Warhammer 40,000 setting. All of these figures are multi-part plastic kits from GW. This submission contains what might be described as "Specialist Marines" - a group of particularly tough fighters known as "Bladeguard Veterans", as well as an "Apothecary" and a "Librarian".

Bladeguard Veterans

Bladeguard Veteran Space Marines, painted in Raven Guard colours.

These are hard-hitting, veteran Space Marines, equipped with fancy swords, scary pistols and big shields - all rocking a requisite number of skullz, of course. You would expect these chaps to be found in the thick of the fighting, alongside the crazy Bladeguard Ancient, whacking and blasting the enemies of the Emperor back into their component atoms.

Rear view, showing some of the flash and flare on the models - and the one fellow with his shield stowed on his power pack.

As always, I stick a "beakie" style helmet on the commander.

I quite enjoy the OTT look of these types of Space Marines - they are more like a kind of "Space Knight", a sort of look which previously had been found among specific named Chapters (such as the extremely cool Grey Knights, the somewhat interesting Black Templars or the extremely pointless Dark Angels). The newer range of Space Marine figures is bringing this sort of "Space Knight" look to any Chapter you like. The design of the helmets even bears a striking resemblance to the look of the helmets on the Grey Knight Terminator models.

"Check it out guys - there is a Starbucks over there. Anyone else up for a latte?"

Of course the large, skull-covered shields are focal points for these figures, but there is all sorts of "flare" on these guys. They are covered in fun little features on them, like little religious icons hanging from belts, and copious parchment seals affixed to all manner of their kit. It's all quite whacky, and I find it all to be very enjoyable. On the gaming table, this is a small unit, but they will accompany their commanding officer and standard bearers into battle, making for a tough core of any Space Marine gaming force.   

Librarian

"You have some overdue books, and The Emperor is not pleased..."

Who's afraid of a Librarian? You should be! Not only is this guy a Space Marine - eight feet tall, a genetically enhanced super warrior with massive power armour and a big, scary sword - he has SPOOOOKY POWERS. Yes, he can fry your brain using his powers - before removing your head with his trusty sword! You know the powers are SPOOOOKY, because even though he has the sword handy, he is simply pointing in your direction, meaning whatever he can do just by concentrating on your is WORSE than what he do with a big sword. RETURN THOSE BOOKS ON TIME SON!

Light blue = SPOOOKY POWERS. At least, that is my interpretation.

The wardrobe on this fellow is kinda funny...he is clearly clad in Space Marine power armour, but he is also wearing robes over that armour, and then a huge Matrix-parody-level trenchcoat over the robes! You should flee from this guy BASED ON FASHION ALONE.

I tried to reflect/acknowledge the SPOOOOOKY POWERS by imparting something of a light blue glow to his helmet, the blade of his sword, and to his hand...the result was mixed, but it was fun to experiment. 

Apothecary

Raven Guard Apothecary contemplates some extracted bits while standing over a fallen comrade.

Medical care among the Space Marines is something of a mixed bag. On the plus side, as a Space Marine you have 100% medical coverage, pretty useful in a job where you expected to face off in battle against terrifying threats which the regular Imperial Army cannot handle. Knowing you can count on the best health care would give you peace of mind, right? 

On the other hand, since they are subject to intense pschyo-conditioning (with emphasis on the "psycho" part), "peace of mind" is not a state most Space Marines would strive for, and in any case, and seeing your "front line health care worker" might erase any peace one might have - meet the Apothecary.

Lots of extra kit comes with this job...

The Apothecary is kitted out in all manner of specialized equipment - the practice of battlefield medicine in the grimdark future being still, well, grim. Drills, saws, injection kit - much of this stuff intended to help keep brother Marines in the battle, but there is another aspect to the job that this specific figure sculpt calls attention to - let's call it "recycling". 

The extracted bits in his palm will provide a replacement for the fallen comrade under his boot...

When a Marine succumbs to injuries in battle, the so-called "gene seed" needs to be recovered so a replacement Marine can be created. With this figure, we can see a fallen Marine on the base, and the Apothecary has recovered some manner of gooey bit. Using the various lenses, he is inspecting it closely, before getting ready to place inside a specimen jar (hanging from his hand). Looking on his chest, you can see a number of other similar jars hanging from his neck...your service to The Emperor thus never truly ends, as your "gooey bits" fight on in other Marines...

That's all for this one - thanks for reading, and thanks to the other Conscripts who are keeping up an incredible painting pace during this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!

Painting Challenge Submission 1 - Space Marine Characters

Bladeguard Ancient (left) and Chaplain (right) for the Raven Guard. Figures from GW.

As you have seen recently on our Blog, Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is back! A number of Conscripts are participating, and already sharing their work here, which is awesome. I'll be starting that as well - the first bit of work to share for my Challenge continues my efforts to build up a force of Raven Guard Space Marines for Games Workshop's "Warhammer 40,000" setting. These two figures are part of that ongoing effort - both are multi-part plastic figures from GW's "Indomitus" box set. They are painted in the colours of the Raven Guard Space Marine Chapter.

Bladeguard Ancient

The Bladeguard Ancient - an ominous fellow who brings this inspiring battle standard to the heat of battle in order to inspire his fellow Marines. As one does.

In Space Marine forces, the "Ancient" is usually the Marine who carries a flag into battle (unless they are a Marine interred into a Dreadnought, but that is a whole other thing). Carry a flag into battle, 40,000 years from now? Well, yes, as one does. Warfare in the dystopian future of Warhammer 40,000 carries with it a sort of dark-age aura. Thus we have genetically-modified super soldiers like the Space Marines doing baroque things like carrying flags and standards into battle. A symbol to rally around is a universal combat motivator, even 40,000 years into the future. This member of the already-scary "Bladeguard" makes his buddies fight even harder with his inspiring battle standard.

The standard is huge - it's a big model. Very over-the-top, and a lot of fun to paint.

But let's reflect on that battle standard a bit, as there is something odd here. Is that a flag? Well, no. Flags are nice, but, what if we kicked things up a notch? Why stop at telling the story of an inspirational martyr? Why stop at putting this martyr's image on a flag? Why indeed, when you can just BRING THE MARTYR'S REMAINS WITH YOU TO WAR? Makes sense to me! Not sure who the skeleton belonged to - maybe a Marine who fell fighting Horus' traitors during the Heresy? Yes, probably that. 

As GW said, this guy is "handy" in a fight...amirite? 

I have to hand to it to the figure sculptors/designers for GW's "Indomitus" box set. They leaned into the sillier aspects of the setting with the right mix of OTT inspiration and affection to create some lovely and fun figures to paint and game with. Look at this nut case! He is CARRYING A SKELETON HAND TO SLAP PEOPLE WITH. I love this. I wish I had five more of these guys to paint for other Chapters.

Chaplain

"Looking for inspiration? I CAN HELP WITH THAT..."

In the year 40,000 we gain an insight into the role of the Chaplain in a Space Marine chapter with a quick glance at his rules. What's this here? "Litany of Hate"? Isn't that the name of the algorithm Twitter uses? Anyway, sounds about right for Warhammer 40,000. Whether it is the Litany of Hate or the Litany of Starbucks, this fellow will jump into battle to inspire his fellow Marines to even greater deeds of heroism in the name of The Emperor, who is of course no longer around, but Is Still Always Around.

This figure is modified, for a couple of reasons. I needed the original top of his "Crozius Arcanum" (a.k.a. fancy baton) for another project. But then when I wanted to paint this fellow, I couldn't just have him carrying a stick, so I cut another skull bit from elsewhere on his armour, and stuck on the top of the baton to create a satisfactory badge of office.

I also love his fancy pistol. Not just because it looks heavy, and has a seal on it, but its name "absolvor" - nice that the Space Marines combine the notion of "absolution" and "revolver". Ah, I love 40k. As I said, the designers for this box set really found a sweet spot - the "Indomitus" box is a tribute to the things that make Space Marines a bit silly, very nicely done. 

I just assume those are all "thank you" notes pinned to his armour, courtesy of fellow Space Marines he has inspired...

I also replaced the un-helmeted head with a Mark III marine helmet. I did this because it is nice to have 30k shout-outs on 40k models, and also because I hate Space Marine figures without helmets. Space is dangerous. The Emperor spent Lots Of Money to create you. Wear your damn helmet.

When you participate in Curt's painting challenge, you are competing essentially against your own target. I have a goal of 1000 points worth of painting...these fellows got me 14 points - so a ways to go, but there are a couple months ahead, so it should be fun! I look forward to sharing more work here, and seeing all of the other work done by fellow Conscripts.

A Couple Of 40k Captains

Space Marine Captain from the GW "Indomitus" box set - there is a lot going on with that shield...

Christmas has come and gone and 2022 approaches - I need to cram a few more posts on to the Blog in order to a) make a push to increase the post count and b) clear the decks for the material that will be submitted to the 12th edition of Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. In this post, we have some more figures I have been painting up for my 40k Raven Guard force - two different "Primaris" Captain figures, painted up for my Raven Guard.

That shield is wild...I didn't do a great job, but passable on it. It is so whacky...I just love it. 

Up first, we have another figure from the "Indomitus" box set. This Captain figure, to me, very much captures the sort of whacky affection that must have inspired the designer who came up with the Space Marine figures in that set. Not only is he a big, scary armoured Space Marine, but he has a huge sword, all sorts of flash and flare on his armour, and then there is the shield!

Not everything will be sword work...there is a heavy bolt pistol in that holster for close-range gun fights.

The Space Marines are often inspired by martyred predecessors in their Chapter. But why settle for a story, when you can just bring the martyr with you? Look at this whacky shield! Such an entertaining tribute to the Space Marine penchant for bones and other morbidly fatalistic iconography. 

Building on this whacky shield is the air of repose. This officer is between scraps, resting on his shield, like it is all just another day at the office. Because it is, right? The actual version of this figure comes with a helmeted head with the visor raised, to complete the effect, and to make it even more pronounced, there are terrain bits of wrecked neurone warriors you can add to the base. 

For my part, I like the officers in my 40k Raven Guard to sport "beakie" style helmets, so I popped one on to this fellow. But I have to hand it to GW, the Marine figures in that "Indomitus" box set are just a ton of fun to paint.

This guy turned out pretty well, but check the seam on his cloak by the left elbow...dammit...

Up next, we have a Space Marine Captain wearing "heavier" heavy armour - I think it is called "Gravis". He is also carrying a heavy bolt rifle - which is like a bolt rifle, but heavier. And of course he has the obligatory huge sword, and fancy cape to wear around on the battlefield - as one does in the 41st millennium. 

I like to include small shout-outs to the 30k-era Raven Guard on the 40k models - in this case, some XIX decals on the cloak.

There was a slight screw up in the assembly of this captain, as I managed to somehow leave a seam on the back of his cloak under the shoulder...idiotic on my part. I thought paint would cover for it, and I was too lazy to resort to green stuff...oh well...if this figure ever achieves something on the gaming table, I'll patch that over with a couple of purity seals or something.

Big gun, big sword, big armour...all set for 40k!

These are big models, lots of character and lots of fun to paint. Overall, I think the version with the big shield is a much more useful figure in the 9th edition of the 40k game, which is essentially a giant brawl on the table. In most games, heavy rifles are of limited use, while huge swords and shields will come in handy as your Marines are swarmed under by whatever they are up against. 

I hope to cram a few more posts in before the calendar turns over - but stay tuned for more from the "Indomitus" box, and from the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!