Ahzek Ahriman says Happy Birthday Aaron!

So, my good friend Dan surprised me with a commissioned paint job of my Ahzek Ahriman figurine for my Thousand Sons Army, and today I have just received pictures of the final product and I am totally blown away.

Sweet baby jesus, he is a thing of beauty.  I cannot wait to field him as the proper center piece of my army.

Thank you very much Dan B, for the gift and Dan W, @ ValhallaGames for the truly awe inspiring paint job.  I thoroughly recommend people use Dan's services.  Top job and a top guy to deal with.

Psychic Scream, to, the face.

Night Lords Land Raider

99% Finished

Night Lords - slowly getting there

Death Guard test scheme WIP

WIP

Here is what I am currently messing around with. For each pic I am still working out a paint scheme for said army. 

Unsure about most of them so far. The red is comming up well on the DE.

 Pre Heresy DG is a bit of a bug bear for me but I think I am closing in on a method I like. The green seems too bright for my liking and whilst I originally wanted a clean looking DG, I now think battle damage / rust suits them well...so I need to figure out how to add that.

Thoughts?

DKOK Platoon Command.

 

Cabal of the Violent Rose

 

Pre Heresy Death Guard

Done, done, done, he is done!

Yes that is right, I am quoting a song by the Madden Brothers.

But anyway, the big boy is finished!  Without further ado, here he is.

Only get the left side of my face paparazzi!

Photo bombed by white plastic walls ;(

Finished Tau Battlesuits

So I managed to finish the Battlesuits I was working on. It actually turned out alright!

Guardcon 40k doubles Tau

So I have started painting my 1000 points of Tau battlesuits for the Guardcon 40k doubles being held on the 13th/14th September.

All the Crisis suits are heavily converted as the original model is ugly as fuck.

I started with a black undercoat and followed up with airbrushed offwhite as seen in the 1st pic.

The 2nd pic shows the models after washing them black.

The stealth suits are going to be a dark grey with a small amount of a bright colour (maybe red) to tie them in with the rest of the army.

More after the next couple of stages.

A jump to the left

The progress continues.  Continues to be drip fed onto the blog as well!  Legs, tail plug and smoke stacks on!

I really like the soot effect I have on the top of the stacks.  It is not as shiny in person as the picture makes you believe.  It really is quite sooty and powdery.

Does anyone else smell bbq?

Moar Maulerfiend progress

Hot on the heels of the Aspiring Champion, the Maulerfiend torso nears completion.
It does look a tad bumble bee-ish, but when sitting on its legs it looks more like danger lines.  Honest.
Oh look, a lolly.

Buzz buzz.

Completed Havoc's Champion

Finished the model and took advantage of natural light + light box to get some pictures of Jeff.

Jeff's best foot going forward.

Rusted Necron heads make good boot toe jam.

Mmm Combi-melta is like a wheat bag on my bad back.

Dear zooming in, I hate you.  Signed visible mistake #762.

Hah! And you thought the next picture would be of a complete Maulerfiend

Well you are wrong!  I have been doing work slowly on this guy.  You know the old, hmm left over gold from that section, so I may as well start his backpack etc.

I thought I should put in a concerted effort and finish him completely.

Pretty happy with the results.  However his axe arm has moved back unbeknownst to me as the glue has set.  I think it is still okay looking <_<.

Troll with axe.

Yet more body parts

A few more pieces of the Hound of Anubis finished.  I must say I am really looking forward to the end of this bad boy.  I love the model.

Tongue the balls...of my feet!

How is our beast coming along Herr Doktor

Well, I must say, I am very pleased thus far with our the Maulerfiend parts are coming along.  All the different techniques I have tried and envisioned for this has worked, thus far.

I have nearly completed the neck and the two magma cutters.  They need some tidying up, the top blue cell shading and the effect on the cutters.  I am leaning towards red, orange, yellow on the tips of the cutter, like I did the power cables on the Terminator.  Thoughts, suggestions, criticisms?

One of those cranes is leaning boss!

WIP Shots

I have nearly finished my first two full Thousand Sons.  I have had a few issues, as I normally do, but points I have noticed.

Failcast is horrid!  Check out how smooth the helmet is.  That is not layers of paint on the forehead making it look funny.  There are also gaps in the the joins on it and twists and goddamn it is rubbish.  For my own well being I am going to have to track down some of the OOP metal & plastic kits.

And next, the hot fix super glue I have is vile.  It is too free flowing and even a touch of it destroys paint.  It is like acetone on steroids.  Plus I currently have no fingerprints on my left-hand because of it.

So, it has been a fun few weeks.  All that aside, some shots of one of the nearly finished article.  His brother is currently in the shop.

All is dust, or failcast.

Hmmm, green bugs.

Terminator and Cultists

I have completed my first Terminator, with Combi-melta and Chain-fist plus another batch of five cultists.  Really happy with how the terminator turned out, the picture most definitely does not do him justice.

For added nerd points, if you can tell me what the Chapter and Company of the Spesh Muhreen helmet on the trophy rack is, Ill send you a prize.

Glory, here they is.  I have not included the other three cultists as they are all the same as previous.

You're only taller because of the statue you are standing on!

Now I really need to do camera practice ;(

Building the Sons

Due to recent changes in the basic rules, Heldrakes have taken a hit in their effectiveness.  Whilst this is not the reason I was taking one, it still got me to thinking about their place in a Thousand Sons army.

It is no secret, to those that know me, that I would love to field a Fire Raptor, but in my current 1850 builds could not find space for it.

Couple the change in the Heldrake and historical fluff, I think the Raptor is probably a better fit for the Thousand Sons army.  As such I will be making that change to my default army list, well that and other changes.  This decision is also compounded with my new paint scheme and my inability to remove paint well off existing models.  I think the Heldrake maybe destined to be a hideous Death Guard flyer.

So, this now brings me to my new army list, which I have below.  The main elements are still Ahriman and the large blob of Rubicae and the rest are included to make it at least a semi decent force.  I do still have 91 points to spend, and this is where I need help.

As a result, critique and comments appreciated.

[Edit]: Changes made after lengthy email conversations with Dandan.  It is now right on the 1850.  I am not 100% sure how I feel about this incarnation, primarily due to the loss of MoT on the Terminators.

Thousand Sons - 1850 - <<insert cool army name here>>

HQ (320pts)
- Ahriman
- Sorcerer, additional Mastery Level, Melta bombs, Power armour

Elites (210pts)

- Chaos Terminators x 5
   - Power axe + Combi-plasma

   - Power axe + Combi-plasma

   - Lightning claw + Heavy flamer
   - Lightning claw + Combi-plasma
   - Chainfist + Combi-melta (Champion)

Troops (595pts)
- Chaos Cultists x 10
- Chaos Cultists x 10
- Thousand Sons x 19, Aspiring Sorcerer x 1

Fast Attack (350pts)
- Raptors x 5
  - Boltgun, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Boltgun, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Meltagun, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Meltagun, Bolt Pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Boltgun, Bolt pistol, Power fist (Champion)

- Fire Raptor
  - Twin-linked Avenger bolt cannon
  - Two independent turret-mounted Reaper battery
  - Four wing-mounted Hellstrike missiles

Heavy Support (375pts)
- Havocs x 5
  - Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon
  - Combi-melta, Close combat weapon (Champion)

Maulerfiend
 - Magma cutters

Maulerfiend
 - Magma cutters

Rhino-saurus

Painted something

New first unit completed...

I have done it.  I have completed the first unit in my army in the new colour scheme, and it is one I am totally in love with.  Yes, it is only the cultists but they are a taste of things to come.

I could not be happier with how these guys have turned out.  I really have pushed myself on these and learnt a few new tricks.  Now to just keep the momentum going.  Five marines are already on the chop for next.

Thousand Sons cultists!

As they grew organically based on a rough guide I thought I should write down just how I did them.  Man, talk about a long document.  All up thirty different paints, more if you include the layers on the base.

The rubble like sand on the bases, that is kitty litter ladies and gents.

Why anyone would want to be a cultist I do not know.  Poor medical and dental plan, crappier gear, poor chance of survival and an even less chance of progression.

Cultists now form a gang.

Another WIP of the near complete first unit of cultists.  Just a shot taken late last night.  On completion I will do some shots in the light box.

Sven is not happy with his short mount!

The rabble start to form into a ~insert collective noun~ of cultists!

Whilst I have some plastic in the green bath of removal doom, I wanted to paint something 40k to keep my army growing/starting/moving etc.

As I have ten cultists all built, prepped and cleaned, I thought why not get them going.  So here is Sven, a WIP of the bare chested cultist.

I really am enamoured with how the skin has turned out.  I wanted a pallid bed sore ridden look, you know like a computer nerd who hasnt left the basement since the Heresy.  And I think I have got it.

I also have been playing with my new Foldio lightbox from Orangemonkie.  Still early stages, and my hands shake, but the pictures are not half bad.

Sven has a pretty good ab work out regime.

Hmmm, bedsores.

Ave Dominus Nox

Painting some Nightlords for the kids

Gaming Night - Battle Report

The original intent of this post was to be an in depth battle report from the game played on our first gaming night of the year. However due to the shortness of the game I will provide a summary of events rather than an overly long report.

Armies:

Rob - Imperial Tank Company

HQ Vanquisher w/ beast hunter

Commissar w/ beast hunter

Tank Destroyer

Leman Russ Battle Tank (3)

Leman Russ Executioner w/ Plasma Cannon

Vulture w/ twin linked punisher cannon

Colossus (2)

Medusa w/ enclosed crew

Josh - Eldar

Not to sure of specifics but...

Farseer

Avatar

Warlock Council

Dire Avengers

Guardians

Wraith Guard in Wave Serpent

Crimson Hunter

Fire Prism

Wraith Knight

Maybe some more stuff

Turn One:

Guard - 
First shot kills the Wraith Knight with a beast hunter shell. That pretty much summed up the game for the Eldar.
Leman Russ kills 5 guardians
Medusa kills 3 dire avengers
Executioner 2 wounds on avatar
Leman Russ and Collosus strip 1 hull point from Fire Prism

Eldar - 
Farseer guides Fire Prism
Fire Prism destroyed weapon on Medusa. Rob rolls the Heavy Bolter as the random weapon.
Wailing Doom failed miserably

Eldar - 
Farseer guides Fire Prism
Fire Prism destroyed weapon on Medusa. Rob rolls the Heavy Bolter as the random weapon.
Wailing Doom failed miserably

Turn Two:

Guard - 
Vulture arrives from reserve
Beast Hunter shells finishes off the Avatar
Fire Prism losses last hull point
Eldar are tabled as all else are in reserve

Guard lost a single hull point and a heavy bolter on a tank.

Creature Caster Kickstarter

For those of you who are interested the Creature Caster Kickstarter is in its last week.

Basically it is an alternate source of Greater Daemons and dragons for wargaming.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jeremyglen/creature-caster-first-wave

Initially I was considering getting the two Slannesh look daemons, however now I am leaning towards the Maggot Demon and the Plague Angel.

Both would be worthy additions to my Nurgle list that is in the works.

Thousand Sons, paint schemes and crisis of faith.

So I have had a crisis of faith with regards to my chosen paint scheme for my Thousand Sons.

I know, it is probably not the time to use that saying, especially as it is only in relation to my nerdy hobby, but it still expresses how I feel.

I used to dislike the more traditional variations of blue/gold of the Thousand Sons.  This is what pushed me down the path using the pre-heresy colour scheme.  However as I wanted to see what the Dark Angels robed bodies were like I thought I would paint one up more traditionally.  I tested out some blue, and some gold.  Then at Paul's behest weathered up the robe and used a mega dry brush on the edges of the armour (mimicking edge highlighting).  It needs a weapon, and a bit of tidying up, but the result is below.

Traditional colour scheme with robes.

And this is where I came to my crisis.  I was surprised how much I liked the traditional look, more so than the red I have been painting.  After much soul searching, deep thinking, and random dice rolling, I have finally decided to go with it, and eventually strip and repaint the old red guard.

My final products will be a slightly different blue, as I am going to use the Army Painter Ultramarine spray over a dual primed model.

A few questions now remain.  Should I do the lines on the headdress yellow or gold?  It varies on units and images you see.  And what should my dry-brushed highlight colour be?  I feel the green is probably a bit too alien next to the Ultramarine.

First complete unit in the house!

Yes, you read it here.  I have completed the first unit in my Thousand Sons army!

Perge ad gloriam!

That is two Raptors with bolter + chainsword, two with meltaguns and the unit champion with bolter, chainsword and meltabombs.