# All things Chaos: Nordicus's Chaos project log



## Nordicus

Right, time to jump into this whole project log business.

*Introduction*

I love Chaos. Simple as that. I think that both the Chaos Daemons and Chaos Space Marines are awesome armies, with great variety and some very awesome looking models. They were my first choice and my last - I've never regretted it, never reconsidered and never looked anywhere else.

Seeing as my armies are reaching some decent sizes, I thought it would be time to start a project log. So here goes.

This project log is for both of my armies. Every time I start a new model I will upload my progress in this thread going forward. I hope you will enjoy this log and I welcome any feedback, tips, salutations and hugs.

*Armies*

The painted models so far can also be seen at these 2 army pages:

*Chaos Space Marines:*
http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/army.php?do=viewarmy&army_id=833

_These are primarily painted in the Black Legion style. I've always liked this theme and the fluff behind the Black Legion. I do take my liberties at certain places (specifically the gold/silver ratio on the armor) and on models such as the Plague marines, but overall I stick to the theme for now._

_This army is at roughly 2.500 points so far. _

*Chaos Daemons:*
http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/army.php?do=viewarmy&army_id=861&like=like
_
For now it's primarily Khorne. I really enjoy the speed and general carnage the Khornates can produce and so far they have been working great! I'm slowly but steadily moving into the Tzeentch department now however, but will only display the finished painted models in this army list. After this, I'm not sure which god to choose - We shall see!_.

_This army is also at roughly 2.500 points so far. _

*Picture examples*

For some examples of my work so far, here are a few to start off with. The rest of the painted models as of today can be found in either log, along with the amount of models that are in each army:

*Chaos Daemons:*
Soulgrinder









Skulltaker









Bloodthirster









*Chaos Space Marines:*
Chaos Lord









Obliterators









Chaos Space Marines


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## Nordicus

Right, now that the project log has been established, let's get on to the first model that I'm currently working on; A daemon prince of Tzeentch. That's right, the very first Tzeentch unit!

This is my first model with a blue theme, so it's very much a experiment for me - I use the techniques from the previous models, but are trying out what colors to use for the theme overall.

So far I have it primed, 1 layer of wash and the first highlight. Currently it looks like this:









I am missing 1-2 highlights yet, but so far I'm liking the hue of the blue. 

I'm currently contemplating what the metal parts should be (on his arms, legs, etc.) but I'm thinking gold as it is Tzeentch. The cloth will probably be a shade of white.

When the final highlights on the skin is done, I will post another update.


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## Ddraig Cymry

Looking good so far. Doing anything interesting with him?


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## Nordicus

Ddraig Cymry said:


> Looking good so far. Doing anything interesting with him?


Well depends what you define by interesting - He's very much a experiment in the blue theme for me in addition to white cloth, which I haven't done either. However, I am contemplating how to do the sword to make it look more magical. 

Also considering doing something about the star in his chest - Either burned or red or something - Making it look like it's a fresh wound. 

Alot of thoughts - Not sure which to choose from!


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## VanAlberict

Go with a contrast color. Everything else is going to tie in well the contrast being on the weapon and the chest star (maybe even the body runes) would make it pop really well. Orange/yellow comes to mind but to really keep the tzench going pink/red/purple would work too


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## Nordicus

VanAlberict said:


> Go with a contrast color


Not a bad idea - The sword could be dark red fading to black or the like. I will make sure to post a screen tomorrow, if I get to that part!


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## Jacobite

Nice work on the DP, not a huge fan of the model for 40k, much prefer the old one but the blue is a great start. Have you thought about maybe yellow for the chest color or would that clash with the gold?


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## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> Nice work on the DP, not a huge fan of the model for 40k, much prefer the old one but the blue is a great start


Thanks!

I think I will do the wound as the very last bit, as I'm still in doubt as to whether should do it or not.

For now I have finished the flesh highlighting and gave it a blue glaze. The result is quite good and I'm happy with it!

I decided to mix a gold for the "runes" on his arms and legs, as I will be going gold and white cloth theme for him. Thinking both of the Lord of Change and The Thousand Sons, it looked to be a obvious choice for now. 

However, I am not a fan of the current gold range from GW so I made a 33/33/33 mix of Hashnut Copper, Warplock Bronze and Auric Armor gold. This gives the old shiny gold that I also use on my Space Marines.

















Today I will finish the rest of the armor (most likely the same gold. I did the parts yesterday and then went to sleep to see if I still liked it when I woke up.) and maybe the teeth and bones as well.


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## Nordicus

Quick update:

I decided to go along with the gold part and got it all painted up. The belt is black metal (similar to a anvil) and the bones on his body will be done with a grey variant, shaded with blue. Missing the highlights on the bones at this point, as he's drying.

Oh and now he's got eyes and teeth!










Next update will most likely be when he's done. My biggest question is what color to do the wings in. I'm thinking grey as well, but not entirely sure. 

Any and all input are, as usual, welcome.


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## Ddraig Cymry

Looking good! The blue looks really nice on him! Fleshing out the details really helped make it look a lot better.


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## Kreuger

He's looking really good. The gradation in the blue-black skin tone is very . . . satisfying. I feel like you need more color contrast in the model somewhere.

Will you be doing the wings as well, they might give you an opportunity for more contrast?


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Will you be doing the wings as well, they might give you an opportunity for more contrast?


I was actually considering this, and was playing around with various color schemes. However, I found that the small points would give a better contrast, so I based the rest of the model around having the contrast focus on his eyes and the gold armor. 

As such, here is the finished result:









He became a bit darker than originally anticipated, but overall I like it. In my opinion Tzeentch models quickly become almost too shiny and cartoonish, which is what I wanted to avoid. The blade was made to be dark metal, with the runes trying to shine a bit. I will admit however, that I have alot to learn about shading and grading on metals - It's damn tough!

In the end, I like how focus his eyes and armor gets with this color theme. The wings became a dark grey mixed with turqoise (as can be seen on the right) and his bones became grey with lighter highlights.

Oh and I tried a few things with the chest-star to emphasize it. In the end, I decided to leave it be as there are already enough things on him to take attention, so I dropped this under the "kill your darlings" category for now. Maybe I will change my mind in the future and re-do that part.

Overall, quite satisfied with my first blue themed Daemon prince! 

Oh and thank you all of you for your feedback. Many things on him got altered thanks to you, so I hope you will follow this project log and keep giving those awesome feedbacks!

Next project will be a Helldrake, which is also going to contest for Octobers painting competition  As such, I won't start it until I can make that proof-of-priming-on-date shot.


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## Ddraig Cymry

Lovely work! He came out very well!


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## The Son of Horus

That blue-grey skintone came out great on the daemon prince!


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## VanAlberict

Really really really like the weapon and the overall end result ^^


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## SwedeMarine

You did an excellent job on this guy Noridcus. Definetly gotta give you some rep for that.


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## Nordicus

Thanks alot for all your comments guys  You could make even Khorne smile.

I will start the next project soon, just need the next painting deathmatch thread to be established.


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## Kreuger

The quality of the work looks great =)

If you get a chance could you take some photos in brighter light?


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## Lemmy1916

Amazing color on the big smurf prince! deep and smooth! Altough the base could have been a bit more detailed for a character like that.

+ rep anyways


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## Nordicus

Lemmy1916 said:


> Amazing color on the big smurf prince! deep and smooth! Altough the base could have been a bit more detailed for a character like that.


Thank you very much! I did consider the basing, but I prefer simple bases myself - I would rather have the focus on the miniature itself and have the base being a overall theme for the entire army.

Maybe I will change my mind in the future though.


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## Kreuger

I tend to think it's a good idea to paint the base, but it needn't be more complicated than you made it.

I agree with you, I prefer simpler bases. When I place my models on the table the base should almost disappear. I do simple green bases because I typically play on green mats, but I've often wondered if transparent bases would be better. So every model looks more like it is directly on the game surface.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> I tend to think it's a good idea to paint the base, but it needn't be more complicated than you made it.


Oh I absolutely agree - Bases should be painted and have a theme. A unpainted base looks (in my eyes) like a incomplete model.

I also agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your statement.


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## Nordicus

Righto, time for the next project; a Heldrake!










It is going to be done in a Black Legion theme (as that's the rest of my Chaos Space Marine army) but I will be trying to do a few, subtle, things with it. Especially the.... rump, will be trying to be given the _"goddamn that's blasting heat out of that!"_ experiment. 

Beyond that, I will try to keep it sleek, simple and (hopefully) a nice example of how the Black Legion theme can work really well on a model. I will be using my custom gold color though.

Other than that, this is also a return to my Chaos Space Marine army, as I haven't painted anything in that since June. 

I will keep you all posted!


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## Ddraig Cymry

Ah yes, the Helchicken. Good luck man  What kind of scheme are you thinking?


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## Nordicus

Ddraig Cymry said:


> What kind of scheme are you thinking?


I will be going Black Legion with this birdy. With the antique gold mix (that I also used for the Pappa Smurf daemon prince) and some hellfire here and there (eyes, weapons, exhausts, etc), I believe it will be a nice looking flyer. 

Black Legion can be a tough theme to make look really nice, and not just look standard (as on the box - That's a hideous Black Legion theme in my opinion), so I'll be trying a few things


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## Nordicus

Right, time for a little update. Sorry for the long wait, but this month has been quite busy so far, so I haven't had that much time to paint 

The gold parts are now painted, and it looks like this:










I'm still quite happy with this gold mix, as it has the right balance of darkness and shininess that many gold colors doesn't. They are often either too bright or they don't have the right shine to it.

Now for the metal parts and some shading. I'm still contemplating if I should just shade the gold a bit or if I should lightly drybrush it with a light metal, to give it a weathered look. I'm just a bit sceptical as it could make it look less gold and more bronze'ish that way.

Either way, Stay tuned for more progress on the Hellchicken.


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## neferhet

Very shiny! Wich paints have you used?


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## Nordicus

I made 2 layers: The undercoat is a 50/50 mix of Warplock Bronze and Rhinox Hide. The actual gold itself is a 33/33/33 mix of Hashnut Copper, Warplock Bronze and Auric Armor gold.

The undercoat is not necessarily needed, but it gives a good "worn" look on the areas where the gold coat could be a bit thin. You won't need to cover it all 100% with the undercoat.


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## Jacobite

That's a very nice gold. Personally I would try and do a progressive shade from front to back, so made it darker at the front just to simulate wear and tear, probably also make it quite dark around the "engines" as well.


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## SwedeMarine

Looks good man. May i suggest adding a bit of wear and teal to the front edges of all the wings?


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## Miami

Great project log. The Daemon Prince looks stunning (in a grim, chaosy way) and your Heldrake shows great promise!

And I love your Skulltaker.


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## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> Personally I would try and do a progressive shade from front to back, so made it darker at the front just to simulate wear and tear, probably also make it quite dark around the "engines" as well.





SwedeMarine said:


> May i suggest adding a bit of wear and teal to the front edges of all the wings?


Those are some excellent suggestions and I will be trying out various things. Currently I'm battling with getting the metals to look a little rough, and oh god is it hard. Fleshy bits is so much easier to work with -.-



Miami said:


> Great project log. The Daemon Prince looks stunning (in a grim, chaosy way) and your Heldrake shows great promise!


Thanks man! If you have any questions to any of it, just shoot and I will do my best to answer.

I expect an update this weekend as I will try to finish it within the next few days. So here's hoping for some good results!


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## Nordicus

Right, time for an update.

As the wings are currently a work in progress, I though I'd show you the body and how it's progressing.










As you can see, the iron details have come on now and the body is nearly ready for it's glowy effects. The picture doesn't really do it justice, but th weathering is also good underway but it takes a TON of shading layers to get it right.

I tried to make a closeup. I hope this shows it better:









Currently I'm contemplating giving the weathering a final treatment (after the next shading) of brushed iron on the heavy weathered areas. Not sure yet.

Now before I do the glowing effects and the final shading and cleanup (yes, there is a bit of gold flowing out of bounds) I will make the wings to an equal standing as this. 

_I hate working with metal colors - It's so slow and tedious _

A followup will come either tonight or tomorrow as I'm working on it heavily this weekend.


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## Kreuger

Hey Nord,
The drake is looking good. I'm sorry to hear the metallic are irritating. I tend to think they are easier to work with than other colours.

I think the metallics are looking very nice. The trim has a satisfying amount of shading, texture, and variation.

I think the black is lacking in comparison. Demonstrating that level of texture on the trim makes the black look flat. On the one hand, that means it fades away and the trim stands out; on the other hand it looks like everything hasn't weathered at the same time.

I would encourage you to break up the tidyness of the black areas with some washes, streaks of metal or gray as though there are scratches or striations, and stippling or sponging some silver(lead belcher) or silver-brass for wear and battle damage.

Here is how I handled a similar project problem.  I was painting a Heldrake as worn bronze covered in verdigris. But I varied the wear so there was less verdigris on the leading edges of the model.


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## Khorne's Fist

The metallics look great. Love the weathering.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> I think the black is lacking in comparison. Demonstrating that level of texture on the trim makes the black look flat. On the one hand, that means it fades away and the trim stands out; on the other hand it looks like everything hasn't weathered at the same time.
> 
> I would encourage you to break up the tidyness of the black areas with some washes, streaks of metal or gray as though there are scratches or striations, and stippling or sponging some silver(lead belcher) or silver-brass for wear and battle damage.


I was thinking the same after I posted the pictures. My thoughts was to try and make the black look a bit oily actually, combined with battleworn.

I will try a few things out - I want it to look dirty in the end, so I will definately take some inspiration from yours!



Khorne's Fist said:


> The metallics look great. Love the weathering.


Thanks alot! It's all learning at this stage, as I have learned alot of new things since last i painted a Chaos Space Marine model


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## Kreuger

Good luck, Nord. I'm looking forward to see how this turns out!


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## Nordicus

So yeah, a "little" update. Basically I have been painting, eating and painting since the last update.

That kinda means that, well, I finished the model. I took all advice into account and tried my hand at a infernal machine glow effect. 

The finished product looks like this:









For a little closeup on the gloweffect that's been used on the head, stomach and "ass" here you it is:









At this point, I'm looking at it and having that "Yeah, I'm satisfied. It's done" feeling. That means, taking previous examples into account that I should consider it finished and let it be. Otherwise I will probably ruin it 

The glow-effect was by far the most interesting part of the paintjob. It took alot of thought to get the effect right and I'm still learning the ropes of the thinning down the paints and making the transitions natural. Any good tips are welcome in this area.

All in all, it's the best "metal themed" model I've done yet. A lot of new things have been tried out _(some were failures and thus was erased before you could see them)_ and overall I'm very satisfied with it. Took me longer than anticipated but hey, such is life.

I hope you like it! 

Next project will be determined tomorrow. Right now I'm debating whether to enter next months single miniature competition which would mean another Daemon Prince or just go for some Pink Horrors instead. I will see what the result becomes.


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## Jacobite

Really nice work on a mini I really don't like, the OSL looks bloody awesome mate!


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## Miami

Looks great! The glowy eyes make it look very menacing.


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## Kreuger

That turned out looking really good. You should be proud of your work! =)


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## Saintspirit

That drake is looking great. I really ought to buy one myself - it is just that I really don't like to paint large models...


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## Nordicus

Saintspirit said:


> it is just that I really don't like to paint large models...


I can totally sympathize with that. The reason I painted this model was because it has been standing on my table for something like 2-3 months and just staring at me. I felt bad and thought it was time to finish it.

But personally i vastly prefer smaller models.


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## Saintspirit

Nordicus said:


> I can totally sympathize with that. The reason I painted this model was because it has been standing on my table for something like 2-3 months and just staring at me. I felt bad and thought it was time to finish it.


Heh, totally know what you mean with that. This Wraithknight I got for a birthday present must have taken at least 2 1/2 months before I could call myself done with him.


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## Nordicus

Right, time for the next project - Or should I say projects.

That's right, this time I will do 2 projects simultaneously. After finishing the Heldrake, I was in a pickle on what to paint next. I didn't feel like doing a big model (luckily I have none left) but I also wanted to compete in this months painting competition - A thing I haven't competed in since the very first. Needless to say, I didn't feel my skills was up to snuff. I'm ready to give it a crack now!

However, seeing as this months painting competition is a monster, I decided to paint up the last Daemon Prince in my collection for now. So I will do another smurf, while this one will be armored:









However, I also wanted to finally paint up my Pink Horror squad. I haven't painted small figures since my Bloodletters and honestly I'm craving the challenge. So on the side, I will also be painting 20 Pink Horrors and a Herald on Disc:









The Daemon prince will be done during this month, while the Pink Horrors might take longer, seeing as they don't have a deadline. But I will be providing more in-depth steps for the Pink Horrors as I have already done one for the Daemon prince. This one will have some armor on it, but the other parts will be the same as previously.

Now for the Pink Horrors start: As you can see I've already started a bit - Well actually they've stood like this for about 1½ month. They were primed in white and the basecoat is "Pink Horror" (Surprise!). Next they will be shaded with "Carrobough Crimson" as the Herald already has been.

The disc will done similarly to my Smurf princes. Based with "Caledor Sky" and shaded with "Drakenhof Nightshade". 

Seeing as I'm doing 2 projects this time, there might be longer between updates. I apologise but hope you will stay tuned regardless!


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## Nordicus

So I had plenty of time to get things painted this weekend so here's a little update before I head off to bed.

Firstly the Daemon prince is over half done. I didn't show the first stages as those have been detailed earlier in the project. However, seeing as I've reached the armor bit (which the other guy didn't have) a little image is in order.










As you can see, I'm trying to go for a good mix of weathered iron and gold. I'm trying to go for some of the tricks that I learned on the Heldrake to give it some funk, while the bracelets and ornaments on him will be given the same treatment as the other guy - You know to keep the theme. So far I like it!

On the Pink Horrors front, I've now primed and shaded them all. One of my friends, who recently got into the hobby, asked me how much a shading actually does. As I'm sure there are both veterans and newcomers watching this, I thought a little comparison shot was a fun addition:









The guy on the left is simply primed in "Pink horror" pink. The guy on the right also have the "Carrobough Crimson" shading added to him. And that's how all 20 are looking currently. Yeah, I've focused a bit on the prince for now to get him done for the competition - I'm also contemplating the colors I need to use on these guys. Currently I'm thinking "Emperors Children" for the first highlight and possible a 50/50 mix of "Emperors Children" and "Bleached Bone" for the 3rd. Any thoughts in this area are highly welcome!

That's it for now - I'll keep you updated!


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## SwedeMarine

Heldrake was spot on man. ANd these guys are also coming along very nicely. Im not sure about using Emperors Children for the first highlights however as i think it might make them appear a little bit cartoon. on the other hand they are pink horrors so It could very well work.


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## Miami

Your armor and icons on the prince look pristine. You paint metals really well. 

Looking forward to how you do your pink flesh aswell. I'm thinking of picking up a couple of spawns this weekend, and having an idea how to paint them is always nice 

Good luck and keep up the good work!


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## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> Im not sure about using Emperors Children for the first highlights however as i think it might make them appear a little bit cartoon. on the other hand they are pink horrors so It could very well work.


I know what you mean. It's the same problem I had with the blue hues ont he Daemon Prince, which is why it took me so long to paint the first one. I was afraid that they came out too cartoonish, so I might have to see what I do. Maybe a mix of the primer color and Emperors children, to take some of the edge of?



Miami said:


> Looking forward to how you do your pink flesh aswell. I'm thinking of picking up a couple of spawns this weekend, and having an idea how to paint them is always nice


Haha always glad to be of service! I will be looking forward to seeing your experiments as well ;D


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## Nordicus

Right, so as you might have noticed (if you follow the various competitions here on this forum that is) the Smurf Prince is now done:










I'm quite happy with the balance between iron and gold, as I feel it still makes him majestic enough for a Tzeentch prince but also give him the impression that he's ready for combat. Alot of magical armor can easily look a tad too shiny, as if it won't really protect the wearer as much as it will bling-bling him all the way to the grave.

Now I can focus entirely on the Pink Horrors.


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## Jacobite

Nice work on the metals, I find it difficult to make them standout from each other but that's just me. Prince looks really good, especially for such a hideous mini (again my personal taste there).


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## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> I find it difficult to make them standout from each other but that's just me


Oh I'm with you on that one. Truth be told I'm still having alot of trouble with it, especially on large flat areas, such as the axe head. I've kinda figured it out on bendy plates and armor, such as his thigh-plates, but the large areas are still a pain. I'm sure there's a easy trick or the like that I'm missing.


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## Nordicus

Right, time for a update.

I am currently in the process of adding the 2nd highlight to all the 20 Pink Horrors, bringing it to a stage that looks like this:










So far the pink hue is quite satisfying, and it's not nearly as "screaming" as I had feared. I am not sure if I should add a 3rd highlight, or if it would make it a bit too bright. I am considering if there could be a made a glaze effect on them, similar to the Bloodletter one from GW, that would give it all a nice finish on the blends. 

The colors are made with mixes of "Pink Horror", "Emperors Children" and "Ubshabti Bone" from the GW line of paints. However, I am actually considering making a painting tutorial when I am done with these, if people are interested. _You guys who reads this, do let me know if you wish to have a seperate step-by-step guide to make these fellas, as I know Pink can be a pain to work with.
_
Other thoughts, thinking ahead, is that I will most likely be trying to make som OSL from the flames, which will be blue (Blue Fires of Tzeentch and all that) and try to make them look magical in their own right. I am looking forward to that part in particular! 

As always, thoughts, ideas and tips are most welcome!


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## SwedeMarine

I think you should see where you stand once the mdoel is fully painted before you decide on a thrid highlight. As they are not they look good but with the model painted up it might be different. 

As for the turtorial i for one spend alot of time looking around the tutorials section for ideas and inspiration and since i still want to do a Slanesshi themed CSM army i would love to see a tutorial on doing pink.


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## Miami

I think what SwedeMarine said is a good idea, paint it up near completion and then decide if it would look better with a third highlight. Or since you have twenty of them, make two test models; one with a third highlight and one as you have it now and compare the two. If you decide you don't like the one with a third highlight just paint over it with the darker tone!

Oh, and I'd LOVE to see a tutorial!


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## Nordicus

@Miami @SwedeMarine Both are solid suggestions - I will definitely do that. Thanks!

Oh and there's already enough interest in the tutorial for me making it. After these fellas are done, I will do a step-by-step tutorial in how to make them from scratch 

Next update will come when this layer of highlights are done!


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## Nordicus

Right, time for a update. I am nearing in on finishing these, but it's taking extra time due to the following:

- There's bloody 20 of them
- I'm carefully trying to find out how to do the flames, feathers, beaks, etc.
- I'm trying to document all of it, so I can make a comprehensive tutorial after these are done. The goal is to make one that applies to veterans as well as new painters looking for advice.

At the stage (stage 8) they look like this, having just gone through the "SHADE IT UP!" stage:










As you can see I chose to go with the Blue Fires of Tzeentch theme, as I think blue fires look alot more magical than usual. I just really like blue fire.

I'm finishing up the details and just miss the following:

- Highlights on flames, bones, etc
- OSL from the fire
- Beaks on the birdversions

These are taking a lot longer than anticipated, but they are turning out better than anticipated! I think I will do the feathers in white, with a blue shade in the cracks. The beaks will be a transition from a desert sand color to a more yellow color.

Any tips and thoughts are welcome.


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## Ddraig Cymry

I really admire how simple and excellent your flesh tones turn out, great job!


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## Tawa

Bugger me with a pumpkin! :shok:

That looks great, Nord! Can't wait for a family shot! :so_happy:


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## Jacobite

Blue fire does stand out really well against the pink skin, creates a nice contrast.


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## SwedeMarine

That is a gorgeous Horror Nodicus. If you are still unsure about wether or not you want to add another layer of highlighting , my personal preference would be to leave it as is.


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## Nordicus

And they are done! By now the tutorial should also be up (can be found here) but here are a few shots of the final paintjob:










I will also modify this post with a family shot, once they have all been based. 

In the end I decided to keep the layering of the skin as it was. The hue was satisfying and I was afraid that they would be a bit too bright if I added another.

These guys were a real challenge. They had ALOT more detail than originally anticipated and they caught my a bit offguard in the end. After writing the tutorial (which is a big-ass post, a bit of warning) I'm looking forward to painting something else for a while xD I cannot recommend painting 20 at a time!

Now what should I do - A Plaguebearer squad or a Sorcerer in Terminator armor. Hmm....


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## Jacobite

Thanks Nord, your way of doing blue flames I will be trying out on my PA Libby when I get round to him. + rep


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## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> your way of doing blue flames I will be trying out on my PA Libby when I get round to him


Hehe that's awesome - Seeing as you helped me out on the oxydation, I'm seriously glad you could use the tutorial


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## Nordicus

Oh I almost forgot - Those of you with sharp eyes probably noticed that there was a Herald of Tzeentch in the first Pink Horror photo. He got done as well, but I completely forgot to upload a photo of him in all the tutorial writing madess:










Still undecided of the next project. I will probably try the Plaguebearers and the herald there.

EDIT: I've decided. It's time for some Plaguebearers! 20 of them and a Herald! Now I'm not gonna do a tutorial on these guys, as the awesome painter @Saintspirit already made one hell of a tutorial right here. I will try to do them a bit differently though, with some inspiration from his good advice!


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## Tawa

Fuck me that's awesome mate! :good:


----------



## SwedeMarine

Love your Pink Horror Herald Mate. Looking forward to seeing you work on those plague bearers.


----------



## Jacobite

Love that Herald. Is that stock or converted? (I don't know daemons well)


----------



## Saintspirit

Believe it is a stock one. It looks very good (I can't say I like the disc very much though, but that is more how it is sculpted).

Also, thanks very much for the compliment Nordic; it will sure be fun to see how my tute will inspire your painting here.


----------



## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> Love that Herald. Is that stock or converted? (I don't know daemons well)


Aye it's the stock one. Unfortunately Tzeentch is the only god where you can only buy the Herald on a Disc if you want to buy only the herald - You can't get him just on foot like the 3 others. Otherwise you have to buy a Burning Chariot and not make it a transport, so you can get a herald on the side, where it follows with a base. Quite annoying 



Saintspirit said:


> Also, thanks very much for the compliment Nordic;


Credit is given, where credit is due my friend!


----------



## Miami

The Herald looks top-notch! Keep it up mate!


----------



## Relise

Just flicked through the photos as ive seen your stuff in the monthly challenge. Its all looking awesome! Certainly an inspiration to keep painting 😊

Its making me want to paint my Chaos Marines now to use as Allies. Keep up the excellent work.


----------



## Nordicus

@Miami @Relise Thanks for the praise! It's always a pleasure to see people liking your work and, being even more awesome, become inspired by it. If there's anything in the logs that you wish to know more about, do ask and I will happily go more in depth.

Now on to todays update. The Nurgle update.

I decided to start off by painting just the Herald, so I could get a template for how I want my Nurgle units to be. Although to be fair, I decided this halfway through the 2nd highlight of all 20 units, so they're already about 50% done. 

The end result came out like this:









A bit darker than other versions, but looking through my stuff you shouldn't really be surprised at this point. While I want my Tzeentch and partly Khorne units to be bright and flashy, I've always thought of Nurgle as a horror movie; Dark, grim, gory and nasty. They're the zombies of 40k so I want them to look as nasty as I can, with a dark hue and guts galore.
I used the tips from @Saintspirit on the boils and the gory bits, as it worked excellent so thanks for that buddy!

The biggest change from a usual model that you will usually see, is probably how I made the sword. I never really liked the brown and dull version that was on the box, and always thought of them more like a rusty sword. After all, they do have the touch of rust, that will rust any metal they touch. So hey, why not try and display that? My thought was that the handle was bronze and it slowly changed into the metal blade - A transition from oxidation to rust, to show the change of material. I quite like it, and will definately do it on the rest of the models as well. 

Some people have also been asking how I like the new technical paints that has been released from GW. On this particular model, and the subsequent models, I have used no less than 3 of them: Ryza Rust on the rusty sword, Nihilakh Oxide on the bronze bits and Nurgle's Rot on the slimey parts. Personally I absolutely love them and they make a great impression on the model. I can heavily recommend them!

Now, on to the 20 models that are looking at me, before all the Christmas presents get here. I don't know if I will get to do another update before Christmas, so let me take the chance to wish all of you readers a very Merry Christmas!


----------



## Saintspirit

Always nice when one's work inspires others! I wish a Merry Christmas to you too (and, naturally, to all you others who read this).


----------



## Jacobite

Awesome work, the fashion these days tends to be to paint them quite light however I really dig the darker greens you've used here. The Nurgle's rot in particular looks really good.


----------



## Tawa

Nice work on the Herald 

I'm not allowed to give you a cookie at the minute though


----------



## zxyogi

This whole thread needs thorough purging!!!
:laugh:
On another note...excellent work that man!!
:good:


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## Nordicus

Right, time for a update. Before we continue however, I would like to wish all of you a verry happy New Year! I hope you all had a awesome evening with your friends and family, and that all of your fingers are intact. Keep being awesome!

Now on to the update.



Jacobite said:


> the fashion these days tends to be to paint them quite light however I really dig the darker greens you've used here


I totally agree, and I wanted to go against that tide. I prefer the darker and more grotesque hue of green when dealing with things rotten and it works quite good. Thanks alot for the comment man!



Tawa said:


> Nice work on the Herald





zxyogi said:


> This whole thread needs thorough purging!!!
> 
> On another note...excellent work that man!!


Thanks both of you - But there shall be no purging here! Only more lovable chaotic things! Muha! :biggrin:

If any of you follow the monthly painting competitions, you will probably notice that I submitted the 20 Plaguebearers last night. I didn't get to update this blog though, as I was in a hurry (movie with the girlfriend and all), so here we go. The 20 nasties are done and they turned out like this:

















As you can see, I gave them the same treatment as the Herald, to make them match in appearance. I have to say that these are probalby some of the units that I'm most satisfied with, and I also used nearly every tool in my painting box to get them done. I am very open to suggestions to improve the next Nurgle units however, so any thoughts from the crowd are very welcome! Hit me with your worst!

I am considering making a painting tutorial for my next Project which will most likely be the Great Unclean One. As I didn't want to write another tutorial for Plaguebearers (Due to the @Saintspirit guide being out) I can show my approach to the color theme via the big guy instead. If any of you are interested in this, do let me know and I will make it happen.

A little teaser is also on the horizon, as after the Great Unclean one, I will start dabbling in Slaanesh. Whether it will be Daemonettes, Seekers or Noise Marines I haven't decided yet. What do you guys prefer?

Until next time, stay awesome!


----------



## Tawa

Great work on those guys :good:

Edit: Incidentally, I'd be interested to see your spin on Seekers


----------



## Mossy Toes

Oooh, lovely Plaguebearers. I'm approaching my own PBs with some trepidation, and can only hope to do nearly so well on mine.

Is that the new Nurgle's Rot I spy in their guts? What do you think of it and how it applies?

So yeah, I suppose I'd appreciate a tutorial.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Is that the new Nurgle's Rot I spy in their guts? What do you think of it and how it applies?


It sure is. I actually used 3 of the new technical paints on these guys: Ryza Rust on the rusty sword, Nihilakh Oxide on the bronze bits and Nurgle's Rot on the slimey parts.

The Nurgle Rot is excellent - It's easy to apply (it's slightly thicker than normal paints) and it dries to about half the thickness of when you apply it. It also dries with a gloss effect, so it's very easy to use. Personally I apply it after I have mat varnished the models, so it's the very last stage along with some gloss varnish on the various wounds they have. 

Basically I consider it a must-have on anything Nurgle at this point. If you are in doubt, then I will put my head on the block and heavily recommend it.

I will make sure to make a Great Unclean One tutorial for you, where I use all the same steps as on these guys - If you start on yours before that is complete, I will happily give you some tips though, so just ask away! 



Tawa said:


> Edit: Incidentally, I'd be interested to see your spin on Seekers


Awesomeness, I might start out with those after the Great Unclean One then


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Awesomeness, I might start out with those after the Great Unclean One then


I look forward to this 

And we all know that Nurgle is the only proper chaos god anyways :crazy:


----------



## SonofVulkan

Excellent project log. Those Plague Bearers are awesome.


----------



## Miami

Your PBs give me a stiffy 

They look real great. Good work, you should be proud fielding them on the battlefield!


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nordicus said:


> Basically I consider it a must-have on anything Nurgle at this point. If you are in doubt, then I will put my head on the block and heavily recommend it.


I will second this. Its probably the best of the new technical paints. the only exception might be Typhus Corrosion. Very nice looking models Nord.


----------



## Nordicus

Time for a update - The last of the Nurgle ones for now.

The Great Unclean one has been submitted for both the Army Challenge, the Painting Deathmatch and now here. Additionally a tutorial has been submitetd for review (As promised @Mossy Toes) so it should be up soonish.

The end result is like this:

















It's the same techniques that I used on my Plaguebearers, but on a larger scale. In addition I tried out a new rust technique, which worked alot better than anticipated. You will notice a difference in the Plaguebearers and the GUOs, as I used it in combination with the Typhus Corrosion effect. In essence I used the Typhus Corrosion first and then the rust effect that I normally do. After I had done the effect, I got told that this was how GW recommended the paints to be used. Woops!  

Considering that I have never used this guy in a army list, perhaps now the time to try him out. I hear he's a beast but I need to figure out how to field him - I'm not good at slow units, so I need to figure that one out.

Now to get started on those Slaanesh units. I have 20 Seekers and 40 Daemonettes to get started on. I have no idea how I'm gonna do them all, but I might as well get started. I might start out with the Daemonettes and then do the Seekers (Sorry @Tawa!) to figure out how to do the general Slaanesh paint theme. I have never painted Slaanesh before, so I need to do some thinking about this one. Any tips and advice is heavily appreciated!

However my hands are practically hurting after writing that damn tutorial, so now I'm gonna relax in front of the TV and watch some Supernatural!


----------



## Saintspirit

I like it very much! I need to fix a GUO as well, however I want to make mine a bit converted, and don't really know how to build my. But in any case, yours are painted excellent!


----------



## Nordicus

Saintspirit said:


> yours are painted excellent!


Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it  I can't wait to see yours, especially if you are going to convert it - What do you have in mind?

In any case, I suck at relaxing and my head is simply buzzing with ideas as to how I'm gonan paint a daemonette. So now I'm going to be using this thing as a test drive; A Herald of Slaanesh.









My initial thoughts are that I like the very light version of these that are on the boxes. Alot more than the darker purple variant that people tend to paint - So I want to try to have the skin in a lighter variant than usual. My first problem (that I'm going to decide with this model) is whether I should basecoat these guys in a white or black primer. I've decided on black, for now, as then at least I wont have to basecoat the armor on them.

We will see what happens - Stay tuned!


----------



## Saintspirit

Nordicus said:


> Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it  I can't wait to see yours, especially if you are going to convert it - What do you have in mind?


I was actually thinking about using the over-piece of the FW Plague Hulk, although I haven't decided yet... I mean, it would after all give me both a GUO and a Defiler :victory:


----------



## Miami

Looks great Nordicus. Can't give you any rep atm, but some mental rep for you mate


----------



## Varakir

That GUO is beautiful! (well, you know what i mean... )

Slaanesh is my favourite god, so looking forward to seeing these daemonettes. Keep up the good work sir :victory:


----------



## Nordicus

So I've gotten to work on my first Slaanesh Herald, as I'm trying to figure out how to paint these. Before we go on to the picture however, a few thoughts as to where I wanted to model to go.

I want the model to be ghostlike - Not completely ethereal, but I've always thought of the Slaanesh daemons as the most ghostlike of the Daemonkin. I want the pale skin, the black eyes, the completely otherwordly feel of a being that was once human and is now something completely different.

I wanted to to play with as many spectres of the black and purple colors as I could, while trying to maintain a good blend of cold and warm purples. But the skin is the key for me - I want it to be pale. Not grey, not purple, but a light, eerie slightly purply tinted pale skin. The kind where you almost expect it to bleed black when you cut it.

After battling with various color themes (the hair has been done 3 times as I couldn't figure out the right color balance for example) I think I finally settled on a theme:
















Now I would really love your input on this. Based on my description above, do you think I have achieved the goal? I'm quite glad for the theme, but I will easily admit that this has been the hardest of the 4 daemon themes for me - At least the hardest to give some definition and character to the theme.

Let me hear your input - Hit me!


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Let me hear your input - Hit me!


unish:


There ya go! :laugh:

Um, wow. Yeah, I think you've pretty much nailed it right there Nord! :good:


----------



## SwedeMarine

Very well done Nordicus. The model looks great. the problem is that is seems too .... substantial. I dont get the Ghost effect that you were going for. at all. I would suggest maybe making the feet less substantial than the upper body gradulally becoming more solid as it travels up. Maybe an otherworldly glow around the eyes with everything else pitch black around. The skin looks amazing and the detail is incredible though so its not a bad jjob at all.


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> the problem is that is seems too .... substantial.


Hmm maybe ghost is the wrong word in my original statement, in which case you are totally right. There's absolutely nothing ethereal to the paintjob. When I say ghost, I don't mean a ghost in the typical see-through variant. I'm thinking more the ghastly and pale creature - Maybe a Wraith?

They should be completely solid overall, but have that beautiful but yet haunting appearance - Skin pale, dark eyes and a face that (if it wasn't beautiful) would scare the ever-living crap outta you. A appearance where you don't know if they want to kiss you or eat you (If you know your movies, it's ALWAYS the latter). The kind where they could try and lure you in by false pretences, and then reveal their monstrous side when you are close.

Hmm this is harder to describe than I anticipated :O


----------



## Miami

They look great Nordicus, I LOVE the black eyes. If you want them a more 'seductive' look, perhaps blend from dark purple up to a light purple (maybe pinkish) color on the tips of their blades. It would add a little more spark and color to the model. That's just my 2 cents, it's looking really good the way it is now!


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nordicus said:


> Hmm maybe ghost is the wrong word in my original statement, in which case you are totally right. There's absolutely nothing ethereal to the paintjob. When I say ghost, I don't mean a ghost in the typical see-through variant. I'm thinking more the ghastly and pale creature - Maybe a Wraith?
> 
> They should be completely solid overall, but have that beautiful but yet haunting appearance - Skin pale, dark eyes and a face that (if it wasn't beautiful) would scare the ever-living crap outta you. A appearance where you don't know if they want to kiss you or eat you (If you know your movies, it's ALWAYS the latter). The kind where they could try and lure you in by false pretences, and then reveal their monstrous side when you are close.
> 
> Hmm this is harder to describe than I anticipated :O


Haha. in that case i think you nailed it. I thought you were going for a more ethereal look. Still just as a suggestion maybe check out some OSL around the eyes for a little bit of extra detail and pop. It shouldn't take away and only add to.but that is a personal opinion. Glowing ewyes with black eye sockets really tends to bring the attention there


----------



## Nordicus

Miami said:


> If you want them a more 'seductive' look, perhaps blend from dark purple up to a light purple (maybe pinkish) color on the tips of their blades.


You know what? That's not a bad idea! I'm gonna try that when I get back home :good:



SwedeMarine said:


> Still just as a suggestion maybe check out some OSL around the eyes for a little bit of extra detail and pop.


Well I'm not dismissing the idea at all - I'm simply wondering what color to make the OSL, if I were to attempt it. The entire model is in a purplish tint, but a purple OSL would well... look weird.


----------



## SwedeMarine

I would go with a green. Light green. it will give the model a bit Spot of color also to focus attention. I.E. theyre supposed to be seductive and drawing attention to certain areas so you ignore all else. that would get the job done.


----------



## SonofVulkan

The skin tone is spot on. I like it a lot. Maybe a bit more highlighting on the claws as somebody above mentioned. But excellent work, your daemons are inspirational.


----------



## Varakir

I don't paint skin tones very often, but when i do i'll be looking through your plog for inspiration. Your eye for colour and muscle tone is fantastic :victory:

I love the scheme so far, but I would agree with the others that the blades and the eyes are the weakest parts at present. Light green is a good shout for the eyes but personally i'd go with an icy blue colour, like those fucking terrifying kids in the 'total eclipse of the heart' video.


----------



## Nordicus

SonofVulkan said:


> But excellent work, your daemons are inspirational.


I humbly thank you - It means a lot to a aspiring painter to see his work being appreciated. I do hope you will keep sticking around for more feedback in the future 

So the model is done now - I tried the glowy eyes and the highlight on the claws. In the end I didn't keep the OSL (Sorry @SwedeMarine - The tip was excellent, but I couldn't get it to work to a satisfactory level. The face is simply too small for it to really kick in, so it looked more like a spilled mistake than anything else) and I ended up keeping a subtle version of the pinkish claws. I also cleaned up the whitish lines on the claws a bit, gave the shoulder a dark metal drybrush and fixed a few items on the back.

The end result is thus:









The changes to the previous are very subtle, I know. You probably have to know what to look for. However, the last tips I got from you guys made the model stand out in the way i found very satisfying. The blades stand out a bit more now, but they don't take the attention, which is still on the face - I was at a complete loss on the blades, so the tips and agreement among you all helped alot.
Thank you all of you - You're awesome!

Now to paint the second Herald - And see if I can reproduce the steps, so I have a template that I can remember for the 40 Daemonettes and 20 Seekers. Yikes!


----------



## Nordicus

Varakir said:


> like those fucking terrifying kids in the 'total eclipse of the heart' video.


Jesus christ... What is wrong with those people?!


----------



## Varakir

Nordicus said:


> Jesus christ... What is wrong with those people?!


Who can tell - natural reaction to Bonnie Tyler perhaps  I shouldn't have searched for that video, i'm going to be listening to rock power ballads all night now :/

Nice work on the claws, they look a lot more 'finished' now and as you say don't draw attention from the focal points.


----------



## Tawa

Nord, you'll prefer this version...... :laugh:


----------



## Miami

They look REALLY good now. Wow! I am glad that you kept the eyes the way they were, because they truely look like pure evil. Good job.


----------



## SwedeMarine

I take no offense my friend. The model is still outstanding but adding the highlights adds alot of character. I cant wait to see a unit if these together.

the second verison of that video had me Loling


----------



## Nordicus

So it's been a bit of time since my last update. To start off, yes, I managed to make a second version of the herald where I could reproduce all the steps - So now I have two complete Heralds 

Honestly, the reason for the lack of updates is because I haven't had that much time to paint recently due to real-life: My band has hit the studio to record our debut-album, my girlfriend is moving in this summer (so planning is in order) and I'm currently in and out of job interviews (yeah, I'm searching for one more close by compared to my current - I have 6 hours of daily travel time currently). Overall I can't complain, but it does hurt my painting time 

At this time I'm working on the 40 Daemonettes (Only got them past priming this Monday, so they actually quality for all February competitions) so they can be used for the army challenge as well. I doubt I will enter the Deathmatch this month, but I haven't decided yet - These models don't really stand out enough for me to warrant a entry in a painting competition as such.

After the leather (black) has been done, I'll do the metals base and then I move on to the highlights and making them look like the Herald that is at the top of this page. Yeah, it's taking a while when doing 40 models at once 

Oh and I painted the eyes black already. Because it looks awesome. So there.


----------



## Iraqiel

Nice work Nord! I hope you'll be putting that album on something that isn't iTunes so those non-apple users amongst us can support... what sort of music do you play again?

With the deathmatch, is there any reason that once you've got this squad to a standard that you are satisfied with, you pluck one out and do some more detailing on it to make it an exceptional single model? I'm back in this month and want to be inspired by your (undoubtedly better than mine) painting skills. I always prefer a stiff competition.

Whilst keeping eyes and skin tones the same, have you considered varying the leather colours and patterns to increase the chaotic look of the squads?


----------



## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> I hope you'll be putting that album on something that isn't iTunes so those non-apple users amongst us can support... what sort of music do you play again?


Well the plan so far is iTunes, Spotify etc. - It all depends on our label as well, as we got a few offers out currently. We will decide once we have the record in hand and see what options we have. It's a genre that it's a grey area really; Metalrock is probably the best description: To one that listens to rock primarily, it will sound like metal. To one who listens to metal, it will sound like hard rock. So it all depends on who you ask 

It's in the same area as the bands Breaking Benjamin, Egypt Central and those kind of bands, if you know them?



Iraqiel said:


> With the deathmatch, is there any reason that once you've got this squad to a standard that you are satisfied with, you pluck one out and do some more detailing on it to make it an exceptional single model?


Well it's a principle thing really - I use the same amount of time on all of my models, regardless of it being a basic troop or a general. However, for me to submit something to the deathmatch, I want the model to have some features that stand out - Which basic troops hardly ever do. I might submit one, but at this point I'm not sure really. 

Oh and thanks for the praise! :grin:



Iraqiel said:


> Whilst keeping eyes and skin tones the same, have you considered varying the leather colours and patterns to increase the chaotic look of the squads?


I actually considered both the leather and the hair to be different colors - But then I thought about the origins of the Daemonettes. They're all the spawn of the same god, and could probably be more described as clones if anything else. If they were cultists or Chaos Space Marines, it would be another matter, but I've always seen Daemons as a unified entity. Not by choice, but simply by hardwiring, as they all originate as a fragment of their deity. So I decided for now to keep them all the same - To display that very thought.


----------



## Iraqiel

Nordicus said:


> To display that very thought.


Fair enough, well reasoned out. I approve of it from that perspective but WHOAH you have just inspired me with that 'shards of the same entity' esque sentiment... what about iridescent fleshed daemons in matte tones of clothing? like slivers of broken glass... if only one could legally re-cast the figures in an alternative plastic to give them transparency.


----------



## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> what about iridescent fleshed daemons in matte tones of clothing? like slivers of broken glass... if only one could legally re-cast the figures in an alternative plastic to give them transparency.


That would be beyond awesome - Simple as that! :O


----------



## Adramalech

Iraqiel said:


> Fair enough, well reasoned out. I approve of it from that perspective but WHOAH you have just inspired me with that 'shards of the same entity' esque sentiment... what about iridescent fleshed daemons in matte tones of clothing? like slivers of broken glass... if only one could legally re-cast the figures in an alternative plastic to give them transparency.


Fuck the legality of it, THOSE MODELS WOULD LOOK AWESOME.


----------



## Nordicus

Right, time for a much needed update.

So yeah, I kinda hit a hard spot the last month in terms of time and motivation to paint. I don't know what it is about these Daemonettes, but they are kicking my motivation to paint in the nuts - So I decided to split them up a bit and finish them in bits instead of painting all 40 at the same time.

And so, the first 10 are now finished:









I still like the result and they look suitably eerie for my opinion. They are probably the toughest part of my army to paint, as the near white takes several layers to look decent, especially when thinned down. I'm still learning to do whites, so it takes alot longer than any other foot soldier I have. They have also been playtested a few times and my god do these gals rock - If you play Daemons and haven't tried them out, do it!

However, for the next part I definitely need a bigger model before I continue. I just bought 3 models that I'm considering:

- Bal'Akor
- Kairos Fateweaver
- Lord of Change

Or perhaps

- 6 Screamers

Currently I'm leaning towards painting Bel'Akor. What do you guys think? Is it birds or devil for the next part, while I charge up on the small guys?


----------



## Iraqiel

Bring on the Devil!


----------



## Tawa

Running with the Devil! 



Those daemonette's look pretty damn good, Nord! :good:


----------



## Nordicus

You asked for it, and you got it: The next project in my little log will be the very first Daemon Prince himself: Bel'akor!










I'm not gonna paint him in the traditional painttheme as I think that's a bit meh. I saw a painttheme the other day, where he is painted with parts black and parts fleshlike skin, which looked REALLY awesome. So I'm gonna try to do that (or well at least my own variant of it). In addition I'm gonna try to make his blade look a bit more infernal than just a solid metal blade.

I'm considering doing a painting tutorial on this guy actually - I think I will do the photos underway and then decide in the end if I want to do it. Been awhile since I did a tutorial.


----------



## SwedeMarine

I always enjoy seeing your work Nordicus. If he turns out anywhere near as good as your usual efforts then youve got a model to be proud of . I know theres enough interest out there to warrant the Tutorial. Now get cracking


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> Now get cracking


Sir, yes sir! :grin:


----------



## torealis

Balakor is one of my favourite models ever. Can't wait to see what you do with it.


----------



## Tawa

torealis said:


> Balakor is one of my favourite models ever. Can't wait to see what you do with it.


Paint it? :wink:


Looking forward to seeing this one, Nord! :good:


----------



## Mossy Toes

Tawa said:


> Paint it?


And fool that I was, I was expecting you to sit on it and spin.


----------



## Varakir

Sure you will do him justice, i am looking forward to seeing how he comes out :victory:


----------



## Khorne's Fist

Those demonettes are are stunning. Looking forward to seeing what you do with Belakor.


----------



## Tawa

Mossy Toes said:


> And fool that I was, I was expecting you to sit on it and spin.


Tried it once. Three days in surgery. :cray:


----------



## Iraqiel

Bring it.


----------



## Nordicus

Allright, so finally got to work on this today. Work, work and more work has kept me from starting this little devil BUT NOT ANYMORE!

I contemplated alot on what skintones I should use. Normal skintones have always been a big challenge for me, so I tried different things out as I really wanted it to look natural and not cartoony. 

I progressed with a mix of mournfang brown, cadian fleshtone, aggrax earthshade and seraphim serpia in various mixes. I went back and forth a couple of times, trying to find some natural transcendes between the black skin and the flesh that I want to be a skin-color type thing.

So far the progress is this:









I like the yellowish skin tones I got out of him, combined with the browns. It is kinda hard to judge for myself until I get the black parts of his skin done though, as there's some grey I want in there but it's a good enough stage to make me continue to the next parts of the model. 

Oh and I keep documenting it all, so I can make a tutorial after this model is done. 

Next part is making the scar on his chest a bit more red'ish. I want it to stand out a bit more than it does currently, so I'll see what I can do about that. After that, it's time to do the rest of the black skin!

I'm in doubt if this model can be turned in for the May deathmatch seeing as I only started it today - I have no proof though and the modelshot was made in the middle of April. I'll probably try and see what people think.

Any input is welcome - Until then, I'll keep you all updated on the progress!


----------



## Nordicus

So the model is progressing nicely and it has also been submitted to this months painting competition. I have to admit that this is one of the most fun painting jobs I've had in a while, as it uses tones and transitions that I'm not used to. The whole dark scales to pallid flesh method has been a great challenge but also quite fun.

Now as for the sword. I wanted to make something that was subtle, but yet emanated infernal power. The Blade of Shadows is a mythological sword, and I wanted to give it more power than simply painting it metal. Here's a little preview of what I've done so far:









I might tweak the orange a little bit, but the thought of the energy coming form the middle of the blade and bursting out is there. The rest of the blade I want to be black, so the focus is on the energy.

And yes, it's inspired by another picture that's out there, but I really liked it - So I don't care that it's not original! 

The model should be done in a few days, after which I will submit it to the painting deathmatch. After that, I will start working on the tutorial for this guy, as I've documented the process. It will be a tutorial minded for experienced painters however, so it will be a little less descriptive than the others. The reason for this, is _(simply put)_ there's no way a beginning painter can paint this guy the way I propose. It requires a bit more finesse than I usually do (_and they are already very borderlining in the "beginner" department)_, so I think it's safe to say that you need to have some painting under your belt before you try this one out. I don't want to make beginners feel like they're horrible at painting because they can't paint this theme, as I want to inspire - not crush hopes.

I'll post another update when the tutorial is finished - For now, thank you all for keep following this thread. It's awesome to feel your interest in my little endeavors!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Ooh, very cool.


----------



## Nordicus

And he's done - After doing the base today (and the first base ever to have something on it beyond sand in my collection) he ended up looking like this:










I'm quite glad for the result - I was quite scared that I would ruin the model with the new theme, as I was in doubt of my ability to make the skintones and the sword that I wanted. 

Now for the documentation, as I've taken pictures all the way through the process. I will sit down this weekend and write up a tutorial as to how to paint this guy.

My next project? A little different actually:









Yupp, that's right. A custom Aegis Defence Line for my Daemon army. I got this little baby off Wargamma and it's awesome!


----------



## Kreuger

Nord, he looks great!

I think the skin tones turned out really well. My only criticism is that I think the raised black surfaces should have a little more of a highlight. Particularly down the back/tail spines, top of the feet, and on his forehead. I think that works make for a much more satisfying contrast.

I think it's an incredibly successful model.


----------



## Jacobite

Belakor looks awesome, like a bulldog who has had a really really bad day and took a dip the radioactive treatment pond. I second all (i.e. both good and the bad) of what Krueger said as well however.


----------



## Nordicus

Thank you both for your comments - You're awesome!

After having been away from the models for a couple of hours, and reading your comments, I agree. I will give him a single highlight more on the grey areas straight away.

Pictures inbound when I'm done!


----------



## Nordicus

And here we are - I did the highlights on the skin a bit more, so they are bit more out there:










I didn't add any lighter color to them, as I prefer to have a dark blue/grey hue to highlights when doing black. I feel that if I overdo them with grey, the skin will look more dark grey than black.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Suitably imposing Be'lakor. I like the use of a slightly warmer palette than usual with the browns and yellows, rather than the typical grays we see.

Look forward to seeing that ADL painted, too.


----------



## Kreuger

Honestly Nord, I can't see a difference between the photos. The newer photo looks darker to me than the original.

And to clarify, I wasn't intending to suggest you paint on an entirely new colour. I was thinking, though I didn't specify, a light dry brush on the edges of the forehead, back/tail, and feet to pick up the sharpest specular highlights - as opposed to another "layer."


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## Jacobite

Personally I can see a difference, highlights look good.


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## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Suitably imposing Be'lakor.


Thanks man - He's one of my favorite models, so I really took my time with him. I wish more Daemons were in his style and caliber 



Kreuger said:


> The newer photo looks darker to me than the original.


The contrast is a bit higher aye, so it can be tougher to see. However, the forehead is actually a good example of the bigger highlights.

I contemplated doing a lighter variant but reconsidered when I looked at a model I had on my shelf where I had done the same. I think it came out a bit too light, so I decided to keep him at this stage. I reinforced the highlights though - So thanks for the tip!



Jacobite said:


> highlights look good.


Thanks!

I'm having a bit of trouble with the Aegis to be honest though, and I would very much like some input. What I want to achieve is a red-brownish rock that seems like a mix between demon skin and brown hot rock. However, I'm having a rough time trying to get the right effect out. I've tried the following approaches so far:

1) Dark brown base, light brown highlight and Bloodletter glaze: It looks orange
2) Dark brown base, red shade: No effect
3) Dark brown base, brown shade: Looks brown. Yay.
4) Dark brown mixed with dark red base, red shade: Could work possibly with some highlights
5) Dark brown mixed with dark red base, brown shade: Same as number 4.

None of them have the right hue though and they look quite dull. Any of you got any ideas or approaches you have seen towards doing this? Any feedback is very welcome!


----------



## Jacobite

Do you want the low points to be "red" or "brown"? What about the high points? Got any pictures as a referance?


----------



## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> Got any pictures as a referance?


Ah yes, that would be easier wouldn't it?

I was thinknig about something between a mix of these two:



















With possible a shiny gloss over it. Something that looks like it's solid matter, but seems a bit otherwordly.


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## Jacobite

Well fuck Nord you don't make it easy do you. Have you considered using something like Warplock bronze as a base? Those two look more metallic than anything else if you ask me.


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## Nordicus

Jacobite said:


> Well fuck Nord you don't make it easy do you.


Haha! Nah I don't have a habbit of doing that I'm afraid. It's a curse really 



Jacobite said:


> Have you considered using something like Warplock bronze as a base? Those two look more metallic than anything else if you ask me.


You know what? That might not be a bad idea - Possibly trying out warplonce bronze, do some highlights with a lighter bronze and tint it with Bloodletter to give it some orange taint. Possibly do a bit of Typhus Corrosion here and there to give it some flavor, with some Ryza Rust on it. Then doing the shiny gloss on only the metal parts, leaving the Typhus Corrosion to be matt.

Not bad mate, not bad!


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## Jacobite

Hey give it a shot, won't know until you try. Just remember you can dull down the metal nature of it with a brown wash if you need (I use Army Painter Strong Tone, it's pretty much exactly the same as the old Devlin Mud).


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## Nordicus

I'll give it a shot tomorrow and let you know the outcome. Thanks again for the brainstorming man - Truly appreciated! 

(I can't rep you as I've recently given you rep - So mental high-five instead)


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## Jacobite

*mental high fives* sall good bro, it's why I stick around the project logs, only reason I think it might work is because I've come quite used to using that color after painting 65+ Minotaurs over the last 14 months. Kind of makes you aware of possible outcomes to using it. I'm sure you'd be the same with any color you use to base your minis with.


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## Tawa

:shok:


*snaps brushes and sulks*


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## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> :shok:
> 
> *snaps brushes and sulks*


There there *Pats Tawa on the head* have a cookie. It always helps!

So I tried out a few things on the Aegis, and feedback is welcome:










*The left is done this way:*
Base: Rhinox Hide
Shade: Aggrax
Drybrush: Mournfang brown
Glaze (x2): Bloodletter

One horn has gloss varnish.

*The right*
Base: Warplock bronze
Shade: Aggrax
Drybrush: Brass scorpion
Glaze: Bloodletter
Drybrush: Screaming Bell

Right now I think the left horn on the left aegis is the best along with the left.

What I cannot figure out is if I should go with varnish, a metal shine or dull. There are examples of all 3 in the image above. I'm currently torn between the metal-look and the rock-look. Both has their strengths, and both has their weaknesses. What I also can't figure out is what fits more with the theme of a infernal Aegis defence line.

Feedback is highly appreciated on this one! Which approach do you guys like best for a Daemon wall of doom?


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> There there *Pats Tawa on the head* have a cookie. It always helps!


opcorn:


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## Jacobite

Personally I say go for the metal look but try and get some organic tones on the it somewhere to make it looks like a mix between metals and deamonic flesh. As for gloss vs Matt I personally alwys go for Matt with metals as the shiny does seem to come out a little and you do get some of the shine but it's not OTT.


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## Nordicus

Yeah that's the conclusion I came to myself a few hours after I posted the reply. Now the entire thing is primed and shades - So now I only need the drybrushing and glazing, before I can commence with the fleshy bits on it.


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## Kreuger

It's possible to blend from a metal to a flesh colour. On my possessed vindicator I blended from a metal to an inflamed flesh tone. It's not my most successful experiment, because I didn't have much space to blend, but I bet it could work for your walls.


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## whittsy

Jacobite said:


> Personally I say go for the metal look but try and get some organic tones on the it somewhere to make it looks like a mix between metals and deamonic flesh.


I think this too, I would go along the lines of flesh tones at the base of the wall, to simulate metal "mutations" sprouting from the base of the wall. That's my thoughts anyway, I think either way this ADL is going to look bad arse.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> It's possible to blend from a metal to a flesh colour





whittsy said:


> I would go along the lines of flesh tones at the base of the wall, to simulate metal "mutations" sprouting from the base of the wall.


Hmm not a bad idea - I'll see if I can make it work, otherwise I think I'll play more with the idea of it being dirty and greasy. Just like Nurgle would have had a hand in it.

For the particular update, I'm going to go a bit off-topic in regards to the ADL I'm currently making. The reason for this is two-fold.

First of all, the tutorial for Be'Lakor got done last weekend. In case you missed it, you can find it here. @Moshi I believe you were attempting a similar theme, so if you need any tips, I hope it can help you out 

Secondly, and most importantly, tomorrow is *The Fang* in Denmark. The yearly competition for those that wish to aspire to the Golden Daemon. Any winners in the Danish rounds, continues over to the Scandinavian finals. Now I don't have any hopes of winning it, but regardless I will be participating in 3 categories, with the following units that can all be found in this project log:

1) *Monster/Vehicle: *Be'Lakor
2)* Single Model:* Herald of Nurgle
3) *Squad:* Plaguebearers of Nurgle

It will be my first time actually competing in anything of the sort, so I am quite thrilled to see how I match up against the others. My hopes is for a top-3 place in at least one of the categories, but I have absolutely no idea of the level I'm going up against.

I will let you know how it goes - But if you could cross your fingers for me tomorrow, I would appreciate it! 

After this is done, I will get back to the ADL.


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## Nordicus

So that went much better than anticipated.

I went into The Fang with a hope of learning what my level of skill was, compared to the best of the best. To get a sense of what I should focus on learning better and get a word with the painters that won. My best hope was to get a top-3 position in one of the categories that I participated in.

Turns out, I got 2 of them:









Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked. I've never won anything of this sort before, and it's a huge pat on the shoulder that I should actually be number 3 in Denmark in those 2 categories this year. It was pretty darn awesome!

Now I know what I should focus on as well - More contrast in general on my miniatures. Compared to those that won, and they looked goddamn spectacular, I need to focus more on this and take some risks. So that's my next mission. Now back to the ADL - A new update will be posted in a couple of days with my progress.


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## Kreuger

Hey man that's great!
Congratulations!

Let me be the first to wish you well as a member of heresy's community. =)


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## Mossy Toes

Well done!


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## Jacobite

Congrats Nord! Well deserved.


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## SonofVulkan

Congratulations, very well done!


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## Varakir

That's pretty damn awesome mate, congrats!


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## Saintspirit

Indeed very well done (I'm entering the Swedish The Fang in just a few days, so we shall see how well that goes)!


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## Nordicus

Thank you all! And thank you for all the feedback you're giving during the course of this project log. It's all helping me a lot to become a better paint, so I really appreciate it.
@Saintspirit: Good luck man. Do let me know how it goes - Who knows, maybe our models will be side by side in the Scandinavian finals. That'd be fun to think about huh?


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## Saintspirit

@Nordicus - Yes, definitely! And if not, the least we can do is show them here, side by side or something. :grin:


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## Nordicus

Right, so it's time to have another look at this Aegis line. The metal is done now, and it's (at this point) a brass like substance until I have made the flesh bits, where I will make some transitions.

My next dilemma is how to do the fleshy bits and possessive bits. If you take another look at this image below, you can see the 2 kind of themes that will run across the walls:










The left is kinda emerging from the metal itself and the right is basically piled on the walls. My thoughts at this stage, is to do a Khorne / Nurgle combo. If it emerges from inside the metal, it will be Khorne themed and if it is skin, it is Nurgle. 

Another option is that the skin will be made as if a guy was skinned and his flesh put up on the wall - Then I would keep Nurgle to be the infested parts and pus, plus tentacles.

For reference, here is the complete wall - Although in a smaller picture so I hope you can make out the details:










Thoughts?


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## Tawa

Well done mate! :drinks:


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## elmir

I would be carefull with that nurgle/khorn theme there. 

The first thing that springs to my mind, is an aegis defense line with red/green Christmas decoration on it...  

So be wary of that if you do take that route.


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## Nordicus

elmir said:


> I would be carefull with that nurgle/khorn theme there.
> 
> The first thing that springs to my mind, is an aegis defense line with red/green Christmas decoration on it...
> 
> So be wary of that if you do take that route.


Darn it, you're right. Perhaps I should just focus on a skinned/flayed theme, where the bronze is basically clad in victims.


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## elmir

If anything, I might consider using a grey/purple pallet ala slaaneshi daemonettes or even blue/purple for tzeentch?

The problem is that if you use a "normal" skintone and shade that (for instance with reikland flesh wash), it'll blend too much together and not build enough contrast. 

Or, go for fleshtones and use tamiya clear red to make it look like it's "bleeding" out of the bronze? I'm just spewing out ideas here 

You might also consider doing a light drybrush with silver over the bronze parts or use vergidis wash. Both those things could take some of the "warmth" out of the color to allow more contrast with skinstones


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## SwedeMarine

Everything inside me is screaming to suggest going with the red to represent khorne. So instead i will suggest Going with purples and blues Ala Tzeentch. It would definetly make yours stand out from the normal Aegis lines ive seen used by chaos players.


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## Nordicus

So I decided to try and go with fleshtones. No matter which daemontheme I thought of, doing all of it in that theme would make them a bit too cartoony in my opinion, so I decided to go the macabre route; Skin from victims.

So far, my first try at emulating this and creating some disturbing eyes is this:









What do you think? I'm pretty satisfied with the eye (Yes, it will be glossed over when the model is done) and think it looks satisfactory dead. I cannot decide if I want to gore up the skin though, making it more bloody.

Thoughts and comments are welcome as always.


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## Tawa

That's pretty fecking ace :good:

I presume you're going to pick out the stitches etc in some other colour?


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## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> I presume you're going to pick out the stitches etc in some other colour?


Absolutely - Right now I'm just trying to figure out how to do the skin, so this was the first attempt xD


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## Tawa

For my own personal tastes, I reckon you've got it nailed as is :good:


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## Kreuger

That looks excellent. I think the skin tone is still a bit life-like and warm. Maybe including some subtle cool colors would make it look more "dead." OR you could think of the wall as a living daemonic construct, pulsing with some sort of life. It would still need something else though.


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## Varakir

love the eye on that thing, very nice indeed :victory:

To make the skin more pallid you could try blending in some blue, that sounds like it would work (in my head at least)


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## elmir

I'd say this has enough contrast now. Especially with a bit of darker shading on the bronze and the highlighting you did on it. 

So it's just keep it as it is. If you do decide to bloody it up, do yourself a favor and buy tamiya clear red paint. It's a miracle product


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## Jacobite

Blood seeping from the back of it would look good, as if it's just been skinned and it's oozing out the back.


----------



## SonofVulkan

Maybe a bit of purple wash here and there to give it a necrotic look, but it looks really good as it is. The stitches could be painted in a metallic colour to make them look like staples.


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## SwedeMarine

I love that Staple idea. i second it!. as for the flesh. it seems good as is brother.


----------



## Nordicus

Wow, a lot of comments - Thanks to everyone, this is awesome!

First of all, I agree with it being a tad too alive, so I gave it a single thin highlight of Rakarth Flesh to pale it up a bit. It made it a bit more pallid but still fresh enough for it to seem fresh.



Jacobite said:


> Blood seeping from the back of it would look good, as if it's just been skinned and it's oozing out the back.


Not a bad idea, although I would probably do it quite subtle. I'm gonna try this one out!



elmir said:


> If you do decide to bloody it up, do yourself a favor and buy tamiya clear red paint. It's a miracle product


Personally I use the Blood for the Bloodgod technical paint from GW. I love it myself! Have you had any experience with comparing the two? I would be most interested in hearing your thoughts.



SonofVulkan said:


> The stitches could be painted in a metallic colour to make them look like staples.





SwedeMarine said:


> I love that Staple idea


That's actually a good idea - It shall be so!

Next update will be Monday I think. I won't have a lot of time to paint this weekend (playing concerts, and Wildstar is released Saturday!) I will most likely do all of the skin before next update, so the next bit will be tentacles and the details.

Stay tuned!


----------



## Nordicus

So I've come to a crossroads essentially. I've decided to put the Aegis Defenceline on hold for the time being.

The reason is that I need to focus on what I am actually using in my battles. It pains my gamer heart to field an army that is only primed and honestly I'm embarrassed by it. Seeing as the changes to Skyfire has a big impact on the quad-gun in 7th, I won't be using it that much - Which has caused me to leave it for now. I will pick it up eventually, but I have a big collection of models that I regularly use in my games, that I want to focus on.

If you follow the army painting challenge, you will notice that I have submitted 10 more Daemonettes for this month. I still have 20 left that I need to paint, so that will be the next step. Luckily I have found a new method of painting them, where I skip 2-3 layers and have a overall better result in the pigment of their skin. So the next couple of weeks will be getting them up to snuff, as Daemonettes are practically a must-have if you want a CC focused Daemon army. They are just too darn good!

Another little announcement is, that I have decided to completely reboot my Chaos Space Marine army. I haven't touched it for a little less than 9 months, as I wanted to focus on Daemons. I have decided to revitalize it and because of that you will probably see a higher degree of mix in the miniatures that I put on here. I will be painting the rebooted army _(Yes, I will be removing the paint from them and ere-paint them)_ in a brand new theme, which will be revealed at a later stage. It's by no means an unpopular theme that I am choosing, but I want something else than Black Legion as they are simply too boring to paint.

After I have finished the next 20 Daemonettes I will see if I will start the first CSM model or if I will finish the 20 Seekers I also use regularly in my games. Heck, I might even end up doing a tutorial for these Daemonettes if there's enough interest. So far it seems that the interest for the tutorials on here are dwindling, so I'm accessing if it is worth it. Let me know if you want a tutorial for them 

For reference, they can be seen here _(with horrible lighting that ruins the contrast in the black and the hair, but you get the gist of the skin at least)_.


----------



## Tawa

Keep it coming!

And it's always good to have tutorials on here :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Right, time for another update!

I've decided to start on the new Chaos Space Marine force that I have been talking about for a while. For those of you who haven't read it, I've basically decided to reboot my Chaos Space Marines in a new theme. 

Every old model will be scrubbed clean _(maybe I'll keep the Heldrake, not sure)_ and will be repainted in the new style. It will be a lengthy project, but I've come to a point where I want to have the option to use these models as well. The Black Legion theme is not that fun to paint and I've recently fallen in love with the lore of a specific Legion/Warband that I want to use for the future. I will not reveal the theme until the first bunch are done though, so let the speculations begin 

The first models I'm doing are the following:

*- Chaos Lord* _(Kranon the Relentless model)_
*- 2 x Aspiring Champion *
*- 6 x Chosen Chaos Space Marines* _(3 are on their way in the mail, so they are not in the picture)_

So from now on this project log will once again focus on 2 armies, instead of one. The army in the Army Showcase will also be disabled for now and will be reactivated once I have the first models painted in the new theme.

Stay tuned for the reveal and the first models soon! _(To make sure these are done in a good pace, the above are entered in the monthly challenge - All at once!)_


----------



## Tawa

Looking forward to this! :good:


----------



## Jacobite

I can't even imagine deliberately stripping models I have just painted to start over, you are a braver man than me Nord, good luck to you!


----------



## SonofVulkan

Looking forward to your latest project Nordicus, whatever the new theme is.


----------



## SwedeMarine

Jacobite said:


> I can't even imagine deliberately stripping models I have just painted to start over, you are a braver man than me Nord, good luck to you!


Indeed. although sometimes it must be done. 

Looking forward to seeing the progress on these guys.


----------



## neferhet

Well, this is madness! And the Fickle Gods love mad endeavours! I'll keep an eye out here for some lovely pics


----------



## Nordicus

Allrighty, it's time for the big reveal - I've hold it off long enough, and they have just been sealed.

The new theme and signature of my upcoming Chaos Space Marine army is...

*Crimson Slaughter*










The first and foremost model this begs, is naturally Kranon the Relentless, the lord of the Crimson Slaughter:










I filed down his horns a tad, as I always thought they were a bit too thin and fragile. This way he still has his butchers horns, but in a more... manageable state.

Next up, is a example of the paintjob up close, on my favorite Chosen model:









And here's a Aspiring Champion, just for the sake of it.









You will probably notice that there is even a decal on his shoulder. That's right, I even did decals, which i NEVER do! (Huge shoutout to @bitsandkits for getting me these. You, sir, rock!)










To complete the theme, I also ordered some custom bases that have a haunted theme. Seeing as the Crimson Slaughter have a big theme with spectral assassins and such, I thought they fit the theme quite nicely:








_(Yes the bottom right one has a hole in it - I'm pinning certain miniatures as they are only standing on their toe)_

My goal with the color theme in general was to achieve a dark and yes bright red, that stood out from Blood Angels and have a more... crimson feel to it. It's a good first try and I like the color balance in them overall, but they took alot of time to make. Hopefully the future marines will be a little faster, but I'm taking my time with these, as I'm enjoying them immensly!

I hope you like them! As I'm turning 30 on Saturday I won't have time to paint for a week or so, so the next squad to be painted will be revealed at a later time.

Feedback is welcome as always!


----------



## Khorne's Fist

Very, very cool looking. The blue spot colour works really well against the deep red. Where did you pick up the bases?


----------



## Nordicus

Khorne's Fist said:


> Very, very cool looking. The blue spot colour works really well against the deep red. Where did you pick up the bases?


Thank you! :good: I was looking for some good contrast color, so it's good to hear that it's working.

The bases are from Wargamma - It's the same place I ordered my custom aegis defence line from actually


----------



## Relise

Nice work Nordicus. They are looking excellent :good:


----------



## Mossy Toes

Stripping _all_ you minis? I don't know if that's quite necessary--I mean, you can field a primary detachment of Crimson Slaughter and one detachment of normal CSM, if you like. Access to Balestar _and_, say, a AoBF juggerlord, or something. Or, since you're Black Legion, BL+CS, or whatnot. I suppose you know what you want to do with your stuff, though--and those Dark Vengeance minis are looking very nice indeed.


----------



## whittsy

Here I thought the only reason you'd strip is for money, how wrong I was! As for the Legion/Warband I was thinking was anything BUT Crimson Slaughter, I'm not a fan of their paint scheme or anything else really, but the way you've painted these guys is very cool. A duller red than the bright colour they have in the codex. Good stuff Nord!


----------



## Nordicus

Relise said:


> They are looking excellent


Thanks alot!



Mossy Toes said:


> Stripping all you minis? I don't know if that's quite necessary--I mean, you can field a primary detachment of Crimson Slaughter and one detachment of normal CSM, if you like.


I am considering this to be honest - Maybe keeping a squad or two of regular Chaos Marines and a few Rhinos in Black Legion theme along with a lord. Not entirely sure - I will be repainting all the models that I know I will need though (Obliterators, etc.)

Not sure where to draw the line, but I will re-paint a lot of the models.



whittsy said:


> A duller red than the bright colour they have in the codex. Good stuff Nord!


Haha yeah, the Crimson Slaughter is a army that is quite exposed currently, and many paint it quite bright. Almost so bright you cannot tell the difference between them and Blood Angels.

My aim was to do the army justice with this theme. Create a theme that stays true to the Crimson Slaughter but also makes them look like a Chaos Faction all the way. I will also be trying fun things with speciality troops, where my aim is to have it look like they're elite troops from the big legions (Emperors Children for noise marines, etc) that have joined and embraced the Crimson Slaughter.


----------



## SonofVulkan

Nice work so far Nordicus. The armour has turned out very nice.


----------



## Nordicus

Right, so time for a update on this plog. 

For the past 2 weeks I've been on vacation. I'm so relaxed at this point, that if I relax I'm gonna poop my pants. So I haven't gotten that much painted.... Except for last night.

The next project that I'm gonna do is 10 Noise Marines (Also submitted to the Monthly Challenge):










In there we have 7 with Sonic Blasters, 2 with Blast Masters and 1 Aspiring Champion with a Lightning Claw.

My thoughts for doing these is that I do not want to do them in their traditional theme, that being Emperors Children. I want to try and be a bit creative on this one, so I got into the lore of my new warband and found a golden nugget. By the end of their told story, where they join Abaddon, their bloodshed and violence is renowned to such a degree, that other Chaos Space Marines from established warbands and legions are actually joining them, deserting their old warbands and legions.

This is want I want to show. I want them to have the Crimson Slaughter armor, but with a nugget from their old legion with them, to show where they came from. I'm thinking the shoulderpads _(The ones not attached to the weapon)_ will have the primary color of their old legion, and everything else will be converted to their new warband.

As The Crimson Slaughter is such a new Warband, they don't have any elite units naturally. So every elite _(Noise, Plague, Berzerkers and Sons)_ is always a deserter of their own legion. In this way, the theme should work and make consistency across the army.

I've also given myself the challenge of completing this entry by the end of Monday evening. So it's a 3 day challenge for me. Let's hope I make it!


----------



## Iraqiel

Interesting idea Nord! I have from years back my Garishly painted noise marines - primary colours and gold and silver only - with one in Emperor's children colours who remained purist, rather than seeking some sort of sensations from the mere visual aspect of his armour.


----------



## Nordicus

Well I did it. Gotta love vacations!

The 10 man squad is now complete. I started Saturday mid-day and completed them approximately 1 hour ago. Yay for challenges!
I stuck to my original plan and went with a pink shoulderpad to keep the pink "icon" in the squad, but otherwise I used the same color theme that I used on my Chosen.

The result went something like this:









A little close-up of one marine:










And finally; Pink galore!










Personally I think the result became very good. I quite like the contrast between the tourquise hair and the pink shoulder pads, which makes for a nice touch. The more I paint this army theme, so more satisfied I become of that blue color that is used for the eyes and the hair - It gives a good signal value and one of the best contrasts I have yet to do.

What do you guys think? Yay or nay?


----------



## Mossy Toes

Damn, they look _nice_--that is an excellent blend of colors, accentuated very well by the turquoise hair and the brass guns. So: yay. Very yay.


----------



## DaisyDuke

That's the good stuff. Yay nord:good:


----------



## SonofVulkan

Very Crimson Slaughtery and very Noise Mariney. This new army is very, very nice so far. Keep it up mate. k:


----------



## Tawa

Oh my...... :good:


----------



## Nordicus

So time for another update!

It's been awhile since I did a big model, so I think it's time. I've reached the point in my gaming life, where I don't field anything that isn't painted, and there's a few models that I'm DYING to try out - Hence, the next project is also a bit ambitious.

I have gotten two Forgefiends for my birthday, and I want to use them! So after having them assembled and fully magnetized (So I can switch heads and weapons) they will be my next project. I've decided to have them without a base, as the model is nearly as big as the base anyway, so in the gaming world it should make a difference in terms of assaulting and shooting it. I've attached a image to the post so you can see them in their primed glory.

I will be trying out a new metal technique as well, that hopefully will have the smeared and oily steel look that I want. I've been researching quite a bit and found that the "Smoke" variant from Vallejo seems to be the effect I've been longing for. Mixed with a bit of Nuln Oil, it should be a good and nasty effect over any metals that I use. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it!

The one big part I'm in doubt of is the flesh. On my Chosen I've painted the mutated flesh in a pink scheme basically - But I'm in doubt if that works on a large scale or if I should go with a same theme as the heads on my Noise Marines. 

For reference, here is a picture of both:

















Maybe it's because I'm scared that they will look too pink, but I'm leaning towards the flesh scheme. It's just so standard :S I'm in a pickle over this one. Any opinions are wlcome!

I want these done by the end of the month, so I can submit something else to the painting competition and monthly challenge. So here we go!


----------



## Tawa

Two of them by the end of the month? You're a nutter, you know that right? :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> You're a nutter, you know that right?


Well you know me - I always love a challenge


----------



## Iraqiel

Nordicus said:


> Well you know me - I always love a challenge


*In happy gilmore voice* You Can Do Iiiiiiiiit!


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nordicus said:


> Well you know me - I always love a challenge


Tawa is right you are nuts man. But at least its in a good "Iwanttopaintasmanymodelsasipossiblycaninamonth" type of way. not standing over strangers beds fondling yourself while they sleep type of way. that i think is exclusively reserved for Neferhet i believe


----------



## Tawa

SwedeMarine said:


> not standing over strangers beds fondling yourself while they sleep type of way. that i think is exclusively reserved for Neferhet i believe


Taught him everything he knows...... :spiteful:


----------



## Kreuger

Nord, I think the mutated flesh parts and heads look good, but in this case I think something less regular would be better. Why in the madness of Chaos would they have uniformly mutated skin? Armour I can understand. Armour is painted by the dark artificers or who ever. It should have a clear colour. Mutations however, I think should be more varied.

Have you considered using thin steaks of other colors? Or blotches?


----------



## whittsy

SwedeMarine said:


> Tawa is right you are nuts man. But at least its in a good "Iwanttopaintasmanymodelsasipossiblycaninamont h" type of way. not standing over strangers beds fondling yourself while they sleep type of way. that i think is exclusively reserved for Neferhet i believe


I giggled. I'll be following your Forgefiends with interest Nord! I'm having the same problem with mine, don't know what to paint the fleshy stuff as....


----------



## SwedeMarine

whittsy said:


> I giggled. I'll be following your Forgefiends with interest Nord! I'm having the same problem with mine, don't know what to paint the fleshy stuff as....


Molten metal?


----------



## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> *In happy gilmore voice* You Can Do Iiiiiiiiit!





SwedeMarine said:


> Tawa is right you are nuts man. But at least its in a good "Iwanttopaintasmanymodelsasipossiblycaninamont h" type of way. not standing over strangers beds fondling yourself while they sleep type of way. that i think is exclusively reserved for Neferhet i believe


Don't ever EVER change guys! :grin:



Kreuger said:


> Why in the madness of Chaos would they have uniformly mutated skin? Armour I can understand. Armour is painted by the dark artificers or who ever. It should have a clear colour. Mutations however, I think should be more varied.
> 
> Have you considered using thin steaks of other colors? Or blotches?


Interesting strain of thought. It certainly does remove the fear of painting too many different skintones for fear of a less uniform army overall. I shall think about it - Excellent tip!

Although, I will probably keep it within the skin spectre overall. In my opinion the only one who goes outside the normal (even if sickly) skintones are Nurgle, as it's hardly even flesh anymore. Just rotten puss and filth.



SwedeMarine said:


> Molten metal?


Awesome idea, but wouldn't it fit Iron Warriors more?


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nordicus said:


> Awesome idea, but wouldn't it fit Iron Warriors more?


Normally i would say yes. But youre talking about giant machines with demons inside them. no matter how you do them (you can still paint the metal whatever color you like to blend with the rest of your army) they are generally giant Metal constructs. the only exception id see where this wouldnt work would be a Nurgle themed army.


----------



## Kreuger

Another option is to blend the metallics with the flesh tones (which ever tones you choose).

I liked the result when I tried it in the past. It definitely adds to the techno organic feel.


----------



## Nordicus

So I got the skintone down for now - I've always had a tough time with skin in general, so I tried to get a good natural tone for these guys and might do some highlight of the areas, where the machine goes into the skin. 

However, now comes the interesting part: Making proper metals. I've wanted to do a different look'n'feel for a while now, so I though it was time to try some new things. I want to have that worn and oily steel look, which is a tad yellow in color overall. That look where it LOOKS like it weighs a ton and can withstand anything.

So far the progress is this:









So far I'm pleasantly pleased, but would love feedback from you guys!


----------



## Archon Grimherald

That's a pretty noggin. I love the red armour and the way the flesh isn't drowned out by it.


----------



## SwedeMarine

i think youve pulled it off pretty well. i know its not finished product but if you wanted to stop there i think you could and just touch up the details. The only thing that bothers me about the entire head is the studs that hold the teeth in. IMHO you might have been better served just shaving them off and having it be a normal part of the skin . other than that it does work like you wanted it to.


----------



## Howzaa

Taken me a while to get on here and ages to go through the backlog, but its cool to see the improvements the more you've painted. I like the flesh tones makes me think its some poor beast that's been experimented onto ending as a daemon/beast/machine crazy hybrid.
Needs to have some mad chaos scientist laughing manically with a raging thunderstorm going on. Its alivvvveeeeee!


----------



## Lemmy1916

Nice flesh tone on the forgefiend, blends in well with the chosen. The joints on the tongue really look like oiled steel. Hyper realistic, like something you could see on moving parts of a motor or industrial mechanics. How do you achieve that?


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> The only thing that bothers me about the entire head is the studs that hold the teeth in.


Yeah I actually missed those, until I saw the picture. Those will be touched up when I do the eye as well (My signature blue elements on my Crimson Slaughter).



Howzaa said:


> I like the flesh tones makes me think its some poor beast that's been experimented onto ending as a daemon/beast/machine crazy hybrid.


That was actually the thought I had, so glad to hear that it's working out! That or the skin is from loyalists that have been captured and used to make the daemon engines. :good:



Archon Grimherald said:


> I love the red armour and the way the flesh isn't drowned out by it.


Thanks! I always had a rough time with skin, but I quite like this general hue I must admit. I might use it as a template for future models in this army.



Lemmy1916 said:


> The joints on the tongue really look like oiled steel. Hyper realistic, like something you could see on moving parts of a motor or industrial mechanics. How do you achieve that?


That was my hope and the general feel I want of the metallics on this beast. I'm pretty happy about it myself, so glad to hear you like it as well!

I achieved it by looking at the Vallejo line and combining them with GW colors. I did the following:

- Undercoat of "Boltgun Metal" (Vallejo)
- Shaded it with a 50/50 mix of "Nuln Oil" / "Smoke" (Vallejo)
- Drybrushed lightly with "Boltgun Metal" (Vallejo)
- Shaded the joints with "Oily Steel" (Vallejo)

I also quite like the shadows at the base of the horn and around the teeth. The general metal feel of this combo is exactly what I was hoping for


----------



## Nordicus

Challenge complete! I present to you 2 x Forgefiends, fully magentized and ready for battle:










Next challenge will be posted tomorrow - It's time for a break now!


----------



## whittsy

Bravo sir, that fiend looks fiendish dare I say? If I didn't have so many damned foot troops I'd get along and paint my daemon engines. Either way. Good show!


----------



## Nordicus

whittsy said:


> Either way. Good show!


Thanks man! They were fun to paint, and I got kinda surprised at how many details they actually had the further I got with them. Needless to say, they took longer than expected but I like the result :good:

Now for the next goal. I'm going to continue to push myself, as I want this army battle-ready at a decent level, so this months challenge is for these guys:










That's right; 2 x Decimator Daemon Engines with magnetized arms. I got 2 Butcher Cannons and 2 Siege Claws available for now, and will probably get more weapons for them down the line.

I want to try and challenge myself for these guys though; I want to try and make them as "simple" as possible in the mechanic parts. Now that I'm getting used to another technique in metals, I want to see if I can make it look good, if the majority of the model is in metals. Then I will use the army plates and the eyes as simple, but effective, focus points.

Let's see how it goes - It's a kill your darlings project folks!


----------



## Nordicus

So I've reached the stage where the Decimators probably look the LEAST intimidating, in the entire painting project.

Fear the pink!


----------



## DaisyDuke

Is that a bullbar spike I see? Damn them pesky disappearing smoke stacks!:wink:
Looking good nord.


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> Is that a bullbar spike I see? Damn them pesky disappearing smoke stacks!


You are completely correct sir - And thank you for that little brilliant piece of inspiration! :good:


----------



## DaisyDuke

Man that's what plogs are for. :good:


----------



## SwedeMarine

if i worked at the speed you did id have to buy new brushes all the time lol. They look great however.


----------



## Nordicus

And they are finally done - Ironically the hardest part was getting them mounted to the base, as they are quite heavy at the top.

I present to you the now-not-so-pink Decimators:









_(Yes, the shade of red is the same as the Forgefiends, it's the lighting)_

It was a fun challenge to try and use as few means as possible. My first thought was to try and better my metalpainting, so the machinery and wires could ONLY be metal/steel and no other material. That meant that I had to get it interesting to look at, while only having 1 "colour" to work with and having to rely on oils and smudge to get the look down.

As one who usually puts alot of detail and materials on everything, I think it worked and it is definitely something I will be using in the future. One could say that my fear of "empty spaces" has disappeared somewhat.

Now the next project will most likely be a stripping job. So far I have only painted new models for my Crimson Slaughter army, so I thought it was about time I started stripping some of the old models.

So currently my choice is between 3 x Obliterators or 15 x Possessed. What do you guys think should be the next project?


----------



## Matcap

Looking good mate! :good:

I find when stripping models bigger batches are more time efficient, so I say go for the possessed.


----------



## elmir

Looking good. I especially like the forgefiend. Some nice vibrant colours while still looking very chaosy at the core of it.


----------



## Tawa

Great work yet again! :good:


Go for the Possessed :crazy:


----------



## Nordicus

Oh and I've reactivated my Chaos Space Marine army in the army lists, now that I've gotten some units done. 

I think I'll take a break from painting for a week and then decide which unit to paint. I have a match coming up soon, so I might paint what I need for that match


----------



## Nordicus

Sooo... I got a few days with nothing to do in the evenings, and I painted the Obliterators I had, as I need them for a match this Saturday :S

The light is shit, but the skin is made equal to the Forgefiends as I like that hue personally. The skin is hard to do on these models though, as it's all so thin and fiddly and I had to resort to drybrushing much of the time, which isn't really my style.

In any case, they ended up like this:










I really don't like this model. I think the details are fiddly, the poses are stiff and they just seem subpar with the current lines. If I need more, I will most likely buy other models from other companies to replace these. 

Now I will assemble 15 Possessed so they are ready for next months challenge.


----------



## Tawa

Nicely done! :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Right, time to get some thoughts out on my next project, that I will start on Tuesday. The cornerstone of the Crimson Slaughter army; Possessed.

I currently have 15 assembled right next to me, that will be shown when the army painting competition gets created for next month, and after a short playtest yesterday _(where they took out 7 terminators with thunderhammers. Yes, they can achieve great things, even if they are on the expensive side)_ I've started wondering how I should paint them.

In every book I've read and lore I've seen (primarily the Wordbearers trilogy, granted) they possessed have black skin when the daemon takes over. I like this approach, as it gives them a more mean look, so I will probably go with that. I've seen many people paint them with fleshcolors, but in my book that doesn't look quite demonic enough - So this other approach would be a fun way to do it.

However, the skin will probably have a bluish hue, as my Crimson Slaughter runs a lot on the turquoise effect on their eyes. If I paint it all black, I think it will ruin the theme a bit. 

I found a image that I quite like of a Possessed, and modified the colors to resemble what I want to do with the eyes and daemon-skin. Ignore the silver-trims on the armor, as I just want to see if the color scheme worked with the red armor and the skin I had in mind:










I think it works and will most likely go for this. A combination of the red armor coming to like and the skin being black/dark blue and the signature turquoise colors for the eyes and effects.

Any feedback is as always welcome!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> I currently have 15 assembled right next to me, that will be shown when the army painting competition gets created for next month, and after a short playtest yesterday (where they took out 7 terminators with thunderhammers. Yes, they can achieve great things, even if they are on the expensive side) I've started wondering how I should paint them.


Really? That is a shocker. I mean, it's very possible, but I can't help but feel that sort of result is dependent on them getting that one specific random "Voices" roll for the 3++ and Rending, which is only a 1/3 chance per round, and... otherwise I see them getting pretty squished.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Really? That is a shocker. I mean, it's very possible, but I can't help but feel that sort of result is dependent on them getting that one specific random "Voices" roll for the 3++ and Rending, which is only a 1/3 chance per round, and... otherwise I see them getting pretty squished.


Well the situation went like this;

The Possessed has Mark of Slaanesh (and the icon of excess, but that is moot when met with Thunderhammers), so they hit first. In this round they had the Beast special rule.

They charged in on a 6 inch roll and I rolled a 7. With luck all 10 one of mine got to attack as they were all JUST in range to get to actually hit the Terminators. With 30 attacks on the charge, it resulted in 12 wounds (a bit over average, but not much).

The Dark Angel player failed 2 armor saves (perfectly statistical). However, as his termies were quite spaces out behind the first model conga-line style, this resulted in him not being able to attack as he had no model in base-to-base with mine.

The next round I rolled the 3++/Rending special rule and killed 4 terminators before they got to attack. He now had 4 left. He made 3 wounds, where I made 2 invul saves and the last one got through, instantkilling a Possessed. By now, my Lord had completed his challenge and killed Belial who was in the group, so his wound spilled over and killed 2 more.

Next round, I rolled Shrouded (_so hey, bingo, I got all 3 results in 3 rounds_) and killed off the last 2 terminators by pure statistics. 

I then walked off triumphant, got charged by a Imperial Knight and he stomped the shit out of the Possessed. But hey, they got the Terminators!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> However, as his termies were quite spaces out behind the first model conga-line style, this resulted in him not being able to attack as he had no model in base-to-base with mine.


Theeere's the clincher!

Well done, and well-lucked as well.


----------



## DaisyDuke

I feel you're pain about the obliterators, I got to put the finishing touches to mine and quite frankly am a bit sick of these sub par sculpts. Thankfully I won't need more than four so won't have to do any more. 
Looking forward to your take on possessed 
Keep on with the awesome.


----------



## Nordicus

So the progress is going good and I've at the finishing stages of the miniatures. A longer post during the weekend, but here's a little sneak peak:


----------



## Tawa

Aargh! :scare:

*runs off screaming!*


----------



## Mossy Toes

Oooooh...


----------



## Nordicus

And they are finished - Just sealed them this very morning.

The result, bar the amazingly shotty camera (which is also why I won't be submitting them to any sort of painting competition) is this:










And a few close-ups.










If you can look past the quality of the images, you can see that I got a slightly blue hueish black skin on the demonic areas. I was inspired by the Burias-Drak'Shal character in the Word Bearers trilogy, where he is described as having black skin whenever he turned demonic. Combined with the red armor (as per the image in the previous post) I thought this would make for a much more menacing look, than is usually the case with Possessed.

I admit I had a bit of trouble with these at the start, as everyone paints them differently. The hard part, for me, was to not make them look... well... ridiculous. I see soooooo many themes where they are splattered with every color known to man, and while it may make sense from a lore stand-point (random chaos boons and all that) I find them looking like a circus in that regard. I wanted a look that fit my army, that was cool and actually made them look frightening.

And yes, I had to pin every single model as they are all standing on like half a foot, sprinting forward.

Now I need to figure out how the hell I get a better way of taking photos - These doesn't do them justice at all!


----------



## Saintspirit

They look nice - they have pretty interesting bases.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Top-notch.


----------



## DaisyDuke

They look sweet as. The skin is bang on.
Try a piece of white paper as a background. Then all you have to worry about is crazy shadow from your lighting source. Hope it helps.


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> Try a piece of white paper as a background. Then all you have to worry about is crazy shadow from your lighting source. Hope it helps.


Actually I tried that, but I think I need a better lightsource. Possibly a box to contain it or the like - I think I need to look into it. Thanks for the advice though!

So I've decided on my next project. 

What I really need in my army right now, is a way of handling things like Landraiders and Imperial Knights. Especially the latter. So my focus is making the part of my army that is going to be the heavy vehicle alpha strike team - And for that I find my favorite formation best:

*Helbrutes. *3 of them to be exact. 

So far I've "assembled" 2 of 3, and the 3rd will be done tonight:










Now, as I'm a pragmatic dude, I've decided to magnetize them fully, making every weapon option available to them. I have no clue which load-outs I will be using and I prefer the flexibility of a 33£ model instead of just assembling it.

I've figured out how to do it, and honestly I'm thinking of making my first "*Magnetize it*" tutorial. Previously I have only done painting tutorials, so maybe this is a way to get into a new kind of tutorial. The only ones I found on the net demands that you cut in the model and greenstuf various parts - The way I have done it, requires no cutting, no greenstuff and simple a drill and some magnets.

Are people interested in a tutorial like this? Let me know!


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> I've figured out how to do it, and honestly I'm thinking of making my first "*Magnetize it*" tutorial. Previously I have only done painting tutorials, so maybe this is a way to get into a new kind of tutorial. The only ones I found on the net demands that you cut in the model and greenstuf various parts - The way I have done it, requires no cutting, no greenstuff and simple a drill and some magnets.
> 
> Are people interested in a tutorial like this? Let me know!


Go for it! :good:


----------



## Mossy Toes

I'd read the tutorial. I dunno about +repping it, since the last few times I've tried to +rep you I get told I need to spread the lovin' around a bit more, but...


----------



## Nordicus

And there we go, all 3 assembled:










Now unto the drilling and magnets.


----------



## Orochi

I love the possessed box set - seriously, the plastic kits for Chaos are superb...

BUT WHY DO POSSESSED HAVE TO SUCK?!

I want my 3rd Edition Possessed back.


----------



## venomlust

Orochi said:


> I love the possessed box set - seriously, the plastic kits for Chaos are superb...
> 
> BUT WHY DO POSSESSED HAVE TO SUCK?!
> 
> I want my 3rd Edition Possessed back.


Haha I think that you can just replace POSSESSED with almost any unit in our codex. Ok, maybe like 1/3 of them.


----------



## Nordicus

And success - All 3 are now magnetized so they can switch to whatever weapon is available in the pack. No cutting or greenstuffing needed, only a drill and some magnets.

I will start writing the tutorial in about 15 minutes, so it will be up for approval later tonight. I hope you guys will enjoy it!


----------



## DaisyDuke

Good stuff !!


----------



## Nordicus

And the tutorial is up - It can be seen here:
http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=171250

Enjoy!


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> And the tutorial is up - It can be seen here:
> http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=171250
> 
> Enjoy!


Excellent work :good:


----------



## Nordicus

So completely off-topic compared to what I usually post on my blog here, but I had my first 2 matches over 120 points with my Crimson Slaughter today. Previously I have only played 3 matches with them in a semi-tournament setting, so today was the big unveil for the guys in my gaming group.

I had a match against another Chaos Space Marine player (1250 points) and against a Grey Knights player (1500 points). I was really looking forward to these matches, as I'm putting quite a bit of time and effort into these models, so naturally I hope they do ok. 

Surprisingly I won both matches - The first (CSM) by points where the game ended in turn 6 and the second (GK) where the enemy conceded after turn 4. I'm really enjoying this army so far, and they're a welcome addition to my usual playstyle. Being primarily a Daemon player up until this point, it's nice to have some shooting, so I can compliment my demonic forces.

The lists were pretty straight forward actually:

*1250 list*

*Chaos Lord* - Blade of the Relentless, Demonheart, Prophet of The Voices, Mark of Slaanesh, Sigil of Corruption.

*9 x Possessed *- Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess
*10 x Noise marines* - 7 x Noise blaster, 2 x Blast master, Icon of Excess

*3 x Helbrute* - Melta and powerfist (Mayhem pack formation)

*2 x Obliterator* - Mark of Nurgle (in each their own unit.)

1249 points.

*1500 list*
Same as above, but *add 1 Possessed* and *1 Decimator* with Dedication to Khorne (Rampage) and 2 x Siege claws. 

1500 on the money.

The highlight of the matches? Probably when the Chaos Space Marine player hovered his Heldrake to roast my Possessed, who had just rolled a 3 on their chart, giving them 3++ and rending. He covered 4, where 3 made their invulnerability save and the last made his Feel no Pain due to Icon of Excess. They then proceeded, along with my Lord, to charge the Heldrake. The Lord, having killed 7 marines total so far in this match, giving his weapon +2 STR and AP2, proceeded to slice the drake in close combat, destroying it on the charge. That's right, I can now add "Killing a Heldrake in close combat" to my Lords resume.










A fun night, awesome games and now I'm even more eager to continue the army. @venomlust for fun gaming, I can recommend the 2 lists above, if you want to try them out


----------



## venomlust

Nordicus said:


> So completely off-topic compared to what I usually post on my blog here, but I had my first 2 matches over 120 points with my Crimson Slaughter today. Previously I have only played 3 matches with them in a semi-tournament setting, so today was the big unveil for the guys in my gaming group.
> 
> I had a match against another Chaos Space Marine player (1250 points) and against a Grey Knights player (1500 points). I was really looking forward to these matches, as I'm putting quite a bit of time and effort into these models, so naturally I hope they do ok.
> 
> Surprisingly I won both matches - The first (CSM) by points where the game ended in turn 6 and the second (GK) where the enemy conceded after turn 4. I'm really enjoying this army so far, and they're a welcome addition to my usual playstyle. Being primarily a Daemon player up until this point, it's nice to have some shooting, so I can compliment my demonic forces.
> 
> The lists were pretty straight forward actually:
> 
> *1250 list*
> 
> *Chaos Lord* - Blade of the Relentless, Demonheart, Prophet of The Voices, Mark of Slaanesh, Sigil of Corruption.
> 
> *9 x Possessed *- Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess
> *10 x Noise marines* - 7 x Noise blaster, 2 x Blast master, Icon of Excess
> 
> *3 x Helbrute* - Melta and powerfist (Mayhem pack formation)
> 
> *2 x Obliterator* - Mark of Nurgle (in each their own unit.)
> 
> 1249 points.
> 
> *1500 list*
> Same as above, but *add 1 Possessed* and *1 Decimator* with Dedication to Khorne (Rampage) and 2 x Siege claws.
> 
> 1500 on the money.
> 
> The highlight of the matches? Probably when the Chaos Space Marine player hovered his Heldrake to roast my Possessed, who had just rolled a 3 on their chart, giving them 3++ and rending. He covered 4, where 3 made their invulnerability save and the last made his Feel no Pain due to Icon of Excess. They then proceeded, along with my Lord, to charge the Heldrake. The Lord, having killed 7 marines total so far in this match, giving his weapon +2 STR and AP2, proceeded to slice the drake in close combat, destroying it on the charge. That's right, I can now add "Killing a Heldrake in close combat" to my Lords resume.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A fun night, awesome games and now I'm even more eager to continue the army. @venomlust for fun gaming, I can recommend the 2 lists above, if you want to try them out


Bahahah, bravo! Have some rep for that hilarious achievement!

*edit*

Hah, turns out I gave you rep too recently. I have no memory of such things.


----------



## hocky

Love the possessed. I think you made the right decision keeping them uniform and dark - it makes them look menacing and the details like the teeth really stand out. With a paint scheme like that the posing of the models really becomes the main element and they look wicked! Interesting way of painting the black - with a blue hue - you discussed this on another thread so I thought I would take a look and will defo try it out. Well done on the project so far, one to keep an eye on...


----------



## Tawa

Ha! Loving the xBox picture! :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

So while I'm painting these Helbrutes, I just noticed that the army is actually reaching a decent size. All of them have been a part of the monthly challenges here in 2014, so as a testament to how good that challenge actually is, here is a family shot of the progress this year so far.

Yes it's a photo taken with a camera phone and with blits. But it proves a point.


----------



## Tawa

Oooh, for some reason I thought the Decimators were a lot bigger than that! :shok:


Nice looking force though, seeing them all together :good:


----------



## Saintspirit

Tawa said:


> Oooh, for some reason I thought the Decimators were a lot bigger than that! :shok:


You too? Really, I imagined the deccies to at least be as big as the Megadreads...
Nonetheless, they are looking very good indeed!


----------



## Tawa

Something around that size, yeah :shok:


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Oooh, for some reason I thought the Decimators were a lot bigger than that!





Saintspirit said:


> You too? Really, I imagined the deccies to at least be as big as the Megadreads...


Keep in mind though, that I have (intentionally) placed them in a very hunched position, especially with their legs to get a more menacing look. If you placed with them their legs stretched they can easily rival a mega dredd:










However, I had no intention of giving them an even harder time to claim cover than they already have with their massive bodies  And personally I think they look a bit silly when their standing like that - The goat like appearance with their hind legs look more interesting to me:


----------



## Mossy Toes

Looking pretty good! I assume that biker in the far corner is of the old Black Legion-ish variety, not yet rebaptized?


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## Tawa

Nice :good:

They're a good size though, judging from the 'fiend next to it. Nice figures methinks


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> I assume that biker in the far corner is of the old Black Legion-ish variety, not yet rebaptized?


That is absolutely correct - I currently have 3 bikers, but I have 12 unassembled non-marked bikers and I'm probably making 10 Nurgle bikers as well. I like the bikes in general and find them underused in many CSM setups. Especially in a game where Knights are as popular as they are, a squad of bikers with meltas can be devastating.



Tawa said:


> Nice figures methinks


The Decimators are absolutely gorgeous models. I love them to bits - Even if they aren't as competitive as people like, the model is just so nice that I find myself getting them into lists, just to see them on the board.


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> I'm probably making 10 Nurgle bikers as well.


They're nasty..... :good:



Nordicus said:


> The Decimators are absolutely gorgeous models. I love them to bits - Even if they aren't as competitive as people like, the model is just so nice that I find myself getting them into lists, just to see them on the board.


When I still played 40k, every list I built was constructed by the rule of cool


----------



## Iraqiel

Lovely stuff as ever Nord, those decimators are compellingly cool. I'd set up a game just to see them in action - maybe start on a 2"x2" board against a light list and then on turn 2 the rest of the army deploys in normal deployment zones...


----------



## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> I'd set up a game just to see them in action - maybe start on a 2"x2" board against a light list and then on turn 2 the rest of the army deploys in normal deployment zones...


Cool idea!

I've used them a few times already - And every time they have wreaked absolute havoc behind enemy lines. Dropping one of these from deepstrike with 2 heavy flamers, a 13 AV front and 5++ save, ignoring crew stunned/shaken on 2+ and immobilized/weapon destroyed on a 5+ is really a pain to deal with. 

The best scenario was when I played against a Space Wolf player who finally got it down after 2 solid rounds of shooting. My turn, I roll the "Unholy vigor" dice and roll a 6. It gets back into play with 2 HP back (you roll a D3 for HP returned) and fully restored weapons and went on a absolute rampage again.










Granted you can get 2 Helbrutes for the same price - But this thing is just so awesome that I can't help myself.


----------



## Iraqiel

Wow, it sounds like game 1 would be your opponent mouthing off because of the internet prohibition on it, then game 2 and every one henceforth would be the Decimator freaking your opponent out and copping a bucketload of focussed fire... thus leaving the avenues of approach open for those bikes you mentioned...


----------



## Nordicus

Making progress, ever so gently. I haven't had a lot of time to paint this month, so I will see if I can't get these guys done by Monday next week. I do love the models though, and I'm very pleased with how seamless the magnetized arms look on them.

Soon.... (TM)


----------



## Tawa

Three identical brutes stood together looks pretty damn awesome! :good:


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## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Three identical


They are not identical - They heads and "crowns" are different form model to model


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> They are not identical - They heads and "crowns" are different form model to model


You know what I mean..... :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> You know what I mean.....


I'm bored at work - I will do whatever it takes to have something to do, including reading something in replies that isn't there!


----------



## Tawa

I'm about ten minutes away from going to work :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

So I finally got the 3 Helbrutes done this weekend, and got to playtest them again last night.

The result was quite good, and it's one of those cases where the one I was least enthusiastic about face-wise got to be the one I actually like the most:









The guy to the far right in the image is my favorite. The way his blue eyes peers out from the dark confines of his coffin is perfect for the look and feel I want for my Crimson Slaughter army. My goal was to make 3 distinct guys where you could tell them apart by their face and their crown, which I think succeeded quite well. I'm pretty satisfied by these guys and these are also the first models I have in the new scheme, where I used a bit of bright metal paints on the bronze (_specifically the crown parts on the middle guy for emphasis_).

As promised in the monthly challenge I painted 2 powerfists and 1 multimelta for each guy for starters, and I am now working on all the other weapons. Seeing as these 3 weapons are the ones I will be using 90% of the time, I wanted the guys combat ready and painted. The magnetizing job I made a tutorial for still works like a charm and even after they are painted you cannot tell they are magnetized unless you know it beforehand.

I got to try them out yesterday against a Eldar player, and they performed amicably. 2nd round they took off 3 wounds off a Wraithknight, after they dropped down and got the "Stand still and fire all weapons twice" roll. They then proceeded to roll that result for 3 (!!) more rounds and absolutely devastated things around them with their multi-meltas and built-in Heavy flamer in their powerfists. 

I proceeded to win a 12-4 victory over the Eldar player (_1750 points, Maelstrom Contact Lost, Crimson Slaughter vs Illyanden_) and even then, my 215 point Chaos Lord got to get in a duel with the enemys HQ. He absolutely murdered him, prayed to the gods and become a spawn.

...










So now I'm painting the weapons on these guys so I have more options, while considering what I should paint next. I have a few options and I'm trying to figure out what I need most. I have a few new Nurgle Princes that look bad-ass, and I also have a lot of bikes that I can add to the army. I'm leaning towards bikes, but I want to figure out how to build them so I can switch the weapons on the models. After all, whether they will be using bolters, plasmas or meltas will differ a lot in the coming games.

So many decisions!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Hmmm... I'd probably replace the t-l bolter on the bike, filling up the left side with something mechanical like a sensor array, or something... and magnetizing the right side, so the plasma/melta can sit in there all easy-like.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Hmmm... I'd probably replace the t-l bolter on the bike, filling up the left side with something mechanical like a sensor array, or something... and magnetizing the right side, so the plasma/melta can sit in there all easy-like.


Hmm not a bad idea, but I want to replace the weapons on the riders, not the bikes. I'd rather keep the TL bolter on the bike and replace the regular one on the rider, so I can choose and have the better version available. 

As I wrote in this months painting challenge, I think I'm gonna mix it up this month, being the last month of December.

First of all, I will be painting Daemons for this month. Secondly, I will be painting my first ever non-GW model that I have bought for my armies. Seeing as I run Nurgle Daemon Princes quite often, it was about time I got a model for it. The 2 blue Daemon Princes have run their count-as course for long enough.

So I went looking for suitable models. I really don't like the GW Nurgle Prince model and the fact that it doesn't come with wings is a big no from me. Luckily I didn't have to look far for a awesome replacement that was both cheaper, AND came with wings. I found these babies on Titan Forge and I will be closing this year off with painting them:










I will be using the painting theme for my Great Unclean One that I made earlier this year, and I think these look absolutely awesome. The most important part? The model itself is the same size as a Daemon Prince. The wings are alot bigger, granted, but they don't warrant a line-of-sight, same as a Bloodthirster.

If you haven't checked out Titan Forge I can heavily recommend them. They don't have many models, but if you collect Nurgle they have some excellent miniatures for the task.

Over and out!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> Hmm not a bad idea, but I want to replace the weapons on the riders, not the bikes. I'd rather keep the TL bolter on the bike and replace the regular one on the rider, so I can choose and have the better version available.


So you'll drop a close combat attack to be able to choose between the better of the two ranged shooting attacks? Fair enough. I'd rather have the bp+ccw combo, myself, but...


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> So you'll drop a close combat attack to be able to choose between the better of the two ranged shooting attacks? Fair enough. I'd rather have the bp+ccw combo, myself, but...


I always forget that they only have bolt pistols and that bolt pistolsnow grants the extra attack, when combined with a close combat weapon. You are right of course, thanks for reminding me!

In the light of the information, it would indeed make more sense to replace the one on the bike.


----------



## Nordicus

So while I'm working on the two princes, I have been wondering how to take better pictures of my models. It has pained me for quite a while that I spend so much time painting them, and then I cannot show them off properly.

So - I invested in a Lightcase. This is the result:

*Decimator:*









*Helbrute:*









*Possessed:*









How do people like them? I haven't fiddled with the settings yet, so they are pure unedited pictures - The only thing I did was scale them down so they fit here.


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nice pics but the light seems to wash out a lot of the details. a softer light or filter on your camera would probably solve this problem fro you in a jiffy though.

And i just noticed the bases. those look great! are they resin bases or did you make them? if you made them you need to to a tutorial for it.


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> Nice pics but the light seems to wash out a lot of the details. a softer light or filter on your camera would probably solve this problem fro you in a jiffy though.


Hmm it was just standing in the window though - I can probably experiment with other places. I want to keep it as pure as possible, so they don't look good because of a filter instead of the photo itself.

Hows this, compared?










Any input is appreciated naturally!



SwedeMarine said:


> And i just noticed the bases. those look great! are they resin bases or did you make them? if you made them you need to to a tutorial for it.


Thanks! They are from Wargamma actually and they have all sizes for a complete army in this theme. I love them and thinkt hey suit a haunted army just perfectly!

Only downside is that they are resin so I have to pin every model to make sure they are stuck to it. But hey that just means they are even more stable than they used to be 

Last but not least, a little progress shot of one of the princes:


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## SwedeMarine

The second pic of the decimator is much clearer. you can see much more of the details.


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## venomlust

Dear gods those Nurgle princes are badass!


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## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> The second pic of the decimator is much clearer. you can see much more of the details.


Excellent, then I will most likely re-do the pictures of the entire army with this setting - A proper setting for proper models.



venomlust said:


> Dear gods those Nurgle princes are badass!


I know, right?!


----------



## Tha Tall One

The second picture of the Decimator looks almost like a piece of rendered concept art. Not that I'm complaining. It really looks good. The Nurgle daemon is terrifying. It has no eyes, but it must see.


----------



## Uveron

This Plog is Great! A great Inspiration for my own re-launch into the hobby!


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## Nordicus

Tha Tall One said:


> The second picture of the Decimator looks almost like a piece of rendered concept art.


Sounds good to me - Can't ask for more than that 



Uveron said:


> This Plog is Great! A great Inspiration for my own re-launch into the hobby!


Thanks and welcome back! As always if there's anything here you want specified out or the like, just ask. and I'll see what I can do.


----------



## Nordicus

Now while I'm finishing the two princes _(will be done tonight or tomorrow)_ I'm starting to think about the next project - It will definitely be the Chaos Bikers I have laying around.

However, I can't seem to grasp how I'm going to do it. Let me explain:

I want to try and go as much WYSIWYG as possible. I'm starting to dabble in local tournaments and I simply prefer that I can display what is on the model, so there's no misunderstandings and everything just gets simpler. However, I also want the bikers to have a feel of Nurgle over them when they have it. And let's be honest; 5/6 times you run Chaos Bikers, you run them with Mark of Nurgle. 

Here's my predicament: Currently I have the following parts lying around to make bikers:

10 x MKIV Outrider squadron bikers
10 x Chaos Bikers
10 x Deathguard conversion parts

My original thought was to make the bikes a mix between the Outrider squadron and the Chaos Bikers. Maybe make it 50/50 if they were regular bikers or Nurgle bikers, with the conversion set.

But now I'm wondering about the following parts:

1) Should I get 10 Doom Bikers from puppetswar and make 10 Nurgle bikers _(with the Doom Bikers and the Deathguard conversion set)_ and 10 regular ones, and let the Outrider bikes be purely unmarked bikers? Is 20 bikers too much or is it simply awesome?

2) How much should I Magnetize and how? I'm thinking I should magnetize all the bikes so they can switch out a weapon on the bike and make every 5th biker able to switch out his right arm, for Champion weapons.

All of your input would be very appreciated. @bitsandkits regardless, it seems I will need your services once again for all the weapons I will need for this


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## Nordicus

Oh and while I'm waiting on feedback on the above post, here's a shot of the two completed Daemon Prince of Nurgle:


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## DaisyDuke

Nord that prince is looking suitably Nurgle awesome. 
About the bike's, your spot on. It looks like you could remove the guns on some, smooth it off then mag on a melta or such. That is a lot of bikes though. 
You could take the msu tactic to the extreme, six squads of three with two melta, only 540 points. 
Keep up the goodness nord


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> Is 20 bikers too much or is it simply awesome?


I miiight not be the most unbiased observer here, but... _biiiiikes_.

I'd advise 4 magnetized weapons per 10 bikes, so you can go a squad of 10 or 2 squads of 5 bikers and still have enough special weapons to go around.



DaisyDuke said:


> You could take the msu tactic to the extreme, six squads of three with two melta, only 540 points.


That is tempting too, for all that it would make it slightly harder to muster up a sizeable squad if you wanted to, say, give a bikerlord a retinue.

Speaking of which, also bear in mind that if you want any HQs among these bikers, you may have to reserve the bike for that Lord/Sorc, Nord...


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> About the bike's, your spot on. It looks like you could remove the guns on some, smooth it off then mag on a melta or such. That is a lot of bikes though.
> You could take the msu tactic to the extreme, six squads of three with two melta, only 540 points.


I actually figured out how to magnetize the weapons this evening. Yay for progress! The thing to note is that I'm not using the standard Chaos Biker - But the MKIV Outrider Squadron bikes. The weapons on these are located just below the steering wheel, near the tire instead of up top. It makes for easier magnetizing and easier replacement of weapon.



Mossy Toes said:


> Speaking of which, also bear in mind that if you want any HQs among these bikers, you may have to reserve the bike for that Lord/Sorc, Nord...


That is a good point. I have a plan to make 4 total be able to switch their arms; 3 for champions _(if I decide to go MSU and bring 3 small squads)_ and 1 for a Lord where both arms can be replaced _(You know, for those fisti-claws lords)_. With the one that can get both arms replaced, I can easily put a power weapon in there and call him a Sorc I gather. Every single bike will be able to switch out his weapon on the bike, just for kicks.

In addition I have a custom Kranon the Relentless on Bike job in the works currently, where he has the wargear I usually use him with. 

I don't know if you can tell, but I'm totally going all out on this CSM army. I want everything to be scalable, reusable and flexible in whatever way I can. It's a big project but it's quite fun!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> In addition I have a custom Kranon the Relentless on Bike job in the works currently,


If you want to use the actual mini, that might be... awkward, with the cloak and all. Big sheets of plastic tend not to be to flowing and dynamic, on bike-back.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> If you want to use the actual mini, that might be... awkward, with the cloak and all. Big sheets of plastic tend not to be to flowing and dynamic, on bike-back.


Oh definitely. That is why I'm having someone else do it, that is much more qualified than me. I severely suck at greenstuffing and converting something of this scale.


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## DaisyDuke

Sounds good mate
Those puppets war bikes will look good with death guard riders.


----------



## Nordicus

So it's time to start up again, now that the Christmas lunches and package bonanze is over with. I've had a nice time seeing all the famile on both sides, but by now I just really need to relax a bit - Preferably with my little plastic and resin models.

Before I get started though, I'm pretty psyched that I got my first Horus Heresy model; Calas Typhon!









I freakkin' love this model - It's so much better than the GW equivalent, and I will definitely be painting this guy up in the coming months. I will wait a bit though, as I don't have any cultists and/or zombies, and without those, he's pretty much not going to see the table.

Meanwhile I had my bikes to look at. I got started with drilling holes in the sides, so I could magnetize the weapons on the bikes. The MKIV bikes that I'm using comes with boltguns and plasmaguns per standard, so I had two weapons to look at for now, while I'm ordering the flamers and meltas home. I found a nice spot just between the tire and the armor where the magnet could sit without much drilling, and it worked perfectly:









And then, after having drilled the whole in all 40 weapons _(10 bikes x 2 weapons x 2 sides)_ and both sides on all 10 bikes, I found out that I didn't have nearly enough magnets. In fact, I'm about 40 magnets short. So now, I have to wait for my new order of magnets to ship before I can continue. This is after 6 of the 10 bikes needs to have 1 arm magnetized and the remaining 4 riders needs to have both arms magnetized as well. Shucks.

So, to kill some time, I'm painting up the 25 cultists I have laying around: 20 from the Dark Vengeance set and 5 extra that I got along with the Typhus model:









These are my bad conscience as well, as they have been lying in a drawer ever since I started the hobby. The Dark Vengeance set was my first ever 40k purchase, so it's about time they got painted up.


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> These are my bad conscience as well, as they have been lying in a drawer ever since I started the hobby. The Dark Vengeance set was my first ever 40k purchase, so it's about time they got painted up.


Cleaning those skele.... *ahem* cultists out of the closet then? :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Cleaning those skele.... *ahem* cultists out of the closet then?


Oh yes - They were bugging me!

So the cultists got done and I will take some nice photos in the morning. I wanted them done for today as I had my first match of 2015.

The setup was a special Maelstrom of War mission, of 1500 points. The special rule was that, beyond HQ and troops, only 1 FOC slot was permitted. I chose the Elite slot and the setup was this:










That's right, the 25 cultists are in the list. Beyond that there is a lord (Blade of the relentless, mark of slaanesh, melta bombs, sigil, horns, prophet of the voices, demonheart), 10 noise marines with 2 blastmasters and Icon of Excess, 10 Possessed with mark of slaanesh and Icon of Excess, 1 Decimator with Siege claws and 3 Helbrutes with plasma cannons and powerfist w/ heavyflamer in a formation.

I was against Orks whcih consisted of 1 warboss in megaarmor and lucky stikk, 24 boys, 1 painboy, 2 times 12 boys in 'eavy armor in trukks, 1 Gorkanaut, 1 Mega-dredd, 10 lootahs and 1 big mek with shokk attack gun.

It was a fun fight and I ended up nearly tabling the guy. At the end of turn 5 he had one trukk running around and thus gave up the match as he was behind with 6 points.

Now - Time to get that Typhus model primed!


----------



## Nordicus

Right, I had a right paintfit yesterday - This Typhon Calas model is awesome to work on. It's a delight to have just one model to work on, as I usually paint in bulks. I always paint a full unit or more, so once I have them ready, I can use them in several ways.

As I haven't received my magnets yet to finalize my bikes, I got to work on Typhus as I also submitted him for this months painting deathmatch. As previously mentioned I am painting him in a post-heresy theme, as I like the model A LOT more than the 40k equivalent and with the right paint theme, I can easily see him as the Nurgle Champion that he is.

My progress is this:










I am trying some new techniques for the armor, as I want him to be a bit more realistic than I usually do. A grim and dark theme, that looks dirty. That means no light highlights, but having the Deathworld Green be the lightest of the greens. I was a challenge but I really like the dark and gritty appearance it gives him. Combined with the new way to do the bronze, which is a bit more cold than I usually do, I think it's starting to fit well together.

Next up is the rust and iron. 

Feedback is, as always, welcome!


----------



## DaisyDuke

Looking good nord


----------



## Tawa

Fremragende! (sp?) :blush:


----------



## LokiDeathclaw

I love this model! I am so tempted to buy it! Must.....resist......urge....to....buy....more plastic crack! Paintjob looking good can't wait to see it finished!


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Fremragende! (sp?)


Ha! Excellent 



LokiDeathclaw said:


> I love this model! I am so tempted to buy it! Must.....resist......urge....to....buy....more plastic crack! Paintjob looking good can't wait to see it finished!


You and me both man - It is simply made of awesome, so I didn't have the guts to modify it. Besides, I think it works fine unaltered in both pre- and post-Heresy.

So a thought hit me yesterday as I had like an hour to paint. The original Typhus model was actually one of the first models I ever painted. I remember getting it recommended by the local GW store, so I took their workd for it and bought it. I think it was model number 5 of the like that I ever laid a brush on.

So I did a comparison shot. Granted the new model is not done yet, but the comparison is still fun to look at:









It's not often you get a direct way of comparing your skills today to your skills 2 years ago. I guess it's like trying to gain muscle or loose weight, where if you look in the mirror every day you don't spot the difference - But take a photo after 3 weeks and compare, and you can see it clear as day.

Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts on the matter. A strange feeling of nostalgia hit me when I took this picture and I realized how much I have learned over the past 2 years. Almost all of it I can contribute to the painting competitions and monthly challenges here on this very site, so I wanted to say thank you to you all. @Tawa, @SwedeMarine, @Deus Mortis, @Iraqiel, @Mossy Toes, @Saintspirit, @LokiDeathclaw, @DkMiBuch, @Viscount Vash, @DaisyDuke and many others - Thank you all for all the hours, feedback and competition you give me every single day, week and month. You're all awesome!

All of you who read my plog, read my tutorials, who enter the competitions, who put up your own plogs, and share your findings. You all help create and inspire new painters like me _(Let's be honest, compare to many gamers, I'm still a newbie)_. You help me get better and strive for better results. Don't. Ever. Stop.

Now, where's the damn coffee.


----------



## Tawa

They're both really rather nice - even Mr Unfinished on the right 

In fact, I have that very figure still packaged up so I'll be nosying at that picture again when it comes time to paint him! :good:


----------



## CLT40k

That's awesome, I keep an old model around too to look at from time to time just to compare...


----------



## Nordicus

So I finished the model last night - I had to leave the base drying overnight. The final result is this:










I ended up using a obscene amount of Nurgles Rot at the end of the base, simulating the nasty and goo-ness of Nurgle. I didn't want to put it on the miniature as I think it would do more harm than good, but I wanted it there somewhere. As the base had a bare area from the torn building and the edge, I thought this could be a fun little experiment. Roughly 1/3 of the bottle later, it looked like the above.

This was one of the most fun paint projects I've had in a good while. The ability to sit down and focus on *one* miniature is something I haven't done in a while, as I usually paint whole units.

I also think the post-Heresy theme worked out pretty good. What do you guys think?

_EDIT: Ding! 17.000 views on the plog._


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## Tawa

Awesome sauce mate! :good:


----------



## Mossy Toes

I might have swirled a darker green or brown paint into that Nurgle's Rot, not mixing fully... just to get some variation in there. As it stands, it's pretty flat and monochrome green, which has been my big complaint about Nurgle's Rot as a paint.

Still, Typhon himself is looking great! Top notch verdegris.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> I might have swirled a darker green or brown paint into that Nurgle's Rot, not mixing fully... just to get some variation in there. As it stands, it's pretty flat and monochrome green, which has been my big complaint about Nurgle's Rot as a paint.
> 
> Still, Typhon himself is looking great! Top notch verdegris.


Aye, I did try this out on the lower layers _(this guy has like 3-4 layers to make it that thick)_ albeit with a Aggrax wash. It didn't really blend that well and came out very cartoonish, so I decided to paint over it. Compared to the nice blends and effects on the model, I thought it stood out as a bit sloppy and I couldn't really fix it.

Next time I do this, I will most likely put some skulls, zombies or whatnot in the mix so it's not just a flat surface - Because I do agree that it's a bit flat. But hey, it's better than just a black plastic surface, so I got that going for me, which is nice.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> Next time I do this, I will most likely put some skulls, zombies or whatnot in the mix so it's not just a flat surface - Because I do agree that it's a bit flat. But hey, it's better than just a black plastic surface, so I got that going for me, which is nice.


Sounds like a good idea--and hey, I'll drink to it being better than flat black!


----------



## SwedeMarine

I love ya Nord but I'd Kill to have your skill in painting. That typhon model justy looks amazing. Still needs to compete with my scouts though ......


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> That typhon model justy looks amazing


Thanks a lot man - I'm glad you like!  The new techniques worked out well and it's always fun to paint something that is supposed to look as weathered as him.

Now in other news, I've finally finished the massive magnetization job I've undertaken; My 10 bikes.

Here is a shot of the bikes and the parts, before I get started:









Bear in mind, that this is only with the following options available;

*Bikes*: Bolters and Plasma
*Bikers*: Just arms. No special weapons yet.

The the above picture there is 6 guys with one arm glued to them, and 4 that are armless. The 4 armless are meant to be champions, sorcerers or champions who can switch out both arms depending on what I need. The 6 guys with one arm, is supposed to be regular bikers where I can switch out one arm if I want to give them a special weapon on the rider, instead of the bike.

The champions basically look like this:









Everything is being done with 3mm rare earth magnets, so they are quite crafty.

You will probably notice that the bikes are not the regular Chaos bikes. Since this has been underway for a while as I've been gathering all the parts, here's what is used to make them;

Chaos Bikers (upper body)
Mark IV Outrider biker (legs)
Mark IV Outrider Squadron bikes
Various Chaos bike parts on the bikes themselves
Wargamma Haunted bases

The bikes comes per default with 2 bolters and 2 plasmas, as the weapons are located just above the wheel, instead of the regular Chaos bikes. This does make the magnetization easier, as it will be something like this:










This magnet is placed on both sides of the bikes, allowing the weapons to be attached fairly easily:










The magnets are also small enough that I can buy a regular flamer or plasma, and attach it to the bike without it being seen. I wont have the holder that the bolter and plasma has for the bike, but I can live with that.

Now the bikes are ready for priming. I have just received my airbrush and will be practicing control by priming them with it and take it from there.

Nord over and out.


----------



## Nordicus

So, since I got the last pieces I needed to actually use my airbrush last week, I decided to make a bit of a change in what I paint. The bikes are ready and primed, but before I start using my airbrush on them, I figured that I need some practice with it and get familiar with this whole new way of painting.

So I decided to buy a Landraider, the first in my collection, for this task. I figured the large flat areas would be a good practice run as I can practice my control, trigger sensitivity and other things for it. However, I wanted it to be unique, so I stopped by The Dark Works and bought a Mark II kit for it. The result was this;










Needless to say I absolutely love this kit. It makes the tank a bit more bulky but it makes it stand more out and gets it one step further away from the standard Landraider kit with Chaos Vehicle sprues that comes in the package. I had to absolutely rape the model to get it on there though, and with no assemble instructions or videos, I had to make my guesses as to get it on there. Basically you have to remove all the screws, iconography and other details on the sides to make it look good and it takes a bit of work.

Now I had the kit ready to paint, but before I got started I had a whole other issue to get acquainted with; Thinning down paints and/or buy airbrush versions of the colors you normally use. I have a very strict colortheme that I use for my models once I get started. My Crimson Slaughter force is designed from the start to have a unified look and I've worked for a while to find the right colors, transitions and combinations to make them look the way they do. So I had to either thin down my GW paints or find colors that were pre-thinned (Hello Vallejo air) that looked exactly the same.

I ended up with a mix actually - I use Wazdakka red from GW, and Scorched Brown plus Warlock Purple from Vallejo Air for the armor. My transitions are essentially like this:

- Prime black
- Base in 50/50 Scorched Brown / Warlock Purple
- First highlight in 50/50 Wazdakka Red / Warlock Purple
- final highlight in Wazdakka red

After getting the paints pre-blended in small bottles, so I have the mixes for the future, I stared at my models for like 20 minutes before I dared start. Honestly, I had a case of "I'm afraid to mess this up... bad" so I took longer than anticipated to start off. I started by priming the model in black (Vallejo black primer) and using this process to practice my control with both thin lines and broad lines. 

And then I got started. I painted the model in a similar fashion as to how I make my models - I don't go for a realistic lightsource theme, but more a theme that plays with contrast, in regards to the red armor. The end result of my very first airbrushing session is this, in the 3 stages mentioned above:










For a first model I am quite pleased - I avoided splashes, loss of control and made some good transitions. I put it next to a marine that I painted by hand and they look coherent - Even if this Landraider already has far superior transitions due to the very nature of the airbrush.

Now on to the rims of the landraider - Of course this kit has added roughly 478% more rims to the model, so this... this is going to take a while.

Feedback is, as always, appreciated.


----------



## neferhet

the kit is awesome. neat and chaosified without the need of being spikey.
Waiting for the paintwork


----------



## R_Squared

I like the kit, it really adds to the model without overwhelming it. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result here.
I must look into air-brushing myself, you've demonstrated some great results here, and I have 2 large vehicles coming which I think would benefit from this sort of technique.


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## Nordicus

R_Squared said:


> I must look into air-brushing myself, you've demonstrated some great results here, and I have 2 large vehicles coming which I think would benefit from this sort of technique.


Thanks man, I appreciate that - I'm a complete airbrushing noob but so far it's going quite decent.

The reason you stated is the exact reason I bought one to begin with; Vehicles, light effects and priming are my biggest areas of concern where the airbrush comes into play. I know a Landraider would completely and utterly kill my will to paint if I did it with a brush, so I held off buying one until I had a airbrush to do it.


----------



## Tawa

Lovely colouring! k:


And yeah, that kit is awesome :good:


----------



## SwedeMarine

Feedback from me is, as usual, very positive. Now i've got to be jealous at the fact that you can just pcik up ai airbrush and pull that effect off as well  Very smooth man.


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> Now i've got to be jealous at the fact that you can just pcik up ai airbrush and pull that effect off as well  Very smooth man.


Thanks man - You wouldn't believe the amount of airbrushing tutorials I've been studying at the web though. This shit is intimidating as I feel I have a standard to uphold and expected from me :S



Tawa said:


> And yeah, that kit is awesome


Fuck yeah it is!


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> This shit is intimidating as I feel I have a standard to uphold and expected from me :S


----------



## Nordicus

What is that, I don't even...


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> What is that, I don't even...



It's a screenshot from the movie Airplane!
"We're all counting on you......" :laugh:


----------



## Iraqiel

Leslie Nielsen? 

Nordicus, in the words of those who haven't seen this movie... Obi wan has taught you well.


----------



## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> Obi wan has taught you well.


----------



## Tawa

Sorry, what....? :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

So while I'm working on the Land Raider _(just waiting for the Forgeworld tracks now) _I decided to create a post regarding the campaign that I play with my gaming group. For a little break, I thought I would show you what my primary games are about as, believe it or not, I do play the game quite a lot too.

You can find it here:
The Outpower Wars

We are having a lot of fun with it, and it's something that I would love ya'lls input on.

During the weekend I will show more progress shots of the raider. It's quite good looking and I'm thinking of making another conversion on it - You know, because it needs more skulls.

More to be revealed soon!


----------



## Nordicus

So, got back to working on the landraider. I want it finished this weekend, as I just got my Chaos tracks from FW yesterday.

The progress so far is this:









At this stage, while I'm painting the trim, I'm honestly in doubt of the amount of bronze theres going to be on the model - There is no way back now, but my models have always had a primary red and with bronze details, and the trim on this kit seems to make it almost a 50/50. I'm not sure if I want my next Landraider to use this kit at this point, but I will reserve judgement until it is fully painted.

I'm considering buying the Chaos Undivided Landraider doors for the next one and do a comparison. This one is starting to almost look too.. well busy actually.

On another note, I decided to put another conversion on the model as I realized I am never going to field this without dozer blades. Like NEVER. However, no dozer blades comes with it and I can't see a way to put them in front anyway.

So.. I came up with a idea. Here's a teaser:









Until next time!


----------



## R_Squared

Personally I don't think it's too much, I think the balance is about right at the moment.
I like the substitute Dozer blade idea, I'll be interested to see how it turns out. It looks like the skull from a Demon Prince, where's it from?


----------



## Iraqiel

I like where this conversion is headed!

Have you considered breaking up that bronze by giving it a 'beaten' bronze look rather than a flat look? The modelling may be too hard now, or the painting for that matter, but putting irregular texture into the bronze should break it up and (unless you make it look scaly) give the red the dominance again. I say beaten brass and mean a look like this:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/030/0/6182576/il_340x270.641370211_ecoj.jpg


----------



## Nordicus

R_Squared said:


> It looks like the skull from a Demon Prince, where's it from?


Actually, it's the head from a Stonehorn from Fantasy. One of my friends play Fantasy and he assembled it as something else, so he had a spare skull. I thought it would look cool so I'm trying it out 



Iraqiel said:


> Have you considered breaking up that bronze by giving it a 'beaten' bronze look rather than a flat look? The modelling may be too hard now, or the painting for that matter, but putting irregular texture into the bronze should break it up and (unless you make it look scaly) give the red the dominance again. I say beaten brass and mean a look like this:


I tried something similar but I couldn't get it to look good - Currently (after I took the photo) I gave it a highlight of a light brass color to break it up, but the large flat surfaces are proving to be a right pain as they are near impossible to give a good effect without it seeming forced. 

I think I will evaluate when it is finished and take it from there - But at this point, I like the kit but the surfaces make it hard to get to look natural. Maybe I'm missing something...


----------



## Deus Mortis

Mmmmm...dat shading do.

Nice work, I like the conversation. Keep up the good work :victory:


----------



## Nordicus

Hmm an idea - I just psotted this on MWGs Facebook page:










Perhaps the answer is simply to augment the bolts and edges with a dark oil/ink, and leave the bronze as it is - There by not thinking about making highlights, but shadows instead.

What do you guys think?


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nordicus said:


> Perhaps the answer is simply to augment the bolts and edges with a dark oil/ink, and leave the bronze as it is - There by not thinking about making highlights, but shadows instead.
> 
> What do you guys think?


I think if any of us can pull that off it would be you. but i like your idea of focusing on the shadows and recesses rather than the highlights. its not something you see people really pay attention to but done right it will add just as much detail as highlighting. i say go for that option. i would also think about maybe doing some light weathering on the metal parts to break them up even more.


----------



## R_Squared

It's certainly a novel idea, you've got quite a bit of Brass to do, it may "tone it down" in impact. I'll be interested to see how it turns out.


----------



## SonofVulkan

Reikland Fleshshade would be a good choice to shade your bolts. Its good for shading golds, brass and bronze's. I'd be careful highlighting too much as it could take away from the nice bronze you've got going on. Very nice work so far.


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## Nordicus

SonofVulkan said:


> Reikland Fleshshade would be a good choice to shade your bolts


Nice tip there - Thanks!

I tried it out last night, and it didn't work out very well. The problem is that there is actually too much detail on the model at this point, and doing this makes the model seem.. uncontrolled, for lack of a better word. I decided to drop it and did some light brass highlights instead.

I am however, starting to deal with a crisis of faith so to speak. Doing this tank and looking for bits have lead me to realize that the warband I have chosen, have no model iconography. No unique models, unique doors for tanks, no characters and no bits I can buy just for them. The only way I can make them be Crimson Slaughter is by paintjob and decals - I cannot do the same as World Eaters, Night Lords etc, and give them unique shoulder pads or anything of the sort.

And it's starting to really bug me. I want this army to be as unique and high quality as I can and I feel this takes away a lot of my choices in the models. I like the army and I love the rules in the Crimson Slaughter codex, but it feels like I'm building an army with only half the customization options available.

To put it short, I am considering making the jump to *Word Bearers* instead. They have the same rules, nearly the same armor and can easily be partly repainted without me having to do them all over again - And it would give me the options I am looking for.

What I really need to hear from you guys is, if I am completely off the bat here. If I am to make this jump, I will finish this tank, use it as a Spartan Assault Tank and make the next one a Word Bearers special. 

I really need your input on this one guys.
@Howzaa what do you think - Should I jump you in the disciples?


----------



## Uveron

Nordicus said:


> And it's starting to really bug me. I want this army to be as unique and high quality as I can and I feel this takes away a lot of my choices in the models. I like the army and I love the rules in the Crimson Slaughter codex, but it feels like I'm building an army with only half the customization options available.
> 
> To put it short, I am considering making the jump to Word Bearers instead. They have the same rules, nearly the same armor and can easily be partly repainted without me having to do them all over again - And it would give me the options I am looking for


I had the same thoughts in November, when I abandoned my home-brew war band for the Iron Warriors. I had considered doing it quite a few times and I always talked myself out of it.. now I have taken the plunge, and I am very happy with the choice i made. 

Now the Transition from Crimson Slaughter to World Bearers isn't anywhere as mad as my change from the Blue Marine to Iron, so I would say go for it!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> Doing this tank and looking for bits have lead me to realize that the warband I have chosen, have no model iconography. No unique models, unique doors for tanks, no characters and no bits I can buy just for them.


I'll be dead honest here: the sheer beauty of your color scheme and characterfulness of the minis you've painted so far, as far as I'm concerned, render the concern that you could "buy" uniqueness for your warband pretty obsolete. You have a _damned_ gorgeous army.

Buying an awkward shoulder pad* or a specific character might make it more recognizable, or something, but the Crimson Slaughter already have a whole codex supplement, core release kit, battleforce, and formation to themselves, and if that doesn't make other players recognize how perfectly your wonderfully-painted force _epitomizes_ this Throne-damned force, well, that's honestly their loss.

You could go Word Bearers if you want. Hell, from there it's a hp, skip and a jump to whatsoever allied Daemons you want to include in your force, with minimal repainting to eliminate the blue bits that the Crimson Slaughter flaunt. Still, I really think you have something going here, and that's not just the free Fear talking. For all the good Fear has done me, the number of times I've forgotten it, in-game. I just think that you have something here, and you could well be the player who spreads the legitimate Fear into other players, let alone mini squads, of the Crimson Slaughter, on boards and tables across Denmark for the Crimson Slaughter. Some of them will fail their 2D6 Fear Tests on seeing your magnificent, jealousy-inducing force: whatever they field, their basically only Ld7 guardsmen, after all...


*I say this having just bought 20 Alpha Legion shoulder pads from GW mail order and frankly... they're bulky, awkward, and overstated. I mean, for all that it's the Alpha Legion's watchword, subtlety has hardly been GW's watchword, and I may well be over-reacting... but these things are _massive_. You can convert and paint a warband's particularities more easily than you can buy it.


----------



## Tawa

Personally mate, I would stay firmly entrenched where you are.

The army you have painted is truly stunning and deserves to be shown off as is. :good:


----------



## Matcap

Crises of faith are pretty normal I've found. I'm back to painting for 3ish years now and almost every time I pick up a model I agonize if the colourscheme/conversions/true scale or not I chose was the right choice. (which has resulted in a ridiculous amount of backlog and only about 20 something finished models in 3 years!) 
Even though it impedes my progress sometimes, I'm often very happy that I stuck with my earlier plans or it results in some other idea/sideproject.
Main point is: Do you want your guys to be Red Corsairs or Word Bearers, and why? If the only reason to go WB is ease of blinging them, then I wouldn't really do it. If the fluff/style/atmosphere of WB appeals to you more then that's a whole different thing. 

I also second the buying bling is overrated statements above. I think you are doing a splendid job on these guys and painting/converting your own stuff makes them stand out all the more.


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Personally mate, I would stay firmly entrenched where you are.





Mossy Toes said:


> I'll be dead honest here: the sheer beauty of your color scheme and characterfulness of the minis you've painted so far, as far as I'm concerned, render the concern that you could "buy" uniqueness for your warband pretty obsolete. You have a damned gorgeous army.





Matcap said:


> I also second the buying bling is overrated statements above. I think you are doing a splendid job on these guys and painting/converting your own stuff makes them stand out all the more.


Thanks guys - It means more than you know. At this point you all are my angels and devils on my shoulders, and I come to you for decisions when my own inner-critic spins out of control.

I think I figured out where the doubt comes from. The bronze details on the minis look good when they are minimal _(trims, weapon details, etc.)_ but when faced with a massive plate like the one on the tank, I feel it falls flat and uninteresting. I feel it doesn't live up to my expectations and I feel that the effect looses it's touch. Put simply; Bronze in my scheme works best when minimal. Combined with the fact that I was being a little jealous of various characters and tank doors, the doubt creeped in and took its hold.

I've decided to not make another Land-Raider with this kit, possibly sell it on eBay and buy 2 new ones with the Chaos Landraider doors from FW instead. I will finish it up this weekend and put it up, but I will not use it - It simply doesn't match the vision I had for the raider although I can try out different things on it.

I will probably stick with Crimson Slaughter too. But I want to make it more ... Haunted in appearance. I feel I can take it one step further now, and since I have an airbrush I will be doing so. The things I will do is the following:

*1) *Make future models with the airbrush in terms of basecoating and the reds for a more realistic look.

*2)* Redo the eyes on all the models with a OSL effect. The attached picture will be my new guidelines in terms of the OSL, as I freakin' love the glow and the color.

*3) *Keep my models to a minimum of bronze details, as I realize that my vision does not allow for big broad areas with the stuff. 

In short, this Land-Raider has made a big impact on me and my way of painting, and my vision for the army. It has been a good experience, but I've also learned where my paint-themes limit goes. I will put up a image of it when it is complete and then it goes on to be sold. Now I remember why I hate painting tanks


----------



## Mossy Toes

The haunted look is certainly one to pursue--a mere color contrast of blue and red aren't enough, to my eyes. To really get the howling spirits that have driven this chapter to insanity and beyond, and provide various Warlord Traits of ghosts flensing mortals from beyond without specific deific imposition... I, for one, applaud the use of excessive OSL, etc, to make you comfortable in that. If the brass on this particular LR feels excessive, it's on you to figure out how to push yourself to make it feel satisfying, as I see it: washes, NMM effects, whatever and however.

I mean, forgive me if my praise was excessive, but I can't help but think it was merited. Your skills of painting certainly outstrip my own.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> I, for one, applaud the use of excessive OSL, etc, to make you comfortable in that.


I had the same feeling - Normally OSL can be overdone in the blink of an eye, but when dealing with a haunted warrior I feel it is merited. It is not natural lighting, but supernatural lighting. 



Mossy Toes said:


> I mean, forgive me if my praise was excessive, but I can't help but think it was merited.


And I humbly thank you for it. Sometimes it is needed as I have a bad tendency to be overly critical of my own work. I need to be pulled aside, be asked to have a look at it and see what I have achieved. I think this is probably the first, but not the last time it will happen.

I will carry on with my theme, but try to push it to the next level. I have a lot of work ahead of me...


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> I will carry on with my theme, but try to push it to the next level. I have a lot of work ahead of me...


Work to be done! Look sharp soldier! Move it, move it, move it! :crazy:


----------



## Nordicus

So I got the land-raider done this evening:










I must admit I'm still at two minds about the armies. I was sure when I got home, but that doubt is still gnawing at me. The land-raider turned out alright, but I cannot help but feel that I could do better.

I think I will let it simmer over the weekend and make a decision on Monday. Then I will use this months painting challenge to see what I do.


----------



## Kreuger

Nord, I took a look back through a bit of your log for perspective. And looking at the tank I can tell you the problems I see immediately. 

First, compared to your other models the tank is definitely not done. The overall effect is very mid-toned (admittedly this could be the lighting, but I don't think so.)
Second, because it's not "done" to the same level as the rest of your army so it looks boring and unfinished. 

Your other models have a lot more contrast; lights, darks, and textures. The large areas of airbrushed red look soft and very even. The bronze is totally flat looking. And the headlight OSL is too strongly teal in the center. It's like too much eye make-up. 

So what to do about this . . . first let's think about the texture in your other models, like from this post:



Nordicus said:


> A little close-up of one marine:


The soft red/dark tradition happens a lot faster and creates a very different visual texture. That "texture" is also broken up more by the narrower brass trim. And there's more variation in that trim as well. 

I think your trim might have worked better if the base colour for the trim was warplock bronze, with the brass over it, still allowing the warplock to show through - especially between the chaos icons on the top and front. 

I think the fact that both layers of the trim kit are a solid brass without any shading is adding to the overall flatness of the finish. If you don't want to totally redo the trim, I'd run a line of earth/nuln oil ink down the trim. I'd add a wasted down bit of the same around the rivets on the trim. And I'd paint all the rivets on the red plates as well. 

It might be the lighting, but it looks like the skull-dozer-bumper needs a little more shading and highlighting. 

And honestly, at this scale I don't think the smooth red is as effective as it is on the marines. I think you need more variation in there. More swirls or designs or just more chaos. 

So after that long critique which will probably seem more negative than I mean it to, I also want so weigh in on the army theme overall. 

You have excellent work in this army. You should be proud of it. And I world encourage you not to feel deprived because your troops aren't wearing the livery of an existing chapter. There's no reason why a splinter of the word bearers our the crimson slaughter might change their colours a bit. 

If you need to be more specific create your own iconography. You're clearly talented enough to do so. Or leave them a little vague and count them as whatever you want. 

I hope that was helpful and constructive!


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger - Thank you for taking the time to write that feedback. It's always very appreciated! Here are my thoughts.



Kreuger said:


> I think your trim might have worked better if the base colour for the trim was warplock bronze, with the brass over it, still allowing the warplock to show through - especially between the chaos icons on the top and front.
> 
> I think the fact that both layers of the trim kit are a solid brass without any shading is adding to the overall flatness of the finish. If you don't want to totally redo the trim, I'd run a line of earth/nuln oil ink down the trim. I'd add a wasted down bit of the same around the rivets on the trim. And I'd paint all the rivets on the red plates as well.


Actually that is the lighting - I've held it up to one and many of the other miniatures and the bronze look the same, with the same shine and feel. I tried with aggrax, nuln and even Smoke from vallejo, but it always turned out to be forced. It was too clear what was happening and it turned out to actually make it stand more out from the army, than it was helping. 



Kreuger said:


> And the headlight OSL is too strongly teal in the center. It's like too much eye make-up.


Totally legit, as it is my very first try with OSL. I will light it up a bit with some white, to counteract the strong teal. In general I'm practicing my airbrush so it might look un-awesome for a while.



Kreuger said:


> I think your trim might have worked better if the base colour for the trim was warplock bronze, with the brass over it, still allowing the warplock to show through - especially between the chaos icons on the top and front.


Same as with my first reply, as this was my first attempt to break it up. The contrast was too big and it came out unfinished, rather than giving a shadow to the model.



Kreuger said:


> And honestly, at this scale I don't think the smooth red is as effective as it is on the marines. I think you need more variation in there. More swirls or designs or just more chaos.


I was thinking the same, which is also why I keep returning to Word Bearers. It would be easier to put something on there in this case, than it is with Crimson Slaughter.



Kreuger said:


> And I'd paint all the rivets on the red plates as well.


Thats the lighting again - They are all silver on the model 

All in all, I like your feedback though, so don't take it the wrong way. I think I'm just really down about that bronze, as I cannot get it to look up to snuff. I have the same problem on my small models actually, it's just easier to hide there - I'm very glad about my metallics, but I find bronze to be a absolute pain to paint, and I'm starting to loose motivation in painting whenever I reach that step.

I guess this is also partly the reason why I'm considering switching.


----------



## Kreuger

Hmm, ok. You won't hurt my feelings not agreeing. I can only critique as well as I can see the model in the photo. 

Having played chaos for 20ish years I sympathize and have painted a lot of bronze, brass, copper, silver, etc. I definitely lean towards darker tones of bronze and brass in my models. 
I particularly like the redness of bronze compared to brass. 

I think there's more of a discussion we could have when I'm not at work.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> I think there's more of a discussion we could have when I'm not at work.


If you would take the time when you're not at work, I would always appreciate your input. I hope you know that


----------



## Iraqiel

Good on you for pressing forward with a model that was frustrating you, I have a couple too many of those sitting in bits boxes against when they will eventually be finished or started over.

Personally, I think it looks pretty good. I'd probably have made it much less clean with Typhus corrosion and dappled nuln oil and agrax, but then I don't have the rest of the army to make sure it fits in with.


----------



## Nordicus

It's amazing what a good nights sleep can do to you. After thinking it over for almost all night, I've come to a conclusion - Well actually 2:

1) The landraider was not done. @Kreuger was totally right, and I needed to do more about it. I went back and redid the OSL and tinkered with the bronze. I did a thinned down Reikland Fleshshade (Thanks for the tip @SonofVulkan) in the recesses and did a more light drybrush of a lighter bronze (Runelord Brass). The result was much better, and without being too much away from the rest of the army, it did wonders for the bronze.

2) I've decided to stop being a bitch about my army, and stick to what I'm good at: Crimson Slaughter. No more Word Bearer shenanigans - I will stick with my army and overcome the obstacles that I have encountered.

I took a photo of the finished landraider after the modifications and it looks like this:









I'm still in doubt about the kit for the raider however - It makes it look truly unique though and I will probably stick with it. But I will order the Chaos Doors on the sides instead of the ones that comes with the kit as I'm not a fan of those.

Thanks again for all the feedback guys - You rock!


----------



## Kreuger

That's looking really good! And much more complete. 

The photo is a lot better as well. I can see the silver rivets now and more of the details.

And I think you're onto something, if the doors don't work for you - change them! 

I'm looking forward to seeing this done (and not on eBay. )


----------



## Howzaa

Sorry I'm so late on replying to my mention apparently I'm blind with these things, I'm glad you decided to stick with these I struggle with large bronze parts on tanks but I think your version looks good (much better than mine). Lighting seems to showing bronze differently as you've stated before so I reckon worth sticking to it.

The airbrushing & OSL rocks but my favorite part by some ways is the giant skull/bulldozer on the front great touch.

As to should you do some word bearers not instead of these, but in the future yes lots of conversation possibilities and lots of scope for free hand think you'd have a lot of good ideas and results.


----------



## alasdair

That is a lovely looking land raider. Good job dude.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> And I think you're onto something, if the doors don't work for you - change them!


Definitely - New doors have been ordered for the rest of the carpark; 1 Landraider and 3 Rhinos!



Howzaa said:


> The airbrushing & OSL rocks but my favorite part by some ways is the giant skull/bulldozer on the front great touch.


Thanks man - That means a lot! I'm very much in love with your Word Bearer army, so I'm glad to see it represented here on Heresy as well :good:



alasdair said:


> That is a lovely looking land raider. Good job dude.


Thanks a bunch mate! 

Now, seeing as the Land-raider is done, it's time to get cracking on those bikes. I seriously need some fast attack in my army, and rather than always relying on the Heldrake, I've decided to finish those 11 bikes I have standing this month. Each one has been modified to have each of the 4 weapons magnetized on the bikes (bolters, plasma, melta and flamer) and the riders have magnetized arms for customization options.

However, I've seemed to hit a spot where I'm unsure of how to proceed. Last night I sat down and gave them their basecoat and highlights of red. So far, so good and it looks great. I'm starting to get the hang of this airbrush thingy, and while not being excellent at it, I've at least learned a bit more about the control.

However, here comes the hard part; Where to put the bronze on the bikes. As seen earlier in this thread, they are MKIV Outrider bikes that I'm using as they look much cooler. With a few spikes and decals on them, they can easily pass for Chaos bikes. However, they are not so straight forward in theme regarding colors as normal bikes, so I've fiddled around in photoshop to see where to put the bronze.

The 2 finalists are these _(Apologies for the lighting and bad photoshopping - But it should prove a point)_:

*Option A*









*Option B*









Here's my thought process:

I'm in doubt about the back end. I want the bronze to be on raider areas, as that's the general theme in my army - So it cannot be in the middle area, as that is a area that is below the frame. 

However, I'm afraid of the first image being too much bronze, although it makes more sense to do it this way, in regards to the model and the lines. The second one just seems to be a bit on the light end though, but the darker edges of the red looks great - So I cannot make up my mind which is the best.

Now many of you have followed my army - Which do you think suits the theme best?


----------



## SwedeMarine

keep it with option A in my opinion. you need the contrasting color on the back to offset the front. OR leave the trim in back red and instead do the recessed area in back with bronze. just my two cents


----------



## Kreuger

I'm liking option A better. I would also make the little cut-out panel on the front fairing bronze.


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> keep it with option A in my opinion. you need the contrasting color on the back to offset the front.





Kreuger said:


> I'm liking option A better.


When two of my must adamant followers agree, how can I not follow that advice? I went with option A and, after applying the metallics, it looked quite good. Thanks a lot fellas :good:

To be able to complete this months challenge (11 bikes, 4 weapons x 2 for each and 11 riders) I needed to make some head-way this weekend. And I sure did - My goal was to finish the bikes themselves, so I could focus on the riders and weapons next.

I also got the finish the bases, so I could pin and glue the bikes to them, while I was at it. So here's the current progress:










Ironically the toughest part was the small screen on the dashboard of the bikes. it was also the only place I could place any blue effect where it made sense, so...










Now I will wait until tomorrow, until the glue is done drying (to make sure) and then I will apply varnish and oil effects to the bikes. Then I can move on to the weapons and riders.

Productive weekend for sure!


----------



## venomlust

Woooow those bikes are so cool!


----------



## DaisyDuke

A was definitely the best way to go. 
Glad you're sticking to Crimson slaughter mate, they must look awesome altogether especially with the tortured souls base theme.
Your adventures in air brushing are going well the raider looks superb as well as the bikes. Keep on with the badassary nord.


----------



## Iraqiel

Looking good Nord, keep it up! It's a big challenge for the month and I'm keen to see you win!


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Woooow those bikes are so cool!


I know, right? I like them a lot better than the standard bike in 40k, so while it cost me a few extra months of plastic budget, it was all worth it. The weapons look a lot cooler as well, as they are on the sides near the wheel, instead of up top. I will be able to show you soon enough.



DaisyDuke said:


> Glad you're sticking to Crimson slaughter mate, they must look awesome altogether especially with the tortured souls base theme.


Thanks man! Once these bikes are finished I was thinking about doing a army shot, of what has been made so far, all together. It's been a busy 9 months for sure!



Iraqiel said:


> Looking good Nord, keep it up! It's a big challenge for the month and I'm keen to see you win!


Thanks! The challenge for next month is also probably going to be a little easier - I'm thinking only 3 tanks instead.

... I've lost every and all track of scale of this challenge.. Haven't I?


----------



## DaisyDuke

Sounds like you're following pages out of Iraqiel apocalypse book.


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> Sounds like you're following pages out of Iraqiel apocalypse book.


I think I missed out on that one, so good thing I'm racing behind  The main reason for doing so many tanks now, is for airbrushing practice actually. They're the perfect model to practice control and I still haven't gotten any rhinos in my army. I've got 3 rhinos and 1 more landraider inbound, so that should be sufficient for practicing for now.


----------



## neferhet

WOW! They are going to wreck faces when deployed! Also, great work on the LR and those bikes, so far


----------



## Iraqiel

Nordicus said:


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by DaisyDuke View Post
> Sounds like you're following pages out of Iraqiel apocalypse book.
> I think I missed out on that one, so good thing I'm racing behind The main reason for doing so many tanks now, is for airbrushing practice actually. They're the perfect model to practice control and I still haven't gotten any rhinos in my army. I've got 3 rhinos and 1 more landraider inbound, so that should be sufficient for practicing for now.


A much more worthy aim, to be sure. In my case, the whole plan is pretty well to throw money at my army until I can field one of everything, if not two. And by everything, I of course mean apocalypse formations.


----------



## Nordicus

neferhet said:


> WOW! They are going to wreck faces when deployed!


I'm counting on it - I sure as shit hope that all this magnetization is going to be worth it! For now though, they are a welcome fast attack addition to my army.



Iraqiel said:


> In my case, the whole plan is pretty well to throw money at my army until I can field one of everything, if not two. And by everything, I of course mean apocalypse formations.


I like your style. I shall do the same.


----------



## DaisyDuke

What kind of set did you go for with the airbrush. I have been tempted for a while and may take the plunge at the end of the month.


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> What kind of set did you go for with the airbrush


I went with a *Badger 105 Patriot* airbrush and a *Revell Masterclass Compressor*. 

The compressor can be exchanged for a cheaper one though, but if you want to buy it, the cheapest alternative is the german Amazon, where it is almost half the price of the UK version.
You can find it here: 





The Badger 105 Patriot airbrush is a good starter/intermediate brush, that is dual action, gravity feed and very durable. Unless you want to make very fine lines, which you won't be able to start with anyway and you need a airbrush specifically made for, it can cover all of your airbrushing needs.

The collective price, including transport, will probably set you back roughly 250 pounds. However, if you want to save a bit you can save on the compressor. This one comes highly recommended and it is excellent though so it will last you longer and give you more control.


----------



## Nordicus

So a little update - And am annoying experience richer.

In essence I found out that I cannot do my current style of painting Crimson Slaughter on minis smaller than a bike, with an airbrush. The way I paint them with the heavy shadows and controlled highlights is simply too small for me to be able to do it with a airbrush, even with a small needle. I can use it for basecoating and vehicles, and light effects and varnish - But painting the red hues and transitions on a normal Space Marines is not feasible. 

So I have to redo all the riders, which sets me back a few days. I will most likely finish them on Sunday.

I'm ok with it honestly though - I know my style is quite unique when concerning the painting scheme and the airbrush was never meant to replace my brush. I tried it out, and it didn't work - Now I know that for the future.

If I do other paintthemes on other miniatures I can use it but for my chosen theme and way of painting, it only works for larger models.

I will keep you all posted on Sunday with the (Hopefully) finished miniatures.


----------



## Iraqiel

I've honestly always been confused about how people manage to do amazing airbrushing on marine size figures, it just seems far too finicky and fine detail for the tool.

Looking forward to your pictures on Sunday!


----------



## Roganzar

I never saw how airbrushing would work to well on the average troops, (Imp. Guard, Space Marines, Eldar Guardians or Guants). I just figured those that used an airbrush, would do it as a base coat and maybe glow effects. Then again my understanding and skill with an airbrush is slightly above nil. Shows what I know.
Still, looking forward to seeing the pics come Sunday.


----------



## SwedeMarine

Your brush work is amazing for its not much for you to worry about. Airbrushes are a great way to get a base coat onto a model but Id never be able to paint a tactical marine using just an airbrush. love having one for vehicles though. although i need to imprve my skills in that department.


----------



## Nordicus

Sorry for the wait - I haven't been home at normal hours to be able to take any decent pictures, as I need the natural sunlight to do that. 

Here are 3 of the bikers, in complete detail:









I've included 2 normal bikes and one of the models that are supposed to be a sergeant with plasma guns. I'm quite happy with the plasma effect I achieved on the guns, as it's the smallest detail I've done with a airbrush yet - I was really afraid to fuck it up and I had already painted the other part of the gun when I did it.

Overall, I'm pretty glad about the quality from rider to bike. After going back and redoing the riders by hand (I only primed them with the airbrush) I was afraid that the visual distinction between the two would be noticeable, as the gradients would be different from my brushwork to airbrush. Personally, i think it actually adds a bit of character to the riders that the shadows are a tad harder around the kneepads and arms.

Overall? They took longer than anticipated, but it was a very learning experience and they came out just how I wanted them. Even if it did take me several weeks longer than anticipated.

I hope you like them fellas! :good:

Now unto this months challenge. I've submitted 3 Rhinos with FW Chaos undivided doors, part of the Dark Works kit and full magnetization so I can turn them into Predators if need be. That means the side doors, the combibolter-dude up top and the top doors have to be able to be taken off. 

So far they are all assembled, and I will start the airbrushing work today:









I did have a problem with the FW resin doors though. They had an unusual amount of residue on them that I was unable to get off except by bathing them in spirits. I got most of it off, but not enough for me to prime the tanks by airbrush, so I did it by can as that sticks better _(a little tip I got from my local store)_. It was the first time I have had this problem, so at least I know how to counter it in the future and I got my suspicions confirmed; If you want to prime by airbrush, do it on metal or plastic. If you want to prime resin, make damn sure all the residue is gone or go safe and do it by can.

Now unto a productive Sunday.


----------



## venomlust

Awesome plasticard work there on the Rhinos. It looks like you used multiple layers of the stuff? If you wouldn't mind a short tutorial (text is fine), I'd love to copy you :biggrin:. At least in method.


----------



## Kreuger

@venomlust that's the dark works kit he was talking about. Take a look at what they offer .


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> @venomlust that's the dark works kit be was talking about. Take a look at what they offer .


Precisely - A bit of warning though; They do not come with any instructions as to how to apply them, so you will need to take a close look at the images on the shop and the bits you get, to figure out how to put it together.


----------



## venomlust

Aaaah, ok!

I think I'll make my own, likely far lower quality version. For $18 I can almost buy a used Rhino :crazy:.

But _damn_, do they look good!


----------



## Old Man78

Well, just looked through the plog, and wow totally awesome work, having seen seen your work in the painting competition, I thought about time I checked your plog. Think my favorite mini is the Khorne Slaughterer, out of all the great work and the bikers second! Rep of course


----------



## Subtle Discord

*Well, what do we have here?*

Aw wow, you just made my day after a long week of design hell. (The final stretch of 2nd term has been a trail sent by the Dark Gods, I swear it) I'm always energized when I get to see my humble kits on another hobbyists bench, especially when it's unexpected. I can't wait to see these progress further.

Venomlust, my early work with my kits was all done by hand cutting the layers of plastic, so I am proof positive that it can be done. If you have a look at the first Legion Rising WIP thread over at B&C, how I make Rivets is on page 7, and I have an article on how I build on page 14. You can also find templates for the first three Rhino trims kits I designed several years ago, available for public use on page 3. That thread is the oldest record of my hobby exploits mutating into my tiny studio over the years; all of my Legion Rising threads are clones of each other, but the B&C thread goes the furthest back and has some extra content if you're interested.

Thanks again for the sneak peak, Nordicus. Much more to come from me starting in late-April when classes wrap up for the year. New equipment and a much deeper understanding of SolidWorks has me eager to get back at my studio work. So... many... great... ideas!

Edit P.S.: Keep track of how many hours you spend working on personal trims cut by hand, (and add lots more if you plan to make your own personal design) and consider again if $18 CAD is so steep; the trim kits in particular are very challenging (laborious) to cast, let alone fabricate the prototypes. If you have the time and ability, all the power to you for doing it yourself; this hobby is a labour of love on so many levels, and sometimes you just have to do it yourself to do it right, and I admire that deeply. That said, I am working hard on improving my process and production volume in an effort to lower my prices further. Please note, there is no hostility meant in this statement, but sometimes people underestimate just how tricky these simple looking kits are to produce.


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> But damn, do they look good!


That they do! I can't wait to see them in full painted action!



Oldman78 said:


> Well, just looked through the plog, and wow totally awesome work, having seen seen your work in the painting competition, I thought about time I checked your plog. Think my favorite mini is the Khorne Slaughterer, out of all the great work and the bikers second!


Thanks a lot man, that means heaps coming from you. I'm really glad you liked the bikes - The Decimator (I'm guessing you are meaning this one, as I don't own a Khorne Slaughterer) is also one of my favorite models. The menacing look on that thing is just.. nasty!



Subtle Discord said:


> Thanks again for the sneak peak, Nordicus. Much more to come from me starting in late-April when classes wrap up for the year. New equipment and a much deeper understanding of SolidWorks has me eager to get back at my studio work. So... many... great... ideas!


It's my pleasure man - I will be sure to tag you when they're done, so you can see your work in pace with other ideas. Oh and if you need any test-bunnies for future kits; Just let me know and I will gladly help you out. Stay awesome!


----------



## venomlust

Wow! I had seen that thread years ago and immediately thought of it when I saw the details on Nordicus's tanks. Thanks very much, that info is going to prove invaluable. Not sure I'll try to cast what I make, though I do have the materials to try. Don't wanna derail the plog further, so thanks to everyone for the info! :victory:


----------



## SwedeMarine

Those Kits look amazing. Simply fucking amazing. and considering that it you who's going to be painting them up Nord i'm close to peeing myself with anticipation. I might just have to try my hand at making some of my own armor for my vehicles as seeing what can be produced with plasticard is just amazing. Between SD and BA these guys are on a whole other level of scratchbuilding. 

Cant wait to see those rhinos painted. I tried to get some work done on my storm raven this weekend but it rained for a good damned portion of it. Still managed to get the primer on though


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> Simply fucking amazing. and considering that it you who's going to be painting them up Nord i'm close to peeing myself with anticipation.


Thanks a lot man - I hope you will like the final result when I get there! :good:

So I made some progress this weekend. I absolutely love these kits but man do they make the models that much time consuming to paint. I've primed them, airbrushed the reds and have started the most difficult part of any Chaos Marine model: The trims.










The base bronze is done on all the models now (took this picture while I was working) and I will do the trim shades and highlights during the next couple of evenings. After that, it's onward to the metals.


----------



## R_Squared

Very promising. I suspect I may enjoy the final result. :good:


----------



## Kreuger

Looking good man! 


Nordicus said:


> I've primed them, airbrushed the reds and have started the most difficult part of any Chaos Marine model: The trims.


Nord, that's basically why I play chaos. Way back I decided to switch to chaos because they looked the coolest and were the most intricate difficult models to paint, and they would stretch my skills the most.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Kreuger said:


> Looking good man!
> 
> Nord, that's basically why I play chaos. Way back I decided to switch to chaos because they looked the coolest and were the most intricate difficult models to paint, and they would stretch my skills the most.


Ah yes, back in the Before Times, when we thought "Chaos looks cool!" and doomed ourselves to painting Heldrake wings...


----------



## Nordicus

Soo time for another update:

I finished the 3 Rhinos yesterday - And I must admit, I really like them. They fit in perfectly with the theme I have going and the amount of detail on them is great but not too much. They ended up something like this:










The gunner, the doors and the top hatch can be taken off, so they can be converted to Predators if I'm going to need it in the future. For now I will just use them as Rhino's though, but it's good to be prepared for army expansions in the future. I hope they live up to your expectations guys. Bump @Subtle Discord.

As for the next project - It's a bit ambitious, as I will be going away from the 1st of April - 13th of April on tour in Russia with my band. So I will only have half the time to complete it for the challenge. I will most likely pull a RL card, but as far as I can understand I already completed this years challenge, so I can relax and focus on getting the bits home and the project underway.

And I'm going to need it, as I will be making 20 standard Chaos Space Marines. But you know me, it's not going to be standard - The goal is to make the following:

- 20 Chaos Space Marine
- They need to have magnetized arms so I can switch weapons on them, as I want them to be able to be Chosen as well.
- I also want them to be a bit more barbaric than the normal version, due to them being Crimson Slaughter. They just don't seem violent enough, the standard troopers, so I had to find something else.

And then I went to Puppetswar.eu and found my solution. Here's what I'm planning:

*Heads:*
Standard Chaos Space Marine heads.

*Shoulders:*
Standard Chaos Space Marine shoulders.

*Body & Legs:*
Barbarian Armor from Puppetswar

*Arms:*
Armour arms from Puppetwar

*Weapons:*
Various weapons from Puppetswar _(bolters, bolt pistols, close combat weapons and power weapons, and even lightning claws are available. _

The reason I wanted to go this route, was the fact that I can magnetise the hands in this case and only switch that, meaning I would need a lot less components if I want them all to be as flexible as I can. The only thing I cannot get are powerfists, where I would need to use the GW ones.

This also means that, when I'm going to make Khorne Berserkers, that I can use the legs from a standard kits, along with the FW World Eater kits to make those. Essentially I would get components for 2 different squads out of a 10 man squad package from GW: Heads and shoulders for standard Marines and legs and arms for Berserkers.

What are your thoughts guys? Is this complete overkill or just awesome?


----------



## Tawa

The bodies look suitably eeeevil, although I'm - personally - not all that keen on the armoured arms. They look rather plain and smooth....

However, I look forward to seeing what you can do with the parts :good:


----------



## Roganzar

This is something to look forward too.
And your right on both counts, it's a bit overkill and very awesome.
Those Puppetswar pieces look like they'do make great Khorne Berserkers on their own.


----------



## Iraqiel

Complete awesome. I've had it in mind to re-open my chaos army and start to make mine a bit more like reavers from firefly, and this seems like it's going to be a good step back to the primordially terrifying, visceral horror type marines that I'll be looking to do one day.


----------



## Nordicus

So after doing a bit of research, I found one critical point in the above; *The wrists are not made for magnets - Only the shoulders are.* 

Because of this, I have ordered a set of arms and a set of pistols and bolters. If I can make the wrists magnetized myself, then I can go ahead with the idea. If I can't, then the total amount of money needed for this is way too much as I would need to buy additional arms and shoulder pads for each weapon I want to use.

Fingers crossed!


----------



## Howzaa

If you are after bits the chainswords in the newer raptor set look nastier and have more varied poses to make things look a bit different if it suits your purpose. The rhinos look awesome as always, going to need to get myself an airbrush.

You'll need to shout if you end up doing a gig around London, be good to show up (work permitting)


----------



## Nordicus

So something just occurred to me; I'm leaving for Russia tonight on tour and when I get back I only have 2 weeks for the monthly challenge. That leaves the Chaos Marines project on hold, as there's absolutely no way I can make that in time when I get back.

So, in celebration of the new Khorne dex coming out (and in honor of @venomlust - You crazy Juggernut you), I thought I would try my hand with a conversion. Now, I'm a huge noob when it comes to conversions, so I would start out small; A Juggerlord!

The result is this:









Nothing big, but I did the following:
- Filed down his cape so I could attach a backpack on him.
- Found a bolt-gun arm, cut half of it off and filed the armsocket so it matched.

Nothing big, but I like the overall feel of him. Hey, you gotta start somewhere right? _(And yes he's floating a bit as he's attached with funny-dough, so i can remove him safely)_

When I get back, I will start painting him.


----------



## SwedeMarine

He looks good man. only thin i would try and adress is that gaping hole behind him. you should be able to fill that with GS thought and texture it to match the rest of the cloak. vcant wait to see you put some paint on this guy.


----------



## Nordicus

SwedeMarine said:


> only thin i would try and adress is that gaping hole behind him.


Ah yes, that is because of the funny dough - It lifts him roughly 1-2 mm and makes him float quite a bit. In addition when he hits th saddle, the cloak is spreading out to the sides, so currently it looks like a gaping hole.

But I don't want to glue him until he's painted, so it was the only trick to get him on the damn thing xD


----------



## SwedeMarine

Nordicus said:


> In addition when he hits th saddle, the cloak is spreading out to the sides, so currently it looks like a gaping hole.


Ah that explains it. it looke a bit wired from the way i was looking at it.


----------



## venomlust

He is glorious! The battlefield will be drenched in blood before you know it.


----------



## Kreuger

This is brilliant. 


Nordicus said:


> So, in celebration of the new Khorne dex coming out (and in honor of @venomlust - You crazy Juggernut you), I thought I would try my hand with a conversion.


I vote that @venomlust donates to heresy to become a supporter, and then sets his custom title as "Juggernut."


----------



## venomlust

Kreuger said:


> This is brilliant.
> 
> 
> I vote that @venomlust donates to heresy to become a supporter, and then sets his custom title as "Juggernut."


If you can explain to this simpleton how to accomplish such a thing, I'm super down.


----------



## SwedeMarine

venomlust said:


> If you can explain to this simpleton how to accomplish such a thing, I'm super down.


USER CP then click Paid subscriptions. the rest is easy


----------



## Wookiepelt

The Juggerlord looks really cool! Nice!!!


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


>


Oh hewwo.....!


Very nice work! Enjoy Russia! :drinks:


----------



## Iraqiel

Have a great tour Nord!


----------



## venomlust

SwedeMarine said:


> USER CP then click Paid subscriptions. the rest is easy


Lawl, done.


----------



## Nordicus

So! Being back from tour, it's time for a update in this thread.

We have several topics to cover today, so I'll divide them up a bit.

*Chaos Marines with Puppetswar gear*
So I got the test arms and weapons while I was away and gave it a shot yesterday. Unfortunately, the hands are too small to magnetize with a acceptable level of stability, so the arm swapping idea is dead in the water. Luckily I have an absolute shitload of close combat weapons and bolter arms lying around, so I have reverted to just using GW arms and shoulder pads and magnetizing them to be switched around.

However, I still love the Barbarian armors, so I will be using those as the only Puppetswar part. My estimate is that these will be my June project in terms of painting.

*Juggerlord*
Seeing as I only have 2 weeks for this months painting challenge _(even though I completed it I still want to contribute to it)_, I will be painting up this guy this month. I already started last night and the reds are down. If I'm fast I might be able to finish it this weekend, otherwise he will be done next week. I will be sure to put up a photo of the progress this weekend.

*Fleshhounds*
As the Khorne Daemonkin codex has been released (_and I received my collectors edition while I was away_) I will be starting to use these guys more. This also means I have to upgrade their bases from the current bike bases to the 50mm. I have ordered 20 50mm bases from eBay that are on their way, and my hope is to replace the bases this month as well.

I have a new idea for the bases for my Khorne daemons though, that I'm considering trying out. I was inspired by the Swamp base video that GW made, but instead of Nurgles rot I would use Blood for The Bloodgod, to make it pools of blood on the battlefield. With a few skulls and no plants I think it could look good - What do you guys think?

*Bloodthirsters*
So... Yeah. I couldn't help myself:










And yes; I will be painting BOTH of these guys up next month. 

*Sicaran tank and Hell blades*
As I got money back in tax refund this month, I gave myself a little treat - I got 1 Sicaran Tank and 2 Hell Blades on their way to me as we speak. My guess is that these will be my July painting project.

Does it show that I'm a Project Manager besides musician, when I plan my painting projects up to 3 months in advance? xD

Nord, out.


----------



## Kreuger

Nord, do you have a Gantt chart forecasting your painting projects? 

Just curious. =)


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Nord, do you have a Gantt chart forecasting your painting projects?
> 
> Just curious. =)


Not yet - Excel diagrams however...


----------



## neferhet

well, we are going to have some interesting uploads here! A lot of work for a month though. Don't slop it!


----------



## Tawa

Two of the fuckers......? :shok:


----------



## SonofVulkan

Nordicus said:


> And yes; I will be painting BOTH of these guys up next month.


Looking forward to seeing the finished models.


----------



## Nordicus

neferhet said:


> A lot of work for a month though. Don't slop it!


Don't worry, I won't. it's ambitious I know, but the models are just so awesome that I can't wait to get started. Besides, I want to start playing my Daemonkin and you can't do that without a proper 'Thirster 



Tawa said:


> Two of the fuckers......? :shok:


You know me - I always go that extra mile. It's why you like me.



SonofVulkan said:


> Looking forward to seeing the finished models.


Thanks buddy - Me too! A lot of red is being painted these days.


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> You know me - I always go that extra mile. It's why you like me.


That was meant to be a secret! :laugh:


----------



## Iraqiel

Oooooh rather exciting this! Looking forward to seeing your work, Nord!


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## Nordicus

So far, so good: Juggerlord is complete! Unfortunately I didn't get to use him in todays tournament, but hey I got away with a 2nd place with my Daemons.










I hope you like him!

Now I'm just waiting for my 20 x 50mm bases for mah dawgs.


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## Kreuger

Hey congrats! 

He turned out well. My only criticism, the blue in the base is too strong. I know it's part of your army's look, but maybe tone it down on the base and find a way to incorporate it on the Lord?


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> I know it's part of your army's look, but maybe tone it down on the base and find a way to incorporate it on the Lord?


I was considering making the glow in his eyes stronger, but was (quite honestly) afraid to botch it up - I can't decide if the blue eyes are too subtle or not - That would be the greatest way to incorporate more blue unto him.


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## Mossy Toes

Eyes would be a good start. I think they are too subtle.

How'd the tourney go, to get that place?


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## Roganzar

Looks all kinds of badass.
I agree with Mossy, the eyes would be better a bit brighter blue. Would really accent the power of the Juggerlord.


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## Tawa

Awesome work as ever Nord! :good:

But yeah, I agree on the eyes. It may be just the picture, but you have to look really close to pick out the blue, and I imagine you were going for an almost ethereal glow?


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## Kreuger

Adding to the eyes would be good, but despite the excellent treatment the details have gotten you might still need a bit more accent colour.


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## SonofVulkan

The Juggerlord looks excellent. Don't add too much blue, else Khorne will cry.


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## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Eyes would be a good start. I think they are too subtle.





Roganzar said:


> I agree with Mossy, the eyes would be better a bit brighter blue. Would really accent the power of the Juggerlord.





Tawa said:


> But yeah, I agree on the eyes.


It seems there's a pretty straight consensus - I will give the eyes another shot tonight and hope I don't botch him up. After that, I will re-evaulate if he needs more blue or if that effect alone is a strong enough contrast point.



SonofVulkan said:


> Don't add too much blue, else Khorne will cry.


I won't, promise. No-one likes to see a war-god cry!



Mossy Toes said:


> How'd the tourney go, to get that place?


It went really well! It was a 2v2 tournament where each player brought 800 points and regardless of army, everyone was allies of convenience. I played a long my friend who plays Orks and our list was this:

*Daemons:*
HQ: Daemonprince (Nurgle, wings, armor, lvl 3, 2 greater gifts)
Troops: 14 x Daemonettes, 15 x Daemonettes
Heavy: Soulgrinder (Nurgle, phlegm, warpsword)

*Orks:*
HQ: Big mek (shokk attack gun, 3 x ammo runt), Warboss (mega armor , lukky stikk, bosspole)
Elites: 5 x Meganob w/ battlewagon
Troops: 2 x 10 gretchings w/ Runtherd
Heavy: 10 Lootahs

There were 3 matches per team and the team with the most points from those matches won the tournament. We had the following matches:

*Match 1: Against Orks + Daemons*
Aye, as it would have it we would start off against a team, with the same army combination that we had. Their list was vastly different (Daemons focused on Nurgle heralds with mastery lvl 2, plaguedrones and a soulgrinder, along with some nurglings for example) and it quickly came to be that my Daemonprince and my friends Meganobs were rampaging through their army. They didn't expect such a melee focussed army obviously, and were quite surprised at the Daemon Princes loadout in particular.

By turn 5 they had nothing left and held all 6 objectives on the board. They had scored some good points though, so it ended out with a 15-5 victory in tournament points (max is 20-0).

*Match 2: Against Necrons + Space Wolves*
In the second match we began being matched against armies that had done as well as we did, so we came against a decurion detachment Necrons allied with Thunderwo... Space Wolves. The Space Wolf player had 2 rhinos with 5 tacticals in each, 3 devastators and the rest sinked into a thunderwolf squad. The necron player took a barebones decurion detachment with no barges, and just mass bodies.

Needless to say this fight took a lot more effort - By turn 3 I was sure that we were going to loose. They simply had too many Necrons that kept getting back up and we were getting behind on points - It was also in that turn that the game started to change. 

The first gamechanger was a unbelievable amount of luck from my Ork player, who got his meganob + warboss squad charged by the Thunderwolves. The HQ alone had 9 STR 10, Ap2 attacks with reroll to hit and yet managed to only hit 4, and after that, rolled only 3 wounds. They instantgibbed the meganobs, but then they got to hit back with their powerklaws and removed the -entire- thunderwolf squad. After the fight, he had 3 meganobs remaining (his warboss died to the duel) where he should have been absolutely obliterated.

My Daemon prince got into a fight with the Necron Overlord and his 10 flayed ones and the overlord survived 11 (!!) instant death attacks on a 4++ save. In round 4 he finally went down and the army started to crumble. They broke from combat and while I couldn't chase them down, the fight happened so close to the board edge that they ran off the table, freeing our primary attack monster.
By turn 7, there was 1 lone Space Wolf devastator that was running for the backline - The rest of the army was gone.

It became a 18-2 victory to our team, due to the last 3 rounds where we racked in objective points and removed their army causing them not to be able to get any points.

*Match 3: Finale against Ultramarines + Eldar*
The finale, where we fought for 1st and 2nd place (both teams where so much ahead in points that no team could reach either of us, so we were sure of either place) were a beatdown. Quite simply, the opponents team had so much firepower and we were really unlucky in our first turn, so we already knew the name of the game by turn 2.

The ultramarine player brought 3 centurions along with the orbitual bombardement HQ on a bike. 5 bikes on the side with grav waepons and 5 scouts. The eldar brought 2 waveserpents, with 6 dire avengers in each ( I think), 1 Wraithlord and 3 of those AV10 walkers I can never remember what are called.

We started out great by them having first turn - They focused on my daemon prince who hadn't gotten off iron arm yet. The first Wave serpent did 7 wound on him, with ignore cover and I rolled 5 1's and 2's. First blood and slay the warlord. After that, they just went to town on our army and we just hid and tried to take objectives - It ended up being a 15-5 victory to them.

The best moment of the match was when the Wraithlord decided to charge my immobilized Soulgrinder; I took 3 overwatch shots, hit with all 6, wounded with all 3 and he failed all 3 armor saves. Both teams had a laugh over that one.

We got a 2nd place with a not-exactly-tournament style list and we had a lot of fun. And my hatred for Eldar grows every so slightly


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> warpsword


...really had nothing else to buy for those points, not even 2 more Daemonettes, eh?



Nordicus said:


> The ultramarine player brought 3 centurions along with the orbitual bombardement HQ on a bike. 5 bikes on the side with grav waepons and 5 scouts. The eldar brought 2 waveserpents, with 6 dire avengers in each ( I think), 1 Wraithlord and 3 of those AV10 walkers I can never remember what are called.


...ouch.



Nordicus said:


> And my hatred for Eldar grows every so slightly


Yes, give in to your hatred. Turn to the power of the Dark Si--wait, you're already a chaos player. Carry on!

Sounds like a fun day of gaming! Strange Bedfellows is always an interesting format. Except when 2 Eldar players are on the same team and bring only Wraithknights and Wave Serpents, the cheesemongers. *grumbles resentfully*


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> ...really had nothing else to buy for those points, not even 2 more Daemonettes, eh?


It was a WYSIWYG tournament and unfortunately I decided to assemble my Soulgrinder in the days before I thought about magnetizing it. So it is modelled with a warpsword  But oh well, it helped me kill more Necrons as it gained the +1 attack because of it, so it's all good.


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## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> But oh well, it helped me kill more Necrons as it gained the +1 attack because of it, so it's all good.


Fair enough. Also a bit of protection against a "weapon destroyed" result getting the Iron Claw. Still, that price cost... I really dunno what whoever wrote that codex was thinking.


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## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Still, that price cost... I really dunno what whoever wrote that codex was thinking.


Yeah 25 points is quite a bit for that. +10 points would probably be more fair.


----------



## Nordicus

Rant incoming:

Fuck this shit - I just tried to rebase all my Khorne hounds and they shattered completely be the feet. I tried rescuing the models, but honestly they look like crap now. Now I have to get new hound models, as they aren't up to my standards in this state.

That's what you get for trying to re-base a model twice. For FUCK sake. 

Now I have to decide what is more important; Hounds or Thirsters. I'm leaning towards hounds to be honest.


----------



## neferhet

Nordicus said:


> Fuck this shit - I just tried to rebase all my Khorne hounds and they shattered completely be the feet. I tried rescuing the models, but honestly they look like crap now. Now I have to get new hound models, as they aren't up to my standards in this state.


Why you did that...never rebase, it's my policy. Anyway, take more hounds, since the thirster is not going to be all comers as them.


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## Nordicus

neferhet said:


> Why you did that...never rebase, it's my policy. Anyway, take more hounds, since the thirster is not going to be all comers as them.


I always re-base; Especially when the new bases gives the unit more board control. My hounds had a bike base instead of the new 50mm standard base. When the unit comes supplied with them, I change the base - Both for my own sake and for the sake of argument, as some people are really stingy about this sort of thing.

And yeah I agree about the hounds - But the Thirsters look so nice!


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## neferhet

Nordicus said:


> I always re-base; Especially when the new bases gives the unit more board control. My hounds had a bike base instead of the new 50mm standard base. When the unit comes supplied with them, I change the base - Both for my own sake and for the sake of argument, as some people are really stingy about this sort of thing.


Ah, you cheese seeker :laugh: I can understand the second reason, though i still have to find someone who is willingly pointing at me for not having rebased my models...you must have some rustlers in your area...

The thirster is a joy to paint, right. But when the eldars come, you will need lots of hounds...brace yourself for the pointy-eared storm...


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## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> I always re-base; Especially when the new bases gives the unit more board control. My hounds had a bike base instead of the new 50mm standard base. When the unit comes supplied with them, I change the base - Both for my own sake and for the sake of argument, as some people are really stingy about this sort of thing.
> 
> And yeah I agree about the hounds - But the Thirsters look so nice!


I am so not looking forward to rebasing my 38-odd Flesh Hounds from 40mm bases to 50mm. What am I going to do with that many extra 40mms? I can only kitbash so many Spawn and Obliterators from my bitzbox! At least when I get around to rebasing my CSM on 32mm, I have a few squads of guardsmen that need 25mm bases...


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## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Rant incoming:
> 
> Fuck this shit - I just tried to rebase all my Khorne hounds and they shattered completely be the feet. I tried rescuing the models, but honestly they look like crap now. Now I have to get new hound models, as they aren't up to my standards in this state.


Oh man, ouch......


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## Nordicus

So after cooling down and trying to figure out how to proceed, I decided to take a new approach. I wanted the Puppetswar Barghest dogs for a while and lo and behold, now I can get those instead.

For those that doesn't know them, you should check them out here.

I have bought 30 of them and waiting for their arrival. I just got my Sicaran tank today as well, so I am consoling myself with building this awesome model.


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## Mossy Toes

Honestly at this point I really regret having bought so many Fenrisian Wolves, since those Barghest Fiends are so damn cool...


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## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Honestly at this point I really regret having bought so many Fenrisian Wolves, since those Barghest Fiends are so damn cool...


I can totally feel your pain - The more I think about it, the happier I am about this little incident to be quite frank. They are awesome models!

So while I wait for it to become the 1st of May, so I can get started on my 3 Bloodthirsters, I find myself longing for something to do. Luckily my Sicaran arrived last week, so I put it together, just to do something - Anything!










As with all my vehicles, I Chaosify it a bit but never too much. I think that too much bling ruin the models, but as long as you can see which faction they belong to, you're golden. I will also use the Crimson Slaughter transfers on the sides, so no questions are there. But seriously, this things weighs a goddamn ton! The tracks and sides are two solid blocks of resin, so it needed some serious amounts of glue on the inside and some rubberbands to hold it through the night, just to make sure that it all settled properly and strong.

In regards to the Bloodthirsters, I will try something new. Instead of defaulting to my old Khorne painting theme, I will try a more dark and gritty approach to them. I will use a blend of airbrushing, washblending and drybrushing to make it a darker, scarier and more realistic model than I used to. 

Do I have any clue as to what I'm doing? No.
Will I give it all I got, with my newly acquired airbrushing skills? Yes.
If it works, will it be my new standard for my Daemon army in generel? Yes.
Will I repaint some of it, if it works? Possibly.

I feel it's time I take some of my skills to the next level and the best way to do that, is to jump into it. So these 3 models will be a test next month - I hope I can pull it off!


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## DaisyDuke

Hay nord did you magnetise the sponsons? Cos I'm still trying to figure out how on mine without getting some extra bits. 
Hell man good luck with the three thirsters. That would rattle my brain:grin:


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## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> Hay nord did you magnetise the sponsons? Cos I'm still trying to figure out how on mine without getting some extra bits.


Aye I did: 

The holes for the camera up top and the bottom bulks, which also holds the gun in place, is roughly 3 mm in width. It takes minimal effort to extend the holes to hold a 3 mm magnet.

I drilled a 3mm hole in the top and the bottom of each gun, where they are supposed to link up to the top and bottom, and put in magnets. Then I put the magnets in the holes that was above and below the gun, where the stilks from the camera and bottom bulks should be to originally hold the guns in place.

After that, I cut off the stilks of the camera and bottom part, and drilled a little bit so they could actually sit on top of the magnets that stuck out from above and beneath the gun holder. That way I can switch out the gun in the middle and you cannot see the magnets, as the camera and the bottom bulk are still there to keep up appearances and the magnets are hidden inside of them.

When I get home I can take a screenshot for you of how the magnets are in the guns and the tank, if you want?


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## DaisyDuke

Dude awesome


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## Tawa

Can't wait to see that Sicaran all splashed up with paint :good:


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## venomlust

Awesome stuff, Nord. Sorry about your hounds, but you know I approve of your replacements. :so_happy:

I need to build my Sicaran, yours looks top notch.


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## Nordicus

So it's the first of May - That means a national Holiday here in Denmark (Labors day I think it's directly translated to in American standards), which means I have had plenty of time to get cracking on this months challenge, and probably my biggest yet; 3 of the new Bloodthirsters. One of each configuration.

Now before I get into my ramblings and thought processes, I have to quote what I intended to do with these new models, as they are my return to my Daemons army for the first time since my 2 Nurgle princes.



Nordicus said:


> In regards to the Bloodthirsters, I will try something new. Instead of defaulting to my old Khorne painting theme, I will try a more dark and gritty approach to them. I will use a blend of airbrushing, washblending and drybrushing to make it a darker, scarier and more realistic model than I used to.
> 
> Do I have any clue as to what I'm doing? No.
> Will I give it all I got, with my newly acquired airbrushing skills? Yes.
> If it works, will it be my new standard for my Daemon army in generel? Yes.
> Will I repaint some of it, if it works? Possibly.


I'm sticking to this and because of that I have progressed a bit slowly today. Before we continue I would like to thank @Awaken Realms for some good airbrushing tips in their tutorials. I have been watching a lot of those and gotten some good ideas on how to execute some of my ideas.

So when I began and tried to lay out the work in front of me, I knew my biggest challenge would be the wings and making them look good. They are such a big part of the model, that I wanted them to stand out a bit, while not taking too much focus. After watching how many others did it, and never being quite satisfied with their colour schemes entirely, I decided to make my own approach; I wanted a mix of the classic Bloodthirster (Red skin, black bones, etc) while also updating it slightly to a new standard. I wanted it dark, broody and scary. 

I started out with a approach similar to how Awaken Realms did it (Airbrushing, drybrushing and wash blending), but changed the order of how they did it slightly and the colour palette they used. I thought it was a bit too colourful and was more aiming towards a reddish leather look, with really heavy shadows and a menacing look to them.

The result was this:










I was a bit in doubt if I should get the Khorne markings in the wings out more, but I'm not sure if it would make it better or worse. My best bet would be to actually use a blood effect on the markings, making it seem like it was every-running blood that ran in the wings. If I want to do this, it would have to be in the post-varnish phase either way, so I have a bit of time to decide on that. For now, it's like this and honestly? I'm really liking it!

Now came the tough part; Following up with the skin on the fellas. The above wings were now done on all 3 models, so now I had to make the skin follow suit. My other Khorne daemons are quite bright and I want to head in another direction with these guys and, honestly, with my Daemons in the future. So I started out with a dark brown base, went up with dark red (with airbrush), drybrushed a mixture of Mephiston Red and Squig Orange on the skin to catch the highlights. Then I wash blended them with a mixture of Reikland Fleshshade on the upper parts and Aggrax in the crevises of the muscles, trying to get some depth to this process as well. When it was dried, I went up and drybrushed it VERY slightly with Khorne Red. 

The result is this;









I think I hit the definition quite well and was, honestly, contemplating doing a lightly drybrush on top - But I decided not to. I think it would loose some of that dark charm if I went too light with the drybrush. The dark red, almost brownish, hue to the model is something I really like and I think it compliments the wings quite well.

All the models are in the above stage right now, racing me past the areas I feared the most; The skin and the wings.

What say you reads; Yay or nay?


----------



## DaisyDuke

Dude the wings look spot on. But I would give the skin an extra highlight just to improve the definition of the muscles. All in they're looking good. What are you doing with the bases? 

Also how strong or flimsy are the poses?
Keep up the good work


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## Kreuger

Looking very good. The process you used is essentially the process I use with Khorne daemons just without the airbrush. Needless to say, I approve.


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## Roganzar

That looks amazing.
I too, would add the light drybrushing to bring out the definition on the muscles as well as the face. This wouldn't be anything to strong, just enough to suggest that highlight.
Though if you want to leave it that way, man, you'd be well within the range of excellent looking work.
I've got to look into doing an airbrush some time in the future.


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> What are you doing with the bases?


My thoughts, at this point, is doing a swamp base texture (like the one that GW released a tutorial for) but instead of Nurgles Rot I would use Blood for the Bloodgod. Pools of blood, especially around the skulls of the base, as if they rose from that blood pool.



DaisyDuke said:


> Also how strong or flimsy are the poses?


Well, I chose the high base as the piece that is in contact with the base has the biggest area to glue on, so they are fairly stable on the base at least. But the low point of gravity does make them a bit wobbly - That can't be helped I think, and it is the same with the Nagash model. All in all, fairly stable but they will rock a bit back and forth when moved.



Roganzar said:


> I too, would add the light drybrushing to bring out the definition on the muscles as well as the face.


I have considered it all the way through the process, but I think I will make a final decision when the models are finished, and see how it looks all together. I'm still of a open mind though.

At this point, seeing as I got a very relaxed weekend, I got to play around with the metals of the models. I considered black iron, steel and brass. I tried the black anvil steel approach, but found it too dull and boring, to be quite honest - It just looked flat and uninteresting.

So I went for the steel approach with brass trims_ (Another of the 3 thirsters, as the guy I posted earlier has very little armor on him)_:









I made one with the inverted version of the image above, similar to the GW video, but honestly I don't like it - The above works. The brass version just looks... A bit too cartoonish for me. 

And yes, I gave the teeth another highlight after the image as they looked a bit too dark


----------



## Roganzar

Altogether that Bloodthirster looks all shades of badass. 
I like the steel armor on it more than the usual blackened armor. Helps the skin stand out more with just enough of a break in the whole thing's design. With that thought, I'm looking forward to seeing the one with little armor finished and how that looks composed.

Truly a monster worthy of the Blood God.


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## DaisyDuke

Nice, 50 shades of bad ass.
Hopefully my painting mojo will return this month as I want to get my jugger Lord done and ready for the end of season army pic's. 
Keep it up Nordicus.


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## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> With that thought, I'm looking forward to seeing the one with little armor finished and how that looks composed.


Ah yes, I just finished the metallics on that guy this evening - Trying to vary them a bit I inverted the color theme on the second one with a full armor set.

They are at this stage now, for a little comparison shot - Yes it's 3 different models and not one magnetized:











DaisyDuke said:


> Hopefully my painting mojo will return this month as I want to get my jugger Lord done and ready for the end of season army pic's.


I'm sure it will dude - it's always a pleasure to see your progress, so let me know if I can be of any help in the matter.


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## SonofVulkan

The skin tone and armour are turning out very well indeed. The dark horns contrast well with the skin, the models on the GW pages are over-highlighted, but I reckon you've got it just right. They do look a bit top heavy though, balanced on them flames.

Most people struggle to paint three 28mm models. You are quite mad painting three of these monsters. :grin: More power to you my friend.


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## Nordicus

Aaand they're done - I just did the bases and they models are now complete. In the end they turned out like this:










The bases were made as i discussed earlier in the thread and turned out like this:









Overall painting these guys was quite educational as I learned a lot of new tricks. The airbrushing and wash technique on the wings I have become a big fan of, and I will most likely use it these guys, that just arrived this morning:










That's right, 30 Barghest Fiends that are drying after being cleaned. 30 Fleshhounds of Khorne will be the next project. Who knows, maybe I will get them done this month.


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## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> That's right, 30 Barghest Fiends that are drying after being cleaned. 30 Fleshhounds of Khorne will be the next project. Who knows, maybe I will get them done this month.


......!

:crazy:


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## Dorns Legacy

YET AGAIN im so very very impressed  

How well do they stand up? any wobble on them or do they stand well? thought about adding some weight to the base in the form of rocks? i find that the railways tracks provide some very nice scenery with the rocks they use on the tracks. Just a thought.


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## Chaosftw

This is Epic!!!! I am no Khorne fan by any means but I do love purdy models!!!


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## Nordicus

Dorns Legacy said:


> YET AGAIN im so very very impressed





Chaosftw said:


> This is Epic!!!!


Thank you very much, the both of you - It really means a lot! 



Dorns Legacy said:


> How well do they stand up? any wobble on them or do they stand well?


They stand pretty well actually - Granted they are a bit wobbly if you shake the base, but nothing that stands out or makes you nervous as a owner. It should be noted though, that both whips have been glued to either a leg or the top of a wing as well as the hands, for increased stability.



Dorns Legacy said:


> thought about adding some weight to the base in the form of rocks? i find that the railways tracks provide some very nice scenery with the rocks they use on the tracks. Just a thought.


Aye I thought about it, but really thought more of some kind of plant-life. I might add it still, haven't decided yet. The input is appreciated though!

I will take some new photos though - The more I look at these, the more overexposed I find them. I just need the right lighting.


----------



## Nordicus

Update; Just updated the photo to this, where it's not horribly overexposed.


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## neferhet

Just 2 words: FUCKING EPIC!!!!!


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## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Aye I thought about it, but really thought more of some kind of plant-life.


There's plenty of that living in this town...... :laugh:


----------



## Iraqiel

Excellent work Nord, they are great models and you have really done them justice!


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## Nordicus

neferhet said:


> Just 2 words: FUCKING EPIC!!!!!





Iraqiel said:


> Excellent work Nord, they are great models and you have really done them justice!


Thank you both - I'm glad you like them! I quite like this new and darker style that I'm giving the models overall, so I'm doing the same to the flesh hounds.

Speaking of which, they are now like 80% done - The skin, collar and chains are done. Tomorrow I will do the eyes, teeth and claws and maybe get to the bases as well. Regardless they should be done by the end of the week. 3 Bloodthirsters and 30 fleshhounds in one month is a personal record for me, in terms of models painted up.

However, something hit me earlier that sucks so much ass that even the Dutch porn industry tells me to relax. I was having a look at my Crimson Slaughter army, which all have the custom bases with the soul faces on them. It got me thinking that I should upgrade the marine models to have the new 25 mm bases - Of which the custom bases are not made.

I went to look it up and they don't make 50 mm either. In fact, they have just made some expansion kit that you wrap around the models. Which completely ruins the aesthetics of the bases - So to put it simply I cannot continue to use these custom bases, as they are not updated to the new sizes. 

This means I will have to re-base the whole Crimson Slaughter army to the normal bases and find a new theme. I'm thinking of doing them in the same theme as the Bloodthirsters and do the same theme for all of that army and all of the Khorne Daemons. Make it a combined theme for both armies, so they also look alike for Daemonkin armies. Luckily the models are quite easy to rip off the custom bases, as they are full resin so a little twist and snap, and they come right off.

Still - it sucks. But hey, this will also make the army a bit more sturdy as currently they all have to be pinned to their bases (even the cultists) to not snap off.


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## DaisyDuke

Dude that f7cking sucks!


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## Iraqiel

Ahhhh drat, that is a sad story Nord. Hope you get into doing the new bases and find them fun... 

I heard an interesting technique for getting model security on bases along the lines of using sliced sprue to provide a plastic contact point for the model that sits just slightly up out of the rest of the base, this avoiding all the sand and rock and such that limits our base to model grip.


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## Dorns Legacy

is there now way to take a mold of the bases in anyway and then add molds together to make the base sizes you want?

even if you have to stick the directly onto bases and then the minis on top of them. It would be a great shame to stop using those bases with the faces as they are epic .


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## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> I heard an interesting technique for getting model security on bases along the lines of using sliced sprue to provide a plastic contact point for the model that sits just slightly up out of the rest of the base, this avoiding all the sand and rock and such that limits our base to model grip.


Ah yes, I read about this one too. The problem is, that the reason they are not stable is not because they don't touch the base. It's because that I have to paint the current bases before I glue the models on, so it's paint on paint contact. This means that they snap off quite easily, so all of them have to be pinned.



Dorns Legacy said:


> is there now way to take a mold of the bases in anyway and then add molds together to make the base sizes you want?
> 
> even if you have to stick the directly onto bases and then the minis on top of them. It would be a great shame to stop using those bases with the faces as they are epic .


Nah not really - The details are quite extensive, so it would look weird if I did. I even contacted the dude who makes these bases, and he says he has no current plans to update the bases. 

It sucks, but hey such is life - At least they are easy to get off the bases in the first place.


----------



## Nordicus

So a little update on two fronts; Gaming and painting.

Yesterday was a good day - I had my *very first battle with my Khorne Daemonkin*. I had two friends over, who both play Orks where they started out with duking it out in a match of 1200 points in our campaign we're playing. I have to say that two Ork armies doing battle is ridiculously fun to witness!

After that, we decided to try out a larger game where they banded up and went against me with my Daemonkin. Neither of the sides had any idea what to expect, so we tried out a 2600 point list - Just to make it large scale!

I brought the following:

*Slaughtercult 1*
1 x Lord (Juggernaught, Bloodforged Armor, Goredrinker, Sigil of Corruption)
2 x 10 Bloodletters
1 x 5 Possessed
1 x 8 Cultists

*Slaughtercult 2*
1 x Lord (Kor'lath, the axe of ruin)
2 x 10 Bloodletters
1 x 5 Possessed
1 x 8 Cultists

*Gorepack*
2 x 4 Chaos Bikers (2 melta in each)
3 x 10 Khorne Hounds

*War engine*
Soulgrinder

*Lord of Slaughter 1*
Bloodthirster of Insenate Rage

*Lord of Slaughter 2*
Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster

I brought 2 Slaughtercults so I could bring 2 Lords of Slaughter - Yes, I want to try them out, ok?!

The army above looks like this on the table:









The Ork player(s) brought this:









As you can see, walker-hell along with trukk boys and bikes. 

We got the "Spoils of War" game and after roughly 30 minutes of setting up, it looked like this:









In short, the game was a big win for Daemonkin - I sorely underestimated the amount of bloodtithe points you get every turn and I basically had 7-8 points each and every turn to spend. The lord with Axe of Ruin got turned into a Daemonprince in turn 2, granting me a free Bloodthirster, and they caused havoc along the lines.

20 of the hounds swarmed the enemies nob bikes and a unit of trukk boys, keeping them there for the rest of the game -Which ended in turn 5 where the Orks gave up. The STR D bloodthirster took out 8 Killakans and a Gorkanaut all by himself, as he was my only reliable way of dealing with vehicles. 

The Bloodletters, possessed and cultists swarmed up the board all over the place, grabbing objectives and always keeping their champion in front so the Orks knew that if they even shot at them once, there was a chance for me to get another Bloodtithe point - This kept them from firing at units they didn't want to kill throughout.

All in all a very fun game, and it left me with a taste of the Daemonkin army - And I absolutely love it. The dynamics in the army and the bloodtithe changes the use of a lot of the units, and those you previously would not bring all of a sudden become very viable (_Possessed for example, which have always had a dear place in my heart)_, will absolutely wreck anything when they get +1A and FnP for a turn, as they have Furious Charge for being a Daemon of Khorne and Rage + Counter attack for having Mark of Khorne. 

A fun fight and I cannot wait until the next!

*On the painting front*, the dogs are finished... well nearly. I ran out of texture for the bases halfway through yesterday 









I am running by the store later today to get some more - I will need a shitload of the stuff to rebase my entire Crimson Slaughter army.

When they are done, I will take some nice photos for you all - I'm really liking the darker theme, and the hounds look great with it!

Update coming soon'ish!


----------



## venomlust

Good stuff all around. Are you replacing Crimson Slaughter with KD or just running them both ways?


----------



## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> In short, the game was a big win for Daemonkin - I sorely underestimated the amount of bloodtithe points you get every turn and I basically had 7-8 points each and every turn to spend. The lord with Axe of Ruin got turned into a Daemonprince in turn 2, granting me a free Bloodthirster, and they caused havoc along the lines.


The Blood Tithe mechanic doesn't really scale with larger games too well, honestly. I think there's a sweet spot around 1500-2000 points that they've tailored the rewards to (less or more based on how many units you have [MSU earning more tithe points just because you can force enemies to kill you faster], how many Blood Hosts you bring, how many characters the enemy army has you can challenge, etc)--at that point, so you're not overwhelmed in the deluge of extra points, you might as well start bringing in allies. Locus of Beguilement-buffed Slaaneshi Daemons, maybe, for Rending (since beyond "Big Killnasties" Daemonkin struggles for AP2). Be'lakor and/or Fateweaver for those fun synergies. CSM Daemon Weapons like the Axe of Blind Fury or a Mace Prince. Havocs. Reliable Forge World anti-air. You'll be earning enough Blood Tithe points for your Khornate contingent that will be in your enemy's face all game that they have to respond to; might as well bring some of the other mean Chaos stuff the codex doesn't normally let you get.

I'm glad you've had much the same dynamic as I did with loving the very strong ludonarrative assonance in the mechanics of "THROW THEM INTO THE MEAT-GRINDER!"


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Are you replacing Crimson Slaughter with KD or just running them both ways?


I am running three armies right now; Daemons, Crimson Slaughter and Daemonkin. I have been so lucky in my choice of theme for my CSM, as the red theme goes perfectly with Daemonkin as well.

Considering that I have to rebase my Crimson Slaughter, I have decided to use the same theme on them as my Khorne Daemons though. Blood on the ground fits just fine with Crimson Slaughter and it gives the Daemonkin a thorough look as well.



Mossy Toes said:


> I'm glad you've had much the same dynamic as I did with loving the very strong ludonarrative assonance in the mechanics of "THROW THEM INTO THE MEAT-GRINDER!"





Mossy Toes said:


> Be'lakor and/or Fateweaver for those fun synergies. CSM Daemon Weapons like the Axe of Blind Fury or a Mace Prince. Havocs. Reliable Forge World anti-air. You'll be earning enough Blood Tithe points for your Khornate contingent that will be in your enemy's face all game that they have to respond to; might as well bring some of the other mean Chaos stuff the codex doesn't normally let you get.


Oh I completely agree - I will be playing more games at around 1500-1750 to get a solid baseline and then I will start allying things in. The first game though - Damn that was fun. I am in love with the playstyle completely!


----------



## Kreuger

I'm curious about this. 


Mossy Toes said:


> The Blood Tithe mechanic doesn't really scale with larger games too well, honestly. I think there's a sweet spot around 1500-2000 points that they've tailored the rewards to (less or more based on how many units you have [MSU earning more tithe points just because you can force enemies to kill you faster], how many Blood Hosts you bring, how many characters the enemy army has you can challenge, etc)--at that point, so you're not overwhelmed in the deluge of extra points, you might as well start bringing in allies. ...
> 
> ..."THROW THEM INTO THE MEAT-GRINDER!"


I certainly see the value in allying in more units to diversify the army and add more ranged/tactical capabilities. It seems like the blood points should scale reasonably well. The function is either to buff your army or replenish it as it gets destroyed and in a larger game shouldn't that simply allow more buffing and replenishing?


----------



## Mossy Toes

Kreuger said:


> I certainly see the value in allying in more units to diversify the army and add more ranged/tactical capabilities. It seems like the blood points should scale reasonably well. The function is either to buff your army or replenish it as it gets destroyed and in a larger game shouldn't that simply allow more buffing and replenishing?


If you're playing a 3000 point game with pure Khorne Daemonkin and earning 10 Blood Points per turn, you're clearly not getting the most out of the mechanic, since you can only use up to 8 Blood Points. And honestly, more often I'd rather create a new unit of Bloodletters for free DSing where I want than have to negotiate the whole tangle of rules that is "DSing in a summoned FMC if I pass a LD test to kill one of my champions," so I only need 5 or 6 Blood Tithe points--if I'm not, say, going for +1 Attack on my entire army with FNP on my Slaghter Cult, which is only 4 Blood Tithe points. Likewise, at (say) 500 point armies, there are so few units in play that you'll struggle to earn more than a Blood Point per turn.

Also the fact that a, say, 250 point Bloodthirster is 1/6th of a 1500 point list, but only 1/12 of a 3000 point list--your opponent will be more able to compensate for any points discrepancy brought about by your summoning and have more tools to respond to it, if you are playing on a larger scale. If you're trying to refill your army with 80 point squads of Bloodletters every turn, well... you're refilling a lot higher % of your army if you have a lower points list, versus how fast a larger enemy list can kill you off. And so on. If it were "summon 2 Bloodletters per 500 points in your army list" or something, then I would say it scaled.

It's not too sharp or dramatic a falloff too fast, I don't think, but... I will say that the mechanic begins losing efficiency and some of the driving focus, some of the frenetic zeal lashing your troops forward to deflagrate in the bloody tempest, and really, who wants that? Another inefficiency: the easiest rewards on the table to earn are the ones that affect your whole army, so even if you have a lot of units to benefit from the bonuses, all your points get gobbled up by that.

You can compensate for higher points to not be overflowing with Blood Points, I'm sure, by only bringing mega-squads of 20 Flesh Hounds, 10 Bikers, 20 Zerkers, etc, so to scale back how fast you earn BPs via your own units killed (has the side bonus of being less likely to give up first blood, but also means you have to be more careful with your assaults to get the assault bonuses your "Mark of/Daemon of" get you, rather than having MSU bait to lure in opponents then falling on them from all sides to guarantee a bunch of assault bonuses). Also by not taking a Blood Host detachment, that would work too.

I think it's a fine line of efficiency to straddle, but that if you have the points to spare, you could bring in some mean synergies that Daemonkin doesn't usually get. Psykers, Be'lakor's Invisibility, more reliable AP2, rerolls to Apotheosis Ld checks from Fateweaver, Daemon Weapons--etc.


----------



## Kreuger

Mossy Toes said:


> If you're playing a 3000 point game with pure Khorne Daemonkin and earning 10 Blood Points per turn, you're clearly not getting the most out of the mechanic, since you can only use up to 8 Blood Points. And honestly, more often I'd rather create a new unit of Bloodletters for free DSing where I want ...
> 
> ...I think it's a fine line of efficiency to straddle, but that if you have the points to spare, you could bring in some mean synergies that Daemonkin doesn't usually get. Psykers, Be'lakor's Invisibility, more reliable AP2, rerolls to Apotheosis Ld checks from Fateweaver, Daemon Weapons--etc.


That all makes sense. I realize now that I hadn't read the blood tithe rules as closely as I should have. There were a few misunderstandings on my part. Chiefly that as soon as you select a boon you lose the remaining points; so for example you can't summon bloodletters AND give your units feel no pain. 

My knee jerk reaction is to make 2 house rule changes:
1) you can make more than 1 choice from the Blood tithe table per turn
2) in larger battles you can make more than 1 selection per turn from the Blood Tithe Table either per detachment or per 1500/2000 points (I'd need to think about how to balance that)

It seems silly that the bonuses never scale with the game, even though the purpose is to encourage balls out charging.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Kreuger said:


> My knee jerk reaction is to make 2 house rule changes:
> 1) you can make more than 1 choice from the Blood tithe table per turn
> 2) in larger battles you can make more than 1 selection per turn from the Blood Tithe Table either per detachment or per 1500/2000 points (I'd need to think about how to balance that)


Hmm. Perhaps "each CAD or Blood Host Detachment uses its own pool of Blood Tithe points"? Might be hard to keep track of which unit is from which, unless they're deployed way apart, though. Would also screw over tiny allied detachments or folks just taking, say, a lone Gorepack with their force.


----------



## Kreuger

Spoiler to reduce thread hijacking. 


I was thinking more for every X (army, points, detachments, etc.) the army cold accrue up to a multiple of 8 blood points, and I wouldn't worry about which X supplied the units. 

So let's say we went by "blood hosts." 2 blood hosts could accrue up to 16 points. Tiny allied detachments would still just generate up to 8 points as normal which doesn't seem to screw them. Larger games would simply allow the daemonkin to scale better.


----------



## Nordicus

So I just completed my biggest challenge yet; I completed the 30 Fleshhounds on top of my 3 Bloodthirsters - In one month.

A little proof is in order I believe:









And in "Pretty picture" quality:









I did them in the same theme that I did my Bloodthirsters, with a few tweaks. They go from dark brown paws, up to red on their backs and they have the same color (_although it can be hard to see as it's not where the light is_) on their stomach as the wings do on the Bloodthirsters.

As the models are just one big bag of muscle, I had to do something to give them some variety. My best attempt so far was making some transitions in color on them, so they seem more.. Natural in their look.

I hope you like them! Now I'm unto rebasing my whole Crimson Slaughter army - With the same base theme as these dogs.
_
(@venomlust : You're up dude. Let's see those dawgs!)_

UPDATE: And there we go - All bases removed and replaced with regular GW bases or equivalent:









Now I'll let the glue settle a bit, before I embark on the big "Stirland Mud" phase.


----------



## venomlust

They're already done! Just as they were before... all black, with no variation or details. Also, they're unbased because, uh...

Honestly I've been practicing on old school flesh hounds to try and figure out how I'm going to paint them. I keep messing it up. I'm using an airbrush to add the various layers of basecoat, and then I get to a stage where I want to add a wash so all the crevices in their muscles and such have a darker color. Then, I want to add highlights and I'm not sure what to do. Painting the highlights on with a brush after airbrushing every other step except for the wash has so far not produced good results. Maybe I'm picking the wrong colors, maybe it's because I suck at painting, but I don't want to ruin the fiends.

Did you apply a wash at any point to yours?

The painting process seems so much easier for armor and hard, painted surfaces.


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Did you apply a wash at any point to yours?


Aye I do - Basically my approach is this;

1) Prime the dogs in black.
2) First airbrush layer is Scorched Brown (Vallejo)
3) Second is Gory red (Vallejo - I do less and less, as I wanted the paws brown)
4) Do a Squid Orange (GW) airbursh on the stomachs, to get that leather color.
5) I then drybrush the red areas with a 50/50 mix of Khorne Red and Mephiston red.
6) I drybrush the stomach with a 50/50 mix of Squid Orange and Ushabti Bone
7) I wash the entire model with 2 different washes at the same time, to keep transitions good and the ability to mix the colors where I need it; Cadian Fleshtone for the red and the stomach and Aggrax for the Brown and black areas.
8) I then drybrush the red very lightly with Mephiston Red, only at the top to get that final pop.

Et voila - They look like on the photo, skinwise  It's a very dark theme, but it looks very good when you're looking at it. It's not that good on photos though, as people tend to make Khorne Daemons very bright and I don't like that personally.


----------



## venomlust

Awesome, thanks dude! I appreciate the breakdown. Gonna have to give the drybrushing a shot.

I'm with you on the darker theme for the daemons. Maybe a bright red guy here and there, but in general it's too much for me. Almost like a caricature of a demon than a serious representation of one.


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Awesome, thanks dude! I appreciate the breakdown. Gonna have to give the drybrushing a shot.


Anytime man - One thing though; When I do the washing, it's a heavy load I give them. Seriously: heavy load.

Looking forward to seeing them :good:


----------



## venomlust

Nordicus said:


> Anytime man - One thing though; When I do the washing, it's a heavy load I give them. Seriously: heavy load.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing them :good:


Cool, I'll see what I can do. Looking forward to actually finishing a unit! So far it's been experimentation. I'm a perfectionist who unfortunately lacks the experience/talent to paint well, and I don't want the cool units in my army to look like shit. Obviously it takes practice to produce stuff that looks as good as yours, but that's what old shitty minis are for :laugh:.


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Obviously it takes practice to produce stuff that looks as good as yours, but that's what old shitty minis are for .


No worries - Hell, look at it this way; I started a month before I joined up on this forum. That's a little over 2 years ago. It doesn't take long to get to my level :good:


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## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> No worries - Hell, look at it this way; I started a month before I joined up on this forum. That's a little over 2 years ago. It doesn't take long to get to my level :good:


But you're also a project manager, who applied his skill and focus to learning a new hobby.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> But you're also a project manager, who applied his skill and focus to learning a new hobby.


Aye that is true, but the point still stands. I have no clue what people around here does for a living, so I cannot comment on how fast people learn things or how dedicated they are.

So this weekend had a very concrete theme from my end; *Rebasing.* As described earlier, I reached the conclusion that my resin bases were no longer an option, due to various factors:

1) They are not being produced in the new sizes and I simply refuse to use clams that are put on the outside of a base to give it a new size. It looks like crap.

2) The bases and models were simply too unstable. This came to light when I had to remove the models from the resin bases, as I could basically flicker the models and they would come off. I had noticed it a bit earlier when I dropped a model and the base would 100% come off it.

3) My Chaos Marines had to get on 32 mm bases. 

So I got to work and rebased my entire Crimson Slaughter collection (well, the ones that had bases anyway). I did the bases in the same theme as my Bloodthirsters and Khorne Fleshhounds, as I quite liked it.

I had to rebase:

10 x Noise Marines
11 x Bikes
25 x Cultists
2 x Forgefiends
3 x Helbrutes
2 x Decimators
9 x Chosen (incl. Lord Kranon)
15 x Possessed
3 x Obliterators
1 x Juggerlord

Luckily I had kept all the bases from all the kits, so I only had to buy the 32 mm ones. After some hours of work, here we are:










And a little close-up on the cultists:










Honestly? As I'm looking at the army now, I like this new theme better. The old resin bases had 5 different bases in layout, so while they looked nice, then they became very monotone as my army got bigger. This new theme, along with being darker and fitting for both Crimson Slaughter and Daemonkin, is just more... alive in some way. There are more variation in it and it gives me more creative control over the bases.

The way I do the bases are the following:

1) Do the texture with a match and Stirland Mud.
2) Drybrush the texture with Rakarth Flesh
3) Paint the areas that are supposed to be bloody with a 50/50 mix of Khorne Red and Abaddon Black.
4) Add a nice thick layer of Blood for the Bloodgod on top of the dried red mix
5) Leave to dry for 2-3 hours
6) Paint the rims with Rhinox Hide _(for where there is the texture)_ and the Blood for where the blood pools to the edge of the base. It gives it a more... alive feeling when the rims aren't just one color and it seems like the scenary actually leaves the base as well.

So now I can finally get on with painting and assembling new models. I will most likely be doing the 20 magnetized regular marines, as I need some middleground between the cheap Cultists and the expensive Possessed. Currently I only have expensive or dirt-cheap units with no alternative, unless I'm playing Daemonkin. 

More to follow!


----------



## Nordicus

Quick thought before I go to bed;

I love the Chaos Spawn in game - But I hate the models. I have bought 10 and assembled them. And I still hate them. I seriously don't like the models and have been looking for replacements.

Then it hit me; I do play Crimson Slaughter. How about I buy these guys and paint them in either the blue hue that I'm using - Or possibly in "Blood for the Bloodgod" to make them living embodiment of blood, and use those instead?

I thought it could look cool to have the battleboards swarming in spirits or either ill intent or blood, considering the Crimson Slaughter is a haunted warband. However, I also want to use them for Daemonkin, so maybe Blood themed works best with both armies.

What are your thoughts Heretics? Is it a cool thought or a grasped one?


----------



## Tawa

Those spirit hosts are ace!

I can imagine them in a similar scheme to your daemons...... :good:


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## Kreuger

@Nordicus that's a stellar idea!

Those spirit hosts could be awesome as spawns. I am also not fond of the current spawn models. I have a few converted but not enough for units, just the odd cursing.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Top notch idea. The Spawn are a... quite mediocre mini, honestly. Too much the intersection of imagination and reality toward the intersection of "wildly flailing mass of mutations." I think that the Beasts of Nurgle minis execute the idea better, honestly.


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Those spirit hosts are ace!
> 
> I can imagine them in a similar scheme to your daemons......





Kreuger said:


> @Nordicus that's a stellar idea!
> 
> Those spirit hosts could be awesome as spawns.





Mossy Toes said:


> Top notch idea.


Right, that settles it - After sleeping on it, it seems like a better idea as well, so I'm doing it. I will also be selling the 10 Spawn I have now, at a reduced price, here on the site.

Now the only question is; Should I paint them blue or bloody... Hmmm.


----------



## Mossy Toes

I think blue would make a striking counterpoint to the rest of the models in the army, would be very evocative, would fit perfectly with that pre-existing highlight in the color scheme, and be awesome with the background of the army!


----------



## Tawa

Mossy Toes said:


> I think blue would make a striking counterpoint to the rest of the models in the army, would be very evocative, and would fit perfectly with that pre-existing highlight in the color scheme and in the background of the army!


This! :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> I think blue would make a striking counterpoint to the rest of the models in the army, would be very evocative, would fit perfectly with that pre-existing highlight in the color scheme, and be awesome with the background of the army!


I think you're right - I will do them in the haunted theme! They will be my next project after my Marines.

And on that note; I have started assembling the 20 x Chaos Space Marines with interchangeable arms. Slowly but steadily as they need to have arms magnetized so I can make both shooty, close combat and special weapons variants. Always thinking ahead and all.

I've using the Barbarian Armors from Puppetswar as I like them better and so far I'm really liking the look they get. Here are a few examples:









And yes, they look a bit silly when the load-out are off:









However, I am of two minds about one thing; The backpack. The minis have one on the body that looks like this:









I cannot decide if I should use this one or the standard that comes with a Chaos Marine. They are quite iconic, but I would need to file off this one and glue the old one on all the models.

What are your thoughts?


----------



## Roganzar

Yeah, I don't like that pack. CSM packs aren't anything special but, you're right, they are iconic.
I'm sure it would be a pain to do but I think the CSM packs would be better.


----------



## DaisyDuke

Use the csm packs. I know it's a bit of work to do that to twenty but it will look sweet.


----------



## SonofVulkan

I'm not sure blue would work for the spirit host spawns. They may look too different to the rest of your army and be out of place. I think your "Blood for the Blood god" idea would work better. 

I can just imagine the blood of your enemies taking form and attacking their kin in the name of Khorne! :spiteful:


----------



## Howzaa

That pack does look like the csm version of a sparkly purse, change it up!

But good job on the army mate your progress is unreal, considering getting one of those airbrushes myself.


----------



## Tawa

Yeah, those cast-on packs are shite :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> Yeah, I don't like that pack. CSM packs aren't anything special but, you're right, they are iconic.





DaisyDuke said:


> Use the csm packs.





Howzaa said:


> That pack does look like the csm version of a sparkly purse, change it up!





Tawa said:


> Yeah, those cast-on packs are shite


Rarely have people been so unanimous in their messages - I think it's pretty clear that I have to change the packs  Very well, it shall be so!

I'm nearly done magnetising all the shooty arms, after which I will drill holes in the guns and change the packs. With a bit of luck, I might be able to start the painting this weekend, while I wait for the shoulder pads to arrive for the close combat arms. I had some spare, but not nearly enough for another 40 arms :S



SonofVulkan said:


> I can just imagine the blood of your enemies taking form and attacking their kin in the name of Khorne!


I know right?! That was the idea as well from my end. I can see the point of them being good centerpoints though and a welcome variation in the army. I will make a test model and see where it goes from there.


----------



## Kreuger

Interesting. I've been curious how those Puppetswar barbarian armors really looked.

I like the detailing and texture. The backpack seems kinda small, at least compared to 40k. They seem disproportionate though. The chest seems narrow, and the waist to skinny.

They are almost as gnarly as the Evil Craft Chaos Marines.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Interesting. I've been curious how those Puppetswar barbarian armors really looked.
> 
> I like the detailing and texture. The backpack seems kinda small, at least compared to 40k. They seem disproportionate though. The chest seems narrow, and the waist to skinny.
> 
> They are almost as gnarly as the Evil Craft Chaos Marines.


Aye I had a look at those Evil Craft Marines, but I thought them a bit too expensive for what I got. I mean 5 guys for 31£? Yikes!
Compared to the Barbarian armors, I also find the Evil Craft marines quite static.

I understand your point about the Barbarian armor being skinny though, as I thought the same - But I actually like it. It gives the marines a more... gaunt appearance. As I'm turning the army more and more in the direction of a haunted warband, I think it suits the strain-of-thought well although it does take a bit of getting used to, compared to the normal bulky marines you see.


----------



## Kreuger

@Nordicus 
Man you must just be getting up. I'm just going to sleep. But on several occasions now, I get a notification in the wee hours here, as I'm about to sleep and it's tapatalk telling me Nordicus replied. 

I hear ya'. I still like the barbarian armours. For whatever reason the Puppetswar barbarian armours and the Puppetswar bikes remind me of the reavers from Firefly. Which in some ways seems very appropriate because they are probably the closest approximation of Khornate warriors anywhere in pop culture. Despite being wildly insane, bloodthirsty, and aggressive they somehow pilot space ships and fight battles. 

I've had similar wonders about Khorne warriors. How the Hell do they manage work and logistics without butchering one another? How would a Khorne army campaign in any real sense without organization? One can't really send shipments of food and ammunition by charging forward and killing something. 

The ramshackle barbarian armours suggest a frenzied disorder and disregard, which I think generally works.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Man you must just be getting up. I'm just going to sleep. But on several occasions now, I get a notification in the wee hours here, as I'm about to sleep and it's tapatalk telling me Nordicus replied.


Hehe I just arrived at work - It was like 09:45 in the morning for me, so I had just gotten my first cup of coffee here at the office. Oh the wonders of working at a IT company.



Kreuger said:


> For whatever reason the Puppetswar barbarian armours and the Puppetswar bikes remind me of the reavers from Firefly. Which in some ways seems very appropriate because they are probably the closest approximation of Khornate warriors anywhere in pop culture


Huh - I had never thought of that. Now that you mention it though, it makes perfect sense. I will have to rewatch Firefly again with that state of mind!



Kreuger said:


> Despite being wildly insane, bloodthirsty, and aggressive they somehow pilot space ships and fight battles.
> 
> I've had similar wonders about Khorne warriors. How the Hell do they manage work and logistics without butchering one another? How would a Khorne army campaign in any real sense without organization? One can't really send shipments of food and ammunition by charging forward and killing something.


Man, I have no clue - In every book I read they do have some sort of coherency though, where it's primarily when they're in combat that they loose all manner of sense and control. A entire warband though? No clue.

At least the Crimson Slaughter get some kind of respite after each victory, where they don't hear the voices in their heads. I'm guessing they are unique in that manner, so they have some kind of running clock going until they have to kill again. In that time, they could most likely get things done properly.



Kreuger said:


> The ramshackle barbarian armours suggest a frenzied disorder and disregard, which I think generally works.


Definately - In general I find the Chaos armors from GQ to be a bit too clean and just "Loyalist with skulls" like. I welcome these more ravaged armors, as it gives it more of a "Nightmare come true" kinda vibe - That ancient malevolence you always read about in the books.


----------



## Nordicus

Oh and a little side-note: Guess what I won.


----------



## Kreuger

Hey man, congrats!


----------



## DaisyDuke

Congrats dude.:good:
What did you enter?


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Hey man, congrats!





DaisyDuke said:


> Congrats dude.
> What did you enter?


Thanks both!

I entered the Bloodthirster that is currently in this Mays Painting Deathmatch and up for voting right now


----------



## Tawa

Nicely done mate! :good:


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## Mossy Toes

Gratz!


----------



## Nordicus

Thanks all! It's always fun to participate against Golden Daemon winners. I beat a few of them, but the level was simply too high for me - Besides, I paint too dark for it to really matter. The winners are usually the over-the-top cartoony style painters, and while I applaud their skill, it's simply not my taste.

I'm not sure if I will be participating next year, as I don't want to paint my models a certain way to win competitions. I'll have to think about it.

So two topics today; Yearly challenge and progress on my Marines.

*The yearly painting challenge* is over, and I completed it. As last year, I got inspired by one of the other members here (/highfive @DaisyDuke) and had a look at what I have completed since June of 2014. The result... was a bit more than anticipated:

*Chaos Marines:*









That's right - I started my reboot of my Marines in the July '14 challenge, which was the 2nd month of this years challenge. Honestly if you had asked me before, I would have said that I had started before, but I backtracked and found the thread; I started out with the lord and the chosen from the Dark Vengeance pack that over the far right on the photo.

Combined with the fact that I just rebased the entire army, I can safely say that this year has been... quite productive.

*Chaos Daemons:*









Mostly this past months challenge, as I have been focusing on my Marines. The result is still quite good, especially compared to the above.

*Secondly, I got some more work in on my upcoming Chaos Space Marines.* 
Taking in all the feedback, I have changed the backpacks on them and finished magnetising the bolters, flamers, plasma guns and melta guns.

I ran out of shoulder pads after that, so I am waiting for 60 of them to arrive, so I can finish the close combat arms, heavy bolters and various special weapons such as power swords and power fists.

The result is this:



















I had a spare Juggerlord head lying around from when I assembled him, so I put it on one of them, to be a Aspiring Champion. Beyond that, you guys were totally right; The standard backpacks looks MUCH better on them. 

The magnetising took a bit longer than expected but went without any trouble at all. You can see some spare weapon layouts lying in front of them on the top picture, and they slide on every model easily. 

All in all, I really like the models so far. Now I can relax a bit, before I head on over to the painting part of the project, while I wait for the shoulder pads. I will do them all in 2 batches; One now and the second batch will be purely arms and layouts. It's time to get some paint on these fellas!


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## venomlust

Wow the CSM backpacks really tie it all together. I wasn't too hot on those conversion kits until seeing yours.


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## Kreuger

@Nordicus could we see some reverse photos of the backpacks? 

They certainly look good from the front. 

How solid are these guys if your aren't planning on magnetizing the arms?


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## DaisyDuke

Right back at you Nord 
In all fairness I think it was you're Belacore early last year that got me motivated to get some paint on. And the army comp kept it up. I just wish I had more time. Damn my little one!


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## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Wow the CSM backpacks really tie it all together. I wasn't too hot on those conversion kits until seeing yours.


I know the feeling - I'm very pleasantly surprised at how these guys came out in the end. Can't wait to see them with some paint on!



Kreuger said:


> @Nordicus could we see some reverse photos of the backpacks?
> 
> They certainly look good from the front.


Sure thing man, here ya go _(They are primed now, so I hope you can make it out) _:










In all honesty, holding it up to a normal marine, they look just fine - About the same height as a normal model. And the other backpacks was surprisingly easy to get off and file down - I think it took me under a minute for each model honestly.



Kreuger said:


> How solid are these guys if your aren't planning on magnetizing the arms?


Not quite sure what you mean here - Care to elaborate?



DaisyDuke said:


> In all fairness I think it was you're Belacore early last year that got me motivated to get some paint on


Oh that's right! I remember you commenting on that one! Did I ever get to see your finished version?


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## Kreuger

Thanks for the photo but it's too dark to see how the backpack and body line up and fit. 

Regarding the arms, I meant if I'm not using magnets is there enough surface area for a good superglue join, or would they require filling with greenstuff?


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Thanks for the photo but it's too dark to see how the backpack and body line up and fit.


Aaah gotcha - I took a few with a flash. This should help you see them lined up:










If you cut off the other pack and file it, you get a completely flat surface that is a bit raised from the back. It fits perfectly with the standard backpack where the dent at the top fits the slot behind the head.



Kreuger said:


> Regarding the arms, I meant if I'm not using magnets is there enough surface area for a good superglue join, or would they require filling with greenstuff?


Ah - There's enough surface for a good superglue fit with normal arms. You don't require magnets or greenstuff. The pre-made holes are 3mm in diameter and the arms are roughly 4½ for a standard marine. So you got a little under a inch around the arm to superglue it - That's plenty for such a small piece on the model  You can also see it on the photo up top actually!


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## Kreuger

Thanks for the extra photos, Nord.

The packs look like they're sitting a bit high compared to GW's models, but they look good.


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## Nordicus

So I did a test model on the new guys this afternoon - The reason I did so was that I wanted to see, if I could get a good result on the armor with a mixture of airbrushing and shading as well. I was holding up my old models to my new standards, and they seemed a bit too ruff on the edges, so I had to figure out a approach to keep the look on the models, but try to approach it from a new angle.

The result was this:









The approach I did was this:

1) Airbrush the browns and reds from an angle.
2) Drybrush the armor slightly with a bright red, to try and get the best edges with a more bright red, to match the army.
3) Go in with a very thinned mix of red and brown, to get some shadows where it was needed, in correlation with the rest of my army. I run heavy on the brown shades and this should be kept whereever possible.

After that, I did the model as I usually do. I quite like the result but it's always risky to change your style of painting mid-army. My biggest focus was not having them stand out completely and still look like they fit in the army. 

To make sure, I placed him right next to a older model at all times:









Overall, the shades are at the same brightness but the transitions are better on the new model. Just the way I wanted it.

Ironically the toughest part was figuring out if I should have the loincloth black or blue. What do you guys think; Does it fit or is it too much?


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## Kreuger

I think the blue is too saturated. It's well executed, but I think a less intense blue would look better as the accent colour.


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## The Gunslinger

Looks good, im liking the blue, but then my blues are always bold like that


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## R_Squared

I like the blue myself, it's a strong contrast to the rest of the armour without overwhelming it. looks good TBH.


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## Nordicus

My biggest fear is that the turquoise goes from being that small signal color, to being too dominant. It looses it's touch if it's there too much and I'm beginning to doubt the choice more and more.

If you look at the possessed, it's his eyes you can spot it in - It makes it stand out. If it's there too much, as in the loincloths, I think the magic of the color is removed from the army. 

Sometimes less is more I guess.


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## DaisyDuke

Have you considered cream or white with a very watery wash of the turquoise or a dark blue, alternatively I would go for a washed out brown cloth.
There looking spot on dude


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## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> My biggest fear is that the turquoise goes from being that small signal color, to being too dominant. It looses it's touch if it's there too much and I'm beginning to doubt the choice more and more...


I agree, with one caveat. I think if you made the loin cloth a dark navy blue our midnight blue and then used the bright blue as an edge highlight the "magic" might be preserved. 

Additionally, something of your former effect is already lost from the rebasing so the blue as the "magic" colour might have lost its affect anyway. However it does still look good with the red and brass, in moderation.


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## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> alternatively I would go for a washed out brown cloth.


I had considered this actually aye. It's still on the table.



Kreuger said:


> I agree, with one caveat. I think if you made the loin cloth a dark navy blue our midnight blue and then used the bright blue as an edge highlight the "magic" might be preserved.


Aye I was thinking of this as well - Similar to the cloak on my Chaos Lord:









It might be a better approach actually. Maybe even make it a bit darker.


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## Kreuger

@Nordicus yeah, like the Lord's cloak only darker.


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## Tawa

Very nice.

I'll be honest, I was 50/50 about those figures overall - and you saw my opinion of the backpacks earlier in the thread :laugh: - but now I've seen one painted up...... I quite like them! :good:

As for the cloth I would definitely go with a darker blue. Alternatively, as a slight alteration of Daisy's suggestion, what about flayed skin? :crazy:


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## Howzaa

I like the barbarian CSM style looks good and the toned down blue I think fits better too bright distracts you from the rest of the good work. Also backpack looks much better mate so pretty much standard from me on this blog, kudos and general dismay at the speed in which you work.


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## Nordicus

Sorry about the lack of updates on this project guys - Been crazy busy!

The 20 of them are at the stage where I do the metallics by now. That means the reds and bronze are done and I'm currently doing the metal on them. Afterwards I will be doing the blacks (horns, etc) and THEN we get to the fun part: The blues.

Once I get to the blues I will be sure to post a picture of which hues I am playing with. I will be playing around with darker blues (Midnight blues, etc) so feedback would be most welcome.


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## Iraqiel

I think your marines look mighty impressive with your proposed scheme, though I don't think that the blue would fit army wide in such large amounts - however for a model or for a squad I think it looks great. 

Interested to see you next progress shot!


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## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> I think your marines look mighty impressive with your proposed scheme, though I don't think that the blue would fit army wide in such large amounts - however for a model or for a squad I think it looks great.


Thanks! My aim is to have models that are above standard, even for just regular marines - I want my army to be imposing and cool on the table, even if it is something as standard as a shooty marine.

In regards to the tabards, I had considered making it black to be honest. I'm still in doubt if the blue will be overpowering, but I will check with a midnight blue and then do a evaluation. If I think it too much, I will make them black.


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## Nordicus

So I did some test themes, based on feedback, my own thoughts and just for kicks. Here are the four finalists:










I'm leaning towards to non-blue ones I must admit - I think that the blue will be a bit too much on a large scale, similar to @Iraqiel. However, I would love you guys opinions on them.

Let's hear it!

_Bear in mind that the models are not done - Several details missing, but I thought I would get this one concluded as it is a major point on the models._

_And yes, the lighting is a bit different - it's the same pair of arms on all 4 models, as it's the only pair of arms that is finished._


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## Kreuger

I think I'm leaning toward the midnight blue. But perhaps even darker with another dark wash, perhaps blue and black as a wash together. 

On a related note I think the CSM head, shoulders, and arms are too clean and tidy committed to the bodies. For these to really work they need to be more distressed.


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## Roganzar

The midnight blue one if your set on using blue. Though, I like the flayed skin more.


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## neferhet

skin is overall better but blends too much... black is easy, good effect and stands for the classic colour of chaos :biggrin:


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## Iraqiel

I vote flayed skin for sheer brutality but Midnight blue as @Krueger describes for overall looks.


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## The Gunslinger

Midnight blue, breaks up the model a bit, but i would wash the shit out of it, make it super dirty.


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## Nordicus

All right, it seems that Midnight blue with more washing is the winner. Thanks for the input guys!

There are a few of the models with a cloak as well, on top of the tabard in front - I might do these differently with one of the pieces being torn skin, so it's not just all blue. The question is, should the flayed skin be in front or on the back? I'm thinking that the cloaks are a bit too long for them to be skin, unless it's a REALLY fat guy they have been skinning. It might be a way to incorporate both themes.


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## Mossy Toes

Hate to chime in after a consensus has been reached, but I honestly do like the turqoise the most--it has the best contrast, to my eyes. Maybe lay it on a bit lighter, so it's a trifle closer to the midnight with just edge highlights of turquoise, but...


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## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> ... The question is, should the flayed skin be in front or on the back? I'm thinking that the cloaks are a bit too long for them to be skin, unless it's a REALLY fat guy they have been skinning. It might be a way to incorporate both themes.


Well, you could always paint the cloaks as a patchwork of flayed skin (of varying tones.) Do the whole thing in flesh tones, then paint in lines where the sections have been joined, then criss cross them with stitches.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Well, you could always paint the cloaks as a patchwork of flayed skin (of varying tones.)


This was a great tip and I ended up making the two cloaks that are in the squads, as flayed skin. Thanks dude!



Mossy Toes said:


> Hate to chime in after a consensus has been reached, but I honestly do like the turqoise the most--it has the best contrast, to my eyes


It's perfectly ok - I would rather have your feedback and it be too late, than not have it at all man. I did put some lighter highlights in, so it was not completely on deaf ears 

That being said, it's time to close the books on these 20 marines. They were done last night, bases made and transfers put on. It's at that time where I'm starting to go blind on their painting, so I feel it's time to let them be done. The result was this:










The Aspiring Champion head is from the Juggerlord kit, that I didn't use. I thought why the hell not.

No squad is complete without some special weapons though:









While the shoulderpads and the helmet are fairly clean sompared to the legs and arms, I actually don't think it ruins the models that much. I like the mix'n'match armor they have, as it looks like they got some old parts on them and some scavenged that they have just added to their armor.

I'm pretty happy with these models. They look a lot more dynamic than the usual marines, and they have a unique touch to them that I feel matches my overall army pretty well. 

Now, they're right at home with my other models:









Now for some thinking as to my next project; 15 Spirit Hosts (Counting as spawn) or Sicaran Battle tank. Choices, choices.


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## Tawa

Well, you know me! My vote has to be:



Nordicus said:


> Sicaran Battle tank.


:crazy:


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## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Well, you know me!


Or perhaps.... both? :shok:


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## Haskanael

Nordicus said:


> Or perhaps.... both? :shok:


you could pull it off too . tho my vote goes for the tank :3


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## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Or perhaps.... both? :shok:


That would not surprise me in the slightest! :laugh:


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## Kreuger

Hey Nord, the mixture of clean/worn parts doesn't ruin the models. It's slightly incongruous. And I am totally nit-picking. 

Once last nit-pick: mold-lines. =(

Otherwise, these guys turned out beautifully. The color scheme and the new bases really works. And overall I agree, the Puppetswar bodies really add some nice variety and dynamics.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> And I am totally nit-picking.


That's why I love your feedback - I need that nit-picking. Don't ever stop!



Kreuger said:


> Once last nit-pick: mold-lines. =(


Yeah I saw that as well when I was like 90% done. Honestly, I couldn't be bothered fixing it at that stage


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## Dorns Legacy

hey Nord mind giving me a run down of how you do your OSL on the plamsa? looks sweet and wanna try it out.

Btw kudos on those new marines with non standard torsos and legs they be da shiznit


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## Nordicus

Dorns Legacy said:


> hey Nord mind giving me a run down of how you do your OSL on the plamsa? looks sweet and wanna try it out.


Sure thing - I use a airbrush to do it, but if you don't have one, you can easily do nearly the same effect with a heavy drybrushing method.

I use the following paints, in this order:

- Start out with Privateer Press's Formula P3s "*Meredius Blue*" in a large area.
- I then do a smaller session with Formula P3s "*Arcane Blue*" in a slightly smaller area.
- The final highlight is just pure white, where you can use GWs "*Skull White*". Keep this on the glowing core only, as it makes the core seem white hot.

This combination and order will give the effect on the Plasma that you see


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## Mossy Toes

Nordicus said:


> I use a airbrush to do it, but if you don't have one, you can easily do nearly the same effect with a heavy airbrushing method.


Might you, uh, perchance mean a "heavy drybrushing method" on the latter end of the quote there?


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## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Might you, uh, perchance mean a "heavy drybrushing method" on the latter end of the quote there?


That'll teach me to type while I am in the middle of airbrushing - You are of course correct 

Something tells me that I will be painting both the Spirit Spawn and the Sicaran this month. The below is the result of this evenings work.


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## Kreuger

Those spawn turned out nicely. They seem like they are missing something though. Are you going to have any accent colours on the masks or the bases? I think you were planning on the blood pools like the last crop of marines. 

Have you considered another accent? Perhaps some sort veins of another colour in the ethereal mist or maybe little bolts of electricity?


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> They seem like they are missing something though. Are you going to have any accent colours on the masks or the bases? I think you were planning on the blood pools like the last crop of marines.


Aye there are more things planned - Yesterdays focus was on the airbrushing part, where I also did a few white highlights _(edges of the blades, around the bottom part of the eye sockets, etc)_. Before I head to bed I also got to base the skeletons at the base and give them their first wash.

My thoughts are the following:

- They get the same bases as my Marines. The new base standard for my entire army - This should get some good contrast to the models.

- To get some more effects in there, I was planning on making the skeletons fairly bloody and the initial stream of spirit to be pure blood, after which they then go over to being spirit. This makes it seem as if the spirits are summoned from the amount of blood on the battlefiend; Very Crimson Slaughter'ish.

I will wait and see if the above doesn't give the contrast that I need before I do anything else to the spirits themselves. I want to keep them fairly simple and ghastly, but it's hard to see if it's enough currently without some contrast to compare it to.


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## Kreuger

Ah, that sounds like a excellent idea. I look forward to seeing them complete!


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## Dorns Legacy

Sweet thanks dude will be trying this when the missus takes the kids away for a week and i get some quality peace and quiet time to do some painting.

I love em all but they drive me CRAY CRAY YO


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## Nordicus

Dorns Legacy said:


> Sweet thanks dude will be trying this when the missus takes the kids away for a week


Awesome, be sure to let us see the result! :good:



Kreuger said:


> I look forward to seeing them complete!


Well due to this country melting in the sun (33 degrees as we speak - That is unheard of in Denmark) I have had time to finish the miniatures, as I don't dare go outside. So you didn't have to wait long.

Here is the result:









And this is what 15 of them looks like:









They are very simple, but I think they work. I have a tendency to overthink my work and I wanted to get these simple but effective in their look. With the base and the blood, the blue is a excellent contrast and it's the same blues I use for plasma and lighting effects on the rest of the army. They are huge contrast on the table, but they really give some lift to my army.

I hope you guys like them! 

Now.. On to the Sicaran!


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## venomlust

Hell yeah, Nord. Those are perfect.


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## Kreuger

Those are looking pretty good! I bet they make an excellent contrast to the rest of your army on the battlefield.

I think the transition from the blood to the blue/white seems a bit abrupt. I continue to have a nagging feeling like they would look better if they included some thin, faint veins of red snaking through the blue/white. 

Do they have eyes? It's hard to tell from these photos, but if they have eyes, making the eyes red might be a good touch to add some more contrast within the model.

As always impressive work @Nordicus.


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## Mossy Toes

Damn Nord, those look great. I do agree with Kreuger that the transition is a little sharp, but... whew, talk about taking fluff to the next level on the tabletop.


----------



## Nordicus

venomlust said:


> Hell yeah, Nord. Those are perfect.


Thanks bud! :good:



Kreuger said:


> I think the transition from the blood to the blue/white seems a bit abrupt.


I tried one example where I airbrushed a bit on top of the transition, but honestly, the abrupt looked better. As if the spirit manifested from that point and the rest is solid blood - I get what you're saying though.



Kreuger said:


> Do they have eyes? It's hard to tell from these photos


Nope, the faces are very thin and skull like - There is nothing in the eye sockets, so I highlighted the edges a bit to get them more "out there".



Mossy Toes said:


> talk about taking fluff to the next level on the tabletop.


Well this is my first "out of codex" unit to completely replace the standard one. I kind of like the idea of it, making the army more mine. My next conversion is probably going to be making Slaughterbrutes to Maulerfiends


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## Nordicus

So I got started on the Sicaran this morning - And I decided to try something new; Weathering! This means sponge techniques, texture paints and drybrushing. I have only seen these techniques, but never used them.

I'm afraid to fuck this up, but it's time to break that comfort zone - Let's make the tracks on this tank something that looks gritty and worn!

Status images will be uploaded later on!

EDIT:
So I got my first try at weathering in:









I'm in doubt about the verdigris but I decided to keep it in for now. First time trying to sponge something, so I was very cautious not to go overboard with it. I might do more with it once I get to a longer stage in the process, but for now it's decent.


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## Nordicus

Aaand here we go - I hit a snag, that I need your help with. You remember that problem with my bikes a while back, where I was in doubt as to where to place the bronze elements? 

Guess what. It's the same problem on this trim-less vehicle. 

So! I need your feedback dear readers. I've made a few photoshop examples of themes I believe could work, and a image named "CLEAN" where you can see it in it's current state for a return-point:

CLEAN:









Examples:









What do you think? Did I hit the mark on one of them, or is there some combo that I haven't thought of?


----------



## DaisyDuke

I'd go for cockpit of 2 with 4.
It's looking good, like you I'm unsure of the verdigris. ( but that's just in general.)
I think mine is ready for some paint, just finished magnetising the guns, but I have also had similar problems visualising how to go about this trimless vehicle.


----------



## The Gunslinger

I would say 4 but with the front section done like 2 and 3. But as always, great looking tank :good:


----------



## Kreuger

I'm liking 4 the best as well, thigh I would carry the bronze detailing further and get those boxes on the inside edges of the tracks by the grill. And all of the little axle disks and the rivets.


----------



## Mossy Toes

I like 5, but don't think the hatch hinges or viewport need the color--better some metallic, I think.


----------



## Tawa

Personally? Image 4. :good:

1-3 look a bit much IMO, but it's your tank mate


----------



## Nordicus

Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys - It seems options 4 and 5 are the favorites. I will take inspiration from those 2 themes and see what I come up with. I think I should be able to get the brass parts done tomorrow, and I will be sure to post some pictures of the progress.

You guys rock :good:


----------



## Nordicus

So I've had a productive week painting wise - After having all the thoughts and opinions in from you guys, I got to work on the bronze. I must admit that I went the minimalistic route. I got to a stage where I looked at it and went _"You know what.. That's fine"._ I ended up with a stage closest to *Option 4* in my poll.

After that, it was fairly simple to finish. The end result is this:










I was in doubt whether I should do any OSL on it, but I couldn't find anything where I thought it would look good. So I decided to just to the front lenses in a reflective state instead.

The weathering went suitably well for my first try. I'm still careful about weathering in general, as I find it can ruin a model as much as help it, so I concentrated around the tracks solely. I like the variation in the red with the airbrushing more than my other tanks, so I'm slowly getting to a point where I feel I have control over the airbrushing.

All in all, fairly satisfied. I tried some new techniques and got better at my old. The tank is clean, but just enough dirt to not have it look production line - And it's obviously not a loyalist version either. 

Now to a "fun" task; I gotta get going on those close combat weapons for my marines. I have only done the shooty weapons, so it's time I get going on the other parts. Wee.


----------



## Kreuger

Everything you have on there so far I like. A lot. The track weathering looks really tasteful. 
I think the verdigris on the tracks is too uniform in color, especially compared to the really beautiful texture you have on the rest of the tracks. 

Considering the weathering around the tracks and the subtle tarnishing on the guns I think the clean rear half is too clean. For instance why is there drippy looking verdigris on the tracks but not on any of bronze throughout the rest of the tank on the guns or any of the bronze accents?


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Considering the weathering around the tracks and the subtle tarnishing on the guns I think the clean rear half is too clean. For instance why is there drippy looking verdigris on the tracks but not on any of bronze throughout the rest of the tank on the guns or any of the bronze accents?


I can understand the question, as I had a really long and hard process about deciding what to do there. In essence, the short answer is that I thought it would look too trashed if I did it all over. If I were to play Death Guard, for example, it would be a no-brainer. But for a warband that is actually known to keep their gear in a good shape, I thought it would be too much.

The second part is what the tank goes through. The tracks are puddling through water, slime, blood and whatnot. It's impossible to keep it clean and without rust or verdigris - But you can to the exterior parts. You can change a plate here and there, but the tracks? Well they are another problem entirely.

While I know it's not realistic to only have the tracks trashed the way I have, my fear is that verdigris all over would ruin it too much. I'm still at a stage with weathering, where I'm afraid to make something bad that I cannot fix without doing the model from scratch basically. It's a fear that I will have to get over, but I think I require more training with sponging and verdigris before I am ready to take that leap, if that makes sense?



Kreuger said:


> I think the verdigris on the tracks is too uniform in colour, especially compared to the really beautiful texture you have on the rest of the tracks.


Hmm I might have to take another look at it. All the reference images I have seen have had verdigris in a very uniform colour overall, with not a lot of variance in them.


----------



## Kreuger

Hey Nord, I totally understand the reticence. And it's probably higher for you because you use an airbrush where the smoothness would be even harder to replicate than simply "paint over it."

Actually, I think there's an cogent argument to go the other way as well. Track links are designed to be unlinked and replaced, armor panels are more fixed in place. 

And to clarify, when I'm thinking tarnish and verdigris on the bronze accent areas I'm thinking little subtle dabs of it in those troughs which outline the accent boxes. So just a little in there _suggesting_ that the rainwater has collected and sat in there a bit longer than elsewhere - not full on Nurgly degradation. Or adding a little dirt in the recessed corners in between the angles of the armor. Nothing major, not even as strong as the light edge weathering you did around the upper track housing, just a little brown/black dirt collecting in the corners where the chaos guys are unwilling to dust and wash. (like behind their ears or horns)

I'm just going by a google image search for verdigris. The first few hits there have a lot of variation and striation. I also expect to see differences in the pattern of verdigris development on objects which get a lot of use and a lot of friction. The more friction the less likely the tarnish will remain intact.

As always, despite my criticisms I think you've done a stellar job.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> As always, despite my criticisms I think you've done a stellar job.


Thanks a lot man - I really do appreciate your feedback as it always give me some further insight to the painting job. So thank you for taking the time, always, to give your thoughts on my work :good:

Now, seeing as this months challenge, and optional challenge, has been completed I venture on to a project that I have been stalling a bit. It's not that interesting, but now that I've completed 2 fun projects it's time to take on that is more.. plain:










Aye, it's the close combat weapons for my marines. I've made the following:

- 20 x Chainswords
- 20 x Bolt pistols
- 2 x Banner (neutral in this case)
- 2 x Power Sword
- 2 x Power fist

They look quite good when attached to the custom torsos, which still give them some very dynamic poses. Here's a few arms on the most static pose in the pack:









I know, the fun will never stop. But hey, I gotta get these out of the way. After that, I might do some fliers - I'm missing those in my army.


----------



## Nordicus

A little side-note, that has nothing to do with painting.

Last year I backed a Kickstarter campaign for some new objective markers. The project got through and I just received the markers. The bonus for backing them, was that you got a additional set of markers, in the theme of your choosing - So naturally I chose Chaos.

After assembling them and priming the bases I can conclude that they kick ass!










No more scrambling to find the objectives on the board


----------



## Tawa

They're pretty cool actually :good:


----------



## Haskanael

Nordicus said:


> No more scrambling to find the objectives on the board


that is pretty awesome.


----------



## Nordicus

Right, time to get this updated - I just had a few weeks of playing Dark Souls 2 and watching Netflix. A great way to celebrate any vacation!

In this vacation I also had my birthday (Yay me) and I got a few things for the collection: 









A Soulgrinder and, after getting some money, I bought myself a little thing I like to call *KYTAN, **MOTHERFUCKING* *DAEMON ENGINE OF KHORNE!* @venomlust are you ready for this?

I will definitely be putting him up for next months painting challenge :good:


----------



## venomlust

Nordicus said:


> Right, time to get this updated - I just had a few weeks of playing Dark Souls 2 and watching Netflix. A great way to celebrate any vacation!
> 
> In this vacation I also had my birthday (Yay me) and I got a few things for the collection:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Soulgrinder and, after getting some money, I bought myself a little thing I like to call *KYTAN, **MOTHERFUCKING* *DAEMON ENGINE OF KHORNE!* @venomlust are you ready for this?
> 
> I will definitely be putting him up for next months painting challenge :good:


READY AND WILLING! Er.. what?


----------



## Tawa

venomlust said:


> READY AND WILLING! Er.. what?


Brace yourself...... :spiteful:


----------



## Mossy Toes

*howls mindlessly*


----------



## Tawa

Mossy Toes said:


> *howls mindlessly*


Dad......? :shok:


----------



## Haskanael

looking forward to seeing you paint that up next month Nord, should be good


----------



## Nordicus

So far so good. Firstly, the kit comes in two parts: The two sprues from the Lord of Skulls which contains the upper parts, and the resin legs:










The details on the legs are absolutely stunning. No flaws whatsoever, which makes my job a whole lot easier. I started out by assembling the upper part of the model, but didn't glue the arms or the head, as I need to glue them in when I have a better view of the pose it needs to have:










The stage I am at now, is that I have bluetacked the pose with the legs, and slowly starting to glue each part. This means I have no worry about it being unstable, as I have it all standing while I glue it.










The next part is going to be the tough part; Magnetizing the midsection and pinning it, so I can disassemble it for transport. I will keep you guys posted!


----------



## Nordicus

The next task, after the legs have been glued together, is to magnetize the midsection. I want him to be at least manageable to transport and the model is hella huge!

I did this by putting a small pin along 4 x 4mm magnets in the midsection:









The pin gives stability and the magnets give the power necessary to be able to lift him by the upper parts and not have him fall apart:









Now I'm just waiting for the glue to set properly before I go over to the priming and then... well... waiting until Saturday


----------



## Saintspirit

Ooh... Indeed impressive... I sure cannot deny I did feel a little peckish, when I first saw that Kytan...


----------



## venomlust

Awesome! 

INB4 @Kreuger says his head's too small. :grin:


----------



## neferhet

wow.... :shok:


----------



## Nordicus

Just for reference, he is this big:










Yes, he is quite a bit bigger than I originally thought. I like it!


----------



## SonofVulkan

That thing is huge! I hope you've stocked up on red paint. :grin:


----------



## Tawa

Mary Mother of Bob, that's fucking enormous!!!! :shok:


----------



## Haskanael

oh hell o-o,


----------



## Roganzar

Holy Warp!! 
That axe is the size of the bloodthirster's wing.:shok:


----------



## Tawa

As a follow-up to my last post.......


I think you should name that thing Mavis.


----------



## Haskanael

Tawa said:


> As a follow-up to my last post.......
> 
> 
> I think you should name that thing Mavis.


I might be missing a reference here, but why Mavis ? XD


----------



## Tawa

No reason, other than it really doesn't suit a massive murder machine.

Imagine it striding across a blood-slick battlefield, Chaos Marines bowing their heads as cultists throw themselves under it's feet crying "Blood for the Blood God! All Hail Mavis!" *splat*



:laugh:


----------



## Haskanael

tawa said:


> no reason, other than it really doesn't suit a massive murder machine.
> 
> Imagine it striding across a blood-slick battlefield, chaos marines bowing their heads as cultists throw themselves under it's feet crying "blood for the blood god! All hail mavis!" *splat*
> 
> 
> 
> :laugh:


"i am mavis, destroyer of worlds!"


----------



## Tawa

Haskanael said:


> "i am mavis, destroyer of worlds!"


Now if we can only convert @Nordicus to the True Path...... :crazy:


----------



## Kreuger

Sounds like @Tawa has a new army: the Mavis Marines!


----------



## Tawa

Kreuger said:


> Sounds like @Tawa has a new army: the Mavis Marines!


Har! Don't tempt me..... :laugh:


----------



## DaisyDuke

That's a bad ass model Nordicus looking forward to seeing your take on it.


----------



## Nordicus

Rightio, the monthly challenge is now up so it's time to get this thing crackin'! Here he is in all of his primed glory.










I have not glued the front chains on his crotch on, as it would be a pain to paint the things behind it. The head is not glued on either, and the model can be separated at the waist.

If I make him on time, I might supply this month with a named character from the CSM books. Named to be revealed though


----------



## Roganzar

Nordicus said:


> If I make him on time, I might supply this month with a named character from the CSM books. Named to be revealed though


Its Mavis, isn't it.

Can't wait to see this beasty done.


----------



## Tawa

Roganzar said:


> Its Mavis, isn't it.


I hope so.....


----------



## Iraqiel

Strewth, browsing your thread is a absolute pleasure each time Nordicus. Looking forward to this latest massive beastie, talking to the designer at the July FW open day he said that the first one was snapped up by the displays team before the 3d printer had even cooled down!


----------



## Nordicus

So I got some work done last night, as I'm quite anxious to get started on this guy. At this stage, I'm SO goddamn happy I magnetized him and didn't glue the head in yet, as it makes him a hell of a lot easier to paint overall.

I got the reds done, the metals and the skulls. Usually I do the bronze before I do the metals, but the way he is set up model wise, there's a lot of areas that are easier to do as bronze afterwards. I have a good idea of where I want the guy to go in terms of looks, so it makes my job easier on that front.

The progress so far is this:









My biggest concern was actually the axe. Making big flat surfaces with metal and shading is always a big challenge, as you have to avoid the inks and shading to dry in blotches, making it look like... well... crap. I think I succeeded in making it look heavy, slightly weathered and like steel - But without blotches.

Now I will catch my breath before I get started on the bronze. That is probably going to take the rest of the week - There's a shitton of trims on this guy :S


----------



## alasdair

Khytan looking great so far.

If you don't I don't me asking, what brand of airbrush do you have? I searched back through the thread to see if you had mentioned it or not but can't see anything.


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Now I will catch my breath before I get started on the bronze. That is probably going to take the rest of the week - There's a shitton of trims on this guy :S



You'll go mad. Mad I say! MAD! AHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! :crazy:


----------



## Nordicus

alasdair said:


> If you don't I don't me asking, what brand of airbrush do you have? I searched back through the thread to see if you had mentioned it or not but can't see anything.


Of course - You can ask me anything in this project log  I use a Badger Patriot 105 airbrush myself.


----------



## venomlust

nordicus said:


> the progress so far is this:


yesssssssssss


----------



## Tugger

Looking badass!


----------



## DaisyDuke

God damn it I new I should have bought a kytan and a chaos knight instead of a house this month. Looking good Nordicus, but that looks like a helldrake amount of trim and edge highlighting.


----------



## Kreuger

DaisyDuke said:


> Looking good Nordicus, but that looks like a helldrake amount of trim and edge highlighting.


Interesting. I've never heard "Heldrake" used as a quantity before.


----------



## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> Looking good Nordicus, but that looks like a helldrake amount of trim and edge highlighting.


We're definitely up there - In about 1½ hours work, I got this much done earlier:










I got to find a replacement for "Brass Scorpion". The color is too thick for my liking and even then, it still requires two coats to cover anything. I'm open for suggestions if you guys know any good colors.


----------



## alasdair

Nordicus said:


> Of course - You can ask me anything in this project log  I use a Badger Patriot 105 airbrush myself.


That is interesting, because I have the exact same airbrush but cannot get anywhere near the same quality of stroke or subtlety of shading as you.

Do you use citadel paints?


----------



## Nordicus

alasdair said:


> Do you use citadel paints?


I use a mixture of Vallejo Air (VA) and Citadel (C) - On the reds above, I have the following combo:

1) Black primer

2) Base - A 1:1 mix of Charred Brown (VA) and Warlord Purple (VA). The exact same combo can be achieved with Screamer Pink (C) and Rhinox Hide (C).

3) First shading - A 1:1 mix of Warlord Purple (VA) and Gory Red (VA). The same can be done with Screamer pink (C) and Wazdakka Red (C).

4) Final shading - Pure Wazdakka Red (C). Can also be achieved with Gory Red (VA) but Wazdakka is a bit more bright.

If you are having trouble with achieving the subtelty of shading, I would have a look at the compressor and the PSI levels you are using. I use a Revell Masterclass compressor myself and I never go above 20 PSI. I start out with 20 and when I do the final reds I am only at about 15 or so.

What compressor and levels are you using in your setup?


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Of course - You can ask me anything in this project log


You might want to rephrase that one.... :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

[NON-PAINTING UPDATE]

I have to share this here as well, as it's a monumental achievement for me.

So last night I played one of the most important concerts of my career; warmup for no other than Black Label Society. There were like 800 people there and we shared the grand stage with the main event. Needless to say it was a bit intimidating - But we went out there and gave it our best.

It seems to have paid off:
http://gaffa.dk/anmeldelse/98224

If you Google Translate the article, we actually get credit for outperforming BLS 

Now excuse me while I go bathe myself in cold water to ease my ego.


----------



## Kreuger

Hey congrats man! 
Hometown boy made good!


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> [NON-PAINTING UPDATE]
> 
> I have to share this here as well, as it's a monumental achievement for me.
> 
> So last night I played one of the most important concerts of my career; warmup for no other than Black Label Society. There were like 800 people there and we shared the grand stage with the main event. Needless to say it was a bit intimidating - But we went out there and gave it our best.
> 
> It seems to have paid off:
> http://gaffa.dk/anmeldelse/98224
> 
> If you Google Translate the article, we actually get credit for outperforming BLS
> 
> Now excuse me while I go bathe myself in cold water to ease my ego.




Jesus fucking Christ! Somebody give this guy a handjob! :shok:
Gratz mate, chuffed to unholy fuck for you! You've earned it! :drinks: :good:


----------



## venomlust

Awesome, dude! Way to go!


----------



## Relise

Fan-bloody-tastic!!!

I'm currently at Bloodstock and BLS play tomorrow - I shall put up with their inferior playing ;-)

@nordicus you MUST try and play here next year you will be perfect.


----------



## neferhet

Nord, ego is good. It comes from success!
:good:


----------



## Nordicus

Thanks guys! It was unbelievable to be quite honest - Still reeling a bit from it.

Now back to the painting. Today will be a short update, as I'm doing the base on him - But you can get a little sneak peak and a better picture tomorrow, as the lighting doesn't do him justice in this photo:










For the first time ever, I've been delving in edge highlighting on the metals. It's tedious as hell, but the bronze has never looked more shiny. I've done the mud on the base, and it is drying now - While it does that, I will go out and get myself a Friday beer with a friend. I'll post more tomorrow!


----------



## Saintspirit

Very nice. It sure looks better than the original Lord of Skulls, IMHO.


----------



## venomlust

Superb work, Nord. Your army is so cohesive in terms of style it's just awesome. Looking forward to the base.


----------



## Roganzar

Holy Shite on a stick that's AMAZING!!!!!


----------



## Haskanael

oh wow, that looks awesome. you're doing great !


----------



## Nordicus

And here we go - After boxing with a lightbox for the most of the morning, this is the best I can do with a model of his size:










Overall, it was a great model to paint. The rims had me take a break for a few days, due to the fact each had to painted twice with bronze to have them look even, following by edge highlighting. One thing is for sure, I will not be painting a Heldrake for the next couple of months!

I decided to take a minimalistic take on him, as I didn't want glow effects on all the vents on the armor. The model is busy enough in itself, and honestly I think too many glow effects on him would distract more than help the model. I stuck with the eyes, for a good focus point and left the rest.

Regardless, I hope you like him - For all of you Chaos players out there, I can recommend the model. It's just a through-and-through fun model to assemble and paint.

Now I will assemble something. I got the itches!


----------



## Iraqiel

Stunning work mate. That's a real chaos warmachine with a spiffing paint job, and no mistake.


----------



## Tawa

Corking work mate! :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Sooo I'm actually considering if I can do the following this month:

1) Strip my current Soulgrinder of paint.
2) Disassemble him and magnetize him.
3) Assemble another Soulgrinder I have lying from my birthday in July.
4) Magnetize him.
5) Paint both before September 1st.

If I do, I'm in doubt about the legplates and their color though. I would paint them in the same dark tones as my Bloodthirsters, but what color to use for the frontplates? I think the bright reds and bronze I used for the Kytan are too bright for a model of that darkness. 

I am thinking black legplates with (possibly) a very very dark red gradient.

Input on whether I should do it and suggestions for the legplates are welcome.


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> I am thinking black legplates with (possibly) a very very dark red gradient.


This! :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Sooo I tried it out and honestly, it didn't look very good. Furthermore it clashed with my Daemon armies current theme which is metal, brass and black metal.

I will be painting these to fit in with my daemons, not my Crimson Slaughter (for obvious reasons) so I will be doing them in a bit more simple theme; Legs are brushed steel and brass, as well as the plates. The leaves the top body in focus as it will be the same dark red as my 'Thirsters.

I did have some fun though - I decided to try out a flaming sword technique on the Warswords they can equip:









I like it myself and once I get around to redoing my Bloodletters, I will be doing the same on their swords ^^

The work continues!


----------



## Nordicus

So work is progressing nicely - I have reached the oil stage on the metallics of the legs parts and have decided to semi-finish the legs before I continue my work on the upper bodies:










I like them so far - I look at them as Bloodlettes who fell in combat and was punished to become a Soulgrinder. Hence the sword, skin and everything will be in Khorne theme. Even if I use them as other marks in the future, I just prefer them this way.

I will buy some Plaguehulks in the future though. Those models are just too awesome to ignore and will be ace as Nurgle Soulgrinders as well. 

I decided to put them on a base, as honestly I just like it better. I will always give my opponents a choice before a game starts; Count base or model in terms of assaults etc. 

They should be done before September 1st, so it will be my bonus pledge for this month.


----------



## Tawa

Cool beans, keep it coming! :good:


----------



## GrimzagGorwazza

So many beautiful models in such a short time. How everyone else seems to manage it just has me completely.... well *grabs a thesaurus* ...flummoxed, yes i'm flummoxed.
Great work so far on these Nord.


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Cool beans, keep it coming!


I bring da beans. Yo.



GrimzagGorwazza said:


> Great work so far on these Nord.


Thanks buddy - I do what I can :good:

I have completed my 2 Soulgrinders. Here they are, with each their configuration_ (both have magnetized arms, so it's merely show the difference in weapons)_:

Number 1:









Number 2:









They are done in the same dark theme as my Bloodthirsters, with plenty of oil and blood on the side. As you can see I also decided to put them on bases _(same bases as Imperial Knights)_ as I simply prefer it gamewise. I also think it makes the models seem more complete than when they are simply walking.

Now to catch a breath a few days, before I head on to my next project - 1 Kytan and 2 Soulgrinders was a fun challenge for one month though. A prime example of the two different themes I run with my Chaos; CSM being a bit bright and Daemons being a dark and gritty theme. Being next to each other on the battlefield, they look great!

I will be back next week with what my next project is.


----------



## Mossy Toes

I rather want to put my Soul Grinders on bases too, for ease of determining just what "in contact with" is in combat. Though it would make placing the model in any sort of difficult terrain rather harder, I imagine...


----------



## GrimzagGorwazza

These are looking awesome Nordi. I agree with you on the bases front. Aside from tanks everything i build is based, including my stompas.


----------



## Kreuger

Nord, these guys are looking pretty badass. I think the colour scheme is working quite well on these models.

It's hard to tell if all the color and contrast is accurate from the photos. If it is accurate I think these guys would benefit from more contrast on the demonic musculature. The red in the photos is looking pretty flat. It's a strong, rich red which definitely says "Khorne" but I think it needs a little help. 

The steel also is a little flat and possibly a little too tidy. At the very least the model would benefit from more bronze on the rivets throughout the rear of the body and on the spider limbs.


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> I bring da beans. Yo.


Fo sho!


----------



## SonofVulkan

I don't understand how you manage to get so much painting done! Do you step into some alternative dimension where time stops still or something? Excellent stuff by the way, keep it up. :victory:


----------



## Iraqiel

Those are some mighty looking daemons, great work!


----------



## GrimzagGorwazza

SonofVulkan said:


> I don't understand how you manage to get so much painting done! Do you step into some alternative dimension where time stops still or something? Excellent stuff by the way, keep it up. :victory:


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Though it would make placing the model in any sort of difficult terrain rather harder, I imagine...


A bit aye, but then again, they were difficult to begin with. 



GrimzagGorwazza said:


> These are looking awesome Nordi


Thanks man! :good:



Iraqiel said:


> Those are some mighty looking daemons, great work!


Thanks a bunch dude - At some point in the future I might try my hand at a Warhound like you did.



SonofVulkan said:


> I don't understand how you manage to get so much painting done! Do you step into some alternative dimension where time stops still or something?


Aye I think so - I believe it's called nights. Sleep is overrated! 



Kreuger said:


> It's hard to tell if all the color and contrast is accurate from the photos.


It's a bit flat in the photo, which is why I can understand your points. I did do another highlight on the skin afterwards which brought it out a bit more, but the metallics is the light. They are the same as my Kytan model, and they look shiny in the photo. I have yet to find a right light source for taking photos 

Now everyone, I need a bit of help from you guys. As you have noticed I use the "Blood for the Bloodgod" paint for my bases with anything Khorne related. However, I will be entering the domain of the other Chaos gods soon, so I need advice on how to do their bases, so they are unique and similar to these. 

My thoughts was to find a color the represented each god - But I need to find the same kind of texture for them as the blood I do now. I want the same earth texture, so I need to figure out what to do instead of blood. My thoughts currently is this:

*Khorne:* Blood for the Bloodgod - Texture paint.
*Nurgle:* Nurgles Rot - Texture paint.
*Tzeentch:* ??
*Slaanesh:* ??

The most importantly is how to recreate the effect from the texture paint. My best bet is that it is a very thick application of a Gloss varnish with some paint mixed in it. If this is correct, which color should I use for the various? I considered using fire/lava for Tzeentch (using Airbrush) but I am stuck for Slaanesh.

What say you?


----------



## Iraqiel

Nordicus said:


> What say you?


Tzeench - grab your bits box and do a blue river of magical energy, replete with daemonic protrusions and half-formed limbs! OR run a pattern of stone carved with strange and glowing runes over each base, set into the earthwork in place of your blood rivers.

Slaneesh - Get Vect's slave girls, cast them, and mount every slaneeshi daemon on a pile of victims? Alternatively, cut away strips of the base and put a bevelled clear perspex disc on each base with a light black wash, then get 50 purple LED and button batteries and have neon-lit bases...


----------



## GrimzagGorwazza

Okay somone is bound to say it so i'll get in there first...for Slaanesh why not do pools of white liquid...lol lol lol immature giggle...

Seriously though i'd be tempted to maybe go over some of the ground with a thin layer of greenstuff and paint the raised areas as pink quivering skin. I seem to remember a story where a whole planet is alive and pulsing like a living thing and is reacting to the guard marching on the surface. I seem to remember reading an article where Someone used stretched dried orange peel for a skin texture on his tanks (it already had pours), but that was a long time ago.

Also, crudeness aside, white glossy liquid would really look disturbing against the dark earth, maybe add a lint of lilac to it just to hint that it's not baby batter. I'd mix a thin whitescar white with added gloss varnish or medium then add a tiny amount of genestealer purple. Luciuous lilac would be a better colour but getting it to mix to the point that it's a flowing liquid will be pain.


----------



## Kreuger

So let's turn this around. What would be on the ground under these daemons? 

Is the ground the terrain of a daemon world or is this the natural warping effect they have on reality? Or is this something they would cause to be on the ground? 

So Khornate guys spill blood. Fair enough. 

With Nurgle are the feet leaving a trail of ooze? Poisoning the ground? How can you tell if it's just dried mud?

How about Tzeentch? Maybe green stuffed "ripples of change" painted with iridescent oil slick colours? This might be best if it's happening under the feet of the daemons as the ground rebels against their touch. 

And hmm, Slaanesh . . . As @GrimzagGorwazza said well be tough. What characterizes the effect they have on their environment? Buckets of semen seems both excessive and ridiculous. Have you read Clive barker's "the Hellbound heart"? In that they describe the demons being perfumed over a stench of decay or something. If you haven't read it, read it. And here I would think something like flower petals and flayed skin might materialize and drift to the ground. Or some other adornment to excess.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Failing all else, you could do purplish-black rocks beneath Slaaneshi Daemons, and something glowy blue-green beneath Tzeentch. I do like the sound of skin beneath Slaaneshi, but that might be hard to represent... a layer of green stuff striated to look like raw, exposed muscle? That's a lot of work on every base.


----------



## Haskanael

Mossy Toes said:


> Failing all else, you could do purplish-black rocks beneath Slaaneshi Daemons, and something glowy blue-green beneath Tzeentch.


crystal formations perhaps?


----------



## Nordicus

GrimzagGorwazza said:


> Also, crudeness aside, white glossy liquid would really look disturbing against the dark earth, maybe add a lint of lilac to it just to hint that it's not baby batter. I'd mix a thin whitescar white with added gloss varnish or medium then add a tiny amount of genestealer purple. Luciuous lilac would be a better colour but getting it to mix to the point that it's a flowing liquid will be pain.


Not a bad idea - I would probably do it with black glossy liquid and streaks of purple in it though. Kind of like when you drop ink in water effect, and then keep the primary color jet black.



Kreuger said:


> So let's turn this around


Great idea!



Kreuger said:


> Is the ground the terrain of a daemon world or is this the natural warping effect they have on reality? Or is this something they would cause to be on the ground?


Kind of a mix really - I like to think that the ground around them change to reflect their god, and their core desires. This is also why I want to use the same earth effect on all of them, and then have the "lakes" be different from god to god.



Kreuger said:


> With Nurgle are the feet leaving a trail of ooze? Poisoning the ground?


The idea was that lakes of putrid ooze manifest around them and the battlefield, contaminating the earth for all time. You know, usual Nurgle stuff 



Kreuger said:


> How about Tzeentch? Maybe green stuffed "ripples of change" painted with iridescent oil slick colours? This might be best if it's happening under the feet of the daemons as the ground rebels against their touch.


Could work, but my fear is that the bases will be quite boring on larger models, as it would only make sense to do under the feet of the models. I do like the idea though!

At this point I'm still leaning mostly towards the fire bases, making it the flickering fire of tzeentch that manifest where they walk. I'm unsure at this point though.


----------



## Nordicus

I think I've figured out what to do with Slaanesh;

I poked around the net to look for inspiration and I came across this little video, from miniwargaming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbHgbPCxnQA

In it, he uses UHU glue to simulate blood. However, I was thinking that I would do the same with black instead - Making it look likeoil that sticks to the feet of the models. A sleek, black surface with gloss, that would cover where the blood was instead.

I thought of making skin and other effects that you guys suggested, but I think it would be too much - I don't know why, but a black oily substance seems to fit with Slaanesh in my mind.

Now about Tzeentch though - I tried out various blue combinations and tricks last night. None of them are even remotely close to satisfactory. So I found one that I think I might go for:










I like that glossy fire pit a lot. Now I just have to figure out how to make that ripple effect. Some glue perhaps?


----------



## DaisyDuke

What about clear silicon sealant?


----------



## Kreuger

Nord check out this terrain tutorial: miniature terrain: water & waves I think this is basically what you're looking for.


----------



## GrimzagGorwazza

Looks like vallejo still water effect with added ink over a pre-painted lava base. Great stuff. If you do go this method give us a shout cause that liquid stuff is tricksy. I had to redo 3 bases and sand a load of liquid resin from my coffee table.


----------



## Kreuger

If you're thinking fire, then on the larger bases it would make sense to include a burned footprint or two behind the current stance.


----------



## Nordicus

Thanks for all the input guys - I am looking into finding the easiest to access variant of the water effects, so I can start making some Tzeentch daemons in the near future.

Meanwhile, I was itching to try out some new techniques for my Nurgle daemons, so I put together 6 x Nurglings for this monthly challenge. The techniques I wanted to try were the following:

- Airbrushing green skin
- Oil washes
- Updating my Nurgle theme in general.

I thought the Nurglings would be a good try-out as they are so small and you don't notice mistakes on a similar scale as larger models. The results was this:










I borrowed some techniques from various guides on the net and made some adjustments myself. I decided against using Blood for the Bloodgod on the models, and went with a more brown hue for the blood as I see it as rotten and diseased blood. Somehow brown seemed a more natural choice in that regard.

I hope you like them! 

In other news, I tried my hand at my first big conversion: Converting a Chaos Sorcerer out of a Fantasy sorcerer and some CSM bits. The reason I went for this is frankly, I think the CSM sorcerers that are available are all very lacklustre in their appearance. I wanted something simple and with character and I always loved the Fantasy sorcerers.

After much cutting, adjusting and some greebstuffing, the result was this:









@Mourice got the idea straight off the bat; Channelling the Psychic powers through the skull. Hell, he even got the reference to WC2 that I was going for - Double kudos to you good sir! :good:

He will be my bonus pledge this month, along with his separate spell familiar that is on a base (just the one that comes with a Termie lord - Nothing fancy).


----------



## Moriouce

Great minds think alike! 👍


----------



## Nordicus

Since is has been raining all day and all my outdoor activity has been cancelled, I got started on the Sorcerer today. So far the progress is this:










Got a bit better handling on that oil-wash thing with the cloth this time around - A black and gradient grey airbrushing job, with a oil-wash and a very light light grey drybrush over the raised area got it to the point you see there.

I also got a bit better practice at tiny details with the airbrush, namely the skull. I really should get a detail tip for my Badger 105, but hey so far it is working pretty decent with the normal tip. I originally made the skull glow purple, but it clashed completely with the theme that I'm doing, so I redid it in the usual blues and tourquises.

Now on to the metallics.


----------



## alasdair

The glowing effect on the skull is incredible. Every time I check this thread it makes me feel guilty for being to nervous to try anything but basecoating on my 105.


----------



## venomlust

He's looking great in terms of paint. To my sensibilities, his waist is a little dainty, making the model look sorta top-heavy. Some armor plates or pistols/pouches/something like that may balance it out. Just a thought, anyway. He looks good regardless. The glowing skull in particular is badass.


----------



## Loli

That glowing skull is just wow.


----------



## Nordicus

alasdair said:


> The glowing effect on the skull is incredible.





Loli said:


> That glowing skull is just wow.





venomlust said:


> The glowing skull in particular is badass.


Thanks a lot guys! I was a bit anxious if people liked it, as glow effects aren't my speciality. 



alasdair said:


> Every time I check this thread it makes me feel guilty for being to nervous to try anything but basecoating on my 105.


No worries mate, it took me a good couple of months before I dared do anything of the sort as well. On this model the armor, the cloth and the skull is made with the airbrush, so with a bit of practice and a very careful trigger-finger it can do pretty awesome things :good:



venomlust said:


> To my sensibilities, his waist is a little dainty, making the model look sorta top-heavy. Some armor plates or pistols/pouches/something like that may balance it out.


Aye he is a bit slim around the waist, which is why I'm adding a boltgun to be hanging at his side. It's being painted separately though, so it's not in this photo. Thanks for the feedback though man!


----------



## DaisyDuke

Good stuff as usual mate!


----------



## venomlust

Awesome, bolter sounds good! Can't rely on that cowardly witchcraft _all_ the time.


----------



## Nordicus

So I finished him last night, and the light was finally good enough to make a photo - Here he is:










I added small dots of pure white in the eyes sockets, so make it a bit more intidimating. I wanted the skulles eye sockets to glow as if there were too small "eyes of energy" where the spells came from. I didn't do much with the staff, as I want the skull to be the focus of the character essentially.

Oh and yeah, his familiar Blez is also with him this time. I put him on a separate base so I always remember if I buy the upgrade - I tend to forget that one :S

Now to figure out what to paint for the rest of the month...


----------



## Saintspirit

Yeah, definitely prefer it with that boltgun at his side; he did look kinda odd with that very slender waist.


----------



## Iraqiel

That's fantastic, I'm totally impressed by this model.


----------



## venomlust

Awesome, the bolter definitely balanced it out.


----------



## SonofVulkan

More good work there. The glowing skull is excellent.


----------



## Kreuger

He turned out pretty well! 

Now I have a problem with the basing. Having the dress/robe really makes it look like the puddle of blood came _from_ the sorcerer. E.g. a miscast turned into apocalyptic menstruation.


----------



## Kreuger

Another option for Tzeentch/Slaanesh is "possessed" bases. I just saw these from MicroArt Studios and they're pretty close what I had initially suggested.


----------



## Iraqiel

Kreuger said:


> saw these from MicroArt Studios and they're pretty close what I had initially suggested.


Wow good spot. I agree that those would make excellent Tzeenchite bases.


----------



## DaisyDuke

They also look easy to make yourself with green stuff and slate


----------



## Roganzar

Kreuger said:


> Another option for Tzeentch/Slaanesh is "possessed" bases. I just saw these from MicroArt Studios and they're pretty close what I had initially suggested.


Those are really cool looking. Very Tzeentchian.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Another option for Tzeentch/Slaanesh is "possessed" bases.


Ah yes, I looked at those a while back. Unfortunately I'm a bit wary of using resin bases, due to my previous problem with my marines; New base sizes and unavailability of bases. My thought with my current theme is that the dirt should be the same, but the effect would be different from God to God. It should be something that I can produce myself, so that I'm not dependant on a third party manufacturer and risk getting stuck in the middle of my army, where I have to change the theme.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion though - It's very much appreciated


----------



## Moriouce

I think you should go with something like this. It should be easy enough to make something similar by yourself. Like the ground cracks behind the deamons and change spills into the real World. You could model crystals, eerie pilars or eyes growing/looking out of the cracks. They do follow the Lord of Change after all so something in that direction.


----------



## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> ...Thanks a lot for the suggestion though - It's very much appreciated


You're welcome. 

I wasn't really expecting you to switch to those resin bases considering your prohibition. They illustrated my intention fairly well though, to have daemonic corruption/mutation coursing through the ground. 

It would be easy enough making something similar with the earth texture you're using and greenstuff. If you liked the look.


----------



## SonofVulkan

A couple of ideas for your basing.

Maybe for Slaanesh, Neon pink crystals sprouting through the ground.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neon-Pink-Chunky-Glitter-Crystals-1-oz-Jar-/161716813533?hash=item25a712bedd

And for Tzeentch a glitter hologram effect.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6ml-Nail-...n-Pretty-12-/400920715781?hash=item5d58bca205

To make it look more lava like you could add some half beads before painting.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1000-HALF...RATION-/360708261610?var=&hash=item53fbe346ea


----------



## Nordicus

Thanks for all the input for the bases guys - I will take them all under consideration when I approach the next Chaos-God. You guys rock :good:

Right, time to get back on track - After having been away for a week or two, I'm ready to get cracking for this months painting challenge. And I will be taking it to a new level, as I'm icthing to try something new.

I will be starting my Nurgle department for real now, and I will be painting both old and new models. I liked the new Nurgling theme so much, that I will be painting everything I have in that department, so I removed the paint from the following models:

- 20 x Plaguebearers 
- 2 x Daemon Prince
- 1 x Herald of Nurgle

And I supplied them with the following new units:

- 20 x Plaguebearers
- 1 x Herald of Nurgle
- 1 x Great Unclean One (FW variant)

And I will be painting *all of it* this month. The entire collection looks like this:










Fun fact of the day: I did not know that the GUO from FW now comes with a 130mm round base, similar to the Mechanicum Dunecrawlers. They must have changed that at some point, as I was sure it came with a 120mm oval base, which is commonly known as a flyer base.

Now - The greenstuff in the wrist of the GUO needs to settle, and then I can get started!


----------



## Nordicus

A small update from my end - I just wanted to show you guys the progress, as I have been focusing on the big guy for starters. 

I went all in on this guy in terms of the techniques I know and some I wanted to try out. I used Tamiya Clear Red for the first time, used darker shades with airbrush for the first time and a few other techniques. Preliminary results are something like this:










More to come soon - Let me know your thoughts and remember that it is a WIP :good:


----------



## Tawa

Dear lord that's foul! :good:
Grandfather is pleased!!!! :crazy:


----------



## Kreuger

Looking good so far. You might want to dial back the red even further. Right now you're on the edge of "Christmas colours" which is often a danger with green/red Nurgle models.


----------



## SonofVulkan

That's just gross... But in a good nurgle way.


----------



## Roganzar

I think I just threw-up a little. Congratulations.
Kreuger is right about being careful with the red/green. I think once you break it up with the rusty metals and maybe some lighter colored horns/antlers it'll work just fine.


----------



## Moriouce

Very nice start on the GUO, I don't think you should dial back the reds, they looks great. Instead I'll suggest adding some spotcolour like yellow to represent pus, just so no one takes him for santa. 

I hope you didn't miss out on my suggestion on the Tzeentch bases? @Nordicus


----------



## R_Squared

I like it very much indeed, it's a great start, and I think the colour balance is just right myself. Personal taste really though.


----------



## DaisyDuke

Personally I think the reds look spot on, it's a great contrast between the mat green olive skin tone and the fresh guts. 
Looking forward to seeing more&#55357;&#56832;


----------



## DaisyDuke

Speaking of Christmas only 12 weeks :grin:


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> You might want to dial back the red even further. Right now you're on the edge of "Christmas colours" which is often a danger with green/red Nurgle models.





Roganzar said:


> Kreuger is right about being careful with the red/green.


Thanks for the feedback guys and I completely agree on this aspect - I must admit that I like the contrast though, although I have dialed it up a bit on the bug guys compared to the rest of the army. He simply has too many big wounds and cuts for it not to be an effect. I can make some brown areas, but to make him gooey I think he is at the right place - With a few adjustments naturally. 



Tawa said:


> Dear lord that's foul!





SonofVulkan said:


> That's just gross... But in a good nurgle way.





Roganzar said:


> I think I just threw-up a little. Congratulations.





R_Squared said:


> I like it very much indeed, it's a great start





DaisyDuke said:


> Personally I think the reds look spot on, it's a great contrast between the mat green olive skin tone and the fresh guts.


Thanks a lot guys - I'm glad you like them! 



Moriouce said:


> I hope you didn't miss out on my suggestion on the Tzeentch bases? @Nordicus


Oh no I didn't, and thanks for the idea man - I have put the base idea in the back of my mind for now, and will take them up when I reach that certain god for models again. I promise it is not forgotten :good:

While I'm still waiting for the correct base size for my Great Unclean One_ (Seriously, they changed that after I bought the model...)_ I finished the rest of the challenge. So here is the whole batch:










And here are a few individual shots:

*Daemon Princes of Nurgle:*








*
Heralds of Nurgle:*









*Plaguebearers:*









Not bad for 2 weeks work, if I do say so myself.


----------



## neferhet

only 2 weeks?? This is madness! Spot on, man!
p.s i hate you :laugh:


----------



## venomlust

Wow they look great, Nord!


----------



## R_Squared

That is some seriously impressive work there my friend, 40 plaguebearers, 2 heralds, 2 demon princes and a GUO! Awesome pace, and the quality is top notch too.
I am seriously considering an airbrush based on these results, I can knock out Boyz pretty quick by hand, but this is a whole new level.


----------



## Nordicus

neferhet said:


> only 2 weeks?? This is madness! Spot on, man!





venomlust said:


> Wow they look great, Nord!





R_Squared said:


> That is some seriously impressive work there my friend


Thanks all! I'm glad you like them, as I must admit I'm liking the feel in them more and more. I foresee more Nurgle in the near future, that's for sure!



neferhet said:


> p.s i hate you


Beer-hug!



R_Squared said:


> I am seriously considering an airbrush based on these results, I can knock out Boyz pretty quick by hand, but this is a whole new level.


Understandable, however the airbrushing was only a small part of the models above. The following techniques was used in the creation of the above models:

- Airbrushing
- Oilwashing
- Drybrushing
- Technical paints
- Sponging
- Highlighting

While I agree that some parts are A LOT faster with an airbrush, people have a tendency to believe that the overall work of a model is lessened by it. The way I see it, I use the same amount of time on a model, as I use the saved time on other areas. That being said, the shading and basecoating is infinitely easier!

Now, while I was having a few days off, I decided to finally paint that Aegis Defence Line that I had lying around from just before 7th was launched. It's been staring at me since, so I thought it was time to get it done.

Before I got started, it looked like this:









After I was done (15 minutes ago) it looks like this:









Nothing fancy, but it's good enough for me on the tabletop. The model, for those interested, can be gotten over at Wargamma, where they have Aegis Defence Line for a few other races than the standard and boring Imperial one.

Now to go and break down my kitchen - Yes, a new one is coming so there's a reason for the madness. I'm gonna hit that shit like I had STR D!


----------



## venomlust

Don't roll any 1's.

"WTF, this sledgehammer just bounced off the drywall!"


----------



## Nordicus

Kitchen 0 - Nord 1. For now my kitchen looks like this:









Good enough for today - Now it's on to more painting. I just got this model in the door:









That's right: A custom Crimson Slaughter lord on bike, complete with Blade of The Relentless and Butchers Horns. I have been waiting for this model for almost a year, so I cannot wait to get started on him! It's about time I got the possibility to put a guy on a bike and join him with some Spawn to be extra annoying - The codex might be bad, but now it's time to loose with style :good:

I can't decide if I should paint him now or wait until next month - But that's just so far away!

_(The model was made by @Blissful Brushes who can be found right here on the forum.)_


----------



## venomlust

Nordicus said:


> Good enough for today - Now it's on to more painting. I just got this model in the door:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's right: A custom Crimson Slaughter lord on bike, complete with Blade of The Relentless and Butchers Horns. I have been waiting for this model for almost a year, so I cannot wait to get started on him! It's about time I got the possibility to put a guy on a bike and join him with some Spawn to be extra annoying - The codex might be bad, but now it's time to loose with style :good:
> 
> I can't decide if I should paint him now or wait until next month - But that's just so far away!
> 
> _(The model was made by @Blissful Brushes who can be found right here on the forum.)_


Yeeeesss I remember this guy, it's been a long time since I've seen the preliminary work on him somewhere or another on the forum (was it in this thread?).

Finally a cool pose with the blade of the relentless. I can only imagine how much carving and fine cuts it took to use the sword in that pose. I know you'll do it justice.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Excellent work removing the cloak, repositioning/rebuilding the legs and arms, etc--a whole lot of work, sure, but excellently executed.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Excellent work removing the cloak, repositioning/rebuilding the legs and arms, etc--a whole lot of work, sure, but excellently executed.





venomlust said:


> Finally a cool pose with the blade of the relentless. I can only imagine how much carving and fine cuts it took to use the sword in that pose. I know you'll do it justice.


I couldn't agree more - I'm very happy with his pose as he has a lot more character than the standard model. And thank you, I will do what I can!

Now, while I make up my mind if I should paint him now or at the start of next month, I had a look at my armies in the Army Showcase. I noticed that @Moriouce had asked for a shot of my whole army, a long with my Daemons. Seeing as I got a new storage system last week, I had the chance to get my whole army out _(except for the Nurgle Daemons as they weren't done by the time I took the shot)_ for a family photo:










To the left is the Chaos Space Marines and to the right are the Daemons. It's getting to be a nice sized army at this point, but I also see that I have some models left that I need to re-paint; Heldrakes and defilers to be precise. Urgh... Heldrakes...

Back to breaking down my kitchen!


----------



## Moriouce

O_O 

That is just wow...


----------



## Mossy Toes

Ah, delightful.

Unsolicited advice, perhaps, but I couldn't help but notice that the End Times Mortarch mini could make an excellent Crimson Slaughter Juggerlord. It's got a few spirit-host style ghosts swirling around it, so...










That could look pretty damn cool, all told, I think. Tie together different elements of the army.


----------



## Loli

That is an epic epic epic group shot!


----------



## Nordicus

Moriouce said:


> O_O
> 
> That is just wow...





Loli said:


> That is an epic epic epic group shot!


I'm glad you like it! A great deal of hours have went into this army and seeing it likes this makes it all worth it to be honest.



Mossy Toes said:


> Unsolicited advice, perhaps, but I couldn't help but notice that the End Times Mortarch mini could make an excellent Crimson Slaughter Juggerlord.


Your advice is never unsolicited my friend - That is an awesome idea! I'm sure it will make for a perfect Crimson Slaughter juggerlord!

I had a rather interesting weekend that I would like to share with you – As it has a rather big impact on my hobby and my PLOG, as they are linked as much as they are. You guys are a very big part of my enjoyment of my hobby, along with this PLOG, so I thought this would be the right place to tell. 

I have been in this hobby for about 3 years now, so in the eyes of many I’m still a relative rookie. I have enjoyed the painting and the playing of it a great deal, but due to my relative short time in the hobby I have been focusing on Warhammer 40.000 as I could use my two armies in this game. I started out with Chaos Marines and then supplemented with Daemons after all. However, I have also been very interested in the lore in the game, which undeniably involves The Horus Heresy. I have never dabbled in the game, as I was not interested in “marine on marine action”, but thought the models were very cool.

This weekend, seeing as the plastic Horus Heresy is coming, a few of my regular gaming buddies invited me over as they were having a mini tournament in our gaming club. I thought why not, as if nothing else it would be a fun day with the guys; Plastic-crack, beers and pizza. So I went in with my mind open and ready to see what it was all about.

I was blown away – It was just what I was looking for, as a supplement to 40.000. For a long time, I have wanted a more “down to earth” game where it was not all escalated to STR D, Titans and big things. A game where the small models mattered and a tank was a force to be reckoned with. Horus Heresy was this exactly – A toned down 40k, with a lot of cool options for your models and more focus on each marine. It was not as all about apocalyptic, but more tactical.

I went home and contemplated what to do. I knew right then and there that this was a game I HAD to dabble in. The first time I felt this since getting involved with 40k, so I knew in my gut that I had to find some way to do this. The problem was that I do not have the resources, time-wise or financially, to support 3 armies. With the care and time I use on my models, it simply wouldn’t be feasible. So it came down to 2 options essentially:

1) Drop one of my current armies and divert the finances and time to a 30k army.
2) Adjust my Chaos Space Marine army to an original Traitor Legion theme and use them in 30k and 40k simultaneously. And yes, if I do this, I do it all the way - No split army here.

I decided to sleep on it for a few days and see where my mind went. After all it’s usually a bad idea to take a decision on something this big on the day you get it. Sitting this evening and coming to a conclusion (as it has an impact on my next purchases and painting challenges) I decided that I can’t drop one of my armies. I enjoy both Daemons and Chaos Marines too much to be able to stop one of them. So it means that I have to say goodbye to my Crimson Slaughter force.
I started studying the forces, as I wanted something that I could use where my models would make sense in a 30k and 40k setting. Where the aesthetics matched, where I could use my ghostly spirits, my psykers and my Daemon allies. In a 40k and 30k setting, there’s really only one match: Word Bearers.

Making this switch would also mean that I can play 3 games, with 2 armies:

*Age of Sigma:* Daemons
*Warhammer 40.000:* Chaos Marines + Daemons
*Horus Heresy:* Chaos Marines with allied Daemons

While I’m sad that I would have to give up on my Crimson Slaughter, I am also really excited. I enjoy long workable solutions to a difficult problem, and this way I can play my 2 armies in any way I want. I can also make good use of my Chaos Marine models, as I wouldn’t have to redo them entirely, as when I went from Black Legion. I can keep the bases and basically just redo the red parts of the armor and the trim. And I can finally stop painting gold and Bronze as I HATE those colors!

So there you have it – A big change for my upcoming painting challenges and going forward. One that I’m very excited about, even if it means some work on my part. But this way I can have enjoy all aspects of the hobby that I love and even have some pretty cool themes to work with.

Before I post any of my progress on the theme though, I will have to try out a few models to find the best way to do it. But I promise that I will share some updates soon – I just have to figure out the colors I want to use for this theme, as I want the contrasts to be bigger than I have on my Crimson Slaughter force.

Longest post ever!

_(Jesus Christ, you actually read this far?)_


----------



## Loli

I was going to suggest Word Bearers mid reading but looks like you came to that on your own. I've also had the same realisation regarding HH, so much so that with the exception of Sisters and my 40k Ad Mech for collection purposes, I've largely ditched 40k in favour of 30k. Word Bearers are the best of both worlds, it means you can use your current stuff while sprinkle it with bits of 30k models. Can't wait to see what you do and your own adventure into HH.


----------



## Tawa

Word Bearers my friend, Word Bearers :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Making some headway, as a test model - Going to figure out the eye colour tomorrow.










Feedback is, as always, appreciated!


----------



## Tawa

Excellent!

Scripture and scrolls is all you need


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> Scripture and scrolls is all you need


Yeah about that - Any good ideas, from any of you readers, on where to get these? Or do I have to greenstuff them from scratch every time?


----------



## Roganzar

Nordicus said:


> Yeah about that - Any good ideas, from any of you readers, on where to get these? Or do I have to greenstuff them from scratch every time?


I've done greenstuff for those or bits of scrolls or purity seals, minus the wax bit, or there is always Forgeworld.


----------



## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> I've done greenstuff for those or bits of scrolls or purity seals, minus the wax bit, or there is always Forgeworld.


Aye for the marines and tanks, there's plenty to choose from. I'm more in doubt on models such as a Decimator, where I can't find any supplier that actually sells accesories such as those scrolls or flayed parts to glue on.


----------



## Tawa

I've only ever bothered with scripture by doing the thin scribbly line thing straight onto the armour


----------



## Nordicus

And my first models are finished - After having dabbled in Greenstuff for the first time (well, it was actually grey stuff as I find that easier to work with) I decided to just jump in and try to learn that, instead of buying scriptures and banners elsewhere. 

The result is this:









Honestly, hands down? I like this theme better than my Crimson Slaughter. My focus was to get better contrasts in the red, so I made the dark darker and the brightest red more bright than the previous theme. 

The green eyes took me a while to figure out, as I wanted to get a dark green that also could stand on it's own with the reds. It isn't the best model to shown it on though, as the lenses are so small and so far in it's head, but it looks quite good IRL.

After having done a few more, I'm considering making a new tutorial; How to paint Word Bearers (airbrush edition). There's already a good guide on how to paint Word Bearers on this forum, but there aren't many guides for people who use both airbrush and brushes.

Let me know what you think of the models and if you want that tutorial. If there's enough wishes for it, I will make it a priority in the coming months.


----------



## DaisyDuke

The loin cloth gets my vote, my only criticism is the transfers.
They look flat and out of place. But maybe some washing to tone them down.
Good stuff dude as always!


----------



## Tawa

Pretty much what Daisy said mate :good:


----------



## Iraqiel

Such evil looking machines mate, great work. 

Definitely interested in seeing that tutorial, and it would no doubt be good for the site too.


----------



## Roganzar

Liking what you've done there. Highly interested in a tutorial.


----------



## Nordicus

All right, it seems a tutorial is wanted - I will make sure to do it when I have more time :good:

While practising more on my Word Bearers theme, I thought I would paint up a old Daemon Prince I had lying around. However, I knew I would never field him in a CSM army without using a Black Mace, so I thought I would challenge myself even more in the art of creating my own models. So I wanted to create a Black Mace for him and add some parchments to his shoulder, seeing as he is a Word Bearer.

The before shot is this:









I then stripped him and tore the arm off. Using grey stuff, green stuff, the axe of a Bloodthirster _(For the handle)_, the axe of a plastic Daemonprince _(For the shaft)_, some shields with spikes and some Stirland Mud for texture, I crafted this for him:










Painted up it now looks like this:










This is probably my biggest conversion to date, and honestly I like it. The mace is big, oversized and fit of the name. I wanted a scruff looking mace that looks like you would either die from sickness or blunt force when hit by it _(I don't know why, but I've always seen the mace as a Nurgle weapon)._

Similarly, the Daemon Prince theme is based on him being a relatively new Daemon Prince, hence the skin colour. The wings would have grown out of his armour. and his oversized proportions is reminiscent of his newly warped figure. 

I hope you like him!


----------



## Nordicus

Oh and while it might be hard to see at some pictures, there's actually quite a bit of difference in the hues of the new theme and the old. As I'm working on the extension of the monthly challenge, I have stripped two models, that were fully and partially done:










This also gave me the opportunity to take a picture side by side, of the new and the old theme. This allows me to demonstrate the difference in contrast that I wanted to achieve:










Needless to say, I'm liking the new theme a lot more than the old at this point. I also took some more liberties with the lighting on the bike as I want it to look cool, more than be completely correct in terms of direction. I find it gives it more life ironically and a lot more cool factor. I've not re-done the blade as I'm unsure if I want it to be blue or green in hue - Opinions would be most welcome.


----------



## Iraqiel

Nice work, looking good. I vote blue, Jedi Guardian all the way!

Blue is actually a better distinguished colour against red than green, as it is not opposite on the colour wheel and allows a lot of cool white effect, as opposed to the somewhat sickly green glow that those hues give.


----------



## Nordicus

So I got some practice on the new Word Bearer shoulders - This is my first try at it, so feedback is welcome:










My goal is to have a vibrant shoulder, that takes focus when looking at the otherwise very dark model. With very few orange and yellow focus point on the model, along with the green eyes, I like the bright colors and the scriptures on it.

What do you guys think?


----------



## Roganzar

The fire looks good Nord. Really stands out from the model without taking too much attention. 
Seeing as this is a sorcerer and all, are you going to do anything special with the robes? I feel it would benefit from runes, possibly glowing, trimming the robe. Just a thought.


----------



## DaisyDuke

That's a nice contrast with the flame effect 
Those word bearer circle runes would look bad ass over the robe
Check out some pics of their new transfers in the calth box set.


----------



## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> The fire looks good Nord. Really stands out from the model without taking too much attention.





DaisyDuke said:


> That's a nice contrast with the flame effect


Thanks guys!



Roganzar said:


> Seeing as this is a sorcerer and all, are you going to do anything special with the robes? I feel it would benefit from runes, possibly glowing, trimming the robe. Just a thought.





DaisyDuke said:


> Those word bearer circle runes would look bad ass over the robe


I had the exact same idea as DaisyDuke actually - I'm getting the box later today, so I will apply some transfers to the robe from that box ^^ Once it is done, I will be sure to upload some images.

In the meantime, the Lord is done:









With so many details, I had to figure out what kind of contrasts I wanted to make as the Word Bearer theme is a bit more simple than I'm used to. I found out that I will focus on 2 things:

- Eyes of chaos will be orange/yellow, similar to the shoulder pads
- Screens and eyes will be green.

This model was probably the biggest test to see if the theme works, as the model is insanely busy. However, I like the simple theme that came out in the end - And I followed @Iraqiel on the blue sword. Thanks bud!


----------



## Roganzar

Nordicus said:


> In the meantime, the Lord is done:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With so many details, I had to figure out what kind of contrasts I wanted to make as the Word Bearer theme is a bit more simple than I'm used to. I found out that I will focus on 2 things:
> 
> - Eyes of chaos will be orange/yellow, similar to the shoulder pads
> - Screens and eyes will be green.
> 
> This model was probably the biggest test to see if the theme works, as the model is insanely busy. However, I like the simple theme that came out in the end - And I followed @Iraqiel on the blue sword. Thanks bud!


Ruinous Power damn you for making such a badass biker lord. Unholy Shite,man! That is amazing looking. I almost want to accuse you of doing something after taking the picuture, making the picture look so good, if I hadn't seen the entire rest of this thread. :good: 
@Iraqiel was completely right about blue for the sword. Not only stands out but the sword and the armor compliment each other.
Clearly you have found your place with in the Word of Lorgar.


----------



## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> Ruinous Power damn you for making such a badass biker lord. Unholy Shite,man! That is amazing looking. I almost want to accuse you of doing something after taking the picuture, making the picture look so good, if I hadn't seen the entire rest of this thread.


Haha thanks a lot man! When people think you're cheating then you know you've done something right :good:

I got the Calth set earlier today, and finished up the sorcerer:









Next update will come shortly, once I get the flue off my fingers.


----------



## Nordicus

So! Big and fun update - I got the Betrayal at Calth set today! Boy oh boy!

Now before I continue, there's a few notes to this little addition to my army:

- I will not assemble any tacticals until I have received FW parts to make them Word Bearers. I want to do this the right way and with the custom parts.

- I will not be using the Contemptor as I want the FW one.

- I will be using the 2 named, the termies and the legs, weapons and arms from the tacticals, so I still saved like 150 pounds.

*Now, first things first - What's the set like, in terms of assembly and quality?*

In a word: Amazing. The details are spot on, the snapfit go together like a dream and the other models are very easy to assemble. There are very cool transfers and the booklet, dices and everything is very high quality. From a painter and player perspective, the models couldn't be better.

Now the downsides; The models, while fairly dynamic, cannot be posed in many positions beyond what they come with. The Terminators in particular are not very posable beyond twisting the arms and head, but they are cool enough looking for it not to make a difference.

*Secondly, what will I paint first?*

These guys!










I have assembled all I can while I wait for parts and I will be going straight into the terminators, and saving the named characters for next months painting challenge. 

I have assembled them with lightning claws and not magnetized them. The only way to magnetize them is to do both the arms, the hands and the shoulders with magnets, as the shoulders are attached directly to the arms. That's too much hassle for models that are bound to be relatively cheap going forward, so I went with rule of cool; Fucking Krueger marines!

Over the next few days I will get started on them and possibly taking pictures for a tutorial as well - You guys did request one after all!


----------



## Dorns Legacy

You seen on FW that they were doing packs of BaC with legion upgrades of your choice maybe having a look at that would be good for you also?

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-GB/Word-Bearers-Task-Force 

a little pricey i know but maybe worth it if you have the cash. BaC ends up costing around £95 i think after your work out that the 3 upgrade kits you get with it would cost £132 so thats a massive saving of £2 OMG quick get it its a bargain


----------



## Iraqiel

Nordicus said:


> And I followed @Iraqiel on the blue sword. Thanks bud!


My pleasure to have been of service!



Nordicus said:


> These guys!


My friend, I look forward with much eagerness to seeing your work with these! Love the models and I was almost *almost* persuaded to get the new Box set and start a legion list.

But my IG are nearly finished (just 8 flyers, a stormlord, some bullgryns and ogryns, some punisher LR, creed, kell, and a few more fw bits to go!) And the lure of my Khorne Daemons and my Admech call like a siren - though I wouldn't be surprised to get sick of painting red soon after I give in to the call!


----------



## Nordicus

Iraqiel said:


> My friend, I look forward with much eagerness to seeing your work with these! Love the models and I was almost *almost* persuaded to get the new Box set and start a legion list.


I would lie if I wouldn't recommend the set with all my heart - The minis are just great. Much better than I anticipated to be quite honest.

I'm making decent progress today, as I'm off all evening. The status is this so far:









Reds and blacks are nearly done, and I have just varnished the first stages and applied transfers. Every step is documented, so it can be added to a tutorial later on.

More on this tomorrow!


----------



## Nordicus

Small update:

I started a new job this week, so I haven't been painting much. I have finished the metal undercoat, using Vallejo Air: Gunmetal.










I just mentioned this in another thread, but I think it deserves another mention: If you are having troubles getting a thin and even coat with your metals and you want a very metallic feel to them, you _need_ to get the Vallejo Air line. 

They thin enough for airbrushing, but has enough pigments to be painted straight on - And will cover better than a thinned down GW paint. They cover almost anything in one coat, they shine more and they are easy to use as they are pre-thinned. The above models has gotten *one* coat with a airbrush paint - And look at that shine! It saves me a buttload of trouble thinning down metal paints, as they always use their lustre when doing this.

After I found this little trick, I haven't touched my GW metal colours, like at all. They're that good!

I will be back during the weekend with more updates - Hopefully!


----------



## Nordicus

Ands they're finished - Took a bit longer than I originally anticipated but I was really in doubt whether or not I should paint the lightningclaws blue or not.

In the end I decided not to. I think it would overpower the models and honestly, I want to keep the lightning effects to named characters and such. If it comes on all models, it will loose it's effect and I see way too many who just puts the lighting effect on goddamn near everything.

Without further ado, here they are in their finished glory:










Want to know how to paint them like this? You're in luck - A tutorial is on it's way :good: It might take me a week or so to write it, but every step has been documented and taken a picture of. 

I hope you like them!


----------



## Roganzar

Those look great Nord.
I have to agree about over using the lightning effects on the claws. To much can ruin the whole effect. Though maybe the sergant could have had the effect, but thats a minor thing anyways.
Now I have to ask, how are you doing your photos of the finished guys? As in, what are you using for a background? How much lighting? The photo quality is great and I need to know how your doing it. 
You know for a....friend? Yeah, friend, thats right.


----------



## Tawa

Great work again mate :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> Now I have to ask, how are you doing your photos of the finished guys? As in, what are you using for a background? How much lighting? The photo quality is great and I need to know how your doing it.
> You know for a....friend? Yeah, friend, thats right.


I actually get this question more often than I would have thought, so no problem at all. It's a lot more simple than it looks really.

I use a Lightcase (which can be bought here) where I use the black background that comes with it. It comes with a white, a seethrough and a black one.

I use natural lighting, where I try to get the light in a window, at a time of day where the light doesn't hit the box but rather illuminates. The light from a window looking at west at noon is usually a good time.

You can see it here:









After the photos are taken_ (I use my Galaxy S6)_ I slightly tweak the contrast and brightness in Photoshop - But this is hardly ever needed, so you can easily go without this step.

Hope it helps!


----------



## Iraqiel

Oh remind me of this again in a month and a half when I have moved interstate! This looks much better than my butchered cardboard box and cotton sheet...


----------



## Nordicus

All right, time to update this plog.

I documented the stages to paint the terminators, but honestly I am not satisfied with the quality of the photos for the tutorial. So it will be postponed until I paint the next bunch of MKIV marines instead, where I will make a bigger effort in taking some proper pictures - Apologies!

In the meantime, I need some input from you guys who usually plays 30k as I am planning my Word Bearers army for the next 6 months. So far, I have the following:

1 x Praetor (Calth set)
1 x Centurion (Calth set)

20 x Assault marines
30 x Tactical marines (Calth set)
3 x Rhinos

12 x Outrider Squadron Bikes

1 x Sicaran tank

I am planning to buy the following:

15 x Gol Vorbak Dark Brethren
3 x Medusas
1 x Spartan Assault Tank

That should get me up to around 3000 points. However, is there anything that is completely obvious I should bring, where you go facepalm that i didn't include it _(not mentioning the primarch)_?


----------



## R_Squared

Thanks for the light box tips. Those terminators look great, the colour scheme is muted, but really effective. It makes a nice change to see steel with red and black instead of the usual bronze or gold.
Nice work.:good:


----------



## Nordicus

Near-Christmas update!

Primary challenge and Nordicus challenge complete for this months painting challenge.

*Primary - 20 Assault marines:*









Aaaand a groupshot of all 20, just for kicks:









They include 2 bannerbearers and 2 aspiring champions - All of these 4 models can have their left arm switched to either a chainsword, a powerfist or a power sword. This gives me some flexibility in terms of those guys at least.

*Nordicus challenge: Both HQ's from the Calth set:*









Next up on my Christmas-to-do-list - 30 Tactical Marines with FW sets for their chest, helmet and left shoulder.









This is going to take a while....


----------



## R_Squared

They look awesome, absolutely spot on! :good:
Are you going to apply the transfers?


----------



## Nordicus

R_Squared said:


> They look awesome, absolutely spot on!
> Are you going to apply the transfers?


Thanks! I don't plan on applying transfers to the Assault Marines as they have their flayed flesh capes with the writing on it, and the models already feel plenty busy. So I decided to let them stay that way.

The 2 HQ's have transfers on them


----------



## Nordicus

There we go - In finally got the last bunch completed; 30 Tacticals from Calth set complete.










So December (and the start of January) got me this far in my Word Bearer adventure;

- 20 Assault Marines
- 30 Tactical Marines
- 2 HQ from Calth set.

Not too shabby if I should say so myself! They look pretty good together too:









Next up; 3 Rhinos and, hopefully, a Sicaran Battle Tank. The priority is the 3 Rhinos but let's see how far I get.


----------



## DaisyDuke

As always Nord, looking good!


----------



## Tawa

Stunning work mate


----------



## neferhet

extraordinary stuff. this whole army on the field will look stunning


----------



## SonofVulkan

Lovely work there. Excellent stuff.


----------



## Nordicus

Thanks guys! I'm really glad you like my theme for the army in progress, as I want it to look dark and broody - And awesome! You are my best judges in the end so I really appreciate you taking the time :good:

A little close-up of the 30 tacs, now that I have some time in the morning sun to take the pictures:










Now I have assembled the 3 rhinos for the monthly challenge, so they will get started on soon. I'm considering stripping the Sicaran at the same time and just do all 4 tanks simultaniously as I have to go through the same steps with all of them anyway..


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> Now I have assembled the 3 rhinos for the monthly challenge, so they will get started on soon. I'm considering stripping the Sicaran at the same time and just do all 4 tanks simultaniously as I have to go through the same steps with all of them anyway..


A genuine FW production line.

*watches and listens as sparks fly, metal is welded and bolts power tooled into place*.


Nord! Nord! Nord! Nord!


----------



## WARMASTERWILLIE

Looks with envy at your speed &#55357;&#56832; Amazing work so far mate! Loving the subtle mix of HH kits and 40k marines, realy shows the growing decent in to Chaos!


----------



## Kreuger

The magnitude of your slacking is impressive @Nordicus I don't think you could _possibly_ do less. 

And your work continues to be very impressive. =)


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> *watches and listens as sparks fly, metal is welded and bolts power tooled into place*.


They call me Forgemaster Nordicus when I'm not looking in their general direction. *Cracks whip*



WARMASTERWILLIE said:


> Amazing work so far mate! Loving the subtle mix of HH kits and 40k marines, realy shows the growing decent in to Chaos!


Thanks! It's the perfect army for some mixing, but I have to be careful that it's not all over the place when I'm done. The subtleties has to remain strong, otherwise it is just... well... chaotic.



Kreuger said:


> The magnitude of your slacking is impressive @Nordicus I don't think you could possibly do less.


I know right? I also whip myself over the back every evening, chanting poems of forgiveness. I shall strive to do better.

Speaking of which, I got started on this months challenge:










I decided to include the Sicaran, as I was already doing all the same steps anyway. One more tank wouldn't make that much of a difference... That was my reasoning anyway.

When the session was done last night, they were like this:










Now I'm waiting for the FW transfers that are on their way. I cannot decide if it should be the banner transfers or just the big flaming skull & book icon on the top-hatch of the Rhinos though... What do you guys think?


----------



## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> They call me Forgemaster Nordicus when I'm not looking in their general direction. *Cracks whip*



Shades of Slaanesh showing through there..... :laugh:


----------



## Nordicus

Small update; I've now reached the step where I cannot proceed without decals. I lighted up the bright reds a tad more after the wash had settled and did the lights.

So far it looks like this:










The headlights are far better than the previous tanks I did, and I am quite fond of the strong contrast between them and the dark reds. 

What I cannot decide is if I want to do highlights on it. Honestly I rather like the more dark and realistic look and highlights have a tendency to make models look cartoonish in my eyes - Kinda like the graphics in Borderlands, where everything is cellshaded. I know it's the "industry standard" but... Well... I think it would clash with the current theme.

I have a few days to think about it anyway, so I'll leave it at this stage for now.


----------



## Roganzar

I really like the contrast between the deep red and the blue-white headlights. The reds are good considering the effect you've been going with. If the effect went further it would have that cartoonish look your worried about.


----------



## Nordicus

Roganzar said:


> If the effect went further it would have that cartoonish look your worried about.


Yeah that's my thought as well. I'll leave it as is ^^ Thanks for the feedback!

Now, while I wait for my transfers to come in, I finally got to assemble a little love-project of mine: Maulerfiends. However, I hate the Mauler-/Forgefiend model. I think it's ugly to be quite honest. So I went with something a little different.

Motherfucking *Slaughterbrutes*!










My god these models rock - I can't wait to get to paint them. I might get started just as a part-time while I wait for the transfers.


----------



## Kreuger

On the topic of highlights. A subtle highlight could still work. But definitely don't go heavy or bright. 

The slaughter brutes make nice mauler fiends. They seem to have the right pose and size. I'm looking forward to how these turn out.


----------



## DelvarusThePitFighter

Nordicus said:


> Yeah that's my thought as well. I'll leave it as is ^^ Thanks for the feedback!
> 
> Now, while I wait for my transfers to come in, I finally got to assemble a little love-project of mine: Maulerfiends. However, I hate the Mauler-/Forgefiend model. I think it's ugly to be quite honest. So I went with something a little different.
> 
> Motherfucking *Slaughterbrutes*!
> 
> 
> OMG! I've had that idea for ages! Never really got round to it. Such a great conversion. Also I love Sicarans - one of my fav FW tanks for sure
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My god these models rock - I can't wait to get to paint them. I might get started just as a part-time while I wait for the transfers.


----------



## WARMASTERWILLIE

Great work on the OSL! I've tied it myself but ballsed it up bad! Might have to give it another try, can't have you word bearers taking all the glory &#55357;&#56841;


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> On the topic of highlights. A subtle highlight could still work. But definitely don't go heavy or bright.


Probably it could - The poblem is that at this point I'm a bit scared of messing up the models by trying it. I cannot see my way out of highlighting them effectively and with a subtle touch, as I am at a loss as to which colour would be good.

My best bet would be a red mixed with bone colour, but that would be too much.



DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> OMG! I've had that idea for ages! Never really got round to it. Such a great conversion.


Me too! I've thought about this for the past year, so I thought it was about time i did something about it :good:



WARMASTERWILLIE said:


> Great work on the OSL! I've tied it myself but ballsed it up bad! Might have to give it another try, can't have you word bearers taking all the glory


Oh you should have seen the first tries I had at this - It looked horrible! What I found out is that I had a tendency of being afraid of the white color, so I underdid it and there was waaay too much blue compared to white. It looked very false and like a mistake. 

My advice? Overdo the whites a tad - If 80% of the color is white, it will look more bright and the colour you use to emphasize the white will look like just that.

And I wouldn't worry about glory - Your army looks great man. I would be honoured to play against you some day!


----------



## WARMASTERWILLIE

Why thank you kind sir, you are true gent &#55357;&#56832; 

I have a few rhino's and a land raider that need painting, I'll definitely be using your advice when get round to them &#55357;&#56832;


----------



## Nordicus

Quick update from here - As today I'm having a pre-tournament game. It's rare I post pictures of my army lists, but I thought it was would be good to see some of the army in pre-game shots.

Today I'm playing against someone from my team, as the tournament is a team-against-team effort. I'm playing a "standard" Chaos Marine list, as he wants to practice his Ork list against that army. Our opponent team has a Chaos Marine player, so I made a list composed of units I know he owns, so my teammate has a chance to practice against things he might come up against.

The 1850 list looks like this:










In short the list is this:

*HQ:*

- Lord of Nurgle, bike, sigil, powerfist, lightning claw
- Daemon Prince of Nurgle, armor, wings, Black Mace, lvl 3 psyker

*Troops:*

- 10 Plaguemarines w/ Rhino. Sergeant has power sword.
- 10 Plaguemarines w/ Rhino. Sergeant has melta bombs.

*Fast attack:*

- 5 Spawn of Nurgle
- Helldrake w/ baleflamer

*Lord of war:*
- Chaos Knight Paladin w/ Dedication to Khorne (+D3 attacks on charge, reroll stomp number)

1850 points on the dot.

There are some proxies, but overall the new theme is starting to come together just fine. The Heldrake is hopelessly old, but I very rarely use them so it hasn't been a priority.

It will be fun!


----------



## Nordicus

Another quick update:

So I got both my mandatory and my Nordicus challenge done in one batch, for the monthly painting challenge - Here's 3 Word Bearer Rhinos.










Aaand a family shot:









I will take better pictures when able. Until then, I will continue on with my Sicaran and get that done this week as well.


----------



## Saintspirit

Damn, you know, those lighting effects are some of the best I've seen!


----------



## Kreuger

Madman.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Madman.


I prefer the term eccentric.


----------



## SonofVulkan

y'know, that light effect is just a little touch, but they take the models to the next level. Excellent stuff!


----------



## Nordicus

SonofVulkan said:


> y'know, that light effect is just a little touch, but they take the models to the next level. Excellent stuff!


Thanks a lot - It means a lot as the OSL is one of the areas where I'm still not trusting my own skills just yet.

It does seem like people love those OSL lights; I have gotten no less than 7 PMs about them and 13 requests on Facebook about how I did them. So here's a mini tutorial.

For the headlights that I have done, you would need 3 colors and an airbrush:

- Any pure white (Vallejo, Citadel, etc)
- P3 Meredius Blue
- P3 Arcane Blue

Crank you PSI on your airbrush to around 20 PSI. 

Thin down the P3 paints with the distiller of your choice, so they are ready for the airbrush; I use demineralized water myself.

Step one: Meredius Blue

Spray the whole area that you wish to cover. This step will look like utter crap, but will be the baseline of the width of the light that you are creating.

Step two: Arcane blue

Cover roughly 85% of the area you just did with this blue, and leave the outer edges. Now you will start to see the contrast and the nice edges.

Step three: White

Cover 85% of the area you just did with pure white. You might be afraid to overdue it, but if you look at the photos above, the trick is actually that it is primarily white with blue edges. Many are too afraid to use too much white, which leaves them with a light that looks mostly blue and fake.

That's my process ^^ I'm sure you can get similar results with other blues (maybe some in a airbrush paint variant) but those are my choice paints.

Good luck guys!


----------



## Battman

Certainly more nice work. Looks good great colors.


----------



## Nordicus

Little side-note: The Sicaran is done now as well:










4 tanks in one month - I'm chuffed to be honest. Now I can relax a few days before getting started on next months challenges.


----------



## Kreuger

Looking good! It's a little hard to tell, but is there something funky with the tracks?


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> It's a little hard to tell, but is there something funky with the tracks?


Hmm it must be the angle that makes them look a bit wonky on the first image - They're completely fine in real life. That's a fun little detail though!


----------



## DelvarusThePitFighter

Nice! I love the Sicaran and you've done it justice in heretical XVII legion style.


----------



## jin

would love to see those models on the other side of the table. whoever you game with are fortunate.


----------



## Nordicus

DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> Nice! I love the Sicaran and you've done it justice in heretical XVII legion style.


Thanks - I'm glad my models can live up to the expectations! :good:



jin said:


> would love to see those models on the other side of the table. whoever you game with are fortunate.


One day my friend, maybe we can meet over a game - Then we can see if my tactical skills live up to my painting 

So I finally got some proper pictures in on the models. Just to finish them off, I always take a lightbox picture.
*
Rhino:*









*Sicaran:*









Really pleased with these guys - But I cannot wait until tomorrow where I can get started on this months painting challenge:










I've been waiting to paint these guys for 2 weeks now. As of tomorrow, no more waiting!


----------



## Nordicus

So I got started on the two models last night, as I have been anxious to get started on them. I had an idea that I wanted to do a darker and more brooding theme compared to what is outside on the boxes.

I also wanted to do them in the same color scheme as my fleshhounds and my bloodthirsters, but with more bright reds as they get quite dark, quite fast. Not a lot brighter, but just enough to give them some more life.

I got to basecoat, do the browns, the reds, and blacks. I then washed it with Aggrax and called it a night. So far, they look like this:










I have spared down the skin color to the biceps (both the larger and smaller arms) and on the stomach of the model. I wanted the skin to be more centered as to show the vulnerable areas on the creature where the reds and blacks, in particular, are the armor and carapace.

My thoughts going forward are these:

- The tongue will remain skin colored and be glossed. 

- Teeth will be done in bone and glossed.

- The carapace needs some grey airbrushing and washing, to give them some life and not just be black. Horns, spikes and black carapace will also be glossed, to simulate bug carapace. It's a neat little trick that brings a lot of life to a otherwise boring area.

- The eyes will be done in a fiery theme, so orange/yellow/white. These will be the focus point on a otherwise very dark model. They should pop nicely.

- On the reds I will most likely do a very subtle drybrush to bring out the the reds a tad more in direct lighting. You probably won't notice much in the photos.

- I will not be doing edge highlighting, as I think that looks incredibly unnatural on models like these. In general I tend to avoid that technique, contrary to industry standards, as I think it looks very cartoonish and overdone.

All in all, they are models that I have quite a clear vision for. I want the colours to blend and fade naturally as it's all a natural model with no clear lines. Seeing as the past few models I have done have been tanks, with clear lines, clear edges and metallics, it's nice to practice on a more natural model where those lines are non-existing.

The more I paint these, the more I love the model. I wish I had done these before!


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> - On the reds I will most likely do a very subtle drybrush to bring out the the reds a tad more in direct lighting. You probably won't notice much in the photos.


I wonder how working from a brown/purple/blackened to a yellowed red base would work out against some grey dry talons horns and spikes... looking forward to seeing what you do with it. thinking your tank flameage



> -All in all, they are models that I have quite a clear vision for. I want the colours to blend and fade naturally as it's all a natural model with no clear lines. Seeing as the past few models I have done have been tanks, with clear lines, clear edges and metallics, it's nice to practice on a more natural model where those lines are non-existing.
> 
> The more I paint these, the more I love the model. I wish I had done these before!


Is it possible to cut one of them up?

Some inventive basing may help to reduce their twinnishness, maybe.

Maybe adding something proper grizzly to the end of a heavy chain whipping around the back of the head just suspended there as if in mid-lash. or maybe better is just stick something(someone) in that claw as if to be smashed to a pulp into the dirt the next time that mitt hits the ground.


----------



## Relise

Looking amazing as ever Nord.

How do you get such good results so quickly? Can you give a quick rundown of the techniques you used to get to the stage above and how many hours you spent doing it.


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> Is it possible to cut one of them up?
> 
> Some inventive basing may help to reduce their twinnishness, maybe.
> 
> Maybe adding something proper grizzly to the end of a heavy chain whipping around the back of the head just suspended there as if in mid-lash. or maybe better is just stick something(someone) in that claw as if to be smashed to a pulp into the dirt the next time that mitt hits the ground.


I did consider cutting it up and adding smashed models to one of them actually - I decided to go in a more "Mass produced in a lab, so they are identical" route. When adding models that are killed to a model, you break the illusion of the game, if you're up against another army. If he has a Space Marine in his claw (the obvious choice) and you're facing Eldar, where did that one dude come from?

Thanks for the input though! It really is appreciated and I will take it into consideration next time. I think I was just to anxious to get started, that i didn't really care about making them stand out from each other 



Relise said:


> Looking amazing as ever Nord.
> 
> How do you get such good results so quickly? Can you give a quick rundown of the techniques you used to get to the stage above and how many hours you spent doing it.


Thanks a bunch! 

I have a some techniques to speed up certain processes, so I have more time to focus on the heavy duty part. A few tips and tricks are these:

- Obviously I use an airbrush for the base colors and layers. It takes time to learn but can make a model look more realistic quite fast. In theory you can do the exact same with finesse drybrushing, but it does take a lot longer. This cuts off 2-3 hours at least from the base color and transition stage. Be advised though that despite internet rumors, airbrushing takes just as long to learn as painting with a brush - It's a whole other beast to get a hang of, as you have to learn about paint thickness, PSI on your airtank, maintaining the airbrush, angles to use, how much to spray where and what colors go together. It's *not* just a click'n'golden-daemon tool.

- When using paints, I use Air paints when I can, even with my brushes. For example the blacks on this guy, I paint it with Vallejo Black Primer air paint with a brush, as it is covering in 1 layer and it is very thin, so I don't have to think about thinning it down. You can do this with their metallic colors and their primers, and cover most things with 1 coat. This usually saves me about 1-2 hours in painting, as i can put it on thick and it dries paper thin, having me not worrying about multiple coats and loosing details.

- When airbrushing, washing and drybrushing is your friend. My steps so far on this guy is basecoat, angled coloring _(Brown -> dark red -> bright red -> Dark flesh -> light flesh -> black areas)_ and heavy washing. When the wash is finished I drybrush some of the edges or use my airbrush again very lightly to get some highlights back. I find it gives a more natural look.

- Always paint in bulk. I never just paint 1 model, as you might have noticed. You will save an incredible amount of time, if you can do the same stage on multiple models instead of starting over and over and over again. It requires a certain state of mind, but it can save you several hours as you don't have to re-prepare the paint, getting everything ready etc. Once you start a stage, finish it on all the models in front of you.

- All in all, both models to the stage above took me about 2½ hours. With proper preparation and tools I think I have saved about 5 hours on this stage.

I hope this helps and feel free to ask any question you might have :good:


----------



## Relise

Thanks... Looks like I need to practice my airbrushing lots!


----------



## Old Man78

Cookie for your painting competition entry and for continuosly great work! That sicarin is giving me a nudge in my pants too!


----------



## Tyriks

@Nordicus - The rhino headlight effect is AWESOME. How did you do that?


----------



## Nordicus

Tyriks said:


> The rhino headlight effect is AWESOME. How did you do that?


Thanks! I posted a quick guide a few pages back - You can find it here!



Oldman78 said:


> That sicarin is giving me a nudge in my pants too!


Truth be told, I was considering putting that one in the painting competition instead. But alas.


----------



## Nordicus

Allright, getting some progress into these guys - I've done the faces, eyes and teeth now with a bit of gloss and trying to get the eyes right.

I wanted to get a fiery glow in their eyes, without the actual glow effect on the skin. A fiery yellow colour, that gets a nice contrast to the dark model.

Here it is:









The teeth is my usual bone combo and the tongue was drybrushed slightly - After which I glossed both areas to simulate spit. I don't know if I should use some Yuhu glue to simulate actual spit yet - I'll think it over.

I think these guys will be done over the weekend after which I will see what my next project will be.


----------



## Siskin

It looks great, so clean on the execution! While I was reading the post i thout it would look even better with the actual spit and saliva drools, and then i got to the end - so I would say go for it!


----------



## DelvarusThePitFighter

Dude I hate you so much cos your painting is just so friggin' gorgeous!


----------



## DelvarusThePitFighter

Have a cookie - how could I not give you one?


----------



## DaisyDuke

What is that Nord? 
It looks sick


----------



## Nordicus

Siskin said:


> It looks great, so clean on the execution!


Thanks! I was a bit worried that the paintscheme might be a bit too simple, but I have to admit that the eyes and teeth makes it stand out a bit. The simple and dark theme helps out in that regard.



DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> Dude I hate you so much cos your painting is just so friggin' gorgeous!


Hahah! Thanks a bunch man - It means a lot :good:



DaisyDuke said:


> What is that Nord?
> It looks sick


That, my friend, is a Slaughterbrute from AoS. It's a model for Chaos that is sorely overlooked in my opinion!

The model is done _(fast one eh?) _and it turned out like this:










Simple but effective theme. I tried not to overthink it and just make it dark and gloomy, with the transitions being natural. I think I succeeded - What do you think at the finished model?


----------



## Roganzar

Nordicus said:


> Allright, getting some progress into these guys - I've done the faces, eyes and teeth now with a bit of gloss and trying to get the eyes right.
> 
> I wanted to get a fiery glow in their eyes, without the actual glow effect on the skin. A fiery yellow colour, that gets a nice contrast to the dark model.
> 
> Here it is:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The teeth is my usual bone combo and the tongue was drybrushed slightly - After which I glossed both areas to simulate spit. I don't know if I should use some Yuhu glue to simulate actual spit yet - I'll think it over.
> 
> I think these guys will be done over the weekend after which I will see what my next project will be.


Thanks Nord now I want to get one of those, or more, for my Khorne part of my AoS Chaos army.


----------



## Nordicus

Little quick update; 

Still working on those Helbrutes where I have reached the metal stage. This stage is always what kills me, as I usually take a break for a day or two in between painting the models. I love the result but it can quickly be very tedious to paint. 

I should have some progress shots for you guys over the weekend - In the meantime I'm just waiting for my FW order to come home. So excited for the next models! We're talking Spartans, Gal Vorbak dark brethren and other goodies. 

I will keep you posted!


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> Allright, getting some progress into these guys - I've done the faces, eyes and teeth now with a bit of gloss and trying to get the eyes right.
> 
> . I don't know if I should use some Yuhu glue to simulate actual spit yet - I'll think it over.
> 
> I think these guys will be done over the weekend after which I will see what my next project will be.


looked at this again today and really it does look cool.
the model is so over the top that you don't need poppin colors.

about the spit, that thing looks to me like it should be bone dry and scaly rippy like if a wart were a shark.

do you have any chaos terminators painted?
i have some old metal chaos termies to convert and base and paint up...
could be a big help.


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> do you have any chaos terminators painted?


I have some 30k terminators that I have painted in this theme, but unfortunately no 40k. The same theme can be used though;










The way i see it, the trick is to get the black parts in so they compliment the red, but doesn't take focus. For 40k Chaos termies, I would paint the shoulders black, leave the red of the armor red and then do purely silver metal details. Any icons should be done in yellow/orange and the eye lenses in green.

The details would pop out nicely that way and you would get a menacing word bearer straight off


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> I have some 30k terminators that I have painted in this theme, but unfortunately no 40k.


those look awesome.
what colors would you recommend for tzeentch-tainted termies?


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> what colors would you recommend for tzeentch-tainted termies?


Hmm it depends if you want something custom or not. The obvious choice would be a Thousand Sons scheme with a deep blue and gold trim.

On another note, look what I just got:









Achivement unlocked: Daemons in 30k.


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> Hmm it depends if you want something custom or not. The obvious choice would be a Thousand Sons scheme with a deep blue and gold trim.
> 
> Achivement unlocked: Daemons in 30k.


those models are very cool.
i want to convert these old metal monsters to try to get more dynamic poses like those too...

yeah, blue and gold... was thinking a minor chapter lost in the warp and just a bit corrupted.
for example avenging sons third company?


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> yeah, blue and gold... was thinking a minor chapter lost in the warp and just a bit corrupted.
> for example avenging sons third company?


I'm not big on fluff, but I suppose it could work. I usually stay with the established legions, as they have so many splinter cells and warbands that there are plenty to choose from.

On another note, I just got this little guy assembled too:









My goodness what a model - It is so insanely awesome, with all the details and little nooks. I can't WAIT to get some paint on this guy!


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> I'm not big on fluff, but I suppose it could work. I usually stay with the established legions, as they have so many splinter cells and warbands that there are plenty to choose from.
> 
> On another note, I just got this little guy assembled too:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My goodness what a model - It is so insanely awesome, with all the details and little nooks. I can't WAIT to get some paint on this guy!


that is an awesome kit there...
actually, i have no idea what it is.
forgeworld?
would you tell me - how much does it cost?


----------



## Mossy Toes

Forge world, yeah. The Mhara Gal Tainted Dreadnought. Definitely up there with the Alpha Legion Contemptor as my favorite Forge World Dreadnought minis.


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Forge world, yeah. The Mhara Gal Tainted Dreadnought. Definitely up there with the Alpha Legion Contemptor as my favorite Forge World Dreadnought minis.


Oh yeah, I can't wait to get started on it!

Regarding this months painting challenge - Better late than never; 3 Helbrutes repainted in my Word Bearer scheme. 










And all three:









Not my best work, but painting three of these guys completely killed my painting motivation. It also happened the first time I painted them - I don't know why. This model is a goddamn killer! At the end I just wanted to get them done.

Now I have to figure out what to paint this month; Gal Vorbak Dark Brethren or Mhara Ghal dreadnought. Any thoughts?


----------



## Tawa

Maybe that's where they get their strength from.....? :crazy:


----------



## Nordicus

Quick update - I've gotten the base colors down on the Gal Vorbak, along with the first washes. Now they're ready for matt varnish to keep it all on the model as I progress unto details.

At this stage they are looking like this:









I tried to get a mix og pure black and flesh tones in the demonic details, as I wanted to distinguish between what is the marine morphing and what is the armor. It is mostly the hands on all the Gal Vorbak that are flesh coloured, where the backs, torn armor and horns are black as that originates from the armor instead.

I do like the tones on them so far though - With details, blood, and gloss varnish on the right places, they should look suitably nasty.


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> For 40k Chaos termies, I would paint the shoulders black, leave the red of the armor red and then do purely silver metal details. Any icons should be done in yellow/orange and the eye lenses in green.
> 
> The details would pop out nicely that way and you would get a menacing word bearer straight off


i have pulled my old metal chaos terminators from the box,
and am thinking to follow your instructions but use rainy day dark blue
as the base (yes, this is not really the name of a color... i will mix it and this is the color that i am imagining). i am thinking smog and smoke and lightning.
green eye lenses might be red?
icons yellow orange sure.


----------



## Siskin

Great job, YouTube airbrush control is top notch. Well done!


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> thank you.


No, thank you for keeping on returning to this blog - It's awesome! :good:



Siskin said:


> Great job, YouTube airbrush control is top notch. Well done!


Hehe thank you - It's still a work in progress as I've only had it for a year, but hey you just gotta keep at it right?

Time to update this space here - Sorry for the wait, but I have had quite a few things to do lately (learning a new instrument for starters) so I didn't get painted as much as I wanted.

The Gal Vorbal got finished last night - Actually I finished them like 20 times, after which I found details I had missed, and had to go back. It's both the blessing and the curse of a well detailed model.

A proof shot that all 15 are done is in order:









And now, the close-up.









I kept my thoughts going with the mutations being split into two groups; Armor and flesh. The armor parts are done in black and glossed over, while the fleshy bits are... well... bloody chunks of mutated Space Marine. My strain of thought was that there is no way there is no blood, while being mutated into mouth, teeth, claws etc. So yeah, I went all Clive Barker on the models.

My next problem was the fire on the middle one. I realized that I couldn't just go straight fire, as it would dissappear in the models already existing hues - So I had to find something else to do. As a classic trick to bring out the contrast in red is doing greens, I thought why not - And honestly, I'm really diggin the green fires. So much so, that I'm heavily considering making it a thing in my upcoming Tzeentch Daemons department.

In any case, I should have plenty of month left to do a few more projects - So I will be doing the Mhara Ghal tainted Dreadnought next. Pictures to follow on the following days.


----------



## Mossy Toes

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!


----------



## DelvarusThePitFighter

Gal Vorbak are erection-causingly badass. Great work


----------



## jin

DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> Gal Vorbak are erection-causingly badass. Great work


toughness 5?


----------



## alt-f4

Great work as usual 

And congratulations for painting 15 of them. When I see the time it took me for only five ...


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!


I take that as a good "ooooooh" and not a bad "ooooooh" 



DelvarusThePitFighter said:


> Gal Vorbak are erection-causingly badass. Great work


Thanks a lot man! I really love the models, so I'm glad I could give them justice.



alt-f4 said:


> Great work as usual
> 
> And congratulations for painting 15 of them. When I see the time it took me for only five ...


Thanks! I always paint in badges, as it takes shorter time and I have to get through the same stages anyway.


----------



## Tawa

See, for stuff like that I love the idea of blue fire. But it would probably look a bag of arse on those guys.

That green flame however, nailed it! :good:


----------



## Nordicus

Tawa said:


> See, for stuff like that I love the idea of blue fire. But it would probably look a bag of arse on those guys.
> 
> That green flame however, nailed it! :good:


Thanks a bunch! I'm really liking the fire, so I will use the green fire for my Tzeentch army :good:

On that note, sometimes it's nice to have different models to work on, with different paintschemes. So I started a little side project alongside the Mhara Ghal dreadnought:










Aye thats quite a few Blue Horrors. I don't particularly like Pink Horrors as their original paint schemes, so I decided to go with something different. They are basecoated and glazed, so while they were drying I went to work on the Mhara Ghal. Man, that model... It is freakkin' awesome. I will try and do it as much justice as the Gal Vorbak though, and using the same techniques and tricks that I did on those. 

Why Blue Horrors you ask? Well I recently went to a tournament where I need more horrors than I actually owned - So I bought a few more. While I assembled the 10, I decided to repaint my old ones (they were quite old and not really up to snuff) so I would use therm as the base for my new Tzeentch paint scheme and strain of thought. I want to make it POP more, with more extreme colours and fun themes. 

That's enough for one evening though - When they have dried, I will continue along the Mhara Ghal. Another update soon'ish!


----------



## Nordicus

So I had a busy day yesterday, which caused me to only get to do the base for the Mhara Gal dreadnought. It was actually finished, modelwise, yesterday morning but I didn't have time to take some shots of it.

It came out, in the end, like this:









It was a great model to paint - Compared to the Gal Vorbak, I had to be a bit more liberal with where it was flesh and where it was armor, as otherwise it would be a very boring model to look at. Still, I do like the darker palette that I used, compared to many of the very colourful variations that are on the net. It's a model that can quickly look a bit silly if you make it too busy, although one is very tempted when painting it.

All in all, a solid model with incredible detail. I hope you like it!

Now to finished those Horrors.


----------



## jin

how much of that model did you brush, 
as opposed to airbrush?


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> how much of that model did you brush,
> as opposed to airbrush?


The reds and the shoulders blacks/greys are airbrushed. The rest is done by hand  I usually basecoat my models with the airbrush and then continue by hand afterwards.


----------



## Tawa

Fucking. Wow. :shok:


----------



## jin

Tawa said:


> Fucking. Wow. :shok:


yeah, no doubt.
i have a couple things sitting here,
i need to choose one and get started,
and was originally inspired by this guys work
to start chaos termies
but now, with this big model,
i might try to pick up an airbrush
and finally piece together that knight.


----------



## Roganzar

Great work Nord.
Haven't really liked the Mhara Gal previously, but that paint job is definitely makes it look amazing.


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> i might try to pick up an airbrush
> and finally piece together that knight.


I'm not sure if you've ever tried a airbrush before - But if you haven't, then be sure to practice before you go on a model as big as a knight. It's not just a tool you pick up and go with. It's a completely new beast to master and it takes time to learn.

If you need anything, you know where to find me :good:



Roganzar said:


> Great work Nord.
> Haven't really liked the Mhara Gal previously, but that paint job is definitely makes it look amazing.


Thanks a bunch! It's a "love or hate" model that's for sure - I'm not a fan of many of the paintjobs around the net, as I think they are a bit too busy on the model. I'm glad I could do it justice for you!

So it's a new month, and thus, a new painting pledge - I will be in Thailand for one week, so it's going to be a tough one to complete, but I will try. My pledge for this month is: 

*1) Finishing my 28 Pink Horrors*








These are a bit run of the mill and I know how I want to paint them - It's just going to take a while. I've even ordered some Blue Resin crystals to be on the base, so i can have a magic theme that is in line with my bloody ground bases for the rest of my army. This brings me up to 3 themes so far; One for Khorne (and my CSM army), one for Nurgle and one for Tzeentch. I still haven't figured out Slaanesh yet, but I'll figure that out once I get to that god again.

2) Painting Zardu Layak and his Bodyguards








After having painted the Gal Vorbak, these are also pretty straight forward. I'm not going to paint Zaruk Layak in a grey theme, as I don't like it, so he will be in the traditional red army theme that I have developed.

3) Painting Kairos Fateweaver








This guy.... I have absolutely no idea what to do with him. My Tzeentch army is going to be pretty colourfull, but this is one model that I've yet to see a model that isn't looking like a Gay Parade flag - And I'm not sure how I want to do him. My thoughts are:

- Wings are going to be raven black, with satin varnish to give them a little spark.
- Beaks are going to be black with gloss varnish.
- Skin will be done the same as my Blue Horrors, as I like that arcane look.
- The cloth... Honestly I'm not sure. The traditional is white, but I still haven't figured out how to do white cloth properly. Any tips is appreciated.
- The staff will be gold primarily with metal details.

I have a feeling I'm going to be painting this guy over and over again. He is the first model in ages, where I just stare at him and go "What the hell am I going to do with you" :wacko:


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> I'm not sure if you've ever tried a airbrush before - But if you haven't, then be sure to practice before you go on a model as big as a knight. It's not just a tool you pick up and go with. It's a completely new beast to master and it takes time to learn.
> 
> If you need anything, you know where to find me :good:


yeah, i had used an airbrush a long time ago painting model rockets and model trucks and then i started smoking and drinking and then it sat in a box forever.
so, basically a first timer but the proof is as they say in the doin... 
and that means, as you reinforce, practice.
time.
which is the big stopper and why most of my 'hobby' these days (years?) is this forum and a few other outlets.



> 3) Painting Kairos Fateweaver
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This guy.... I have absolutely no idea what to do with him. My Tzeentch army is going to be pretty colourfull, but this is one model that I've yet to see a model that isn't looking like a Gay Parade flag - And I'm not sure how I want to do him. My thoughts are:
> 
> - Wings are going to be raven black, with satin varnish to give them a little spark.
> - Beaks are going to be black with gloss varnish.
> - Skin will be done the same as my Blue Horrors, as I like that arcane look.
> - The cloth... Honestly I'm not sure. The traditional is white, but I still haven't figured out how to do white cloth properly. Any tips is appreciated.
> - The staff will be gold primarily with metal details.
> 
> I have a feeling I'm going to be painting this guy over and over again. He is the first model in ages, where I just stare at him and go "What the hell am I going to do with you" :wacko:


when i was paintin inquisition models a long time ago, parchment and robes of different colors were everywhere. for me, it is drybrush multiple layers from a brown base into an ivory, wet blend from that dark brown into a bright top, let dry, add patterns, decals, then stains and weathering effects.
that said, given that i am the one watching your progress pics, you will end up doing a better job than i could anyways./.


----------



## Tawa

AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!! 


Sorry mate, just had to get that off my chest. It's just the fact you said you were off to Thailand and doing Pink Horrors in the same post..... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:



Anyway, nice update on what you're up to. Looking forward to seeing some paint splashed over those guys! :good:


----------



## Moriouce

Nordicus said:


> 3) Painting Kairos Fateweaver
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This guy.... I have absolutely no idea what to do with him. My Tzeentch army is going to be pretty colourfull, but this is one model that I've yet to see a model that isn't looking like a Gay Parade flag - And I'm not sure how I want to do him. My thoughts are:
> 
> - Wings are going to be raven black, with satin varnish to give them a little spark.
> - Beaks are going to be black with gloss varnish.
> - Skin will be done the same as my Blue Horrors, as I like that arcane look.
> - The cloth... Honestly I'm not sure. The traditional is white, but I still haven't figured out how to do white cloth properly. Any tips is appreciated.
> - The staff will be gold primarily with metal details.
> 
> I have a feeling I'm going to be painting this guy over and over again. He is the first model in ages, where I just stare at him and go "What the hell am I going to do with you" :wacko:



The blue horror look sound great but I have a pair of thoughts. 
-Wings, do the feathers black but with a dark blue or Purple highlight, the upper wings, which is skin, keep in the blue horror theme. 
-Cloths, do them in the same dark blue or purple as the highlights on the feathers. I Think that would bind the model together wonderfully. :good:


----------



## Mossy Toes

I realize you have you own ideas, and I like the idea of black chunks vs other areas, but I figure I may as well throw up an image of my own Fatey (kitbashed) for a chance at inspiration. I dig how my blue-flesh-into-green-feathers-into-tips-of-yellow/orange blend turned out, myself!


----------



## Nordicus

Mossy Toes said:


> I dig how my blue-flesh-into-green-feathers-into-tips-of-yellow/orange blend turned out, myself!


That is a great idea - I never considered green feathers, but that would be a great addition to the mini as he will have green fire on him as well. Thanks! :good:



Moriouce said:


> -Cloths, do them in the same dark blue or purple as the highlights on the feathers. I Think that would bind the model together wonderfully.


Thanks man! I tried it out yesterday, and the model came out a bit too dark with this theme. I did like the idea though, so thanks a bunch!


----------



## Kreuger

Hey Nord, I think the special treatment Kairos needs is oil slick iridescence. Look for specialty washes or inks in a traditional art store. Color changing paint etc. 

I think he would work particularly well if you carefully managed the contrast between the stark darkness (possibly with little pin points of light) and very bright vibrant parts of the model.


----------



## Iraqiel

@Nordicus, I had a return to chaos the other day with my Apocalypse campaign Guard turning traitor to make up Chaos numbers and starting a Path to Glory campaign with a friend of mine, chaos v space wolves. So, I've started to dust off the old Chaos Space Marines, painted an AoS guy as a Lord and may actually start painting the cultists that I've owned since the DV release soon... 

... And I'll be looking to this plog for inspiration!


----------



## Nordicus

Rightio, back from Thailand (with no STD's or pink horrors in my suitcase) so now I can get started on this guy. I'm not gonna lie, it's going to be awefully close to the deadline, buit I believe I can make it!

I have some ideas I want to try out, thanks to all of your excellent advice. Thanks a bunch everyone - You're all awesome!

I will be back soon with updates.


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> Rightio, back from Thailand (with no STD's or pink horrors in my suitcase) so now I can get started on this guy.


STDs in your suitcase?
Day-um!
How did those get there?
Probably from the TSA or the baggage handler sifting for gold.


----------



## Nordicus

And there we go, my painting pledge for this month got through - Well most of it. I finished the Horrors and Fateweaver for the month, and I will withdraw Zarduk Layak as I don't want to rush him. I could probably finish him today, but I would rather take my time with him.

Fateweaver was an absolute bitch to get through - I don't know why but I think I re-painted him like 3 times as I couldn't nail a colour theme that I was satisfied with. In the end, he came out like this:









I'm fairly satisfied, but I can happily admit that I'm struggling with the vibrant colour themes at this scale. I'm simply too cautious with the vibrant colors and I'm scared of making him look like a cartoon. I'm much better with the dark and broody themes, such as my Word Bearers.

In the same spirit, the Horrors got done too.









Same thing applies, but these are smaller and with less detail. I will probably feel at home later on with the vibrant themes of the Tzeentch department, but for now it's a learning process. This has by far been the trickiest god to paint for me as it's so far out of my comfort zone that I couldn't even explain it if I tried. 

At least I got to try out my Tzeentch base theme with resin crystals and some tinting for lighting. I quite like it and it fits the other themes that I have for my other Chaos gods well. 

I'll end this post off with a group shot of what I got painted this month. Considering I was in Thailand for a week and that Dark Souls 3 got released, plus a week with sickness, I'm fairly satisfied with the amount of work done:


----------



## jin

Nordicus said:


> And there we go, my painting pledge for this month got through - Well most of it. I finished the Horrors and Fateweaver for the month, and I will withdraw Zarduk Layak as I don't want to rush him. I could probably finish him today, but I would rather take my time with him.
> 
> Fateweaver was an absolute bitch to get through - I don't know why but I think I re-painted him like 3 times as I couldn't nail a colour theme that I was satisfied with. In the end, he came out like this:
> 
> I'm fairly satisfied, but I can happily admit that I'm struggling with the vibrant colour themes at this scale. I'm simply too cautious with the vibrant colors and I'm scared of making him look like a cartoon. I'm much better with the dark and broody themes, such as my Word Bearers.
> 
> In the same spirit, the Horrors got done too.
> 
> Same thing applies, but these are smaller and with less detail. I will probably feel at home later on with the vibrant themes of the Tzeentch department, but for now it's a learning process. This has by far been the trickiest god to paint for me as it's so far out of my comfort zone that I couldn't even explain it if I tried.
> 
> At least I got to try out my Tzeentch base theme with resin crystals and some tinting for lighting. I quite like it and it fits the other themes that I have for my other Chaos gods well.
> 
> I'll end this post off with a group shot of what I got painted this month. Considering I was in Thailand for a week and that Dark Souls 3 got released, plus a week with sickness, I'm fairly satisfied with the amount of work done


love it. came out great!
i still have no idea how you do it but
i am gonna work on getting a convenient dedicated painting/modeling table/area set up.
looking at your workstation, i need to set my stuff out similarly so that it doesn't take 15 minutes of pulling out supplies to even get started!


----------



## Mossy Toes

Hmm. He looks nice but I don't know if the black chunk of the wings really... works. It looks a bit to flat and undifferentiated, to my eyes. I do like the deliberately washed-out contrast of the vibrant-yet-pastel to the very dark, deliberately non-complementary colors there, and the sort of sickly tan of the cloth only adds to that imbalancd feel (in a good way!)--I just feel like the black feather areas could use their own drybrush of grey that fades to rather heavier on the tips of the wings, then a tiiiiny bit of white highlights. Plus a nuln oil wash over that if it looks too heavy, or something.


----------



## Iraqiel

All round great work, I particularly like how the horrors 'pop' compared to the rest of your work. 

Although I think the paintwork is overall excellent, I do tend to agree with Mossy about Fateweaver's wings.


----------



## Roganzar

Those look damn impressive Nord, but the black area just doesn't look right to me. Does it have any kind of highlighting/drybrushing that just isn't showing in the pics? 
Also, where did you get the crystals you used on the bases?


----------



## The Gunslinger

I love those horrors, exactly how I wanted my attempt at lizardmem to come out, but unfortunately couldn't make it happen. 

Great work as usual and as always an inspiration.


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> love it. came out great!





Mossy Toes said:


> Hmm. I do like the deliberate contrast of the large dark chunks with the vibrant-yet-pastel, deliberately non-complementary colors there, and the sort of sickly tan of the cloth only adds to that imbalanced and creepy feel (in a good way!).





Iraqiel said:


> All round great work, I particularly like how the horrors 'pop' compared to the rest of your work.





Roganzar said:


> Those look damn impressive Nord





The Gunslinger said:


> I love those horrors, exactly how I wanted my attempt at lizardmem to come out,


Thanks a bunch guys, I'm really glad you like the overall theme of the minis! It was a experiment for me to try and get out of my comfort zone, so I was a bit nervous about them to be honest 



Mossy Toes said:


> But I don't know if the black chunk of the wings really... works





Iraqiel said:


> I do tend to agree with Mossy about Fateweaver's wings.





Roganzar said:


> but the black area just doesn't look right to me


Aye, looking back on it I will most likely re-do the wings later on, or at least add to the black. My thoughts were half raven-black and half coloured, but the black is a bit too "meh". I need to get away from the miniature for a while though, but I will save your comments for when I have the mental stamina to look at this model again with a painters eye. I redid those goddamn wings like 3-4 times -.-

It also appears that I owe you guys a miniature, as I never got to finish him last month, due to travelling and sickness. This update will rectify that mistake, as Zarduk Layak and his bodyguards are finally finished:










The amount of details on this guy is amazing. I kept finding new things to add to him and going back and forth on how to do him. I kept him in the same style as the rest of my Word Bearers, painting him in a unusual red armor, as he is usually depicted with a Grey power armor. I don't like that look, I have to admit, so I went with the standard theme.

The slaves are done similarly to my Gal Vorbak with plenty of gunk and blood on their mutated bits. I went back and forth whether or not I should do ther plasma pistols in a green hue, similarly to the Mhara Gal tainted dreadnought, but decided to go standard. That way I can keep demonic and tainted effects to green and standards to blue. As the guns themselves aren't mutated or affected by the demonic entities, they remain blue.

I hope you like him!


----------



## Iraqiel

Nice work Nord, you have some crazy intense detail on those models!


----------



## jin

that orange fist on zarduk has me thinking
about doin what mossy said with graded highlights and inking in a blush of pinky orange like overripe though still pulsin chicken skin, some dusting of grey carotidness at the surface ridges to keep it cold dry bony but that would probably just vukc it up. i would ink the musculature, get a little warmth in there, darken it in recesses and lighten with brushes. regardless of spray undercoat color, i like to "dry brush" a gradiated white or ivory base from recesses to ridges and then layers of color.


----------



## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> ...
> Aye, looking back on it I will most likely re-do the wings later on, or at least add to the black. My thoughts were half raven-black and half coloured, but the black is a bit too "meh". I need to get away from the miniature for a while though, but I will save your comments for when I have the mental stamina to look at this model again with a painters eye. I redid those goddamn wings like 3-4 times -.-


 @Nordicus on reviewing Kairos again the black section just looks unfinished. I think there are 3 ways got could go with his wings without repainting the whole model. 

1) leave the black edge as it is with the green and blend down to the wing tips using a fiery red/orange
2) paint a star field on the black of wings, as though the void of space is encompassed there
3) back to my favorite idea, make the black a multicolored iridescent oil slick of changing colors

There's even a paint that does it. 
Schmincke "Aero vision space"










In going to try and get my hands on this stuff too, even at $30 bottle.


----------



## GrimzagGorwazza

Looking good Nordi, i'd second the thoughts about the wings the black lone just looks a little too harsh, the rest of the model looks gorgeous though. To expand on Kreugers idea about the prismaric paint, i'd have a look at the alclad range, they do a full series of holocromatic and prismatic airbrush paints including a blue/green prism fade and holocrom basecoats. They could look really good on shifting horrors of tzeentch. 
Have you seen all the pretty new Tzeentch models in the new silver tower box?


----------



## jin

that paint looks rad. can't wait to see pictures of that once done!


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> @Nordicus on reviewing Kairos again the black section just looks unfinished. I think there are 3 ways got could go with his wings without repainting the whole model.
> 
> 1) leave the black edge as it is with the green and blend down to the wing tips using a fiery red/orange
> 2) paint a star field on the black of wings, as though the void of space is encompassed there
> 3) back to my favorite idea, make the black a multicolored iridescent oil slick of changing colors
> 
> There's even a paint that does it.
> Schmincke "Aero vision space"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In going to try and get my hands on this stuff too, even at $30 bottle.


Ooooh I love that idea - I'm totally gonna do that! Now I just gotta find someplace to guy that..


----------



## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> Ooooh I love that idea - I'm totally gonna do that! Now I just gotta find someplace to guy that..


In the USA Dick Blick art supplies sells it. I presume they ship internationally. Schmincke is a German company so I'm sure you can get it without too much hassle. 

Here's the retailer search. http://www.schmincke.de/retailer.html?L=1

Cheers!


----------



## jin

i wonder what that aero color ink would do to those wings if they started out bright white warm grey recesses... or basecoated grey and drybrushed up to a bright white at the ridges


----------



## Iraqiel

Nordicus said:


> There's even a paint that does it.
> Schmincke "Aero vision space"


Hot damn I need to get me some of that stuff!


----------



## Kreuger

jin said:


> i wonder what that aero color ink would do to those wings if they started out bright white warm grey recesses... or basecoated grey and drybrushed up to a bright white at the ridges


I'm not sure. I don't own it yet. But metallic and color change paints almost always look better over a black or very dark undercoat. My guess is that gray /white would be too bright and not provide enough contrast.


----------



## Nordicus

Allright, time for an update on this front. I don't know what it is with me and Tzeentch daemons, but they have a tendency to remove my willingness to paint for periods of a time - But they are now done. All 9 of them.



I tried an alternative color scheme, as I am turning the colors on their heads in my Tzeentch army as a whole. Purple and pink seemed like a good choice initially, but I had a problemt with how many details I should put on them. Overall I really like the screamer models, but they have a tendency to get overcrowded with details with their eyes, scales, teeth, horns, ridges and everything else.

I decided to keep it simple and have the scales be a natural part of the skin, so I didn't highlight them. The horns and teeth I did in a mix of my traditional glossed black and the whites of the Pink Horrors - So a grey midtone, that was glossed over.

I'm fairly satisfied, but will most likely never be fully at home at such vibrant color themes. It's a personal taste I suppose. If you like the image, the image is a link to my gallery at DakkaDakka, where you can rate it 

Next project, seeing as the month is nearly over, is two small HQ's: A Legion Praetor and a Master of Signals. 



Both have been customized with shoulderpads and iconography of the one true legion, so they will fit the army well


----------



## Nordicus

A made some good progress over the past week. I started out on a Legion Praetor and a Master of Signals, just to have something to pass the time until it became June. As I'm part of the painting challenge, I don't want to start anything big with such a hort time left, so I thought that these two guys could be a good small assignment and fun to paint.

I got the pair off of F W and fitted them out with a few legion pieces, to make sure they fit in. Shoulders, heads, a few skulls - You know, the basics. In the end, they turned out like this:


The sword on the Praetor was a bit too thin for my liking, but I didn't have any suitable replacement for it. Still, it got the job done. The skull on the base is from the Lorgar miniature, as I got a extra lying around, and it fit his base perfectly. Moar skulls!
Of the two, I am most satisfied with the master of signals, due to the green hue that I got on him. Even though it's a simple mini, the details makes him stand out, even though I firstly thought of him as a "meh" kinda mini.

Next up for June are these two guys:


That's right, I finally got the nerve to tackle a Imperial Knight that has fallen to Chaos. With the Renegades set out and cheap as it is, I thought it was time that I tried my hand with subtle conversion work and working large scale again. And once you do one, you might as well do two, so I will be painting both of them at the same time. The modifications include:

- Horns on both (One from a Bloodthirster and one from a FW Great Unclean One)
- Spikes and chains here and there, but not too much. Just enough to see that they aren't friendly.
- Filing off Imperial Eagles.
- Custom "hang between legs banners". One is a true banner and one is a fiery Chaos symbol on a chain.
- Magnetized weapons.

They will be painted in my WB scheme and with lots of transfers to do the rest of the work. 

I can't wait to see these two guys done!


----------



## Roganzar

Nordicus said:


> I can't wait to see these two guys done!


Looking forward to seeing what you do with those.


----------



## Medic Marine

I would think twice before sensing ny minis against that impreasive piece if work. Well done. Actually looks scary. And suitably chaotic.


----------



## Nordicus

Medic Marine said:


> I would think twice before sensing ny minis against that impreasive piece if work. Well done. Actually looks scary. And suitably chaotic.


Thanks a bunch man!



Roganzar said:


> Looking forward to seeing what you do with those.


Me too man. I have to admit I approach them with a certain awe, as I want them to look good and not just a re-painted normal knight.

Speaking of, I have been doing some progress the last couple of days. In their current state (Varnish is drying) they look like this:


In short, the following is done:

- Reds and blacks on all armorplates
- Metal on the skeleton and the weapons
- Transfers and sealing hereof.

The next steps are details and the trims. Lastly I will add some oil effects to the metal parts, to make it seem a bit alive. 

The metal on the skeleton is done in a new way that I havent tried before - But I really like it. I love the look it gives and the highlights it gives the model. My thoughts were to make the skeleton more used where the trims will be pristine and more solid metal. A contrast between the two, so they dont merge on the mini and so each get their own nature. 

What do you guys think?


----------



## Kreuger

Looking good as usual, Nord. Could we perhaps see some closer photos of the knight skeleton chassis and parts? They look good but is I want to see more of the detail. =)


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Looking good as usual, Nord. Could we perhaps see some closer photos of the knight skeleton chassis and parts? They look good but is I want to see more of the detail. =)


Well crap, I didn't get notified that you replied to the thread. I am having a bit of difficulty re-adjusting to this new theme I have to admit. Most of the usual features that I used are nowhere to be seen -.- 

I will be sure to take some close-ups for you!

Ok, these guys are coming out a bit fast as they are just fun to paint. I didn't think I would enjoy them as much as I do, so they are over halfway done already.

Here's a little WIP image of how they are coming out:


I hope you like them!


----------



## Kreuger

@Nordicus they look like they're coming along very well! At the moment they look a little tidy, but I'm sure once all they're complete they will be awesome. 

I like the text on the greaves and how gloomy the models are. 

In other news, I ordered the schmencke space paint and it should arrive this week. As soon as I test it out I'll let you know if it might be worth while for your Lord of Change.


----------



## Kreuger

So it looks like my test run of the paint will be delayed. Some neighborhood jerks stole the package from my front porch. My nextdoor neighbor saw them and called the police. 

Fortunately, the retailer offered to replace it. So I'll let you know when I finally test it out.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> So it looks like my test run of the paint will be delayed. Some neighborhood jerks stole the package from my front porch. My nextdoor neighbor saw them and called the police.
> 
> Fortunately, the retailer offered to replace it. So I'll let you know when I finally test it out.


Damn man, that sucks. I'm glad you're getting a new package though - Looking forward to seeing it on a model!

Rightio, time to for an update - The Knights are done! They have been for a few days actually, but I have been struggling to take proper images of them, due to their sheer size and the size of my lightbox.

In the end, they came out like this:

Knight 1:


Knight 2:


They were sooooo fun to paint. I really got to practice my skills with transfers as well, as I had to figure out how to make them attach for weird surfaces and how to do them like I did on the legs. Those transfers comes in triangles, so I couldn't figure out how to get it on there, so it went all the way to the edge and it looked natural. A good amount of Googling went into that one!

The arms and hull mounted weapons are magnetized so I just put on the weapons in the images, that I thought looked best. I hope you like them!

Next up; 3 Contemptors with magnetized arms! 


So far I have gotten 6 x Powerfist (claw versions) and 6 x Kheres Assault Cannon. My hopes are to get them done this month too.


----------



## Kreuger

Looking good man. The photos make them look dramatic but a little hard to see. None the less, they're impressive. I particularly like the word bearers arcane scrying on the first knight's shoulder. That's a result beautiful touch. 

For some reason the photos aren't showing up through tapatalk, they just remain at 0% and don't load. I was able to view them through the web view.


----------



## ExaltedUrizen

These are looking really good, just a quick question, are the geometric shapes on the knight's shoulders transfers or something else? They look really good and I'm thinking of doing something similar on my own knight.


----------



## DaisyDuke

Great stuff Nord!


----------



## Kreuger

@Nordicus my little review of the aero vision paint is posted. Hopefully it's helpful!

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=207386

I think it would work on your Lord of Change's wings. I think it may be perfect.


----------



## Nordicus

ExaltedUrizen said:


> These are looking really good, just a quick question, are the geometric shapes on the knight's shoulders transfers or something else? They look really good and I'm thinking of doing something similar on my own knight.


Thanks man! They are the transfers from FWs Word Bearer transfer sheet that you can buy seperately. They are really great with a high quality and plenty of options. I recommend them if you wanna give your army that extra kick up.



DaisyDuke said:


> Great stuff Nord!


Thanks! 



Kreuger said:


> @Nordicus my little review of the aero vision paint is posted. Hopefully it's helpful!
> 
> Schmenke Aero Vision Space - Wargaming Forum and Wargamer Forums
> 
> I think it would work on your Lord of Change's wings. I think it may be perfect.


You are right, it IS perfect. I will have to find a EU store that sells it. Thanks a bunch for the review man!


----------



## thebuilder

incredible stuff!


----------



## Nordicus

Time to get this up and running again - Apologies for the inactivity, but it's summer and I got to travel a bit. I'm glad you are reading this and stuck around though! Big hug to you!

In the summertime I had a little special project for myself, that I have been wanting to do for a while. I wanted to paint the transport of all transports, outside the superheavy area: The Spartan Assault Tank! Weighing in at over 700 grams _(Yupp, I have proof of this)_ this is one hell of a chunk of resin to get started on! After installing some Word Bearers doors on it, I could get started.

I got the new version from FW where it is cast with complete tracks, so you you don't have to assemble them. This is both great and not so great at the same time; The great part is that it doesn't take 3 months to assemble and the tracks are always on par. The bad news is, that it might get more damage in the shipping than before, as the sides of the tracks can snap off - Which is what happened to mine. It took me about and hour to find all the pieces in the package, find their matching spot and glue them back on. 

I decided to not go heavy on decals and make the tank a tad darker than the previous tanks I did, as I want to take the army in a slightly darker red on big surfaces. Overall it fits the sinister feel of the Word Bearers better and with so many details on the tank already, plus the doors, not many decals are really needed. I did the rusty tracks that all my tanks have, but otherwise kept it pretty clean - I know it's not realistic, but hey it looks cool!



I hope you like it!

Now my next project is sure to make me friends - And it will undoubtedly be my biggest test of perseverance in my entire 40k history:



2 new Heldrakes and I will be repainting my old one - So 3 Heldrakes at once. My god... Grant me strength!

Oh and one last thing; I have started a Instagram profile for more frequent up-to-date images of what I'm working on - Check it out here!


----------



## Kreuger

@Nordicus the Spartan looks great and I've come to expect nothing less!

The Heldrakes . . . sweet lord, the edges! Times 3! You're a glutton for punishment. 

As Yoda wisely said, "Heldrakes lead to edge-painting, edge-painting leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” 

Are you stripping the paint from the old one or is it thin enough to paint right over?


----------



## DaisyDuke

Three hell drakes is certainly a nordicus painting challenge! Dude I feel for your sanity. But will be good to see.


----------



## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> @Nordicus the Spartan looks great and I've come to expect nothing less!
> 
> The Heldrakes . . . sweet lord, the edges! Times 3! You're a glutton for punishment.
> 
> As Yoda wisely said, "Heldrakes lead to edge-painting, edge-painting leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
> 
> Are you stripping the paint from the old one or is it thin enough to paint right over?


Thanks a bunch man, and for continously sticking around! Somebody asked for a non-lightbox picture in a PM, so I thought I would take one outside the setup environment, to get a bare bones look at the mini:










The old ones paint seems thin enough to just paint over, so I will most likely do that. I did correct some things on it, as I finally had a reason to re-do the mini. I think it was one of the first minis I painted when getting back into the hobby, so I'm glad to give it a proper go!



DaisyDuke said:


> Three hell drakes is certainly a nordicus painting challenge! Dude I feel for your sanity. But will be good to see.


Me too - I've been postponing this paintjob for a while, but with the new flyer supplement out it seems like a good time to give it a go. I haven't fielded Heldrakes in forever, so I'm looking forward to some flamer goodness!


----------



## jin

that tank is masterfully done.
understated yet popping just enough to get your eyes into it,
and then you are hooked.
very nice.


----------



## ExaltedUrizen

The spartan looks great, good luck with the heldrakes, just started 2 of my own, so I know how annoying they are.


----------



## Nordicus

jin said:


> that tank is masterfully done.
> understated yet popping just enough to get your eyes into it,
> and then you are hooked.
> very nice.


Thank you! 'Twas a blast to paint, so I'm glad it came out suitably chaotic 



ExaltedUrizen said:


> The spartan looks great, good luck with the heldrakes, just started 2 of my own, so I know how annoying they are.


Oh yes, they are a bit of a pain to paint, but hey you gotta have that baleflamer.

Unfortunately, I will have to break my own rule that I've always have - Never start something you don't finish. While I think everyone would understand such a predicament, with painting 3 Heldrakes, it is in reality because of an opportunity that has come up that I wanted to grab.

I've been invited to join one of the 2 Danish ITC teams that will compete in Sweden, in November. As I've always wanted to try my hand at the competitive scene, I've accepted the offer. However, this means that I had to come up with an army that both complimented the team composition, that was the correct point values and that met the komp requirements for the tournament. 

For those of you who doesn't know what komp is, it is basically a 2nd value system that is placed upon every unit, weapon and formation on top of the points value that we usually use. The more powerfull the unit, the more komp they cost. You are allowed no more than 130 komp points and 1500 points in your army, so you have to think outside the box as units such as Be'Lakor cost 90 komp (!!) in himself. It's a fun system to be honest!

I came up with a list, where I unfortunately have a lot of work to do and only 2 months to do it. I will be trying my hand at the Demonic Incursion detachment and the theme is; Slaanesh! That's right, the angry ladies are back in action. As the tournament requires everything to be painted up, I took a look at the army I had built and what I had in my collection.

The bad news? The list consists of 80 Daemonettes, 2 heralds, 30 Seekers and 8 furies. 
What do I have? 40 Daemonettes and 2 Heralds.... Which are on the wrong bases.

So over the next 2 months, I have to paint the entire army basically. Doing this, along with 3 Heldrakes is beyond even my capacity for painting, so I decided to put the drakes on hold and start on the Slaanesh army. I've ordered the models which should arrive tomorrow and debased my collection for now. So the assembly should start tomorrow.

So far, I've decided on a theme and pre-mixed the paints and washes that I will need so I don't have to think about that. I will do a inverted theme compared to my old models, so they will have white hair and fleshy/purple skin, with purple tinted metal armor on. 

Cross your fingers for me and that I will make it. Painting this many models is a new record for me.

(Oh and I've started a Instagram profile, in case you didn't notice. Search for "Nordicus Minis" and you will find me on there.)


----------



## jin

looking forward to seeing what you are going to do with it.
i want to work on my anti-slaaneshi forces (harlequins)
as i imagine many people may be given the new boxed set release.
pics of your daemons and daemonettes should inspire some painting.


----------



## The Gunslinger

Nordicus said:


> In the same spirit, the Horrors got done too.


The horrors are gone! Why!? whyyyyyyyyy?:crying:

In all seriousness, was hoping to have a sneaky peak for colour inspiration, help a fellow heretic out? :wink2:


----------



## Svartmetall

Really liking that Spartan, very clean paintjob.


----------



## Nordicus

The Gunslinger said:


> The horrors are gone! Why!? whyyyyyyyyy?:crying:
> 
> In all seriousness, was hoping to have a sneaky peak for colour inspiration, help a fellow heretic out? :wink2:


Huh, that is weird! Ah well, the blue horrors are here in their bright theme for ya:





Svartmetall said:


> Really liking that Spartan, very clean paintjob.


Thanks mate!


----------



## Kharn The Complainer

Lovely paint job. I will sacrifice some serfs in your honor.


----------



## Nordicus

Progress! 

I've finally gotten all the parts, boxes, new bases and whatnot to assemble the list that I have made. It's.... Well, it certainly will be a pain to deal with in terms of board control considering it's only 1500 points. Fully assembled, it looks like this:










The sharp eye will notice a few things:

- On the right there are 9 Furies (unbased, as they are on their way). However, they are not the GW furies (as they look like shit in a handbasket) but rather the Gargoyle models from Puppetswar. They are quite cool, check them out when you have the time!
- All the Daemonettes are on 32mm bases, as both Bloodletters and Plaguebearers are on this size in their new packaging. As the Slaanesh models have yet to be repackaged, I've decided to jump ahead and mount them on these bases instead. The tournament agreed and saw my logic, so hey, more board control!
- Similarly the Seekers are on the 75x45mm oval bases, that the new Deathwatch bikes come with. I had a chat with a GW employee here in Denmark who said that he believed the old bike bases where on their way out of the game completely, and the next day the Deathwatch bikes are announced. I bought some 75x45mm and 60x35mm oval to see which size fit best and it was definitely the new bike size. As the Seekers come with the old bike bases, the argument is also valid as they are simply converted over to the new standard for bike units.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have an army to prime and the weather is quite nice outside:


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## Kreuger

Wow, you have your work cut out for you! That's a ton of models. 

I look forward to seeing the progress.


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## Svartmetall

Bollocks to it - you've convinced me to exhume my spray cans and venture into Ye Olde Garden Shedde™ and get some things primed.


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## The Gunslinger

Nordicus said:


> Huh, that is weird! Ah well, the blue horrors are here in their bright theme for ya:


That's great mate, thanks. 

Would it be cheeky to ask for a quick summary of how you painted them?

Cheers


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## Nordicus

The Gunslinger said:


> That's great mate, thanks.
> 
> Would it be cheeky to ask for a quick summary of how you painted them?
> 
> Cheers


Not at all! The blues (Which I'm assuming is the main part of your inquiry) is done like this:

1 - Base in White or Black. Doesn't really matter.
2 - Coat the whole miniature in Steel Blue from Vallejo Air
3 - Do a 45 degree airbrush highlight of Arcane Blue from P3
4 - Do a subtle 90 degree airbrush highlight of pure white
5 - Glaze the whole miniature in Guilliman Blue from GW
6 - Finish off with a subtle re-highlight with pure white

Et voila! Since you are doing to not do a lot of highlights, it's better to go a bit too bright in the pre-glaze stage, than too dark. Just a little tip


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## The Gunslinger

Thanks mate, really appreciate it!


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## Nordicus

It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry to have been so quiet, but a lot of things have happened that I needed to take care off.

But surely you're not interested in that, so let's carry on to what this blog is about; That plastic crack. I just had my biggest assignment ever. Painting 1500 points of Slaanesh Demonic Incursion in 4 weeks for a tournament. This list contains;

- 80 Daemonettes
- 30 Seekers
- 2 Heralds (1 on foot and 1 on steed)
- 5 Furies.

I just finished them this morning, and here is the result:


























You will probably notice that I've taken a more realistic and gritty approach to this army than most of my recent work. It's fully intentional and something I've wanted to do since my Nurgle army. Slaanesh is a tough nut to crack and make menacing looking but I think it worked this time around, with help from ThirdEyeNuke studioes for inspiration. Only took me 3 tries too!

I hope you like it.


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## Battman

Wow thats quite a few daemonettes, wish i could get this kind of progress on my orks.

Is this what you've been doing since august?

Sent from Samsung Galaxy Via TapaTalk


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## Nordicus

Battman said:


> Wow thats quite a few daemonettes, wish i could get this kind of progress on my orks.
> 
> Is this what you've been doing since august?
> 
> Sent from Samsung Galaxy Via TapaTalk


Partly. I trained with the army at the start of August, and started painting it. I came halfway through it (you can see the pink theme in the YPC '17 thread) and decided that I hated it like a month ago. So yeah, I started over and repainted the entire thing.

Brilliant right?


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## Battman

A miracle more like i decided to repaint the orks 3 years ago a even now I'm less than a third through it. Well done there!

Sent from Samsung Galaxy Via TapaTalk


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## Kreuger

That's a lot of daemon-flesh, Nord! 

It turned out brilliantly! The only bummer here is that the pictures aren't even higher quality. It can be tough to get details in the wide shots. =)


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> That's a lot of daemon-flesh, Nord!
> 
> It turned out brilliantly! The only bummer here is that the pictures aren't even higher quality. It can be tough to get details in the wide shots. =)


Aye, I will take some pictures when I'm home from the tournament, promise! Today I just wanted them done so I could relax a bit, as the past couple of days were pretty intense in the painting department


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## Nordicus

Now for a quick update, while I'm assembling my next project. It's time to give my Chaos Marines some loving, so I've decided to finally jump in with both feet. I'm building a mother-Slaaneshing Cabal!










I've wanted to build these guys for so long, as I absolutely LOVE the models. I will be assembling them with the following weapons:

2 x Force Staff
2 x Force Sword
1 x Force Axe
1 x Black Mace

As soon as they are assembled I will be posting some pictures for you guys to see.

The above weapon combinations meant that I had a axe for spare. So I thought that it was time that my Juggerlord got a much-deserved upgrade, as he was put on a bigger base:









Khorne is happy. 
I am happy. 
It's a happy day.


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## Tawa

Good to see your progress mate! :good:


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## Nordicus

Well that didn't take long - The group is now assembled in all of their unholy glory!










The torsoes and above are not glued to the models, for ease of painting. Now for priming!


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## Tawa

"He's more painting-machine than man now......"

Oobee-doo Shebooby describing Nord Vader. :wink:


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## Khorne's Fist

Liking the Juggernaut conversion. I always wanted to do one up for 40k that didn't count as a thunderwolf.


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## Nordicus

Khorne's Fist said:


> Liking the Juggernaut conversion. I always wanted to do one up for 40k that didn't count as a thunderwolf.


Thanks man - It's a fairly simple conversion, but it works pretty well. Sometimes it's the simple things that work best


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## Lord of the Night

Absolutely love those Varanguard conversions! Might just try something similar in the future myself.


LotN


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## Nordicus

Right, I've had time to experiment a tad on the various forces before I started on the Cabal. I wanted them to look as cool as possible, but with my new approach in mind. If in doubt, I'm talking about the more gritty approach that I got with my Slaanesh daemons.

I made two Juggernauts my test subjects. Two models that I've had forever and never really got around to re-do; My juggerlord from my CSM section and a Juggerherald from my Daemon section.

I started out by playing around with the steeds themselves. I always liked the metallic steeds more than the red ones, so after playing around for the better part of 2 hours, I got to this stage:










After making the bronze pop a bit more and adding blood effects, I got started on the Khorne herald. I wanted a more brown/orange'ish approach to the red, instead of the pure red you mostly see on the Bloodletters. Additionally I wanted to go for black feet and hands, ever since I saw that paintscheme in the Khorne Daemonkin codex. I also decided to not add any lighting effects, but keep it down and dirty - The only pop effect being the sword he holds.

After around an hour and a halfs worth of airbrushing, washing, drybrushing and a bit of blending, I got him to a stage that I liked. Here he is:










After having gotten the Khorne herald down, I was more confident in my reds and general aesthetic so I started on the Juggerlord himself. I decided to try and start the metallics with a brighter shade than I normally do, as the metallics quickly become to dark that you can barely see them for the blacks. After this model, I found out that it's definitely the right way to go. Until my lightbox is home, here is a quick shot of the guy in all of his bloody glory:










A productive Sunday I have to admit. Now I want to get started on my cabal!


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## Nordicus

You don't know trims until you paint a Varanguard. Holy shit!


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## DaisyDuke

Nordicus said:


> You don't know trims until you paint a Varanguard. Holy shit!


You freaking love it Nord! :so_happy:


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## Kreuger

@Nordicus hmm, that's a lot of trim but I think the Heldrake is still significantly worse.

Looks good though! 

I'm guessing you're still going to do more washing and shading on the trim, yes?


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## Nordicus

Oh yes, it's going to end up just like the metallic silver on the Juggerlord 

And yeah... Heldrakes. I've still got 3 unfinished ones that are staring at me...


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## Tawa

Nordicus said:


> And yeah... Heldrakes. I've still got 3 unfinished ones that are staring at me...


Muahahahahaaaa!!!!! :crazy:


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## Nordicus

First of all, a very Happy New Year to everyone stopping by! I hope you all had a great holiday with your family and friends, while maintaining all of your fingers.

Now that the holiday greetings are out of the way, I can gladly say that the cabal is finished. Honestly they took longer than I'd like but the amount of trims on these dudes had me going through a momentary weariness, that I had to fight off. The second the trim was done, I was at full speed once again.

I continued my venture into the more gritty side of painting that I started with my Daemonettes and Juggerlord so these guys were a challenge to say the least. I wanted to not overdo it but keep them simple and striking. The result is this:



As proof of all 6 of them being done, here's the infamous group-shot:


I hope you like them - If you want more pictures of them, feel free to PM me and I'll send a few. I'm trying to keep the clutter down but they are so distinct each of them, that a groupshot doesn't really do them justice. I hope a picture of one of them can give a sense of where I went with them though 

Not unto new things! I'll be back soon!


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## Fallen

Those look impressive, great work my favorite @Nordicus

*In fine print - you may, or may not, be the only Nordicus I know*


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## Tawa

Stunning work as ever mate!


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## Chaosftw

Those Knights look mean!

The poses + the base work really makes them come to life!


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## Nordicus

Time for an update! As I'm trying to update my Instagram more and more often, I find myself doing a bit fewer but usually larger updates on my various blogs, as honestly it's easier to put WIP pictures up on a media as Instagram. That doesn't mean you guys shouldn't see what I'm doing though, as I've been here for quite some time after all. 

I'm in a fun place in my painting at the moment. I'm trying out new things and developing the gritty and bloody painting style I've started a few months back, and honestly it's a lot more fun than what I did previously. I really like painting this way and the end results are just up my alley. I know it's a more extreme style as some will undoubtedly hate it, but I'm ok with that - Some doesn't like a airbrushed look, some don't like the brushed look, some like the cartoonish style and some like a more gritty approach - It's the diversity in the hobby that's fun to see. In the end I find it most important what I think is fun to paint and what I think is cool to look at, as 85% of the time it's me that look at the miniatures.

That being said, I will always value you guys opinions and feedback. It's what has gotten me from a novice painter who started 5 years ago, to the painter that I am today. I can't thank you enough for your patience and willingness to inspire. You guys are awesome!

Now, what have I been painting recently? Well, seeing as I have a Word Bearer force as my primary army I found it best to start the year of with a major character: Erebus himself!










As you can see, I went with a gritty and over-exposed look as I wanted him to be as menacing as he is in the books. I went with a green fire at his staff, to give some more contrast and delved a bit more into the battledamage to the armor with dirt, mud and metal.

I hope you like him!


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## Haskanael

Nordicus said:


> Time for an update! As I'm trying to update my Instagram more and more often, I find myself doing a bit fewer but usually larger updates on my various blogs, as honestly it's easier to put WIP pictures up on a media as Instagram. That doesn't mean you guys shouldn't see what I'm doing though, as I've been here for quite some time after all.
> 
> I'm in a fun place in my painting at the moment. I'm trying out new things and developing the gritty and bloody painting style I've started a few months back, and honestly it's a lot more fun than what I did previously. I really like painting this way and the end results are just up my alley. I know it's a more extreme style as some will undoubtedly hate it, but I'm ok with that - Some doesn't like a airbrushed look, some don't like the brushed look, some like the cartoonish style and some like a more gritty approach - It's the diversity in the hobby that's fun to see. In the end I find it most important what I think is fun to paint and what I think is cool to look at, as 85% of the time it's me that look at the miniatures.
> 
> That being said, I will always value you guys opinions and feedback. It's what has gotten me from a novice painter who started 5 years ago, to the painter that I am today. I can't thank you enough for your patience and willingness to inspire. You guys are awesome!
> 
> Now, what have I been painting recently? Well, seeing as I have a Word Bearer force as my primary army I found it best to start the year of with a major character: Erebus himself!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you can see, I went with a gritty and over-exposed look as I wanted him to be as menacing as he is in the books. I went with a green fire at his staff, to give some more contrast and delved a bit more into the battledamage to the armor with dirt, mud and metal.
> 
> I hope you like him!


man great job, Erebus looks certifiably insane.


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## Nordicus

Thanks man! I'm glad you like him as he has been sitting on my shelf for like a year, and I only just got the courage to try my hand at him.

Now he's been assembled along with 10 Terminators whom I am testing out my theme at the moment. It's evident that the sculpt are a bit older, especially on the clear lines where you are more dependant on your steady hand than many modern models. Still, the older models deserve respect and have to look as good as the others! 

Here's what 3 of them look like now:









Now to continue on with the rest of them.


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## Tawa

Dear sweet fucking christ!

That Erebus is truly awesome mate! :so_happy:


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## DkMiBuch

You continue to inspire, my friend!

That Erebus job is just terrific. I'm totally on board with your new gritty style, and can't wait to see more!


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## Nordicus

It's been a while hasn't it? 

A lot has happened the last year. For my hobby I've started a instagram profile, revamped my paintstyle, gotten a facebook page up and running. I even did a few commissions here and there and am a guest writer on a blog where I write tutorials. A long road from my started journeys here at Heresy Online.

In my persoal life I've gotten married, bought a new house (moving in September 1st), gotten a new job and gotten my first few white hairs. 

With all the above in mind, I've often thought of this blog and what to do with it. Should I revive it and show my work here, and do some more tutorials? To all of my old readers, what do you think?

Hugs,
Nordicus


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## jin

This is my first post in years, I think.

Life sounds good.
Grey hairs, well, you will get used to them.
Weeks will pass like days.

When traveling,
one cannot carry everything.
What you carry is important,
because it is what you will have with you when you get there.
This is also why luggage is important.

So, my advice?
Get some very good luggage, and keep that.
Whatever doesn't help in the travel,
or will serve you when you arrive at your destination,
leave that behind.

Technology has done a lot for us,
including extended memory past its prior useful function.
We are supposed to forget, to be forgotten.
We can't keep everything with us, day to day.

Send a ping every once in a while.
I suppose that the time that it takes for a response,
and the loudness of that that response,
is a measure of the distance that you will have traveled.


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## DaisyDuke

Well that’s deep!
Good to see you back on the heresy train. 
What’s your Instagram?


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## Nordicus

DaisyDuke said:


> Well that’s deep!
> Good to see you back on the heresy train.
> What’s your Instagram?


Holy shit, DD! Good to see you!

You can find me on https://www.instagram.com/nordoc_minis/.

I will write a longer post later this week on here, with a few examples of my latest work.


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## Kreuger

Nordicus said:


> ... I will write a longer post later this week on here, with a few examples of my latest work.


Famous last words! 

Of course I've been absent many moons for the same reasons. 

Sold a house, moved, changed jobs, bought a house, worked a lot, spent a year renovating, moved again. Etc. Etc. Etc. 

I hope you're well!


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Famous last words!
> 
> Of course I've been absent many moons for the same reasons.
> 
> Sold a house, moved, changed jobs, bought a house, worked a lot, spent a year renovating, moved again. Etc. Etc. Etc.
> 
> I hope you're well!


Ha yeah, that did take a while, didn't it? I suppose I owe that update now  

First up, I'm not dead or out of the hobby. I just started painting again here a few months back after 6 monhts out, due to various circumstances. But to go back to the start; Why did I stop posting here on Heresy-Online and why am I suddenly posting here again.

The short version is that I reached a point in my hobby life, where I didn't enjoy painting. I felt like I didn't get the results I wanted, that I spent way too long on techniques with a suboptimal result and in general that I felt a bit... lost. I was looking at my miniatures but I didn't "feel" them anymore. I sat with the feelint that I was painting more to the standards that I was seeing everywhere, but not a style or a standard that catered to me and my own artistic flare. 

Simply put, I didn't like what I was doing. 

So I took a step back for a month or so, and started thinking about what I wanted to do. Not what was expected of the miniatures that I painted, but what really appealed to me. I have always been drawn to the darkness in terms of style, be it movies, music or art - In particular that of the author Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Candyman, etc.). So I decided to completely reboot my painting style and my entire collection. From scratch.

I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of artists to get inspiration. I got to learn some amazing talents and even made some friends along the way, that I am now sharing tips and tricks with; people like ThirdEyeNuke, Zatcasgagoon and Egregoure. After spending months on de-learning my old techniques and taking on new techniques, I went to work on my entire collection (roughly 11.000 points of Chaos Marines and 10.000 points of Daemons) with a new style, new bases and a new flare for painting.

I loved it. I was feeling the creativity flow. It was faster, it was way more fun and the results I got was completely up my alley. The Erebous a few posts up was one of the first I did in the new style and he took me 1/3 of the time that my old techniques did. 

After a while, I created a Facebookpage and an Instagrampage. I didn't wish to make any sort of commission work, but I used it to find a audience similar to this forum; A group of people to share my progress with and to build a small community around. It's going decently well (around 500 likes on Facebook and 530'ish on Instagram), so I thought about returning here - My place of origin, where I posted tutorials and participated in painting competitions, when I was learning the ropes.

So here I am, back from a longer personal journey and happier in my hobby life than ever. I have some really fun projects to show you all in the coming weeks and months, but I can start off with this little bad boy: A Word Bearer Renegade Knight, that has been my biggest custom job to date:










And with that, I bid you adieu for tonight. I will do my best to write a hell of a lot more often than I have, and be active again. Now that I have the passion back and some new models to show you (and new tutorials if you want them) it's time to get back to the old forums. 

I'll see you all soon!


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## Old Man78

I like chips but I love that! Stellar work old boy, stellar work.


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## Shandathe

Welcome back, and good work! 

What do you think of the new model of the Despoiler?


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## Nordicus

Old Man78 said:


> I like chips but I love that! Stellar work old boy, stellar work.


Thanks a lot buddy! 



Shandathe said:


> Welcome back, and good work!
> 
> What do you think of the new model of the Despoiler?


Thank you! I like some variations of it. The face with the mask and no-cape is definitely my favorite combo. It gives him a menace that I haven't seen in the model before, and I want that guy to be a goddamn force of nature on the tabletop. I can't wait to paint him personally


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## Nordicus

Right, so I promised to show a few more examples of my recent work. Seeing as we have a buttload of awesome Chaos models on the way, it seems fitting that I show my take on the Worldclaimer and his posse, that I converted and painted up recently.

Now, I admit that I didn't like the rules for the Worldclaimer. I loved the model, but there are some many wrongs with the rules to the model. So I decided to make use of the model and convert him into a Jumplord with a combi-plasma instead, so he has more flexibility and buffs more units than just melee-raptors. I also changed his shoulder, so he is a part of the Word Bearers legion - You know, my legion.

I got to try out some new techniques with the glow effects, as I wanted to try and achieve it without the use of an airbrush. After doing some research, I went at it and got this result.










Now a Lord needs a posse as well. I've long waited for an excuse to paint Warptalons and this was the perfect excuse to finally get some. Using the same methodology on these that I did on the lord, they came out with a good gritty and dirty feel, that I was very satisfied with.










Right now, I'm working on repainting my 3 Helbrutes, that I used to make my tutorial back in the day, here on Heresy-Online. Then I should be ready for the Shadowspear box - Boy oh boy, am I looking forward to that one!

I hope you like the direction of the army and, as always, I'd love your input.


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## Kreuger

Welcome back (back)! 

I just barely got back into the hobby myself. I only recently got my miniatures desk reassembled after my move and phase 1of my home renovation. 

These guys look great! One criticism is the mold lines on that ultramarine on the base.


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## Nordicus

Kreuger said:


> Welcome back (back)!
> 
> I just barely got back into the hobby myself. I only recently got my miniatures desk reassembled after my move and phase 1of my home renovation.
> 
> These guys look great!


Thanks! This time it should be a bit more permanent though  And congratulations on your first phase of the house renovation - What are you getting done?




Kreuger said:


> One criticism is the mold lines on that ultramarine on the base.


Yeah, I noticed it myself when it was done, but I couldn't be arsed to remove it and repaint the whole marine. I'm lazy, I know


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## Kreuger

Glad to have you back! 

About a year and a half ago we bought a house that hadn't been updated since the 1970's. It had lots of fake wood paneling (5 different colors!), staple-up ceiling tiles, and some awful carpeting and laminate tiles.

We ended to having to re-drywall several ceilings and one entire room. We removed a non-load bearing wall, and gutted the kitchen. 

Anyway, I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that a project like that consumes quite a lot of time and effort.


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## Nordicus

So, as every Chaos player from here to the Northpole, I got my hands on the shadowspear set. Recognizing that the next month or so is going to have a release every week that I want, I went straight to work on it!



The models are breathtakingly detailed. Luckily not at the level of Dark Vengeance, where it was too much on the marines (you coiuldn't make out half the details) but the overall look and feel of the models, are fantastic!

I am painting them in my legion of choice, the Word Bearers, and should have another update in a few days for all of you. Enjoy!


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## Nordicus

So I finally got the set done. I hit some snags while painting them and had a few situations, where I was unable to paint for some weeks. 

Overall, I wanted to go for a more spooky theme and try out some new approaches (compared to what you usually see) on items such as the loincloths' and the general clothing parts of the model. I'm not going to lie, they looked like absolutely shit halfway through, so it was a bit of a gamble. 

In the end, it went pretty good. Here's the Master of Possession - The rest will be revealed over the next days.










As always, C&C is welcome!


----------

