# Ragnars great company in pods!



## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Well here goes another army. The list is posted elsewhere but it's essentially four squads and two dreds in pods. So 40 infantry and 6 vehicles to go then.

To start me off i've done a squad of grey hunters led by a wolf gaurd.










All the wolf gaurd in this army will have the puppy helmet










I've also had a bash at making my own Ragnar as the GW one now looks uglier than Jo Brand.










And to break up the infantry painting one of my two FW dreds.










I've got another squad of GH nearly done and then it's into the blood claws. Drop pods probably done as a batch at the end!


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Very crisp and clean cut looking wolf army. I like it a lot, and the shade of grey is pretty spot on for them too.

Nice on cabbage, have some rep for this, good luck with the rest I look forward to seeing it!


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## Medic Marine (Jun 28, 2009)

I like the bash the best. I was looking at t saying self "that looks like ragnar but not the GW version" excellent use of the space puppy options afforded to you. I also find your painting visually stimulating. Good work, can't wait to see more. 
+ Rep


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## Munky (Oct 2, 2008)

Looking good mate, reminds me that I still have my footslogging army to get finished!
If only Real life wasnt such a cruel mistress!(bitch keeps stealing my free time!)

Watching this for progress:wink:


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

I've been a bit busy at work this week, i've done the banner for the dred and another squad of GH will be on the table by the end of the weekend (The wife is of to the mother in laws)


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

I really like these, very nice looking army tbh mate! Keep up the good work, have some well deserved rep, also


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

*update*

I've done the banner now, i'm not 100% happy with it but I am to free painting what Jordan is to Philosophy so here goes.










I did a test model on one of the free termies from WD right at the start. The dry brushing hasn't been tidied up so he looks a bit scruffy.










I just this morning drilled him to see what the sentinel launcher would look like as a cyclone stand in. Looks pretty good I think. (thanks bitsandkits).










Got called out from work yesterday so didn't get the grey hunters squad finished but that is todays task!

Thanks for the positive feedback guys.


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

Good looking army so far. Nice. I like the cyclone model too. Looks tidy.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Here comes squad two of the grey hunters, one will be led by Ragnar himself and the other by a wolf guard.

First three guys










Next three










Next three










And the whole lot so far, half of the infantry done but wish me luck with six drop pods!!


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## Ste (Aug 28, 2008)

looking very good, crisp painting + rep


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Here is the next installment,

A squad of Blood Claws










Some detail










More detail










More detail










And the army so far










If you look closely at the BC and GH models earlier in the project you'll see some differences. I have made a lot of the detail on the GH in Black and Gold on the BC's. This is to make the GH seem a bit older and more dour. I have also used all the legs and torso's with wolf tails and fur on the GH again because they have had longer at war to collect honours. There are only four wolf tails in the whole BC squad. Some individual GH have that many!

Hope you like them.


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## GrimzagGorwazza (Aug 5, 2010)

Very nice man, you've got the contrasting colours just right, they really draw in the eyes.
+rep


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Next up is the second dred. I might go back to the BC faces as well. In ten years plus of painting I've always avoided faces!


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## Snowy (Jul 11, 2009)

Really nice, wish I could get the motivation to do stuff like that.


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## KhainiteAssassin (Mar 18, 2009)

a few things, first, ill say ive never been fond of the powder blue armor, BUT, I am amazed how good your models look. most people who attempt to make space puppies make them look horrable with the powder blue, but you have pulled it off nicely. +rep to you


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## Bayonet (Aug 13, 2010)

I've just finished reading the two Space Wolves Omnibus books so these just seem even more awesome now 

Fantastic effort mate


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## Medic Marine (Jun 28, 2009)

I like the models, I agree that they have good contrasting colors. I do however find it odd that all the blood claws have the same hair. And maybe wash the hair to add some pop.


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## loyalist42 (Sep 7, 2007)

Looking pretty damn good there. I've been ambivalent toward the 'traditional' Space Wolves paint scheme, but I'm liking your work. 

I completely understand your aversion to faces; I've never quite been able to get them right myself.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Thanks for the comments guys. To answer some.

The hair and faces just aren't where I want them and they might get more attention. As you might expect they look less cartoon on the table than they do on close up well lit photographs but I think the hair needs a highlight and another wash maybe. Currently it is just the orange foundation with a brown wash and a citadel orange dry brush. The hair will all be orange as will the next squad. I was aiming for a died orange rather than natural.

Many thanks for the armour comments. It is a very light spray white undercoat. Then a Humbrol tank grey undercoat. A wash of black/blue 9/1 to darken the crevices. Then a couple of dry brush layers with space wolves grey. And finally I take a wet brush with a tiny amount of paint and paint over large areas like the legs to get a more solid feel.

My target has always been mid level table top as a painting standard and I can bash them out at this standrad but evem with a lot more care they don't seem to get a huge lot better.


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## KhainiteAssassin (Mar 18, 2009)

yeah if your painting a large army, simplier is better if your not going for artists competition. For example take my warriors of chaos:

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=60813

atleast in my commanders, which I feel are never fully done so I keep fixing them up, I try to get competition quality on the paint jobs, im extending it to the rest of my army because of how it works.

for my wolves:

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=54246

because I am going for a much bigger force (I have about 2.5k right now, but thats quickly escelating to the points I want to hit, which would be about 6k atleast, currently) I have not devoted as much detail to. Though, I have been retouching my "finished" wolves to give them a much nicer look, which ill be posting soon, once I feel they are where I want them.

Still as I said in my earlier post. your work is definitly good enough for a + rep in the least, regardless of my dislike for most peoples space wolf grey.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Thanks dude.

I had a bit of a disaster last night. I was undercoating a FW dred in poor light (I know that now!!) and completely overdid the paint. I immediately took it to the sink and tried to scrub/wash it off. Most came off and I re-undercoated it but the effect is not good, to say the least.

Can anybody from the UK reccomend a paint stripper and an internet source for it? 

Many thanks. I nearly threw it in the bin and then remembered it cost nearly 50 quid!


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## loyalist42 (Sep 7, 2007)

Djinn's old paint-stripping thread would be a good place to start...linky. 


Simple Green was the most widely recommended if memory serves. Couldn't point you toward a UK-based supplier at the moment, but it's a start.


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## KhainiteAssassin (Mar 18, 2009)

simple green i think is sold there, its excellent for paint stripping. most of the all purpose cleaners can basically strip paint.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Many thanks I think i'll try nail varnish remover as Mrs Cabbage has plenty.


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## KhainiteAssassin (Mar 18, 2009)

the cabbage said:


> Many thanks I think i'll try nail varnish remover as Mrs Cabbage has plenty.


be careful, nail polish remover WILL melt plastics / resin if you dont do it right... atleast my exes did for one of my old models. wasnt fun


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## loyalist42 (Sep 7, 2007)

If you can find acetone-free remover, it won't hurt the model. Otherwise, just keep a close eye on 'em.


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## jimmyhoppityhop (Aug 10, 2009)

im loving the space wolves so far, their lookig good so far. keep it up!


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Hey guys, been away for a while.

I tried the acetone free remover,

****************WARNING****************
Even acetone free remover melts some resin parts
***************WARNING*****************

A little upset, I kept the banner for the bit's box some of the parts had turned to jelly. Now in the bin. A 40 quid mistake!!


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## CLT40k (Jun 18, 2010)

Nice looking wolves... + rep

Only thought is that I think they'd pop a little more if you were to paint the flexi bits behind the knees.... but regardless, great looking work!


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

An update finally, i've been doing a chemistry degree in my spare time and the final exam after 7 years study the exam is in two days so the painting has dropped off a bit!!

The forge world dred I tried to strip is dead! I couldn't even face leaving it in the bits box so it has been binned. I started the second squad of blood claws and the last two wolf gaurd, undercoat and drybushing so far.










And I have built the drop pods. I tell you building six off them got a bit emotional. The last two have had the innards stripped out to make them a more beleivable dred pod. A few images:



















And close ups of the dred pods:



















I've got an idea to paint them a bit quicker.

Step 1 - Undercoat with black and the doors open.

Step 2 - Paint interior detail.

Step 3 - Undercoat with grey with doors closed.

Step 4 - Exterior detail.

I'll let you know how it goes. I need to find out how to use the air brush and citadel washes as well. It went disastrously with paint!


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## rich11762 (Jul 18, 2010)

i agree its a sweet bit of work mate love the painting, you do seem to have skimped a bit on your bases tho they are ok, they dont do your lovely models any justice


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

I just can't get the motivation to do anything fancy with the bases, this is about the sixth army i've done to the same scheme.

I also think that over fancy bases suffer against some table tops and I as only paint to game.

But thanks for the comments.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Done a bit of work this weekend, starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

I got bored painting infantry yesterday and decided to try out a scheme for one of the pods. I don't really enjoy painting so i'm always looking for the quick way and this only took a couple of hours. Undercoat the inside black and a metal drybrush and then undercoat with the doors closed Humbrol Tank Grey. Space wolves grey drybrush and a bit of detail and bob's your uncle. I've got six to do so any idea of painting the same way as the dred is out!


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

looking good mate, liking your transfers too, they can be abit tricky sometimes. 

+rep 

Rev


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

TheReverend said:


> looking good mate, liking your transfers too, they can be abit tricky sometimes.
> 
> +rep
> 
> Rev


Thanks pal, however there are no transfers in the entire force. I find they just never come out well.

The left shoulder pads are all metal pads with the raised wolfs head as are the shields on the pod and Ragnars banner. The right shoulder pads are all free painted. Straight lines being the limit of my free hand skills.

I thought a bit more about the bases as well after reading other comments above. However I looked at a few really nice armies with awsome bases and to me the awsome painting is overwhelmed by the overall figure looking too bust and horribly out of place on the table top. The exception are simple effects like the cracked lava pavement on that chaos army last year.

Hopefully finish the second squad of claws tonight.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Second squad of blood claws done,










The army so far, over 1000 points painted now










Only 5 drop pods, 1 dreadnought and 2 Wolfgaurd to go, oh and then the three landspeeders to see me up to 1750.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

A bit of progress over the weekend, not bad considering I went on the piss twice as well.

The last two wolf gaurd.










The first land speeder.





















And the obligitary army so far pick.










That's getting toward 1400 pts done now, 2 speeders and 5 pods to go.


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## sphere830 (Aug 4, 2009)

Great looking Drop force. I look forward to the rest.:biggrin:


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## Orochi (Jan 28, 2009)

Red power weapons...?

You've taken us back to the 80s GW painting 

love it.


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## OIIIIIIO (Dec 16, 2009)

I like it ... lots of very good work done in a very short time. Like the looks of these wolves very much. Keep it up. +Rep

BTW ... you are a brave man for putting your shit on HER doily.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Orochi said:


> Red power weapons...?
> 
> You've taken us back to the 80s GW painting
> 
> love it.


Check out my age on the side. I was actually there for the 1980's power weapons :laugh:. I actually find it impossible not to pick a contrasting colour and varnish a power weapon now. If you see my alpha legion on another thread they have the same orange gloss effect. And my old dark angels and wordbearers had a glossy blue effect.

She hasn't really spotted the use of the doilly either


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Another update, I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Dred number two.










And here he is with his twin, I can't think of a name yet!










And the army so far!!










I only have three pods to do to get the original 1500 on the table and then two speeders to get the 1750 for my first tournie in March!!


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## WinZip (Oct 9, 2010)

I read the whole thread and have to say you have some talent  +rep


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

I've finally finshed the last of the pods and the banners for the dreds and the 1500pts is on the table. I am working towards the 1750 for a tournie in March but already starting to think about tweaking it.

Basically i've spent the extra 250pts on some anti tank land speeders. But if I trade in ragnar and the speeders and the wolf guard I can get two rune priests and two wolf priests, so a character in each squad? Not sure but whatever I decide will appear here. Thanks for all the positive feedback, i'll post army shot later today.



I'm going to post battle reports here because the army is still WIP and it saves linking the threads. All advice on composition and tactics welcome.

Last night I played my mate's Khorne Daemons. He is an average general but seems to be able to pick nasty lists. My list is as above 6 pods, ragnar, 2 dreds, 2 blood claws and two Grey hunters.

His list was

*HQ*

Skulltaker
Skarbrand

*Elite*

Bloodcrusher
Bloodcrusher
Bloodcrusher

*Troops*

Bloodletter x 5 (he had six squads of these)

*Heavy support*

Daemon Prince
Soulgrinder (railgun)
Soulgrinder (basilisk)

14 units!! All fairly un buffed but who needs buffing?

*Turn 1*

He goes first and drops in half his army, Skulltaker, Soulgrinder, 3 x BL, 1 x BC and DP around about 3 out of the five objectives. Then spreads out a little. I then drop three pods into one corner near a couple of the objectives and surrounding the DP. 1 GH and 2 BC with wolf guards. All troops open up on the DP and manage to put him down, just!

*Turn 2*

He drops in 2 x BC, 3 x BL and skarbrand. Basically he now only has 1 soulgrinder left to come. They drop in near the busy corner using an icon and on the two empty objectives. He then charges a squad on GH with a single BC, he kills 2 x GH and I take a wound off him. (ten SW, 1 TH and a PF!!!). I get no reserves! and charge a couple of BC. I kill all three BC (with thirty marines) and lose five in return!

*Turn 3*

He now charges a couple of squads of BL and Skulltaker into my marines and squashes them all. My reserves all turn up. Ragnar and squad near existing lost cause and dreds by isolated BL squads. The dreds smash a squad each with heavy flamers and ragnar and nine marines kill a mighty 3 BL.

*Turn 4*

3 BL charge Ragnar and kill him stone dead! He kills them in return but I now have a squad of GH facing skulltaker some BL and a soulgrinder. Time to pack up.

Overall I got humped and Skarbrand and 2 soulgrinders didn't even take part . This army is probably my worst nightmare as my mobility is completely cancelled out by his and he has 14 units each of which can seriously compete with any of my six in CC. Even small units of BL hit with 15 power weapon attacks at I6 and S6 on the charge. He accidentally used the BC to soak up my charges and will probably use it as a technique in the future. I won't play this army again as it's pointless, it plays itself. He drops in seven hard as fcuk units on turn 1. You can't shoot them all and there is nowhere to hide from that many. I would say that it is the most ludicrously under costed army in the game. It cant shoot but you get so much for your money it doesn't matter. Skulltaker is only 140pts and is arguably the hardest fighter in the game. You are faced with 3 multi wound hard bastards (all T5 for instant death), 2 AV 13 vehicles and nine small squads of nutters. I might paint one myself  Seriously though how does this set up not do well at tournies?

The wolves did OK where they got a chance. The game was also at the lower end of my dice rolling skills. I put about 24 power fist attacks out in the first couple of turns and killed 3 x BC! My buddy made around 60% of his 5+ invulnreables and at one point made 7 out of 8 cover saves. That said my shit luck only hastened the end by around a turn.

Positives are definately the pods and counter attack. The tighter the area you need to get them in is the more reliable they become. The ability to get out on any side makes them even more flexible. Counter attack is also really good for a free 10 attacks!

I am not dispirited by this stuffing but can't see me playing the daemons again. Maybe with my ork horde (100+ models). I am looking forward to playing the wolves again


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

the cabbage said:


> I am not dispirited by this stuffing but can't see me playing the daemons again. I am looking forward to playing the wolves again


Just because you got stuffed by demons the first time you play them shouldn't mean you don't play them again. That seems rather childish. You should be willing to tinker with the list a bit to better suit your enemy. I know I'd be more determined to go back and take revenge.

Try adding a squad of LFs spamming MLs to the list. Also, kitting the dreads out with assault or plasma cannons would be more effective against infantry than the TLLCs. Maybe fewer of those bloodletter units would have gotten to assault.


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## Todeswind (Mar 2, 2010)

the cabbage said:


> And here he is with his twin, I can't think of a name yet!


Fenrir Stonetalon and Greyback Sharpeye.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Khorne's Fist said:


> Just because you got stuffed by demons the first time you play them shouldn't mean you don't play them again. *That seems rather childish*. You should be willing to tinker with the list a bit to better suit your enemy. I know I'd be more determined to go back and take revenge.
> 
> Try adding a squad of LFs spamming MLs to the list. Also, kitting the dreads out with assault or plasma cannons would be more effective against infantry than the TLLCs. Maybe fewer of those bloodletter units would have gotten to assault.


You misunderstand, I am 38!

I won't play them again with this list because it would be pointless. And therefore not fun for me or my buddy. We laughed our way through the game but really accidentally found the army against which I have no chance at all on the first outing.

I could tweak the list to try to defeat this particular but I won't because I enjoy learning the army. If I tweak it it will be for fun or fluff not to defeat a particular army.

I definately will play daemons again just not my buddies Khorne  He also has gaurd, Tau, Nids and Deathwing to play against.

Long fangs will probably make an appearance at some point, probably replacing the dreds in the long run, which I picked for looks rather than effectiveness. Being only AV12 and the only vehicles in the army will see them toasted in most games I think.


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

Well the boys have been out another twice.

*Game 2* vs Deathwing (1 x LRC)

Played a game with only two objectives.

He chose to deploy all his forces around his home objective thus giving me at least a draw really.

I dropped in three pods (2 x GH and 1 x BC) right into his corner for a scuffle. Did a couple of termies with bolters! He made the first two of around twenty 5+ saves he made over the battle.

Basically from there on in Ragnar and three squads got involved in a huge melee with all but one squad of his army for the rest of the game. Eventually only Ragnar and 1 GH survived. Deep struck in a Landspeeder to contest the objective.

He tried to get to one of my dreds with a TH/SS squad. I dropped them both in at distance to snipe with las cannons. They snotted the squad and I held my objective with a squad of BC.

Overall I got the win but it could have been different if he'd thought out his deployment better. Lessons learned were that I might need a cheap troops choice to hold objectives. A quarter of my CC force was used up just holding the objective. Other than that Ragnar proved to be an absolute monster, killing around ten termies and shrugging off a simlar number of invulnerable saves (No eternal warrior remember).

*Game 3* vs Tau

He opted for no reserves and castled up in two buildings and a wood in his deployment area. His army is 3 monat broadsides, five squads of suits and four squads of fire warriors.

I dropped in between two of the castles. Got lucky with shooting and one squad of suits ran off the board. He opened up with two thirds of the army and wiped out a squad of BC. A squad of GH and one of BC with ragnar hit three squads and Ragnar wiped his opponent out. The marines (with DSing dreds) then ate the two castles. I never got to the third but at the end held all but one of five objectives.

This game gave me a lot to think about with respect to characters leading squads. Against weak CC armies like Tau a couple of issues turned up.

1. Ragnar is overpowered! Three times in this game he wiped out an enemy squad in his turn and was left with his arse hanging out to shooting (unbeleivable luck kept him alive again). Wiping them out in his own turn also meant that he never benfited from his saga.

2. Not being able to split of pack leaders means opportunities were missed to charge two soft units. This allowed them to get away and to be honets a full squad with PF and a pack leader was a bit overpowered.

What i'm toying with now is dropping Ragnar, the pack leaders and the speeders and having two wolf priests and two rune priests. That would give me rune priests and an ability to assault a possible eight units. Or leave the character in the squad to assault harder enemies.

I went to the shop to look at ideas for priests and the red shirt suggested a dark angels veteran box with all my spare wolf bits. Iv'e made the four models and will post pics later. I'll probably try out different options before March but i'm always limited by never fielding unpainted models!


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## the cabbage (Dec 29, 2006)

A couple more pics, the army now stands at 2400pts all up but I can only field about 2250 unless it's apocalypse.

Ragnar and his wolf and rune priests. These are done using dark angel veteran bodies for the robes with spares from the wolf sprues. A couple of tzeentch sorceror staffs with wolf blades and bobs your uncle










And the usual army so far. Only the crew for two of the speeders to go from this. Then I've got ten wolf scouts from the army boxes after that.


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