Chappy 'n Cappy (WIP)

The assault terminators were actually practice for my Terminator Chaplain which is now in progress.  Since I'll be doing a few new things with gold and bronze, I decided to do a classic Mk. 7 Ultramarine Captain simultaneously to test.

Chappy 'n Cappy

Note to self: brushing on Dullcote can ruin a paint job

I think I knew this and then forgot it, so I'm going to immortalize it here to remember (the point of this anyhow).

I was brushing on some dullcote and forgot the rule to just apply and not move it around.  If you do it strips off the paint.  Not usually a problem with spraying it on (since you're not brushing and its drying fast).

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1724477/so-you-want-brush-testors-dullcote

So, almost completely destroyed the paint job on this D&D mini, but luckily I noticed it before too much damage had been done.  I was able to fix it enough where hopefully no one except for me will notice.

Termies: Then and Now

Inspired by some reddit posts earlier this month, I decided to create a few collages of the terminators just to see my progress in the past year or so.  It was quite surprising actually to see how much I have improved.  It's funny too, because at the time I did the first set I thought I was doing a great job, and I'm still proud of them, but really they don't look so great next to the new ones.

But its great to see how the vast majority of 40k hobbyists on reddit encourage each other and help everyone improve, because a painted army is way more fun to play against than an unpainted one.

I also can tell I got a bit better at taking and editing the pictures with the phone.  It does seem the latest ones are a bit washed out though.

Assault Termie GIFs

The Assault Terminators are complete but I wanted to continue with the promised follow-up post with time-lapse gifs showing their incremental progress.

The images below span from approximately June to October 2019 starting from just after finishing the base coats.  They might cycle a bit fast.  Next time I might make the gif have a longer delay.

My techniques are continuing to improve, I feel I did much better with the white this time, but still I'm working on using thinner and thinner paint.  It always seems the paint is really hard to control when it is thin, because it gets runny, but it seems that is why the pros use the larger sized brushes?  Still more practice is needed.  Nevertheless, from 2-3 feet away my models look incredible and so I think I should be good to work on my Terminator Chaplain, but perhaps I'll simultaneously work on an old Captain HQ (which I have in duplicate) to test run things first.

I should note that in this picture the two terminators with TH+SS combos in the back row were not stripped and had thick coats of paint that had ruined their detail a bit.  I had purchased them off eBay this way, and rather than deal with harsh chemicals, and mostly due to laziness, I decided to see how well my paint job would hide it.  With the camera you can definitely tell (which is why I didn't take any close-ups of those two), but from a distance they look fine.

I think in the future to take better time lapse pictures for any more than one model I might mark their positions on the paper that I use for a backdrop.  Sorry that they jump around, but the whole point of this blog is to document things I learn as I go.

Speaking of learning - on reddit I just now ran into a link to painting tutorials by Darren Latham, they're really good and he has some on painting faces, power swords, and black armor - all very relevant things for me.  I think this is the next step for my personal progression - and specifically how diluted the paint is he works with and how he applies it.

Assault Termies Complete!

Just completed my Assault Terminators and I'm very happy with the results.  Maybe in my next post I'll compare the progress I've made since the (standard) Terminator squad a year ago, but even I was amazed.

These represent some of the first models that I've painted that weren't originally bought years ago, but instead purchased much later on ebay to fill in my 'classic' Rogue Trader era collection.  They're all done (note the lead picture was taken just before the final step of adding silver highlights after the dullcoat - forgot to retake that picture, will fix later).

I do have a Terminator Chaplain (hint as to next project) which is a bit beyond the classics but fills in my all termie HQs, and so these models were picked up to go with him and also be a practice run.

Thus explains the color scheme.  However, just like my red Ultramarine Terminator squad, these black Assault Termies are veterans who get to adorn their armor with an alternate color (says me).  I was never a fan of the very rigid color schemes that they pushed people into.  Anyway, there's examples of this with Deathwing, and I came up with this plan way before there were such in-depth codices, its just taken this long to implement it.

So I wanted to get black power armor practice which means it was time to learn a new skill: edge painting.  I found the Giovanni Di Lena tutorial and went to work.  Also, I needed upgrades which I posted about earlier - the improved brushes, wet palette, and most importantly, the magnifying glasses.  It really helped to be able to see the details.  While the steady hand and figuring out how to work with the various colors is always a constant struggle that you can really only learn through experience, just seeing what your doing is surprisingly important!

Also, the excel spreadsheet really helped me to focus on getting work done every night rather than sitting around for half the time (no joke) trying to remember the plan.  I highly recommend these things.  It took almost exactly 75 hours to paint all 10 (doesn't include assembly or priming).  For comparison, the Librarian was 12.6 hours, so adding models as you might expect can increase efficiency a bit.

I didn't have a pot of Dark Reaper, so I used 50/50 VMC Basalt Gray and VMC Black, it worked fine I think, but we'll see next time (I got some of the Dark Reaper now).

Also, this was the first time I was successful at lettering and the text on the purity seals with paint on a brush rather than using the micropoint pen.  Again quite a step up.  I lucked out here and got all 3 letters on the first try.

In a continuation post I'll show some WIP pictures as they progressed through various stages.  To get the extra white backgrounds I bumped up the exposure on the pictures a bit, which looks more washed out on the PC as compared to the phone screen.  I'll have to play around with it more.

Painting upgrades

I've got a project that I've been working on for awhile now and I am close to sharing it.  I've so far logged 51.7 hours and I estimate about 20 more hours to go.

In the meantime, for this project I wanted to make significant improvements, so for that goal I started using a wet palette finally, got some nice Raphael 8404s  and Winsor & Newton 7 series brushes, some brush cleaner, and a magnifying headset.  I am pretty sure they have all helped a lot.

While before I was using this very same palette (which is for water colors) I was only using it to mix paints with slow dry blending medium.  The paint would stay good for a few hours.  But now with the parchment paper and wet paper towels the paint can last many days.  I have had to get used to some of the new behaviors (for example it seems to separate so you have to mix it a bit, and I cant use the paperclip I used before as it will rip through, so I use an old brush to mix).

I got two types of Raphaels, the 8404s and an 8408.  I think the 8404s are much better, the 8408 is too pointed with a very long central hair and it doesn't work quite right.  The Winsors are even better than the 8404s!  I have a bunch of different sizes, but so far the 4/0 Raphael is working well and the 3/0 to a lesser degree.  I've only tried the 000 Winsor so far but with great results for getting thin lines into tight areas.  Now I just have to get better, since I've gotten the equipment recommended by the pros!

The brush cleaner is great, don't know how I was able to work without it before.

Finally, the magnifying glasses are amazing.  I searched and saw a recommendation for this brand and it comes with several lenses at different magnifications.  I started with 2.5x but have been able to go up to the max 3.5x and again I don't know what I did before.  It goes through batteries pretty quick though.

Hope to show my results very soon.

D&D Tiefling

As a side project I painted up a friend's Tiefling cleric for D&D.  I used contrast paints and put this together in just a few hours, and most of that time was waiting for the base spray to dry.  I think it turned out all right for a first shot.  Definitely I observed some 'coffee staining' especially with the black.  Also, if I had known I would have used a different set of blues, I tired Ultramarines Blue for the skin and Leviadon Blue for hair, but it ended up looking about the same, so I had to use some washes of lighter conventional blue to bring up the skin tone.

Sigmatus is Saved!

Kill Team Battle Report
Mission: Extraction

Ultramarines: Kill Team Rubrum
Librarian Isaac Theodesius - (Psyker Specialism) (VIP) - Stoic
Brother Sgt Tourbillion - (Leader Specialism) - Phlegmatic
Brother Veridian, Assault Cannon - (Heavy Specialism) - Stolid
Brother "Blaze" Ezekiel, Heavy Flamer - (Demolitions Specialism) - Choleric
Brother "Clown" Curry - (Comms Specialism) - Jovial
Brother "Billy" Williams - Equanimous

Death Guard Kill Team: The Corrosive Regiment
Plague Champion - Grossicus Bloatoci - Plasma Pistol (Leader)
Plague Marine Gunner - Crustus the Foul - Blight Launcher (Demolitions)
Plague Marine Gunner - Torgut Stenchspreader - Bolter
Plague Marine Fighter - Dr. Spew - Flail of Corruption
Plague Marine Fighter - Dorium Pusscleaver - Great Plague Cleaver
Poxwalker - Hatchet
Poxwalker - Fetliox
Poxwalker - Billy Poxpicker

Play-by-Play

Battle Round 1:
Theodesius's Tactical Planner roll only yielded +1 CP
Death Guard's Grandfather's Blessing is successful and buffs Crustus the Foul
Death Guard took +6 CP for points difference

Death Guard win initiative

Movement Phase:
Death Guard moving in.  Librarian Theodesius advanced (via tactic) down ladder and got into LOS blocking cover while Clown and Veridian got into position to support and lay down suppressing fire.  Sgt. Tourbillion and Blaze went up from the right and Billy up from the left to cover the advancing enemies from across the catwalk.

Psyker Phase:
Failed to manifest Null Zone
Manifested Veil of Time on Billy

Shoot Phase:
Crustus the Foul scored regular wound on Veridian
Sgt. Tourbillion scored one flesh wound on lead poxwalker "Hatchet"

Morale Phase:
Death Guard passed all nerve tests

--
Battle Round 2:

Ultramarines win initiative

Movement Phase:
2 Plague Marine Fighters running in from the left, 2  Plauge Marine Gunners into cover on the right.  1 poxwalker "Hatchet" charged while 2 more and leader got almost across the catwalk.  Theodesius advanced back up the ladder behind Sgt Tourbillion as Blaze moved forward to cleanse the platform.  Clown readied and Veridian tucked in closer to stay in cover.

Psyker Phase:
Null Zone failed again
Psybolt smites poxwalker Fetliox!

Shoot Phase:
Blaze flames Billy Poxpicker and wounds him
Tourbillion finishes off Billy Poxpicker with withering Stormbolter fire
Grossicus Bloatoci  scores a flesh wound on Tourbillion via overcharged plasma
Veridian fills Torgut Stenchspreader with thousands of rounds from his righteous Assault Cannon (insta out of action)
Crustus the Foul's blight launcher blows up Blaze! (No doubt the Grandfather's blessing helped)

Morale Phase:
Ultramarines pass nerve tests (come on they're Ultramarines)

---
Battle Round 3:

Ultramarines win initiative

Movement Phase:
Clown kills Dr. Spew via lucky overwatch Stormbolter to the face!

Tourbillion charges Grossicus
Veridian moves up ladder

Psyker Phase:
Null Zone - failed
Psybolted poxwalker to smite him!

Fight phase:
Tourbillion scores a flesh wound on the leader
Tourbillion's terminator armor saves a punishing attack

---
Battle Round 4:

Death Guard win Initiative

Movement:
Dorium charges Clown from behind a wall (we decide he doesn't get a reaction because he couldn't see him)
Theodesius moves down catwalk to the left, Billy moves to cover the ladder, Veridian moves to look down on the right side of the platform to shoot at Blight Launcher.

Psyker Phase:
Psybolt resisted by leader
Veil of Time is manifested on Tourbillion

Shoot phase:
Veridian misses the buffed Crustus the Foul but takes a flesh wound in return

Fight phase:
Clown dodges a big axe (twice, after a 1 and another 1 on re-roll!)

Tourbillion and Grossicus dance around

Variable Battle length ends on roll of 2!

Ulramarines win as Theodesius manifests a giant Null Zone to abate the warpstorms!

MVP of the match: Crustus the Foul!

---

Analysis:
Jack's list was quite a few points less than mine which he elected to take 6 CPs for.  Also, having the free VIP commander helped out a lot - while the VIP starts injured in the mission, it didn't affect his psyker powers.  Even though Terminators get a bad rap for being over-costed nowadays, it seems they still edged out a bit vs Jack's non-elite troops.  Wining initiative for battle-rounds 2 and 3 gave me another edge, and just in general I got some lucky rolls during those rounds that allowed me to get a numbers advantage.  If the rolls had gone the other way I could have been overwhelmed just enough where he could have snared Theodesius into melee and gotten him.  Finally, we weren't sure about charge rules up ladders (turns out you can) so we decided that it would be weird and disallowed it.  This allowed me to play a few shenanigans running away up and down the ladder that probably helped.  Still, if we had gotten that right, I still had good odds with the ability to retreat from a charge.  Next time we'll get it right.

Before the match I listed out all of the tactics available to me from the 3 rule books (approximately 20) which helped a lot.  I had focused on the re-roll, the mission VIP advance/charge, and the Look Out Sir! but turned out I was lucky enough to only need to re-roll.  I also think I'm getting a bit faster, Kill Team is definitely a good way to build up familiarity with the weapons and roll details before going back to a larger 40k game.

++++Transmission: Adeptus Astartes Ultra++++

WARP THREAT ALLEVIATED IN SIGMATUS

Date: 6554019.M42

Location: Agro World Horrdeum

Sub Sector: Sigmatus

ATT: Primus Leo Exevio Faustus

I am pleased to inform you commander that I have successfully manifested a class 3 Null Zone in the vicinity of the foci of the empyrean disturbance in the Sigmatus sector.  This has had the effect of reducing the turbulence and has closed the local dimensional tear. 

Kill Team Rubrum came to my aid and performed admirably while I was in a weakened state from the long-distance teleportation.  Brother Ezekiel was injured with severe burns but should make a recovery. 

The guard regiment will clean up the remains and the Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus have arrived to evaluate the local populations and investigate.  We will be leaving within the hour. 

I will discuss my further findings with you upon my arrival.

Regards,

Isaac Theodeius

REF: 88Z/04593-79857-865GF3939012

THOUGHT: The most deviant mind is often concealed in an unblemished body.  BBB 5th 112

 ++++Transmission End++++

Kill Team Rubrum in the Battle for Sigmatus

++++Transmission: Adeptus Astartes Ultra++++
THE ONGOING BATTLE FOR SIGMATUS
Date: 6540019.M42

Location: Agri World Horrdeum
Sub Sector: Sigmatus

MISSION BRIEFING

KILL TEAM RUBRUM: You will decide the Battle for Sigmatus.

HONOR the memories of your fallen brethren who brunted attack from the immaterium
SING the GLORIES of Librarian Epistolary Cain who died burning the minds of the Chaos witches before him.
VALOROUS are the veterans of SQUAD RUBRUM who withstood the continuing renegade assault. First among them is Brother "BLAZE" Ezkiel who immolated legions of traitors with his legendary HEAVY FLAMER.
DON the raiment of TERMINATOR TACTICAL DREADNOUGHT ARMOR for this mission.
DEPLOY via teleportation to the proximity of the derelict agri processing facility and listening outpost APF3 on Agri World Horrdeum.
FIND the most venerable LIBRARIAN Epistolary Prior Isaac THEODESIUS at the facility teleportarium.
PROTECT LIBRARIAN THEODESIUS until the fatigue has subsided from long distance teleportation through the fierce WARPSTORMS.
THEODESIUS will take up Cain's errand to intone the esoteric masteries of the chapter to MANIFEST a NULL ZONE and stanch the streams of chaos emanating from the storms.
YOU CANNOT FAIL

MISSION: Extraction
SCOUTING PHASE: NO


REF: 09Q/99981-67134-813804099191
THOUGHT: Do not wish the insanity of the immaterium upon any foe, it just makes more of the bastards. RAF
 ++++Transmission End++++

Terminator Librarian Complete! Isaac Theodesius

Presenting Epistolary Prior Isaac Theodesius!

Only took twenty-five years.  The 1991 Citadel catalog lists him as "Librarian RTB/6".  My skills are finally worthy to give him a decent coat of paint.  Been really looking forward to finishing him -psyker powers, especially from Rogue Trader, were always really cool.

I paint in the old style, and also I wanted to have a combination of dramatic lighting effects and effects that made his armor look very ancient.  Thus, especially around the feet I didn't fill in all of the shades of color to leave things looking shadowy and also covered with sooty grime in the corners of the armor.  If you've ever visited old churches in Europe where they don't dust, I was going for the same thing.  The gothic style and veneration of battle artifacts would probably mean they also don't clean anything they don't have to.

As I had posted with an earlier preview while WIP, I took a heraldic quartering pattern that worked great.  I layered on the whites starting from a dark gray and slowly built up.  And like wise with the blue.

Layering on the gold and other bits was a lot of fun now that I've had a lot of experience from the prior tactical marines and lieutenant.