Gold!

Just a quick update! Gold painted with Vallejo liquid old gold.

Now just waiting for my AP Soft Tone ink wash to give some depth to the gold.

No plan survives contact with the enemy

One of the principal goals of my Badab War is to put into practice the many theories and techniques I have been reading about for the past couple of years. In the first foray into the hobby back in '07 I gave no fore fought into what I was doing. No prep, just slap paint and get on with it. I returned to the hobby a few years ago but gave up again pretty quickly in the face prospect of re-assembling and re-painting. This time around I've wrote endless lists and read articles, books and watched videos over and again and have a clear idea what I am doing.

Then I changed it, missed out steps and the end result is frustration and a end result I am unhappy with it. Thankfully I had the bright idea to stop what I was doing before mucking up the models further but I guess what I am saying, make a plan and stick to it! Write it down, step by step of how you paint your minis. Print it out, draw it - whatever - just put it somewhere that's always in sight you and you'll never go wrong.

First Cohort

In my previous post I talked about the method I am using to paint my old school Space Marines quickly as possible. Not to much care is afforded to them as they are basically for numbers. The idea is to make them 'game' ready and that is all.

With my 'proper' marines the process is different. First I use a white primer sprayed directly on top to give very basic zenithal lighting. I then prime the model in the chain mail. My preference would be to use a Vallejo air brush primer and use a grey for the darker areas, white for the light but I have loads of this chain mail primer left and this is more an exercise in making do with my existing materials. 

First Cohort primed and ready to paint

Once primed I use VMA Gun mixed with VMA Black (3:1) spray directly from the bottom for shadows.
 I spray Vallejo Model Air Silver from a 45 degree angle followed by a VMA Silver and VMA White (2:1) mixed directly from the top.
This is followed by a heavy black / blue wash (2:2:1 mix using Badab Black / Asurman Blue / Water) to give the metal a cobalt look, I am not being particular careful in the application though I do try to avoid pooling.
With all my airbrush paints I use Vallejo thinner at about 5:1 though this isn't a precise science and I am still very much learning.

Primed

Shadows Added

Light Added

Heavy Wash

In the next post I will be bringing back some shine to the armor! If you have any advice, tips please let me know!

And so it begins!

Over the past few days I've been cleaning and priming, all in all 40 models ready to go! The plan is to paint through sub-assembly. I've learnt the hard way when trying to paint a completed with or without an airbrush so I am not to eager to paint 40+ models in the traditional manner. The exception to the rule are the 20 oddschool space marines I inherited from my mate. There one piece models and my attempts to convert them where pretty fruitless.

20 of these shoulder pads where not fun

The plan is straight forward for these chaps, simply base coat them with Army Painter chainmail, this is followed by a heavy black wash (still debating which wash to use) then dry brush the original shade of silver back in key areas. This will be followed by a thinned brown wash for weathering and warmth. Before I wash with the black I'll block in the coloured areas (pads, chest etc) then reapply the colour where need be. I'll probably use a heavily thinned blue wash on the pads. I'll add some highlights and my weathering. At the moment I am toying with using Army Painter Dark Tone dip I got a couple of years ago, though I will need to thin it down.

The Tyrant of Badab pt.2 We are Legion

The story of story of the Badad War lends itself well to creating a legion based chapter, something  I had in mind for quite sometime. I've dithered about a 30/40k hybrid but settled on a pure Emp's Children to be tackled later. As I want an army to be Roman-Macedonian-Greek inspired yet retain the uniqueness that Ultra Smurfs lack, the toss up was between Red Scorpions and Astral Claws. The obvious solution is todo both!

I am Beginning with the Astral Claws given as I explained previously the sheer amount of random SM bits I have and the fact I want an army ready in pretty quick time. I will be building the army straight from IA 9 with 6th updates thrown in (like AA/Flyers etc). The interesting bit is my Guard 'Auxilia'. I had fancied doing a Steel Legion / Death Korp mashup but the cost and aesthetic put me off so I abandoned that project but not before buying a ton of Victoria mini stuff and pig iron heads. I had thought previously of just sticking them together to use eventually as mass conscripts for my Helghast but this gave them little purpose and I didn't particular relish the idea of painting 100+ models just for occasional used fodder. Now they are to be re-purposed as the Legion Auxilia with my basic fluff being that these are the proto Helghast who commit there forgeworld to the Tyrants cause. Thus the Helghan Mk.1's as I call them will follow a mix match make up to give the impression of a people pressed into service using whatever was to hand. In gamey terms they'll play the part of conscripts for my proper Helghan army, be large enough to be played as DkoK should I choose it and look a little like cultists for my future Red Corsairs.

The Tyrant of Badab Pt.1

So once again I am deviating from my Helghast Army, predominately as I await the release of new parts from a variety of bit makers. With this unforeseen delay I've had time to reflect and think before I commit to any of my projects. 

My problem has always been I start a project full throttle and they immediately lose interest or become so bogged down in the details that I lose all will power to continue. This has resulted in my Imperial Guard being built, painted, stripped, re-painted, stripped and disassembled. Like wise my first foray into the hobby was via the Ultra Smurfs who subsequently became Black Templars then Dark Angels. I then passed this lot onto my younger brother who proceeded to paint everything in thick humbrol oil paints with as much ask skill as a 9 year old would. There they sat for several years before being stripped once again. I also inherited my friends old SM army, old being the key word as the majority of the figures where 2nd and 3rd edition and in a bad way. I had also impulsively bought a ebay job lot of space wolves and various other marines and on top of that I have a mountain of bits from all sorts of places. 

So dozens of marines, several rhinos, two Land Raiders and what amounts to a huge mess of Space Marines with no aim in mind. Until now. Enter the Tyrant of Badab

I've always been intrigued by the story of Lufgt Huron and the Astral Claws, though poorly written in my opinion they do present a interested canvas to model a chapter on. The idea of a chapter gone rogue through the non cliche-cheese of Chaoictic intervention appeals to me, to often Space Marines are depicted as god like entities who rarely display anything other then two emotions, anger and passiveness. Here is a chapter who in attempt to achieve the greater good they break the rules in the face of the infective bureaucracy of the Imperium eventually sub-coming to hubris and pride in a conflict they didn't want. This is the hook for me as it shows a human element to the almighty Space Marines! The nature of the war and the legion-chapter makeup gives me an excuse to utilise my mish mash of marines and bits to create a truly unique army. So hear goes, I am committing to a Badab War project!

Working away....

Unfortunately not on my armies. Real life and a few games have kept me occupied but I have been planning. Oh yes with new releases around the corner it's been much easier to plan ahead.

First I've organised my first two projects. Theses will function as a proof of concept and a way to learn airbrushing before I start my Helghast army. Secondly the new planning has enabled me use up my current bit stock pile so I can really choose the bits I like and see where I'm lacking.

I'll follow up with a posts on each respective army build!