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Hi everyone. I've returned to the hobby after a 10+ year absence and last week I purchased my first Primaris squad. I was actually inspired by @SCC 's Brazen Claws years ago and wanted to try my hand at them using GW's painting techniques. So far I've finished one marine (sans some shading and the chapter icon etc): This second marine was a freebie from the local GW store, so I am using it more to test highlighting: And here is the full squad in various pieces. I am terrible at painting faces / eyes so the helmetless marine will get a re-do at the end. I've learned a ton about painting this time around and will be working a lot harder at thinning paints on the next batch! More to come.

When I left the hobby 10+ years ago, a large number of friends and peers here on the B&C were just beginning to explore DIY chapters vs painting traditional space marine chapters. So when I returned to the forum I immediately spent time scanning the Forge to see what people were working on and if anything immediately inspired me. I ended up test painting an old 4th edition mini as a Crimson Fist when I stumbled upon an old post by @SCCwho had a number of Brazen Claws he had painted. I had remembered his army from when before I left and was immediately enamored with the quarters scheme that included red as well as the darker blue I was already testing for the Crimson Fists. I pivoted and was able to use a test mini (gifted by my local GW) and really liked what I saw (Model is still WIP and mostly used for testing, hence it being unfinished): Despite the warnings of many I found the quarters scheme to be an enjoyable challenge (though not too challenging) to paint and I also spent time diving into the lore. The Brazen Claws are a second-founding chapter, but there really isn't a lot of content out there on them. For a long time they were rumored to be lost to chaos, but that fluff gap was corrected during my absence from the hobby. This was exactly the flexibility I was looking for as I wasn't quite ready to re-launch my own DIY chapter dreams just yet. Since they are an Iron Hands successor there is flexibility in model adaptations there as well. To start I've purchased one intercessors squad, and I'll be working on that over the coming weeks. I'll be sharing my progress, my challenges and my learnings and as I move through that squad I'll ultimately decide if I want to keep going with the Brazen Claws or move onto another chapter. I hope you enjoy reading and following and I am really looking forward to your dialogue and feedback!

Many, many moons ago, in the dying days of 3rd Ed I posted my first B&C minis - a battle squad of Brazen Claws. Many years (and I mean years) later I completed that squad: I also wrote an Index Astartes for the Brazen Claws in those early years (link in the sig for the interested) but, beyond adding a Dreadnought and a few test minis I never did much more with the BC. It was much the same story with my other armies - a new DA army, Wolves and more - I dabbled but never committed until my recent Raven Guard army Shadow Force Dragomir. I burnt out on painting about a year ago and SFD remains incomplete, though still almost 1600 points strong (again, a link in the sig for the interested). The itch to paint has returned, as it always does, and this time I've decided to scratch it with a new, more GrimDark Brazen Claw army in line with the new fluff GW and BL have put out for the BC - their homeworld destroyed, reduced to a mere 400 battered Marines in their self-imposed penitent crusade into the Eye of Terror and with at least one Company turned to Nurgle. With that new reality in mind the 2013 SCC Brazen Claw is darker, dirtier and more damaged than the bright, clean early 2000's model. Below is my first test model: The red is a few shades darker and considerably less highlighted whilst the blue is completely transformed from the earlier models. I've also added some chips and scratches and tried to use some pigment powders to add dirt to the Marine. In general I'm pretty happy with the colours, including the 'ceramite grey' chips instead of the more usual metallic silver, although I clearly need to work on skin tones and robes and tone down the purity seal red a bit too. I've also ditched some of my old quartering gimmicks such as highlighting and blacklining delineations and just let the colours meet more naturally. Recipes (for me as much as anyone) - Everything over a black basecoat naturally. Red: Vallejo reds worked up to approx. Red Gore highlights, green wash for shading plus a Blood letter glaze for surfaces exposed to the light to give them a little more vibrancy. Blue: Necron Abyss base worked up to Mordian blue highlights. Druchii Violet and Asurmen Blue used to shade the blue and give it depth, I'm going to try a glaze next time too I think. Chips: Black base, Mechanicus Standard Grey main colour with Eshin Grey for depth and Codex Grey for highlights. I haven't trompe l'oiel'd (spelling) the chips because I haven't quite got my head around the process for that despite several tries with EC and SW. The base is a simple test right now, I'm still leaning towards a desert/sand base (I think it needs a full brown/yellow colour without the black shading I've used here) but I'm also considering a proper mud base - I've got some MIG mud and some water effects stuff I'd like to try out for bases too. C&C welcome as is advice on weathering powder - I've really not got the hang of it, I tried it on some pre-Heresy EC too (with and without fixer) and the end effect, post varnish, is always too muted and/or muddy.