Dead Space Marines

[CommodusXIII]

 

I've seen some pretty flagrant LOS abuse in the past, but this takes the MODELING FOR ADVANTAGE grand prize.

 

Not sure if you're serious on not Commodus, but these bases are used to represent battlefield attrition and are used after a unit is killed, NOT as active game units....

 

 

I'm not being serious, but there is an award.

 

Edited June 3, 2018 by CommodusXIII

[Kierdale]

Great work!

 

I’ve often wanted to model more minis as walking wounded, but never as corpses.

[Vairocanum]

Fantastic stuff, I too share your interest in dead marines! I have done some of my own but most of them focused on single casualties instead of these huge scenes. The latest stuff looks so good, definitely looking forward to seeing more!

[Brother Morgan]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've been wanting to make a diorama for a number of years now and finally plucked up the courage. I wanted a scene that depicted the pointlessness of war after watching a few WW1 documentaries. I started with a crashed Aquila Lander from the Battle for Macragge set and some das pronto modelling clay on an A4 piece of plasticard and decided the Imperial Guard were prepared at all costs to retrieve a vital piece of equipment:

 

 

I then used a lot of milliput, Imperial and Necromunda bits and models from FW Chaos renegades and Dark Vengeance cultists to get to this:

 

 

 

I wanted to have one of the dead crew/pilot surrounded by all the enemies he managed to kill in this scene.

 

 

 

You can see the earth basecoat has already been applied. I expect a lot of weathering on this diorama and plan on learning new skills (e.g. using water effects in the craters).

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to show death in a number of different ways, from death by spade.......

 

 

...to being run through by a bayonet!

 

 

I had a real blast making this and over the Christmas period I painted the base coats which I’ll show in a later update.

 

PS: As I was having so much fun, I will be adding another A4 tile with Imperial Guard reinforcements.

 

 

 

Till next time.......

[Lasuria]

Well, that's grimdark alright ^^

(having watched a lot a WW1 documentaries too -and beeing french-, I get where you're coming from :) )

[lionofjudah]

Wow

[Doghouse]

Very nice, I really like this it has a Halo memorial diorama feel to it. :tu:

[Brother Pheidias]

Gruesome. Terribly appropriate!

[Grotsmasha]

Great to see you with a new project Brother Morgan :tu:

[Brother Morgan]

Thank you Lasuria, lionofjudah, doghouse, Brother Pheidius and Grotsmasha for your comments.

 

I’ve made some progress on my diorama:

 

 

I've base coated and shaded all the elements of the diorama. There are highlights to be completed on all of the models as well as weathering and spilled blood. The Aquila lander needs to have a bit of work as well.

 

 

 

I've used Vallejo Still Water Effects on 2 small pools for the first time. I'm semi happy on how they have turned out. It's still drying so is still a bit cloudy, but once fully dry, it should dry clear.

 

 

I have a few "zombies" that need to have skulls and rib cages finished as well.

 

 

I've also got to pick out the teeth in all of the Cadians as well.

 

 

 

The plague zombies need to have "boils" etc finished and also their horns. I will be sponging on "rust" to all metal surfaces of the renegades as well.

 

 

Whilst painting, I inadvertently knocked off the spade stuck in the renegades head and both bayonets stuck in the renegades bodies elsewhere on this diorama. I'll re-attach them at the end.

 

 

 

 

You can see where the second diorama joins the first at the bottom of this shot.

 

 

I've basecoated and shaded the earth bits of the second diorama whilst waiting for the "water" effects are drying.

 

I'm back in work now, so progress will slow down now, so until next time ......

 

Regards, Brother Morgan.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Brother Morgan

[Elzender]

Sir, hats off to you. The diorama is looking jaw-dropping, cannot wait to see it finished and the next part. May I suggest a general wash with some dark colour, as to make the scene bleaker? I think it would fit the tone of the diorama.

[Brother Morgan]

Sir, hats off to you. The diorama is looking jaw-dropping, cannot wait to see it finished and the next part. May I suggest a general wash with some dark colour, as to make the scene bleaker? I think it would fit the tone of the diorama.

Thanks Elzender for your suggestion. I will tone it all down with a lot of earth weathering I will sponge on all of the models feet, legs and arms/elbows. Once that is done, I’ll make a decision if it needs further washes.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Even though the diorama is incomplete, it still looks impressive at this stage. I admire your dedication to this project; it can't be easy to paint so many tightly packed bodies, even if they're lying down.

 

Will you paint signs of decay on the bodies furthest from the crashed shuttle, to indicate how long the battle lasted?

Edited January 5, 2019 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Brother Morgan]

Even though the diorama is incomplete, it still looks impressive at this stage. I admire your dedication to this project; it can't be easy to paint so many tightly packed bodies, even if they're lying down.

Will you paint signs of decay on the bodies furthest from the crashed shuttle, to indicate how long the battle lasted?

I’ll be honest Bjorn, it hasnt been that bad as they are close together - just time consuming! What I have found though is the sheer number of Models has been really hard to paint. The new tile has 72 guardsmen to paint and as they are more spaced out, I am having difficulty getting the brush in to all the awkward places!

 

With regards to decaying flesh, I have tried to do that on all of the renegades already by using “necrotic flesh”. I hadn’t considered doing it on the Cadians as it hasn’t been that long since the Aquila crashed and unfortunately for the crew, the cavalry didn’t arrive in time to rescue them. Also, I struggle painting faces as I don’t feel I have a steady enough hand to paint highlights on their faces. I tried doing the highlights On one of the cadians and felt the highlights were to “jarring” so I haven’t done anymore since. I need to pluck up the courage to do those!

 

Regards, Brother Morgan

[Elzender]

I would say that highlighting all the faces might not be necessary. With a battleground full of mud and dirt, rain, explosions and excavated trenches, it wouldn't be hard to get a dirty face, even more for a dead body lying on the ground. You could just give the skin a wash to pick up the details, and then even lightly sponge some dirt on the face, to represent a splash of mud from nearby explosions or from falling to the ground. Edited January 5, 2019 by Elzender

[Crizza]

Great work, but... is he teabagging? :D

[Pearson73]

Absolutely stunning mate, I salute the effort and thought put into such a project.

[Brother Morgan]

Thanks to everyone that has commented. It does motivate you to do more when you hear positive and constructive comments.

 

 

I managed to finish my first diorama over the weekend and thought you'd like to see the progress I've made:

This is an overview shot of the whole of the base. I weathered the soldiers with sponged on mud, which you will see in some of the close up shots shortly. I cannot believe the number of hours I have put into this project!!

I'm still not 100% happy with the water effect in this crater. I'm not sure if I poured in too much at the sametime, but it didn't dry out perfectly clear. I added a red wash to suggest blood leaking out of the wounds.

I tried to make the entrails look a bit more realistic, so after painting them purple and putting a purple wash over them, I added a small amount of clear red to imitate blood.

I stuck the lasgun bayoneting a renegade back on - see how long it stays there!!!

Someone has lost their entrenching tool!

I like to tell a story - in this shot you can see the Cadian has bayonetted a Renegade and has succumbed to his own wounds and died on the enemy he has just slain!

Just to show there's no rest for the wicked, here's a WIP of the next tile I have started to paint!

Till next time, Brother Morgan

 

[apologist]

I hesitate to say 'wonderful'; but only because it's such a sobering scene. Oddly moving; which is entirely appropriate. A really very striking and beautifully executed diorama.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

DAMN, that's impressive work. I know I lack the patience to detail so many models in so... crowded... a diorama.

[High_King_Mathorne]

Man this is just awesome stuff. Really gives the grimdark, gritty vibe!

[War Angel]

I love the scene you've created here, it's amazing. I must say though.... there should be much more blood. Most of these men appear to have died from heart attacks.

[Brother Morgan]

Just going through some photos and thought I'd add some new dead space marines!!

 

The Imperial Guard diorama is gathering dust at the moment as my Deathwatch army has grown.

 

Here are some of my "new" dead space marines:

 

 

 

 

 

Till next time.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Impressive work, Brother Morgan. Will the dead Marines serve as objective markers? Or will you use them as base decorations, and pose enemies of the Imperium standing triumphantly atop them?

[pawl]

Just gone through this whole thread, and I think you've painted more dead models than I've ever managed to paint living ones!

Incredible work though, absolutely love your dedication and execution!