Mantis Warriors

[Grizzly_bear]

Damn praise from ceaser himself. No pressure mate! You keep carrying on like this and i might have to commison you instead of rob!

 

 

:cuss

[Doghouse]

A D-B: Thanks mate, greatly appreciate the compliment. I think that a lot of the inspiration for this guy comes from having played far too much Space Marine online of late, there is something about seeing one of these guys running around the battle field rather than just a picture that really does get you thinking about the possibilities of what you can pull off with marines if you throw convention to the wind and just go for it.

I'm dead set now on making each model as individual possible within the limits of the base model and just seeing where it goes.

 

Tellos05: I think that Rob is far more methodical and reliable than me when it comes to painting minis mate, plus he is a really talented painter to boot.

 

Dorns_fist: Bit gutted I'm not on xbox live at the moment to hear the fallout from that comment Rob, it did make me laugh though! :cuss

 

I think Tellos's marines are in far safer hands with you doing them mate. :)

[Kierdale]

Throne, that's outstanding work!

The face is particularly striking. So realistic!

[Dorns Templar]

I agree, thats awesome work.

[Gitsplitta]

Cheers guys. ;)

 

Gitsplitta: I really think that your guys are seriously inspiration stuff mate. The way that you think outside the box including rogue trader era models is awesome and your conversions are really cool especially the use of the Tranquility campaign camo scheme on your guys.

What I'm hoping to do with my guys is use the Tyrants Legion list to bolster the marines with human Chapter Bondsmen to represent their dwindling numbers during and after the war.

I'm glad you find them inspirational Doghouse. They've been a 20-year long companion of mine, but it's only in the last two years that I decided that I was going to really try and do them right.

 

That sounds like a fantastic premise to build an army on. Given the true scale tutorial in your sig... did you give any thought to doing the marines in true scale and the bondsman as normal sized humans? Just curious.

[Doghouse]

Cheers guys! :)

 

Gitsplitta: Make sure you stick at it mate, I've been enjoying your progress for a long while now.

 

Yeah I must admit that I did at first consider truescale but it is a major chore at times but at the same time great fun if that makes any sense? :D

 

Before I found the Crowe model I was looking at reverse engineering truescaling using LotR rings models to represent Legion Auxila (which are true 28mm as opposed to the heroic 32-38mm models of 40k) which lead to me using regular marines but with the smaller metal marine heads. The LotR Corsair heads would be perfect for Space Wolves which lead to briefly doing a pre-heresy force of them but in the end I settled for the Mantis Warriors after recently trying to resurrect this thread with the Stern Guard marine seen earlier.

 

After accidently stumbling across the Crowe model I quickly realised that if I used him as the basis because he is so big along with heads from the like of Sergeant Chronus and the Chapter Masters models I should be able to make a truescale marine with minimal effort.

They work out about £1.50 fifty more expensive than my terminator method of truescaling but are so much easier and quicker to put together.

[Grizzly_bear]

A D-B: Thanks mate, greatly appreciate the compliment. I think that a lot of the inspiration for this guy comes from having played far too much Space Marine online of late, there is something about seeing one of these guys running around the battle field rather than just a picture that really does get you thinking about the possibilities of what you can pull off with marines if you throw convention to the wind and just go for it.

I'm dead set now on making each model as individual possible within the limits of the base model and just seeing where it goes.

 

Tellos05: I think that Rob is far more methodical and reliable than me when it comes to painting minis mate, plus he is a really talented painter to boot.

 

Dorns_fist: Bit gutted I'm not on xbox live at the moment to hear the fallout from that comment Rob, it did make me laugh though! :lol:

 

I think Tellos's marines are in far safer hands with you doing them mate. ;)

 

 

He's getting hell don't you worry and thanks for the compliment on the painting any way Steve, always great to hear that from some one with celebrity status as you self :)

 

PRIMATCH DOGHOUSE.... LEGION COLOUR: Tenticle Pink.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Doghouse, how do you think you can use this one base model and avoid the unit looking too static?

 

I think you've done some great work changing the shape of the cloak and armour marks, but in terms of the pose of the mini, I can't see how you're going to avoid them looking like mono-pose marines?

 

Don't get me wrong, if anyone can pull it off then you can, I just don't see how you can! Have you had any thoughts on this problem?

[Gitsplitta]

Ah! Got it! Sounds like a sound plan... and makes a lot more sense than the other way. Guess I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride then! :lol:

[Doghouse]

Dorns_fist: I feel sorry for the poor bloke now. :D

 

WingsOfTheFalcon: Thanks mate. :D

 

Yeah it is going to be a challenge but I think that's the appeal of them to me as was the case with the original AoBR marines. I think overall they are going to be fairly static but I can play around with the models quite a bit with any luck. I've got some spare Mk V assault marine torsos that are really bulky that I can throw into the mix and will be able to reposition the legs a bit to get some more movement into them but it'll be tough which makes it more fun.

I think that is the appeal of the hobby to me, take a standard model and see what you can do to make them unique.

 

Gitsplitta: Hopefully it'll work, I think the FW Guard might be a nice addition as they are a little big smaller and scale beautifully against these guys.

 

Just a quick update

 

This next one is a maybe inclusion into the army as it's more of a restoration job than anything else. Basically it's a Mk I plastic raider with an extra set of tracks added to the sides to bulk it out.

The reason I want to get this into the army is that it's been with me for twenty four years now having been used with Crimson Fists, Space Wolves and Dark Angels at one point or another so there is a real sense of history to the model.

It is an old conversion but I'm in the process of cleaning her up as an optional Land Raider for the army but if it doesn't work I'll just get a new one and use that instead. As she stands I've basecoated the hull and have begun highlighting, shading and weathering the central section of the tank. I still need to go back and repaint the tracks at the moment, maybe add some weathering and grime.

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/2nwyh.jpg

[Gitsplitta]

That'll be a fun one to see you work on. My original LR from the same era I gave to my son when he first got into 40k. I've since purchased a used one in decent shape. Not sure how I'm going to approach it as the design and the fact it's assembled pretty much foxes my normal airbrushing tactic.

[Lachdannan]

Wow, that Crowe conversion is simply awesome. I like how your making a unit out of them, and this gives me a good idea for some heresy era veterans...

 

Looking forward to that Land Raider as well. I know what you mean by these old kits having a lot of history, mine being a Dark Angel, Blood Angel, and finally an Imperial Fist.

[Doghouse]

Cheers guys. :)

 

Yeah you got to love the old raider. Definitely a nostalgia thing for us fellow RT veterans but at the same time the fact that we've all got one that has lasted in some form fits perfectly with the background material of the marines.

 

Quick update

 

Onto the first marine, still just WIP but he's getting there. Accidently painted the pack green out of habit so will have to change that to black later.

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/50s7ew.jpg

 

http://i44.tinypic.com/23wk1n4.jpg

 

Quick scale shot with the two I'm working on, I'll have to dig out a truescale marine to show next to them at some point.

 

http://i42.tinypic.com/287di6v.jpg

[Razblood]

Looking very nice mate, who would have thought a Grey Knight could be redeemed :P

 

In all seriousness that model does seem to lend itself well to this type of alteration, but I can't even afford your Termie truescale method so I don't think I'll be jumping on this wagon :)

[Tellos05]

I think your awesome doghouse (said in robs sarcastic voice) whats the yellow guy on the end? Was that done with tau sept? That free hand eagle on the pad is superb. Great stuff as always although i am looking forward to seeing more of the Alphas.

[Lachdannan]

Looking good. Didn't realize Crowe was larger than a marine.

[Dorns Padawan]

Those two dudes almost look true scale actually when compared to the other marine. The raider looks awesome! Real big like, reminds me of a pict from the collected visions book with a raider looking pretty uber. Is it pretty easy to remove parts from the fine cast? Was thing of swapping out some shoulder pads for some BT termie ones that I have. Would look real good as a Marshal

[Doghouse]

Cheers guys! :P

 

Razblood: Yeah it is a tad on the expensive side but what I'm going to try to do is pick up a couple here and there when I can afford it until I have enough. In the meantime I can work on the ones that I have and hopefully it'll mean that I can focus on the models without getting too distracted by the other pretty shiny things of our hobby that lead so many of us astray

 

Tellos05: I can actually picture him saying that as I read that! :D

 

Yeah the yellow is the Tau Sept method I was talking to you about that gives you a nice golden yellow which is perfect for Imperial Fists or Lamenters. The way I do is is to base coat the model in Tau Sept then add a little white and a touch of water to each successive coat building up to the highlights. This gives you a very stark yellow so to counter this I then use Gryphonne Sepia wash and washes of scorched brown on the lower sides of the model (not all over) and in the recesses to shade the model and create a contrast between the shades.

It's exactly the same technique I use for the green on these guys, I just swap out the Tau Sept for Goblin Green but still use the brown washes.

 

Brother Syth: I must admit that I was just as surprised myself, not sure if it'll take off as a new form of truescaling but it is a lot easier to do than the terminators as there is a lot less green stuffing involved. It'd be great and simple method for truescale Grey Knights, I'd love to do them as Black Templars though.

 

Dorns padawan: Yeah it is a bit of a beast! ;)

 

Working with Finecast is incredibly easy in terms of conversions. There are many conversions that I have done recently that I wouldn't even begin to consider with metals and it is just as easy as working with plastic but the detail is so much better. It is a bit expensive having said that for large numbers of conversions but if it's just a captain you are thinking of doing the cost would be much more reasonable by a long shot.

Both the shoulder pads can be removed cleanly with little bother and if you are careful you can cut his left pad with the cloak draped slightly over the top so that the cloak sits behind the new shoulder pad like I have done with this new guy.

The head is pretty simple to remove, it may be possible to remove it intact but as there is no detail below the rim of the gorget (collar) you don't really gain anything from doing so. I just make a straight cut across the top the of the collar and then carefully carve out the neck so that I can sit the head or helmet in there nicely.

 

If you were going to go the BT route I'd look at the plastic power armoured Grey Knights for shoulder pads as they have some really nice Mk II/III style gothic shoulder pads. Terminator pads might work but they may look a little on the big side, I've not tried that so don't really know.

 

The tricky part is that the left arm is fixed across the chest so you do need to be careful when removing it. The beauty of finecast though is that if you are careful you can actually carve detail into it so can avoid lots of GS work if need be.

[Russ Brother 92]

I must say after noseying through via searching for Mantis Warriors - I am glad you ressurected this and keep up the work ^_^ - as always Doghouse, I'm an avid fan of yours and wait expectantly for more haha

[Heru2012]

Jeebus man...loving the crowe onversion captain. Such character in the model. What head did you use for him? I've never seen the Crowe model so I apologise if its just an alternate head and I'm being special.

[Pulse]

Ah i do like being away for a time and then come back to this forum and see some outstanding work!

 

@Doghouse - You have certainly pulled off another stunning model, the Crowe conversion is awesome and the other marine is coming on a treat.

[Grizzly_bear]

i'ma try that yellow recipe Doghouse, again all your work is amazing and looking forward to seeing this as a whole army in the future.

 

Rob

[Doghouse]

Thanks guys. :)

 

Russ Brother 92: I shall do my best not to disappoint. :lol: Should have a minor update later with any luck.

 

Heru2012: The head is from the Sergeant Chronus model, it works quite well because it is noticeably smaller than the regular plastics which kind of gives it a false sense of proportion. I'm going to order the chapter masters next week so will be doing the same with the heads from those models as well as they are about the same size.

 

Dorns_fist: When I finally get back online again mate I'll go through with you it in more detail mate. ;)

 

Pulse: These guys are really great fun to make which is an added incentive as well. I'm aiming for six models initially then just expand it from there.

[Doghouse]

Bit of an update.

 

Not really had too much time to get much done but I have made some progress.

 

These are the guys that I am working on in their present state.

 

http://i41.tinypic.com/25junfa.jpg

 

This is the latest addition to the crew and as the Mantis Warriors are renown guerrilla warfare experts I figured a guy marking out targets might be pretty cool. I've used a spare sternguard shoulder pad for his right pad and the arm from the pointing Mk VI marine seen earlier for his left arm. I've added a spare auspex arm from the tech marine kit and will add a bolter slung under his pointing arm. I've also added a Mk II lid that I have altered with GS and will now begin cleaning up the model with some more GS work.

As this guy is pretty open in terms of his arm positions I will be trying to go to town on some torso detailing to take advantage of this.

 

http://i44.tinypic.com/fbxlyp.jpg

 

I have also got a little done on the second guy bit am still working on him at the moment. Things are pretty hectic at the moment but as I have a couple of weeks leave coming up I am aiming to get these guys ready for painting then. Probably pick up a couple more Crowe models next week with any luck so will bump the total up to the Captain and a combat squad.

 

http://i41.tinypic.com/20k7vyp.jpg

[Dorns Padawan]

It's quite amazing what can be achieved with one model Doghouse. You make it look so casual :) ! Nice little touches with the pointed hand & the auspex. I might pop down to my local GW on the weekend & look at some fine cast GK mini's. Do you use a scalpel or a modeling saw to cut through them? Bit of an added bobnus that you can carve stuff into the finecast, sounds like pretty decent stuff to work with. Very impressive stuff Doghouse, I must start to look at static models with a little bit more respect & creativity me thinks :) !