Gitsplitta's Mantis Warriors

[Gitsplitta]

Thanks gentlemen (I presume). I must admit that a dual-autocannon dread does not benefit from the venerable designation as much as some other configurations, but from a fluff perspective it makes perfect sense. I often don't run him as venerable as I don't have to points to spare, but I usually run him with a sternguard screen as their long-range weaponry compliments his, and they protect him from the assaults to which he is quite vulnerable. Oh and the two squads look great together... so there is that too! <_<

[vishtank]

silencers! silencers, everywhere! :) great job, man!

[Inquisitor Kravin]

Pffft...what kinda sissy Astartes wanna-bes wear camo and hide in the bushes? :P

 

 

....apparently the kind with paintjobs and conversions of equal awesomeness :huh: Who knew?

 

In that yellow and black pattern they are not so much wannabes as wanna-bees! [;) That's my allowances of bad puns used up for the year!]

 

Fantastic coversion and paint jobs, including the long grass. For a moment I did think how cool it would be if the dread could have silencers on his autocannons but then I thought that even "the rule of cool" can only be stretched so far!

 

I'm going to use these models for reference on my next pack of Space Wolves, the black camo markings have inspired me to add some claw markings.

[BorisBC]

All I have left of my original RT book (because of course, the binding failed like it did on all of them... crappy glue), is a scan of the page with the Mantis Warrior pictures on it. The page is clearly marked as 72, with the "Index Astartes" title on top. The page has pictures in 3 rows of 12 marines, all identical in form, only their color patterns are changed. There are: fire hawk, 2 mantis warriors, executioner, 2 red scorpion variants, minotaurs, novamarines, exorcists, two fire angle variants and a salamander.

 

As I recall there were several pages with these color drawings of a variety of marine chapters including some variations... but interesting in the fact that all the pictures were essentially alike, just different colors and/or patterns. I sure wish I had a copy of that book now... I could sure use it as primary resource material for staying true to the era. It also had eldar tanks made from glue bottles and deodorant sticks... hard to believe now, eh?

 

I have a copy of the Compendium, that is a grouping of Chapters that were involved in the Badab war. All that's in my one though is the page of colour variants and the fluff piece on the war. I'd look out for the IA series on there and hopefully you'll have some cool new stuff! Great mini's so far though!

[firestorm40k]

These Marines are pure class B)

[Gitsplitta]

@vishtank: Thanks! My newest ones (still WIP) have home made barrels and suppressors.. even a home made scope! Hope to have them done in a week or so.

 

@Inquisitor Kraven: That's very flattering, thank you. There were several things I decided not to do with the dread... I was originally going to put flowing banners on the bottom gun barrels, but in the ended decided to stick with a simpler form. I think that was the right decision as it would only distract from the overall form. Cool as suppressors would be and the ends of the autocannon barrels, I'd be afraid they'd have the same problem.

 

@BorisBC: So is my memory of those drawings from the compendium and not from the RT rule book?? Want to get my facts straight so I don't humiliate myself by pontificating about a mistaken impression.

 

@firestorm40k: Thank you sir! I appreciate the sentiment. :)

[PorridgeMeister]

Very nice! :blink:

 

Speaking of ol' fashion camo, I would love to see someone paint these guys:

Linky

[Gitsplitta]

Yeah, every time I look at my page with the tranquility pattern on it (I put it up on the bench when I'm painting the pattern), I see that pic and say "wouldn't it be cool if...", then I come to my senses.

 

Forge World makes all those nice Red Scorpion figures... but I've never seen anyone paint them in "the old pattern".

[Gitsplitta]

Hi all, minor update: Finished the CCW arm for my venerable dread (finally). Just about to finish up 3 more of the tranquility snipers. Will post when complete.

 

Gits

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/12/11/162787_sm-Claw%20Arm,%20Close%20Combat%20Weapon,%20Mantis%20Warriors,%20Tranquility%20Sniper,%20Venerable%20Dreadnought.jpg

[Octavulg]

Is it difficult, being as awesome as you are? :lol:

[Gitsplitta]

LOL! thanks Octavulg, I appreciate the sentiment. Not awesome... just... persistent.

 

Yellow is very easy to wet-blend for the same reasons that it's difficult to use as a covering coat... i.e. the translucent nature of the paints works to your advantage when your blending. That aside the rest is just a lot of slow progress. This model got painted in stages over the course of a couple of months... so I could wait until I felt my "muse" as-it-were before attacking the next step. Makes a difference for an amateur like me to be able to let the painting process unfold naturally rather than trying to ram a figure through the mill on a set time line.

[Gitsplitta]

OK guys, 2 more. Not as spectacular as the dread I'm afraid... but they work. The challenge with these figures is that I'm trying to stay true to my origins in 40k which go back two decades, so these are made with very old minis & modified (in the case of the combi-melta guy, with original bolter parts. In the past, I've have made the "sniper" bolters with modern bolt guns and they work really well. Using the original umbra pattern bolter does not look as good in my opinion as they are much smaller and the original casts were not very detailed. But, remaining true to the originals in important in this phase of the project so I will muddle through as best I can.

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/12/14/163515_md-Gms,%20Mantis%20Warriors,%20Space%20Marines,%20Sternguard,%20Tranquility%20Sniper,%20Warhammer%2040,000.jpg

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/12/14/163516_md-Combimelta,%20Mantis%20Warriors,%20Space%20Marines,%20Sternguard,%20Tranquility%20Sniper.jpg

[Terminatorinhell]

Awesome stuff, I love all the silencers!

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Awesome stuff, but it forces me to hate/envy you :lol:

 

EDIT: Having had a closer look, in the final pciture the Bolter barrell looks canted, almost arcing.

[Gitsplitta]

Awesome stuff, but it forces me to hate/envy you :lol:

 

EDIT: Having had a closer look, in the final pciture the Bolter barrell looks canted, almost arcing.

 

Yeah, I noted that myself. I don't see it in the figure with the naked eye, but I'll have to revisit that and see if some adjustment is in order.

 

Thank you both for your comments and the cogent observation.

[Firepower]

A bolter-sniper-melta gun....that boy is strapped!

 

Solid work as always. Your yellow bum-rush into the history books is coming along nicely.

[Gitsplitta]

LOL Firepower... thanks! Love the avatar BTW.

 

I have a few more of these guys to do, then some fairly interesting stuff. I'll need 3 tranquility pattern drop pods and an Iron Clad in the same scheme. I'm thinking that I might try a different tactic with the Iron Clad and make him look as if he was just reactivated after many years of entombment... like he was just removed from the vault, had a bare amount of reconditioning done and was creaking off to battle. Everything would be there, but faded and corroded.

 

Dunno... have to roll it around a bit in my mind first. Plenty to do beforehand though...

[Argon]

Forge World, pay attention if you haven't already been doing so. These need to be in the next IA or I will riot.

 

Awesome job here, sir.

[Gitsplitta]

As soon as I saw their Mk-IV Iron Clad announced I handed it to my wife as the ONLY hint she was going to get from me for Christmas. So I'm hopin' Mrs. Santa thinks I've been "nice" this year.

 

And thanks! Should have one more trooper (unit sergeant) and a group shot soon.

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

The camo is working really well. I couldn't find the guys head. :woot:

[blackbabyjesus]

Very nice! B)

 

Speaking of ol' fashion camo, I would love to see someone paint these guys:

Linky

 

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...strom&st=25

 

Ta-Da!

 

Someone already did!

[Cedric]

The dread is a stunning beauty!

Not only because of it being well painted, but for making me remember Mechwarrior.

[Gitsplitta]

LOL CMIG: Yeah, that pose has his head buried down by the gun (originally a melta gun), so when I added the bolter part on top it hid most of his helmet. It looks pretty good as you would look down on it on the tabletop though... 3/4 view I think they call it?

 

@blackbabyjesus: Thanks for posting that link... those red scorps are nothing short of spectacular!

 

@Cedric: Thanks! I spent many, many hours playing the various iterations of Mechwarrior. Loved the Rifleman. Nice to see it reborn in a legitimate 40k configuration.

 

 

Doing some painting for my kids for Christmas (necrons and nids). Will pick up the MW project on the back side of the holiday.

Gits

[Imalwayscold]

Fantastic work! Really brings back a bit of nostalgia :devil:! Great paintwork too. My only criticism would be that on a couple of the marines the bolter silencer looks a bit strange as its a thinner tube on the end of the exsisting barrel. Otherwise I really dig your work :D

[Exhumed]

Thumbs up. I did something similar with a few of my salamanders using an RT era orange and black camo scheme.