Angels, Wolves & Xenos - Swarmlord - Carapace Markings

[Darnok]

Looking great already!

 

What set are the Inquisition crates from?

[Bryan Blaire]

Looking great already!

 

What set are the Inquisition crates from?

Thanks Darnok!

 

I got them from the Sector Fronteris Killzone box, but since it looks like GW has decided to cancel damn near everything for that game (which bothers me some), it looks like the Moon Base Klaisus is now the only place to get one, and you only get one per box.

[Bryan Blaire]

Minor progress! Got some of the metallics base coated:

The last picture shows how I've changed up the scheme for my terrain - namely that instead of dark grey on the bottom, orange dividing stripe, then light grey on top, I've decided to do that sideways along the terrain instead, and I've got a plan for the prior painted furnace to convert it into a heavy reactor on its side. It should also somewhat match my Adeptus Mechanicus army, whenever I get around to starting the paint on that. The ruined wall behind the three color one will be remaining the deeper grey, I figure it is from a front portion of a ruined building.

[Custom Hero]

Nice work here. The red on you team really pops!

[Bryan Blaire]

Nice work here. The red on you team really pops!

Thanks! It's actually easier to do the Tau red than the deep carmine for my Angels Encarmine (that takes probably two or three more layers).

 

I really like the conversions you've done in your thread and I've been remiss in posting in it!

[Bryan Blaire]

So the access hatches are finished other than varnishing:

I tried to make the open (green) and close (red) buttons appear as if they were lit from the inside and tried a bit of OSL in the areas around them (the red is intentionally dull, I tried to make it appear that the light in that button was dimmed).

Now on to finishing the rest of the terrain I've decided to make way too complicated. :facepalm:

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I think the OSL was successful because it was subtle. The real heavy handed stuff never looks right to me.

[thewarriorhunter]

Very nice. The green OSL is perfect IMO.

[Bryan Blaire]

Thanks gents! Appreciate the kind words.

[Bryan Blaire]

Alright, I'm ready to call this initial batch of terrain (small chunks as they are) done (except for varnishing and possibly dusting via dry-brush with tawny desert sand colors - I also haven't decided if I'm going to go back and do any weathering on all this stuff).

Partial Wall and Fallen Door Barricades:

Destroyed Wall Barricades:

Darker Grey-Orange-Light Grey Striped Wall:

Front View:

Side View:

Rear View:

Dark Grey Wall:

Front View:

Side View:

Rear View:

So my copper was done to try and show a dulled metal, so it's 1:1 Mournfang Brown:Screaming Bell, and then highlighted and "surface scratched" with 1:3 Mournfang:Screaming Bell, and then very lightly scratched and spot highlighted with pure Screaming Bell. This was then covered with Reikland Fleshshade on the door. On the smaller copper metallic areas, I made some brighter scratches and highlights with Screaming Bell after the shading with Reikland. I also tried to put a bit of oil staining on and around some of the pipes, as well as one spot I tried to make look like the pipe had a leak down the wall along the entire section of pipe.

All of the broken pieces of the walls have been dry brushed with silver metal to give the idea of this material being ferrocrete (this is part of what was giving the bright glow on many of the edges of the ruins).

The hobby butterfly has already started wending its way over to new things - still not sure if I'm headed back to some larger Suits for my Tau or moving on to a new scheme for a Dornish gene-line Chapter of Primaris. I've got a lot of terrain to get back to, so hopefully I'll returning to it soon - quite a bit of Mechanicus terrain to do in the same scheme as this Fronteris/Ryza Ruins stuff.

[Bryan Blaire]

So it's been over a year since I posted here, but after a bunch of waffling and consultation, and BCK making me realize that what I was about to do was paint and write up Space Wolf non-Space Wolves, I went to the Wolves for my Primaris - all the way back in July of '19 and I apparently just never bothered to post here.

So here's a string of WiP that got me through my first squad of Primaris Space Wolves and one of probably the only three or so HQ figures I've ever actually completed in about 26 years of playing and painting 40K stuff.

Here goes:

This is probably one of the smoothest finishes I've ever managed, and a lot of that is due to the prime coat I managed with a rattle can for probably the first time ever. BCK introduced me to (black magic voodoo wizardry... ahem) warming the can for about 6-7 minutes in tap hot water, and spraying before you hit the miniature and holding it until after you are off the miniature, as well as holding the mini on a pin with a hemostat so you have a great deal more control.

So this is the Mechanicus Standard Grey:

[Bryan Blaire]

About a week later in mid-July of '19:

Some days you’re knocking things down like a bull in a china shop, others your brushes are going “What did we do to him? Why doesn’t he love us?”

Been a slow few days - managed to get my aged/antique gold started, and got all the soft armor, electrical flex conduit, and the utility belt painted. I did the latter in the new Iron Warriors base color, and I really like how it looks, it’s not tremendously darker than Leadbelcher, but I think it darkens better with a single coat of Nuln Oil (both gloss and matte) than Leadbelcher.

I tried to get this image in a little more natural light to show the armor color a bit better, as I think the previous image shows it as brighter than it really is (Mechanicus Standard Grey is approximately basic Sprue Grey).

Hopefully I can get some more done (at least the armor panel shading)!

[Bryan Blaire]

A couple of days later and a decision to revise my panel main highlight color:

These primary edge highlights were done with the 2:1 Dawnstone:Mech Standard Grey:

And a little closer View of the aged gold Aquila:

Going to call the Aquila and belt as done as they will get. I'm looking at adding small touches of Wolf-iness to them - pouches with runes, pauldrons, tilting shields/rondels, a tail or two, and I'm looking at maybe swapping a pack or two for a Wulfen one, but I'll need to figure something out for them if I do. The bits for the Wulfen fit so well it will be hard not to use them, and it has the secondary effect of not making the Wulfen quite so-Wolfy over the top (you'd think that straight up werewolves would be as far down that path as GW would have felt the need to go).

Not sure if I'll bother with the pure Dawnstone at this point - I don't want to make a ton of mixes each time I paint these, but if it makes them look better, I'll do what's needed. :lol:

At this point I'm looking forward to adding these guys to my Drakeslayers. I have three Ashen Stalker (Intercessors) packs, two Star Fang (Inceptors) packs, one Howl Reaper (Reivers) pack, one Hammer Jaw (Aggressors) pack, and the various command guys, plus all the classic Space Wolves I have slated to do.

-------------

I've since revised the Pack names I was using.

[Bryan Blaire]

Took me another two weeks to achieve any additional real progress:

I have pushed on - got most of the base coating done, but it's all the little things that take so damned looooooong.

Pouches, pistols, and Wolf-itizing (Wolfing, Wolfinating?) the kits up are somewhat done, as well as marking out the Wolf Guard Pack Leader (knee ridges will be in the antique gold, as well as an honor marking on his knee).

And one out of focus combat blade with rune stone accoutrement:

So, yeah, there we are right now. Trying to get at least a small bit done every day and I think I'm closing in on starting to do some shading. Then it will be the initial edge highlighting, then on to other pieces of the models so I can get these Teen Wolves assembled. :lol:

[Bryan Blaire]

By the end of August, I had finally gotten here:

Finally got the highlights done and got some images.

Indirect light images (a little darker than normal):

Direct light (more stark and bright than normal):

Thoughts on the holsters/pouches? Does the color stand out well against the grey? It looks a bit warmer IMO, compared to the previous color, which I think looks pretty good against the more neutral grey.

I had hoped that I would get more done this month, but alas, it seems like I'm still going to be plagued by inactivity and an overactive internal critic that makes me go back over everything until it's acceptable to me.

[Bryan Blaire]

Just a few days later in the month, and I was finally making some progress: :facepalm: :lol:

Because what a gaming model needs is a semi-detailed wrist computer.

And there should be no doubt as to why I never get projects done.

[Bryan Blaire]

Then it was the end of November and I had finally gotten here:

Managed to get all the arms and rifles base coated (except the barrel decorations) and all of them glued on - next step is going back through and doing the initial edge highlighting. This took me a while, but I actually worked on just gritting my teeth and painting through a little sloppiness, rather than trying to correct every little splash of different color onto another color, knowing that I'd be covering some of it back up with the base color or highlighting later.

I've really got to get these guys done, because a bunch of other ideas have invaded my head at this point, and I'd really like to make progress on the army, plus I have way too much sitting unpainted or on sprues in my backlog.

[Bryan Blaire]

Then, for whatever reason, it was mid-April, and I'd only gotten a few details done:

So yesterday for the first time in earnest (in 25 years of playing) I applied decals to my miniatures - and damn, those things can be a pain in the :cuss . I feel like I got it to work out with some liberal applications of Micro-Set and Micro-Sol. I'd messed around with trying to get decals on models a couple of times before, but it was always a huge issue and always resulted in me just freehanding markings that I wanted instead.

I feel like these came out pretty good though, and are far more complex than I'd have tried to freehand over and over:

So now all five of my Ashen Stalkers have their GC sigils, and my six Blood Claws have theirs as well. Once the gloss coat dries, I'm going to go back and hit them with some matte varnish. Then I've got Pack markings to sort for the Stalkers and bases to sort for the Claws and both squads will be in fighting shape.

I think next I'm going to have to try my hand and a Primaris Wolf Priest and Primaris Wolf Lord (probably a stand in for Krom) and look at what I can get going on either a squad of Infilcursoreivers or more Stalkers with bolt rifles.

[Bryan Blaire]

Another jump, this time to mid-July:

So I haven't been totally inactive on painting my vowed miniature:

Here's the original component shots:

With the added battle damage I gouged and drilled in:

Pelt base-coated and ready for my first attempt at using Contrast paints:

The leathered side of the pelt is Morghast Bone, while the grenade pouch is Zandri Dust. The fur is Wraithbone.

Leg component with pelt and axe haft prepared for Contrast as well:

Both prepped with Wraithbone.

Legs, torso, and helm assembled - remaining components base coated and with initial armor lining and shading:

Contrast pelt! I think it turned out pretty dang good:

It's a bit darker than I wanted, but I think I'll figure out how to alter the levels some with time. For the future, I also need to figure out how to make the Inner leather of the pelts more smooth - it still looks too blotchy to me.

I'm still working on some fluff for him, but historical or not, I'm using the idea of an "oath band" on his wrist - one in bronze, along with a bronze "torc" (represented on the armor by the gorget), and the other in gold on his left wrist from his elevation to Wolf Guard.

He's pretty bedecked in gold, but based on my chart I'm using, only the Wolf Lords (in the form of almost huscarls or sub-jarls) and High Lord (in the case Krom, who is currently MIA in my time line) would use more.

[Bryan Blaire]

Finally, it was the end of July, and I had actually gotten things done! Everything was highlighted, detailed, base rims painted, battle damaged, and varnished - and every model had gotten some fluff snippet written about him.

Pict-capture of Ælfbane’s Skullhewers in battle alongside Svarnir Ironblood

(Click on any image in this post and the next to see a much larger version)

Ælfbane’s Skullhewers — Ashen Stalker Pack armed with Stalker-pattern bolt rifles

Greger’s pack all have iron fused into their wrist rings instead of the standard bronze to ward against the evil spirits of the Warp and indicate their Eldar hunting proficiency (based on their resemblance to beings harmed by iron in Fenrisian mythology).

Greger Ælfbane

Greger is quiet and watchful, his oft-laconic nature the cause of many a boisterous jest by once-fellow Bloodclaws. Many such were deemed poorly veiled challenges by the cunning young Wolf and swiftly settled with a few choice blows silently struck by Greger as lunged to his feet.

Serving as a Bloodclaw and then briefly a Grey Hunter, Greger became a Wolf Scout shortly before the Fall of Cadia - a posting that meshed his nature well with the other reserved, independent pack members. Hunting for several decades under Morkai’s Reaving (as some of the more superstitious Wolves refer to the Great Rift), Ælfbane proved an excellent counter-stalker of the self-important, slender Eldar Rangers. Greger credits the bearing of worked iron for his success against the evil souls of the leaf-eared pirates, cannily predicting and assaulting their positions with quick flanking strikes. A particularly bloody campaign on the agri-colony of Karevol III cemented his battle-name in saga.

Greger led two packs of Wolf Scouts in a counter-ambush against a large force of corsairs, destroying a large portion of the leaf-ears with a devastating crossfire of sniper bolts and missile contrails. Those flushed from their positions were struck down by concealed combat blade wielders or ran afoul of emplaced grenade clusters-turned-trip wire mines. In a singular display of unrestrained hatred, Ælfbane heated his iron worked wrist ring to a brilliant yellow-orange glow in a nearby spouting flame before advancing on a shot-pierced Eldar commander. Ignoring several razor cuts from shuriken discs, Greger stamped the Autarch's spine in two above the hips, then reached down and ripped the ebon crested helm from his head and savagely plunged the still glowing ring into his enemy's eye. Acid-laced spittle added an additional sizzle of flesh to the now-aflame, screaming features of the leaf-eared welp as Greger’s minute-long, fang-bared howl carried his opponent’s soul into the Warp.

Greger had volunteered previously to undergo the Rubicon Primaris rites, though a halt was ordered by the Priests of many of the Great Companies due to the deaths occurring in the attempts. He renewed his request directly to Krom, with Rikard Stormbound’s consent, in the wake of the Wolf Priests’ acceptance of new refinements to the Rubicon rites when those reached Fenris, indicating increased survival chances for the conversion to the Primaris template - though the incorporation of the Primaris organs still appeared to have increased difficulty among those of Russ’s gene-lineage. The Drakeslayers’ High Lord barked a single laugh and inclined his head in approval - a few hours later, Greger was dead.

He remained that way for 18 minutes - then his newly implanted Belisarian Furnace roared to life, and with it, Ælfbane. Adjusting to the Primaris body reforging took him some time, as did the integration of several pieces of his old armor into new Tacticus and Phobos suits by the Iron Priests. Greger re-swore his oaths of fealty to Stormbound and Krom Dragongaze on the twin, worked iron bands fused into his armored wrists, the second having been earned with his earlier elevation to the Wolf Guard. Rikard set him as a temporary pack leader over a mixed group of former Grey Shields and newly proven Fenrisian Primaris until Greger felt they had found their way, and though he could have relinquished the command to the likely pack alpha, he relishes the company of the more subdued Pack members to the boisterous companions he'd have in the Wolf Guard.

Olof Fenreaper

The eldest of the unit in sequential years, though barely past one hundred Terran in years lived outside stasis, Olof was extracted from Fenris after Archmagos Dominus Cawl declared the Primaris project successful and the generation of Marines began. Fenreaper remembers only vague snippets of images and noises from the Fang after being escorted there bloody and near-broken by a Wolf Priest, but the adolescent memories will strike at strange times, fighting through his hypno-indoctrination, as he wanders the domain of the Drakeslayers.

Some Greyshields, including Olof and fellow squad mates, had been removed from stasis for brief periods for proving testing of new forms of weaponry and armor, and Olof excelled at long range fire fights with various extended range bolt weapons. When the torch fleet bearing Olof and his fellow Greyshield Wolves arrived at the Fang, the less than warm welcome for lost brothers he expected made him determined to earn the respect of his fellow Wolves, a mark he feels he has hit as the second to his current pack leader.

Dren Stalking-spear

Youngest of Ælfbane’s pack, Dren is one of the newest Primaris Wolves, from a group created wholly on Fenris. Stalking-spear quickly mastered his own temperament and proved his worth as a marksman, accelerating his advancement out of the Star Reaper pack he began his training in. The fall from the heavens no longer held joy for the young Wolf, and while he still reveled in the cleaving dance, he found greater love in the carefully placed annihilation of a single bolt from a distance. While he still bears no true grey in his hair, Dren’s fangs have grown to an acceptable - though short - length, and he bears the brunt of his pack’s jests with a ready smile and quick retorts.

[Bryan Blaire]

Stal Ravenhammer

Stal was a member of the Unnumbered Sons who fought with his remaining brothers of Russ’s descent at the Battle of Raukos, cementing his fierce hatred of the Legions under Chaos’s sway, particularly the Iron Warriors. Stal’s interactions with the standard template Astartes of the Chapter were typical of the distrust held for the new breed of Marines, and while he was assigned to the Drakeslayers, it was only accepted grudgingly by Krom, who marveled at the increased combat power of the Primaris, but distrusted Guilliman’s miraculous return and meddling with the sons of Fenris.

Ravenhammer underwent the Test of Morkai in an effort to reconcile with his brothers - while he overcame his beast and completed the trial, it does not lurk far below the surface and often begins to rear it's head in the presence of Chaos-tainted Astartes. The test alleviated only a small bit of the tension with his brothers within the Chapter, and while he still desires closer bonds with the wider pack of his Great Company, the acceptance of his Ascended Pack Leader gives him some solace, though he fears that the beast within may fully slip his mental cage before long.

Othvar Eastenheim

Just getting his first gray hairs, Othvar is given to easy laughter and a superstitious manner that causes his Pack mates to joke that the Marine missed his calling with the Rune Priests when leaving his former Reaper pack. He recites ancient battle prayers to Russ and the All-Father in and out of battle, and almost ritually inscribed his gear with runes of battle and blessing large and small, hanging rune stones about his weaponry. While his brothers may mock his consultation of world-spirit rune-bones, none doubt his battle fervor, lethality, and precision aim with his bolt rifle at range.

Svarnir Ironblood - Wolf Guard Battle Leader

Svarnir has been a solid bulwark in the Drakeslayers’ line of battle for over two centuries, closing in on his third, of time outside the Warp. His relentless nature has led to pursuits against enemies others have thought foolhardy, putting him in situations that have only caused the deepening of his prodigious endurance by seeing them through. His shield and armor have been rent to the point of requiring replacement more than once, and his name is spoken in tones oft heard accompanying a curse by the Iron Priests serving with the Drakeslayers Great Company.

Ironblood’s Wolf Guard battle brothers have carried on a jest for a century that no battlefield can well and truly be considered secured until Svarnir has been tended to by the Wolf Priests for intense blood loss at least once. Some even find almost-giddy mirth at saluting the fields that this does not happen at with a promise they will see it again, to Ironblood’s displeasure. None doubt his resolve though, and many of his Company will back away from tests of will and endurance, though they often cheer him forward when challenges of such from other Great Companies occur during Grand Feasts of the Fang.

Svarnir bore the post-surgical transition of Ascension with silence, mouth clenched in eponymous determination for weeks, as his body knitted, bones elongated, and the Magnificat wrought other changes upon his form. Ironblood was once battered to near-death at the hands of an Ork warboss, only killing the foul beast with a shard of long bone from a desecrated Imperial hero through the eye, and has remarked that the experience was preferable to Ascension. His Belisarian Furnace has roared on more than one battlefield, the All-Father’s blessing in his chest adding even more verses to his saga with the cutting of threads when his wounds would have caused many Marines to fall back to safety, and killed most mortals before that.

(A shot of his bolt carbine, because I don't like how it came out in the four shot frames)

And with that, I declared my vow completed.

So now it's the beginning of August, I've gotten almost all the terrain I own clipped off the sprue and sorted, as well as some new ideas for more Wolf packs and Lords floating in my head, and I'm wanting to keep my head in the game and make sure I update this thread more often, rather than doing an almost year long retrospective dump of WiP here.

[Dosjetka]

You've done some great work over the past few months, Bryan. The Space Wolves look fantastic, you can definitely be proud of them. :tu:

[Bryan Blaire]

You've done some great work over the past few months, Bryan. The Space Wolves look fantastic, you can definitely be proud of them. :tu:

I know it's been a while, but thanks Dos! I'll definitely get back to 'em as soon as I get some more materials to Wolf them up just a bit more.

In the meantime, a savage swarm has been seen on the Sector fringe...

[Verux]

Very solid work. Love the clean work on your wolves.

[Bryan Blaire]

Very solid work. Love the clean work on your wolves.

Belated thank you, sir! Hopefully you enjoy the below as well.

Sadly the Swarmlord never made it past base coating with Wraithbone. It still sits on the shelf waiting for work.

However, here's the first shaded and edge highlighted (mostly) Kine G'namadth (Hound of Morkai):

(click image to view larger size)

It's rougher than I feel like I wanted, but there's been little clean up on this, and not everything is highlighted to the first level, but I feel like it's a pretty good representative of what they'll look like. A couple more highlight layers and they should be ready to hunt.