Raven Guard Tactical Squad Atanas

[SCC]

My lighting set up simply isn't adequate for 10 Marines but below is a full squad shot of Tactical Squad Atanas (formerly Tac Squad Rhuarc but the Sgt Rhuarc figure still isn't right, so Atanas (centre) has taken over the squad):

Actually my lighting set up isn't adequate for 5 Marines either but here's the second Combat Squad for the Second of the Fourth:

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And here's the other half of the squad completed earlier in the year:

Individual Marines:

Sergeant Atanas:

Battle Brother Ioan:

Battle Brother Constantin:

Battle Brother Goran:

Battle Brother Casimir:

Battle Brother Aramel:

Battle Brother Beniamin:

Battle Brother Stoian:

Battle Brother Nicu:

Battle Brother Fane:

Squad Atanas is the second completed Tactical Squad I've managed now, they'll get a Rhino over the coming month or two with any luck.

[KJB]

Beautiful...

 

You planning on doing a full army? Would love to see you paint Korvydae (one of Forge Worlds best models)

[Lord Ragnarok]

Beautiful...

 

You planning on doing a full army? Would love to see you paint Korvydae (one of Forge Worlds best models)

 

 

Ditto. Whole army please (with cherries on top)

 

Loving the Deliverance love.

Brother Nicu is my fav methinks. Like the way he is holding the bolter.

[Crimson Fisting]

Very nice. What's the significance of Battle-Brother Ioan's white face?

[verpine]

If I had to critique, I would say the red lenses look flat, while the green ones look amazing and reflective. But wow, these are 'eavy metal quality, easy. For the missile launcher-carrying conversion, is it just the melta-bomb arm with the meltabomb replaced with a ML?

 

edit: wait... does sergeant atanes have a different color scope lens in the squad photos and individual photos, or am I completely insane...?

edit again: Fane has green eye lenses (unless, of course, I am crazy) which is different from the yellow of the rest of the squad. Any specific reason for this?

[SCC]

@Keith & Rags: The two Tac squads are the beginnings of a full army, yes. Aiming to finish by the end of the year (fingers crossed). You can find a photo-shopped force org chart here that'll show you the planned army.

 

@Crimson Fisting: I use white panels as 'honour markings', partly 'cos they look cool, partly 'cos sometimes I just need to paint something that isn't black :tu:

 

@Verpine: Yeah, I suck at lenses. Eyes too. As for Atanas, yes, I added a green Greif lens to his bolter because the red sucked so much and I was so happy with the rest of the paint job, keen eyes you have there. If I'd had a red lens the right size I'd gone with that but that's why the green lens looks so much better than the red, I cheated ;)

 

As for the ML, I couldn't find a straight arm gripping something in my bitz box so I ended up converting a BP arm for Brother Ioan:

 

Close CMD7, close, it's a bolt pistol arm rather than a chainsword one - the pistol grip in the hand melds better with the ML carry handle than the chainsword grip. I think it's just from the regular Assault sprue, at worst it's part of the extra gear you get in a Tac squad for the Sergeant and spec/heavy weapons so should be pretty easy to find one.

 

First I clipped the ML from the ML arm and added a pistol grip from a bolter. There was a little bit of GS work to smooth out and bulk up the pistol grip/trigger area but nothing too hard. Next I clipped the BP from the left arm, tidied up the hand and carefully clipped a gap in the ML carry handle to make a good tight fit. There was then a lot of faffing about with the pose, long story short Brother Argos convinced me the arm needed to be straighter than it was out of the box.

 

That wasn't too hard either, I used a hobby knife to cut a deep 'V' in the elbow joint (where the ribbing is), prepped some good hard GS ( a little extra blue) and then carefully straightened the arm by hand. That done I stuffed the gap with the GS, let it harden for a while and then sculpted (badly) the ribbing and tidied up the armoured bits. I also ended up removing the top of the shoulder and flattening the area where the arm joins the body to get the arm in the right place to swing and get the angles a little more natural, that kind of thing will vary from mini to mini of course.

 

If I did it again I'd probably cant the wrist back just a fraction but it's not a major thing, I'd also see if I could find a way to rig up the cable that normally lives on the ML arm too.

 

Fane has green eyes because I originally planned to have each squad have different eye lens colours but in practice the yellow just worked much better with the RG feel I was aiming for. When the whole army is completed I'll fix up things like that, I'm notorious for not finishing armies so I'm trying to get something to tabletop to start with and 'perfect' it later on down the track. It's been years since I actually had a playable army and I'm looking forward to it so that's my focus for now ;)

[Tangamarine]

Really love the missile launcher guy, wish I could paint as well as you!

[Isiah]

I like the subtle highlighting. The white additions are a very neat feature and break up the mass of black. I really like the way you mix'n'match all the shoulderpad iconography too :rolleyes:.

 

Cheers

I

[Tyrannicide]

Is Atanas's right shoulder pad sculpted? Or is that insignia from a FW kit or something?

[lee265]

These are awsome just awsome. and I love the missel launcher guy too.

 

As too different color lenses well you could make it an award.

[SCC]

@ Dvorn: Thanks, it's easier than it looks actually, thin paints and patience is all it takes to replicate these guys, no need for blending skills or airbrush prowess or anything else fancy like that.

 

@Isiah: Thanks mate, I agree the white makes for a nice break from all the black. It's also a nice change to paint too ;)

 

@DP: Aye, more FW etched brass, same as Ioan's shoulder - that's a pad from the Command sprue with an etched brass Chapter symbol too. FW + RG = :huh:

 

@Lee: Thanks, the more I look at the ML guy the happier I am with him, even if he did take far too long to model!

[Metal Apostle]

Oh sweet Emperor. You are so sued for my jaw reconstruction.

[Sandalphon]

That's a great squad you've got there SCC loving the rtb01 pieces too, brother constantin, the sarge and ML really stand out too, great poses!

 

Nice subtle highlighting too - well done!

[KnightOfTheRaven]

What are your opinions on the Raven Guard conversion kit because Im thinking about bying them for my Raven Guard (I suck at transfers and I prefer painting thing already moulded)

[SCC]

@Metal Apostle: Thanks! That's one of the nicest (though also oddest) things said about the squad so far :huh:

 

@Sandalphon: Thanks mate, as an aside, that new DA Termie Chaplain in your gallery is excellent. If anyone out there wants to see black with 'brighter' highlights than my subdued one then take a look at that bad boy :angry:

 

@KotR: I love all the FW Raven Guard stuff. I should do, I bought it all after all. The RG upgrade kit is particularly good because it can be spread out across an entire army very easily. I think the FW decals are excellent, but if transfers aren't your thing also consider the etched brass - once on a mini it's essentially raised detail so it might suit too.