The Albigensian Crusade

[Sir Blayse]

Why would it be illegal for a Chaplain to take an Iron Halo? It is redundant, but seems to be a legal piece of wargear.

[Urkh]

in the item description section under the rule for iron halos, it specifically prohibits the purchasing of Iron Halos to models that have a rosarius

[Honda]

No worries, I'll get Captain Semper to drop the points for my vow so that it is accurate.

[Adeptus-Alaska]

you do the templars proud! love the freehand work.

[ItchyTasty]

Honda, I must know, where did you get those skulls on the smoke stacks of your dread?

[Honda]

@IT: They come from the original WFB skeleton sets, like circa 1989 or something. I never got into WFB, so I've been using them for bits for all sorts of stuff. I think the newer versions have better definition, but these work.

 

@FP: It can be fairly tedious at times, but at the end of the day it really seems to define us, so I soldier on.

 

Cheers,

[Dono1979]

Nice work, love the STC Objective!

 

-Dono

[Honda]

Prelude to a crusade

Ok, now that I have a few Landraiders to play around with, I'm feeling the need for some boots on the ground. Unlike the ETL, I will be doing a bit more in the WIP phase as there's time.

Much like Brother Joseph, I wanted some "medieval" in there and in particular, I wanted the neophytes to look a little like squires and such. So that meant getting some Brettonian heads. I went back and forth on these as I love the expressions on their faces, but was a little concerned that they might be small. I had even gone as far as clipping off some Scout heads that I would then model to look more "peasanty" (technical term), but when push came to shove, I didn't want to go there. After putting the Brettonian heads right next to the Scout heads, I didn't see enough of a difference to warrant extra activity, so I decided to run with the original idea.

It is true that the Scout heads are more boxy and their necks are thicker, but from an overall size perspective, they are roughly equivalent.

So we are off to the races...

A little heraldry for the squad

I have no logical reason for liking this guy.

On the other hand, I just like the idea of an angry jester with a shotgun. As an army develops, I've always felt the need to do something to give it some character. In my crusade, I feel like there needs to be a little craziness. That may pop out as something humorous (e.g. Lego objective) or this guy. I think he's going to have a long and storied career for some reason and I feel the need to document his exploits. Henceforth, he shall be named "Jester".

As I was explaining to Brother tvih, some of how your army ends up playing has to do with expectations. I am expecting my army to play like heroes. Some of that comes from the backstory of the Templars, but also the fact that we will have to struggle a bit more for our victories sometimes and that's Ok. We're Templars. We have Zeal on our side. We shall overcome inequities and prove our worth and make others acknowledge our accomplishments. So I want to build an army of heroes. I think that's what we're all about.

In some ways, that is really what's so satisfying about the ETL. If you go back and read the report outs for each week, we didn't start out as the favorite. There were two other forums (DA & BA) that were expected to do better than us based on past accomplishments. Each week I loved how we were able to demonstrate that we just went out there and took on the challenge, that it was a team effort (vs. let's say, five guys with super vows) and that there was a general coming together of all the Brothers to do the best that we could...and then win.

I think the ETL is just the beginning of something fantastic for the Templars. I'd like to see the word get out that if you're doing anything related to the Templars, check in at the BnC and see what's going on there. We can do that.

So the above neophyte squad will be matched up to a 10 man Initiate CC squad to give me something that looks physically imposing on the table. I am working on putting the Initiates together now. This squad will be built from a couple of assault marine boxes as I want them to look like they are coming after you with extreme prejudice. My goal is to get roughly 50 guys together so that I can do a mass basecoating exercise and then start generating squads. I'm also going to produce some "Archer" squads per Brother Darklight's naming convention, which will be used to support more close combat oriented forces. I think I'll end up with a mix of 5-6 and 10 man squads once it's all said and done.

NEWS UPDATE: Not surprisingly, the vindicators that I painted for my C:SM army have been making a lot of noise about jumping the fence and becoming a part of the crusade. They say they'd look awesome in Maltese crosses. So I will have to looking into that as well. :D

Between the above and some dreads, I'd also like to build an LR Ares, a scratch built Achilles, and a couple of LR Terminus. Also some day I'd like to get a Caestus in there somehow someway.

Anyway, I like to lay things out in a general plan so that I know what I'm going to be doing, then adjust if necessary.

That's about it for now, C&C greatly appreciated. Also in progress is another "objective".

[Honda]

Here's a small update...

It's not uncommon for me to get complements on my basing. I know that a lot of people don't like to deal with it, but I think that solid base work lifts an army up a notch and it's not all that difficult to add a little extra to your figures and really have them stand out.

In the past, I've done an urban theme and a spring melt (with water type effects) theme on my, up till now, two principle armies, my DIY SM chapter and my Elysians. So I wanted to do something a little different, something that could apply to not only my own crusades, but also other existing crusades, like Armageddon. Also, in the event that I ever get to do an Age of Apostasy army, which would find my BT's aligned with other armies, including my still WIP Custodes, I didn't want the bases to be too significantly different that they'd look like a mix of oil and water.

So, a desert theme is what I settled on. That allows me to sort of fit them in with a crumbling stone that would be common for the Custodes (Prospero Burns, Battle for Terra) and something like Armageddon.

The other thing I like to do is find simple and cheap ways to do the things I like to do. I know I could probably get resin bases, and some of them are quite tempting (especially the Scibor statuary ones), however for a large army project like this it sort of makes sense to find more cost effective ways to do things. I'm kind of funky in the way I think in that it bothers me to spend money on things other than figs and vehicles. So things like paint, basing materials, glue, GS...all draw against what I'd really like to do which is get more figures to paint for my army.

Having said that, the desert basing as previously developed for the two small squads I did for ETL, will work around sand, cork, and some pseudo-slate stuff I did with Super Sculpey. You can see what that looks like on my kneeling chaplain, Brother Tebow. The other thing to keep in mind is that you can use a little variety in your materials (like introducing air dried clay) and as long as you stick to your basic terrain color palette, it will all look like it fits. Also, It's important that when you do this, to use one color for the base ring so that visually, no matter what the top of the base looks like, it still gets pulled together. In this case, I am using a craft color (from Hobby Lobby) Americana Wrought Iron. I'll confirm that.

So, here's a quick basing tutorial.

Materials and application

It's worth noting that when you glue your figs on the cork, it's not a bad idea to strengthen the join by first drilling a hole in the foot of the figure, then drill a hole through the base, then stick a small pin (I use paperclips) through the base and into the figure. Simple, cheap, and easy. It will also go along way to preserving your work when casualties occur.

Project "Boots on the Ground"

Project "BIG Boots on the Ground"

...and now, something that pretty much started out as a joke in another thread, but has perhaps transpired into something bigger. My next army objective...

First the executioner...

...and the condemned...

The objective

The scroll underneath the condemned will have script on it declaring him a witch. I know, he's a very popular character in a very popular movie series, and made millions of pounds. He's still a witch. Justice must be served.

In any case, I will look forward to painting this up before too much longer.

C&C greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

[Brother Joseph]

pffffffft I'm a templar through and through but theres no way Gandulf gets caught by what appears to be a basic crusader :rolleyes:

 

I also obviously like the MaA heads and think that's gonna work great.

 

last point. super jealous of forge world Templar dread

[Urkh]

"No Gandalf, it is YOU who shall not pass!"

 

This is excellent! The next two objectives you make should be Dumbledore and any jedi you want. they're all witches and shall burn!

[Honda]

pffffffft I'm a templar through and through but theres no way Gandulf gets caught by what appears to be a basic crusader

 

Oh, I don't imagine a basic initiate would have captured him, but it is a measure of our disdain for witches that he shall be dispatched by an as yet, un-named brother. As the frater are fond of saying, "Nothing personal here, it's just business."

 

I also obviously like the MaA heads and think that's gonna work great.

 

If it weren't for the fact that all my troopers will be wearing helmets (it's the smart thing to do in M41), I might have considered putting a couple on PA bodies. The level of expression on the faces is quite impressive.

 

last point. super jealous of forge world Templar dread

 

Patience Brother. I have wanted one of these for a very long time (i.e. since they were released) as I think it's the best of the "venerable" series that FW has produced. It is a beautiful model and during the ETL I was tempted to add it in a vow, but really want to take my time on it so that it gets the attention it deserves. Having said that, keep your eyes peeled on eBay. They come up every now and then and that's where this one came from.

 

The next two objectives you make should be Dumbledore and any jedi you want. they're all witches and shall burn!

 

I am almost afraid to ask, but since we are Templars and we understand the "No Fear" part of no fear, what is a Dumbledore? I hadn't thought of Jedi, but that certainly does make for some interesting possibilities. In fact, I may just have to point my crusade towards the dark system known as "The Hollywood Stars" and purge all the witches hiding there. Ooh, I do think I will do that Brother!

 

Many thanx for that bit of inspiration!

 

Cheers,

[Urkh]

lol, Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the "Harry Potter" book series.

[Honda]

Ok, another status update. Nothing earth shaking I'm afraid, but progress is being made on a fairly good sized slug of guys.

My EC

Gandalf being closely guarded thoughout the painting process

A choppy "knight" crusader squad...(note guide models in the foreground)

...and their attached neophytes

Finally, lots of archers for my "archer" squads. I was able to get a good jump start on these guys when a good friend blessed me with a bunch of BT bits.

So lots of base coat work in progress, which can be rather dreary at times. After I get the light grey on all the shoulder pads, then I'll follow with VMC Off White. I haven't done any faces in quite awhile, so all the initial work with the neophytes was rather disappointing. Lots of work to go there. I was going to say that the banner might turn out Ok. The light tan area is the base for the white. The streamers will alternate red/white all the way down. The shield on the main area will be white with a black cross. The background area will most likely have lots of script on it.

I'm using the picture in our codex as the primary guide for the EC, so I would like him to look a lot like that. Even after all these years (mine's metal), it is still one of the most characterful sculpts GW has ever done. I tip my hat to Juan Diaz.

Many hours of work to go, but going we certainly are.

C&C greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

[Arachnid99]

I have no logical reason for liking this guy.

The others are all great but there is a very good reason you don't have a logical reason for liking this guy, he looks like a WFB court jester, not a post-human crusader in training.

[Honda]

@Arachnid99: I know, I know...he's still among my favorites and I don't know why. I think I'm harboring suspicions that he is destined for craziness. :lol:

[Arachnid99]

@Arachnid99: I know, I know...he's still among my favorites and I don't know why. I think I'm harboring suspicions that he is destined for craziness. :lol:

 

Well they are your models and it's important to remember that 40k is meant not just to be captivating and money sucking but also fun, it's not all grimdark, so maybe have a Court Jester Neophyte is the way to go.

[Adeptus-Alaska]

those neophytes.........wow, those are cool. keep it up man!

[Sir_Isenhar]

Nice Work Honda!

 

I really like the bretonnian blend you put in the BTs... I suppose we are the Bretonnians of the future!

 

Really good work on the loincloth on the executioner for gandalf, looks real natural!

 

Looking forward to seeing that mini diorama finished :D

[Honda]

Update time again. There sure is a lot of stuff going on all at once. Jeebers.

The EC is getting a lot closer. I decided to add some red to the inside of his tabard. The whitening up of the outside part is next.

Here is the "Objective #2". Still in progress, but closing in as well...

Detail of the witch

So these three guys have been lobbying me for a few weeks to come over to the side of zeal. After hemming and hawing about this, I decided to focus the efforts of my SM chapter (DIY) on being a drop pod army. It's how I've played them 99% of the time and what they are structured around. That meant that I could then justify pulling over these guys and doing a moderate makeover.

Accidentally, I discovered an interesting technique.

Originally, I was just going to repaint the metallic parts all over again, but on a whim, I took a cotton swab dipped in isoproply alcohol and rubbed the water based paint off of the metallic bits. What that ended up leaving me with was a sort of aged metallic look, with the greys in the recesses, but for the most part enough of a shine that it's clear what it is. I really like how that turned out and will be experimenting with that in the future.

Besides, I'm rather partial to my vindies, they've done alright by me. B)

Before

New basecoats

And finished

Details (note: the pictures seem a little washed out which is hiding a lot of the weathering powders work, so I'll try some other shots in a different light later)

Now these guys are complaining about being left behind, so they are up on the block as well. Fortunately, this is all the armor I had previously, otherwise I'd never get back to my crusaders.

C&C greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

[Marshal_Roujakis]

Truly truly awesome work!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Astounding brother Honda! Awesome work on those Vindis and that Mithrandir Branding was lol!!! :lol:

Again Awesome!!!

[Honda]

Time for an update...

Here are a few pics of some initiate in my archer units

Some...um, longbows :)

Here are some initiates in my first knight squad

The instruments of our holy wrath

Next up are some neophytes and maybe some other interesting things.

Cheers,

[Firepower]

Sweet stuff. But is the guy with the autographed Dorn chainsword wearing a diaper?

 

:)

[Honda]

...you're probably wondering if I thought of that title all by myself. Yeah, I did. Forgive my lapse in judgement.

Here are some pics. I'll start off with my Emperor's Champion. I'm only moderately happy with him and I'm not sure why. I got the tones I want so that he matches the rest of my figures. Maybe it's because I'm not totally down with the glowy letters on the Black Sword, although I spent quite a bit of time on the layering, inking and then adding detail. I don't know. I just don't feel like I did him justice and I'm not trolling for praise. I'd like some serious critique on him.

Now on the other hand, I like how my first batch of neophytes turned out. I think they embody the Squire/Page look I was after. Here's a Banner carrier

The Jester. I'm loving how he turned out. Now it's time to justify all those notches on his shotgun.

Others

Hey Firepower, I got yer "diaper" right here!

Tomorrow night I'm going to play my friend's wicked looking and wicked performing Dark Eldar. I told him he has to table me by Turn 2 or I win. ;)

Anyway, I'm taking my camera in case there are any nice shots (staged or otherwise) and report back how I do.

This is the 2000 pt list I am taking, partially because it's what I want to play with, and also it's what I have painted. All BT, no proxies anymore.

Type Notes Cost Units

Master of Sanctity [1],Storm Shield, Power maul 150 1

Emperor's Champion [1],Suffer Not 125 1

Sword Brethren HQ [5],Sgt-Storm Shield, 2 x CML, Thunters 280 1

Archer-A [5],Heavy Bolter, Plasma gun 91 2

Archer-B [5],Lascannon, Plasma gun 101 2

Knight [10], PF, Flamer 181 1

Vindicator [1], PotMS 155

Landraider [1], Lascannons/Heavy Bolter 250 1

Landraider Crusader [1], Blessed Hull 290 2

Also, my one knight unit will have 5 neophytes with shotguns attached. The numbers in brackets [] are the number of figures in the units.

Cheers,

[Firepower]

Ha! :no:

 

I really like your particular style. The dirty shoulders are familiar, but using off-black instead of time saving with simply highlighted basecoat is a nice touch that shows some real dedication. The little dude wit hteh wide brim helmet and the standard really shows off that style nicely. And of course, the conversions are classy (diaper or no diaper :no: )

 

The only department looks like it needs work is your freehand. You do a lot of ambitious stuff, and it adds to the models nicely, but some things (those all important crosses specifically) are a bit rough in spots. What sort of method are you using to draw those crosses?

 

But that Jester...well, it's your army. :) Can't say I have much room to judge when I'm looking for a plastic seal to convert into a servitor.