The Neurode Crusade - Still Doing This in 2025

[W.A.Rorie]

Love it keep up the good work!

[Brother Christopher]

On 12/4/2024 at 7:49 PM, WAR said:

Love it keep up the good work!

 

I shall! Especially now, when the finish line is within reach! :)

 

***

Brothers! The following post may be a bit boring. After all, it's an extract from a spreadsheet! However, I'm quite excited to share it with you.

After (too) many years, the final shape and composition of the Neurode Crusade has emerged. While a census of Space Marines isn't as fun as photos thereof, I still consider this an important step. Somehow counting and organising my models -- something that wasn't classified information since for years they were in a glass display cabinet -- gave me a sense of accomplishment.

The number on the left shows the number of models with a given kind of wargear or a given role. Sometimes, mostly for the sake of better cataloguing my collection, there are additional remarks about the models; e.g. metal (which is self explanatory) or OOP (which I'm defining as 'models older than when I started 40k and back then were described as such,' e.g. ancient, 3rd edition super-small Marines). In my naivety, I attempted to 'future proof' my army. Some models have socketed magnets; this is also reflected in the list below: I either socketed the magnets in wrists (for CCW and special weapons) or shoulders (to replace entire arms, mostly because of swapping Power Fists and Lightning Claws).

The tally doesn't include vehicles; however, it includes bikes and centurions which historically were not counted as vehicles.

THE NEURODE CRUSADE

 

 Power Armour Marines - 166 models

Troops

20          Chainsword and Bolt Pistol

20          Bolter (10 magnets)

3            Sergeant w/ Boltgun and CCW weapon

 

Specialist Weapons

3             Melta guns

3             Plasma guns

5             Flamers/Inferno Squad

1             Heavy Flamer

2             Gravguns

5             Combi Weapons; inc. 1 w/ Chainsword, 1 w/ Power Sword + magnet

5             Special Issue Boltgun/Sternguard

5             5 Plasma guns/Hellblasters

 

Exotic weapons

2             Single Lightning Claw

2             Dual Lightning Claws

1             metal Power Mace

6             Power Fist (inc. 1 Web Exclusive Sergeant, 1 OOP Captain)

5             Power Sword (inc. 1 OOP Captain; 1 Castellan Draco)

3             Thunder Hammer (inc. Games Day 2008 Captain and Master of the Fleet)

5             Power Sword (inc. 1 OOP Captain; 1 Castellan Draco)

3             Power Axe (1 OOP Captain; 1 metal Veteran)

 

Elites

7             Veterans w/ wrist magnets

2             Veteran w/ arm magnet

6             Metal Sword Brethren (1 power fist; 1 power sword; 1 dual lightning claws)

5             Metal Sternguard Veterans

4             converted Blade Guards

 

Marshal’s Household

6             Commanders

               AoBR Captain, converted Marshal, Master of the Arsenal, Sicarius, Seraphicus, Heavy Sniper

3             Apothecaries (2 OOP metal models)

3             Standard Bearers (custom, 1 UM Honour Guard)

3             Fancy Sword Marines (‘Judiciar,’ ‘Company Champion,’ ‘Chapter Champion’)

2             Emperor’s Champion metal models

3             Chaplains

1             Grimaldus

3             Cenobyte Servitors

1             Helbrecht

2             Honour Guard with Axe + magnet

1             Librarian [Heresy]

 

Heavy Support

1             Marine w/ Signum

4             Missile Launcher

4             Multi-Melta

4             Plasma Cannon

4             Lascannon

4             Heavy Bolter

4             Grav Cannon and Amp

 

 Fast Attack

Jump Pack Marines - 36 models

11           Chainsword + Pistol (2 plasma)

5             metal Vanguard Veterans

5             Dual Lightning Claws

4             w/ arm magnets

5             w/ wrist magnet

5             miscellaneous (OOP power fist, OOP grenade, axe, hammer, hand flamer)

1             Chaplain w/ Jump Pack and Power Fist

 

Bikes - 14 models

8             regular Bikers

2             Marshal / Castelan

1             Chaplain

1             Standard Bearer

2             Attack Bikes

 

 Terminators - 53 models

Tactical

13          Storm Bolter + Power Fist/Chainfist

3            Storm Bolter + Power Sword (OOP metal Captain)

1            w/ arm magnets

Heavy weapons:

2             Heavy Flamer

2             Assault Cannon

2             Cyclone Missile Launcher

Assault:

10          dual Lightning Claws

10          Thunder Hammer

HQs:

2             Marshal / Castelan w/arm magnets

1             metal IF Captain (TH+SS)

1             dual Power Fists (Calgar)

1             Apothecary

1             Standard Bearer

1             Librarian [Heresy]

3             Chaplains (1 metal, 1 w/ Crozius and Storm Bolter, 1 w/ Storm Shield and Relic Weapon (flail))

 

Centurions - 6 models

 

Initiates/Scouts - 32 models

2             metal sniper

4             plastic sniper

2             metal shotgun

3             plastic shotgun

3             metal bolter

2             plastic bolter

8             metal CCW

4             plastic CCW

2             fancy Sergeant w/ wrist magnet

1             Missile Launcher

1             Heavy Bolter

 

TOTAL: 317

 

As always, I'm very grateful to GW for ruining 40k for me; the introduction of Primaris was painful but sobering and ultimately helpful. Otherwise, this collection... I don't want to think about how much more draining this project would've been had I not stopped buying new stuff.

 

For the record, I think I can safely say that the majority of the models is painted. Currently, I'm doing the final updates/adjustments on around 10 power armour models and will need to revisit 10-15 Terminators. In terms of models that need to be painted from scratch, there are less than 30 of them. Oh, plus I'll need to base and varnish the lot.

 

I really can't wait to have all of these done so I can take proper photos and close this chapter of my life. While the models aren't as hip as Primaris, I definitely prefer the oldschool aesthetic of Space Marines. Sure, I'm a bit tired of painting the same models over and over again but that's the consequence of my youth's foolishness. However, as the Marshal of this Crusade, I can't see myself abandoning my guys. Also, I do intend to get back to playing tabletop games with these guys, even if it means I'll have to use them as proxies.

Edited December 5, 2024 by Brother Christopher

[Brother Christopher]

More updated minis; this time some pewter models - Chaplains and a kitbashed Emperor's Champion/Fancy Sword Marine, as well as a Cheaphammer kitbashed Chaplain that once was a count-as Grimaldus.

 

 

 

 

The helmet is - obviously - a new addition to this ancient conversion; I've attempted to do a smoothish transition from white to black. I'm not really sure what I expected but I'm rather okay with this first attempt. Unfortunately, I messed the photos up and it's not really visible - but believe me: there is something there ;)

 

 

[Brother Christopher]

My AoBR Terminators, an example of some of the first models painted I've ever painted:

 

 

And now after the update:

 

It's a bit of a shame that I haven't taken 'before pics' of the backs of the models since that part was probably the worst. There still is room for improvement but I really want to keep focused on the big picture and I don't wat to obsess about old models too much.

 

I've left the face of the leader unchanged, though. I figured it's not that bad and in a stilly, slightly nostalgic way, I want to preserve my original attempts.

 

Oh boy; this hobby project scheduled for November/December IS TEDIOUS. Revisiting these old models makes me really appreciate the amount of work I put into this army. At the same time, I'm yearning to do something different; however, my goals and priorities are set: I want to push through the pain of tedium and start the new year with a clean slate.

 

I still need to retouch 5 older Termies and do some minor work on even some more. Then, I plan to fix chipped paint on some relatively awesome pewter models (Sword Bros and Sternguards) and I'll be done with this stage.

 

After that, I might take a break from Black Templars and paint some of my purple not-Primaris.

[Brother Christopher]

Welcome back, Brothers! With much regret, I realised that I haven't updated this thread in a long, long time. This does not mean that I've forsaken my Firstborn Templars. As much as I'd like to that and move on with my life, as a Templar, it just doesn't feel right.

 

Between then and now, I managed to finish updating and/or repainting some of the older models:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also committed something I would have once considered the greatest heresy; I painted a Librarian. To be frank, I'm quite proud of how he turned out. The reason behind is that I don't play the game and I don't really care at this stage - the model is there in case I decide to go back to the game (or OnePageRules) and use my miniatures as 'regular marines.'

 

 

 

But the thing that holds most of my attention at present is a side-project to my Templars, i.e., my plastic Thunderhawk. Since I've been building the model for over a decade, the finish is extremely bumpy - putting the darn thing has been an endless source of problems, frustrations and... joy. If you're interested, I invite you to visit my thread in the WIP section.

 

For a summary, over three months, I painted most of the fuselage:

 

 

 

[Marshal Reinhard]

As someone also looking to paint a Librarian, I'm going to paint mine as a Grey Knight. Did get some bits to that effect, though I underestimated the size differential between GK termies and Nu-termies.

[Brother Christopher]

Oh, I know what you mean about using a Grey Knight Librarian - I've been pondering this for a long time but decided to keep in Templar-only, especially since I think of my Crusade as a renegade-style force, cut off from the main Imperium and going a bit wonky.

 

Despite that the Templar indoctrination in me tells me that this is wrong, painting a second blue model was very fun.

 

In other news, I feel I'm learning this and that. As such, I've decided not to get any more second-hand models that need stripping. Today, I removed paint from - if my resolve is strong enough - the last batch of models ever. Over the years, I've grown to hate the process!

 

The last batch of models comprise a number of Space Hulk Terminators and my last metal model that I'm yet to paint in my collection, an old Terminator Captain.