The Neurode Crusade - Updates and Fixes to HQs and Elites

[Brother Christopher]

Looking great! And you posting half or mostly finished pieces is great. Keeps me motivated to make progress on my own vow. 

 

I am truly honoured to hear that! It's great that these kinds of updates work as a source of motivation for somebody else!

 

I should probably also stress that my involvement in Knighftall and me working on these models is to a great degree motivated by what you wrote earlier, as well as your updates in your thread.

 

I've always liked those models but thought it difficult to convey 'Templar' from them. But that maltese cross on his left shoulderpad does it just right imo.

 

I'm glad you like it! I agree, the models are great and quite unique, especially the sword/fist/helmet guy. But he's pretty busy already and there isn't much room for additional, BT-specific bling. I felt the knee pad and cape are the only places for customisability. Regarding this specific model, the cross isn't one of my best ones, but I'm afraid to do anything more with it not to make things worse. And in the context of this subforum should be quite distinctly recognisable ;)

[Brother Kraskor]

Yes I usually find once the cross is passable I am too afraid to mess with it further!  In this case though it is a fine effort. 

[Brother Christopher]

Wow, so it's been over two weeks since I've last done something with Warhammer. Between work, other forms of procrastination (books, tv series and a brief episode of video gaming) and the need to do some physical exercise, I struggled to find the motivation and time necessary to finish the models I've started for Knightfall. Fast forward to today, they're basically done! Before I take properer photos, here's a quick update!

 

[Brother Carpenter]

As with all things in life, taking a (short) break can sometimes lead to greater productivity 

 

The models are looking great. I especially like the look of the half cross on the left SB's helmet.

I'm too meat handed (and short sighted (ahh the age)) to even consider trying that.

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

They look practically done to me!

[Brother Christopher]

As with all things in life, taking a (short) break can sometimes lead to greater productivity 

 

The models are looking great. I especially like the look of the half cross on the left SB's helmet.

I'm too meat handed (and short sighted (ahh the age)) to even consider trying that.

 

Thanks! This was the first time I tried painting a cross on a helmet and it surprised me how awesome it looks. Apparently I had never been a fan of painting crosses on helmets (for some reason) or had been afraid to paint them. A pity, though - maybe I'll incorporate more in the future!

 

They look practically done to me!

Because they kinda are! But since they're intended for Knightfall, I want to base them, too.

 

Here's a quick update - I finally managed to finish the last batch of "Devastators" for my Crusade (I think I started working on them before the pandemic and they were in an 'almost done' limbo for Emperor knows how long).

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent works.

[Brother Christopher]

Thank you for browsing, Bjorn!

 

I finally declared my 1st vow for knightfall complete

 

 

I also pledged to paint the classic/old Helbrecht, for my second vow.

 

In the meantime, I started working on some terminators. I figured, I'll share a WIP photo:

 

 

I really wanted to push myself to get a nice, symbolic number of a total of 41 painted models in 2021... Well, I've failed - real life got into the way of hobby these last few days of this year and I don't feel like pushing myself on the 31st - I'd be nice to get to 41 minis, but realistically, I don't feel like spending 6-8 hours on painting ;) I imagine, it'd be bad for my back.

 

I am both happy and sad worried with the number of models I painted. It's not great by any standard, but it's almost 40 models properly added to the Crusade. On the other hand, a quick estimate and review of my backlog suggests that I still have around 100 models to deal with. Thank GW for the Primaris - that earth-shattering event really helped me draw the line and realise that if I continue collecting as I had done, I'll run out of life before I paint the army ;)

[Urkh]

Thank GW for the Primaris - that earth-shattering event really helped me draw the line and realise that if I continue collecting as I had done, I'll run out of life before I paint the army ;)

 

Technically, their goal should be to have you more plastic in your lifetime than you'll ever paint (in a capitalistic society, that is). Haha gws, your own plan backfired?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

You're a skilled painter. How will you decorate the new models' bases?

[Brother Carpenter]

I am both happy and sad worried with the number of models I painted. It's not great by any standard, but it's almost 40 models properly added to the Crusade. On the other hand, a quick estimate and review of my backlog suggests that I still have around 100 models to deal with. Thank GW for the Primaris - that earth-shattering event really helped me draw the line and realise that if I continue collecting as I had done, I'll run out of life before I paint the army ;)

Don't worry about your number of painted mini's. It's quality over quantity that counts for the Emperor.

Ik believe the chappy I vowed for knightfall Will be the second ☹️ mini I complete this year.

 

Best wishes for m2-022.

 

You can always vow tot paint 42 mini's next year

Edited December 31, 2021 by Brother Carpenter

[Brother Christopher]

 

Thank GW for the Primaris - that earth-shattering event really helped me draw the line and realise that if I continue collecting as I had done, I'll run out of life before I paint the army

 

Technically, their goal should be to have you more plastic in your lifetime than you'll ever paint (in a capitalistic society, that is). Haha gws, your own plan backfired?

 

 

Yes, the consecutive Primaris releases showed me that, without doubt, GW will not let me "finish my army roster" with new the regularly developed new kits. I was and still am a person who likes to plan first and later, when time allows, catch up with the plans - that's the reason why my army grew so much in the first place (apparently without control). I had always felt that Space Marines are a constant in GW's universe and business scheme and even though I didn't play this or that edition, having "all entries in the codex" available in my collection would allow me to build a viable list whenever I felt like playing. Clearly, I was wrong ;)

 

Some time ago, I decided that it's too late to get rid of 40k altogether  so I have plenty of time to finish my 5th edition army... fingers crossed that it'll be ready by 10th edition, haha.

 

Overall, I think that the realisation of the ad infinitum nature of GW's releases for Space Marines (instead of re-releases/updates of sculpts, that I'd opt for!) was one of the best things that happened to me in the hobby since it eventually, through pain and toil, helped me realise what I want with my collection. Before, I just bought kits that I wanted to fill out all force organisation chart or to have all types of unites available or that I simply liked and could afford. The great shift brought about by GW at the beginning of 8th edition was very upsetting, but also very useful: it led me to take a step back and actually think about my involvement in the hobby.

 

My departure from getting new kits (with a few exceptions since the start of 8th edition, being some Terminators and Vanguard Veterans, as well as some metal models) was also great for my 'mental health.' I don't like being taken advantage of, especially by large corporations that are most insidious when it comes to selling nerd-related stuff to hobbyists. At the same time, I am aware that I am very susceptible to wanting to have "complete collections" of things. The open-ended nature of "collections" in 40k could easily lead to me overspending and overbuying things for the short-term sense of "gratification" from the fact of making the purchase and adding to the collection... and then leaving the kits unassembled and unpainted for months or years. That's something I don't want from the hobby. And even though I am a pretty mature and conscious consumer, I almost fell for it with the release of Primaris Templars.

 

I must admit that I found myself planning my purchases to have all the kits and around 20 Parimaris Crusaders in the most cost-effective manner. Also, because of the limited nature of the BT Box, I felt quite strongly compelled to get it, which wasn't a pleasant feeling. Luckily, the contents of the BT Launch Box was very underwhelming for many reasons and helped me to come round and avoid the pitfall.

 

You're a skilled painter. How will you decorate the new models' bases?

 

Thank you! I'm doing my best! For the bases - sand and some turfs!

 

 

Don't worry about your number of painted mini's. It's quality over quantity that counts for the Emperor.

Ik believe the chappy I vowed for knightfall Will be the second ☹ mini I complete this year.

 

Best wishes for m2-022.

 

You can always vow tot paint 42 mini's next year

 

 

I've seen that metal Chaplain! Good luck, can't wait to see him finished (or did I miss it and you've completed it already?).

 

Best wishes to you too, Brother! And thanks for all the words of encouragement and motivation that I receive from you in the course of the year ;)

 

[Brother Christopher]

The High Marshal is painted! I'm a bit tired, so just a quick update. As always, please try to disregard the excessive shine on some parts of the model - this is due to harsh lighting and a fresh coat of satin varnish.

 

I must also confess that this models is probably painted as best as I can. It took me three days of quite extensive painting, between 6 and 10 hours and two bottles of wine to get him ready. The model has a lot of detail. A LOT, maybe even too much. I know that I messed up the halo thing on his right knee and I wanted to make the Maltese crosses on the inside of his cape smaller/finer; apart from that and maybe minor mishaps with the face and free hand cross on his chest, I am surprised and extremely happy with how well he turned out and how cool (though, a bit cluttered) the finished model is.

 

Front and back:

 

 

And some close-ups on details:

I'm surprised that I managed to - barely but actually - squeeze "TEMPLAR" on this small ribbon!

 

A kind-of aquila on the back of the cape:

 

Free hand twin-colour cross and his smug face:

 

Ribbons, seals, lanterns and keys, as well as free hand half-crosses on the lining of the cape:

Edited January 13, 2022 by Brother Cristopher

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the High Marshal.

[Brother Carpenter]

Ah, Hellbrecht looks very nice. You got his face way better than I managed.

It is a very cluttered mini, when painting I managed to find details previously unseen.

 

And no the chappy for knightfall is not yet finished, so I must confess I finished painting 1 mini in 2021.

I'll join the 2022 painting challenge to get at least one model a month to get rid of my grey mountain of shame.

[Brother Christopher]

Ah, Hellbrecht looks very nice. You got his face way better than I managed.

It is a very cluttered mini, when painting I managed to find details previously unseen.

 

And no the chappy for knightfall is not yet finished, so I must confess I finished painting 1 mini in 2021.

I'll join the 2022 painting challenge to get at least one model a month to get rid of my grey mountain of shame.

 

As always, thank you for the words of encouragement! With Helbrecht, it was like sailing uncharted waters as you said, without applying paint to the mini yourself, you're bound to miss all the clutter.

 

Best of luck with your painting efforts in 2022. I might join that challenge, too. I've browsed the rules and it appears you can enter any unfinished model which is great for my plans to both paint new models and finish already painted ones which require an update or proper basing.

 

I also got my display cabinet for my army - an Ikea Rudsta. It is pretty good. Considering I'm not a fan of Ikea, I have to admit that they've nailed it with the design/quality/price ratio which is extremely favourable. Alas, as I anticipated, I am not able to fit my entire collection into the cabinet Now my mind is occupied with how to solve this issue.

 

1. The easiest one: Display all infantry units and some of the tanks; store the remaining models (most likely Drop Pods and a couple of Rhinos) in boxes in other pieces of furniture. This will leave me with an elegant-looking display cabinet and relatively neatly and orderly arranged models. What bothers me is that I really wanted to display my entire collection.

 

2. The hardest one which is both cool and problematic. I am considering building a diorama - a fortress of some sort and adding scenic floors inside. I must confess that I've already wasted a fair deal of time planning how it could look. However, as cool as the idea is, I am afraid that it will turn out too unrealistic to completed. I mean, I failed to paint 40 models this past year and I still have dozens more to go. I am afraid that I won't be able to build the thing in reasonable time, not to mention the fact that I wouldn't know how to do it in the first place. I can't design components for someone else to cut them out, nor do I have any experience in building and painting terrain. So... tempting as this might be, I think I should drop the idea altogether. I suppose that I'll be able to reach a more informed decision later this week when I'll try to build a mock component (a wall or something) and see how it goes. On top of that, this solution appears to be the least practical when it comes to removing the models for potential games.

 

3. The middle-ground, which probably is the most reasonable option a compromise of sorts: order some plexi stands to help me get more room. I'd preferred to add more proper shelves, but I expect it will exceed my DIY skills and turn out to be quite expensive. I've seen some of the stands online and they seem to look fine and should not disturb the rather elegant metal-glass design of the display cabinet.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Brother Cristopher

[Urkh]

I think you shouldn't sell your "DIY" skills short. The things we have seen you do with plasticard are incredible. Imagine if you had the same mindset with plasticard as you sort of seem to have with the diorama. The world would be robbed of the cool stuff you've made.

 

With that said, when it comes to time, I would just say do a little bit of it in-between each squad you complete. Let it be a reward for accomplishing getting things done, and inthink you'll find things will get done faster.

[Brother Carpenter]

I think you shouldn't sell your "DIY" skills short. The things we have seen you do with plasticard are incredible. Imagine if you had the same mindset with plasticard as you sort of seem to have with the diorama. The world would be robbed of the cool stuff you've made.

 

With that said, when it comes to time, I would just say do a little bit of it in-between each squad you complete. Let it be a reward for accomplishing getting things done, and inthink you'll find things will get done faster.

 

@ Brother Christopher: This, Urkh beat me.

Don't discard your diy skills, just upscale them for furniture.

[Smoke Frog]

Really beautifully painted classic Helbrecht! 

[Brother Christopher]

Brother Carpenter and Urkh, you should act in the rank of Chaplain for all the motivation zeal that you confer onto me.

 

It would be dishonest if I were to doubt my dexterity and prowess with a hobby knife - I was mostly concerned about designing my own stuff and working with new a new DIY material. I intended to build the diorama out of cardstock and cardboard to keep things cheap and - hopefully - easier to process. Moreover, I would probably have to find ways to imitate stone or stone-like materials, something that is also something completely new to me. I'm sure I'd find a way to achieve satisfactory results, but at the same time I'm also concerned about the time investment.

 

I must also confess that I sometimes have the mentality of a teenager; I get overly excited about potential projects and become obsessed with planning cool things... and forgetting how time-consuming it can be. The fact that I can still get excited about these kinds of things is very cheerful - I think it shows that I really enjoy "the hobby" and have this very deep fascination with it. However, over the years, I've been trying to learn to control this and manage my projects more realistically. That is why after having slept on it, I realised that such ambitious endeavours must be postponed until I finalise other 40k-related things I planned for 2022. I want, nay, need to prioritise painting my models and finishing my Thunderhawk.

 

But rest assured, I shall bear in mind and in my crusading heart the words of encouragement both of you provided!

 

@Smoke Frog, thanks! I'm glad you like it! More classic stuff to come!

 

Speaking of which, I managed to buy a model that I've always wanted to have - a metal Space Marine Sergeant with a Power Mace (I'll post a picture of the model once it's delivered).

 

I will also buy some plexi stands to fit more stuff into my display cabinet. This will also be a very important step for my (potential) future Crusade Keep Diorama Project^TM. It will help me visualise and plan the arrangement of models and figure out how much space I actually need.

 

Once I get these stands, I'll try to assemble the remaining models and post a picture of the entire thing.

 

I should also make up my mind about my collection of my 15-17 SM Bikes (I haven't started painting them; I've a collection of regular bikes, 2 Attack Bikes, as well as the ancient metal Chappy). I distinctly remember wanting to sell them at least two times in my life and this ideas keeps coming back. Back then, I convinced myself to keep them. Right now, with the need to arrange models in the cabinet, I find that the bikes take up a lot of space and this could be a good pretext to get rid of them. Also, I don't think that they'll be useful game-wise... Decisions, decisions!

 

Any updated thoughts on SM Bikes, including Outriders, in 2022? I know that Attack Bikes are all the rage now, but regular Bike Squads seem a bit lacklustre. Should I keep the models for classic models' sake or save myself some time and space (ha!) and sell them.

[Brother Christopher]

A quick photo update: two new Terminators join the ranks of the Crusade:

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Brother Cristopher

[Brother Kraskor]

You can never have too many Terminators! Nice. You're good at freehanding the maltese cross, and the script is nice too, very crisp!

[Majkhel]

I really like the quartered skulls! 
I'm always amazed by you imagination in devising interesting and convincing heraldry pieces  

[Prot]

Very nice, great work on the purity seals.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Prot

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Terminators. How will you decorate their bases?