Marshal Crimor's Endless Crusade

[Marshall Crimor]

Hello brothers. Today I took a break from painting to finish modeling part of my close combat crusader squad. I included a neophyte standard bearer modeled with a chainsword and sidearm (so he should be usable in games). I am pretty new to this hobby but I am really enjoying all the customization that a 40k templar force allows. Enjoy! And let me know what you guys think.

Crusader squad expansion:

The neophytes - I really dislike the standard SM scout model, so you may notice that my neophytes recieve a lot of attention in the customization department...

Close-up of the standard bearer. In terms of fluff, my crusader squad preserved the bones of their former Marshal, along with pieces of his armor after a great crusade and before each battle the Templar Initiates elect one neophyte who has proven himself the most faithful and determined to carry the fallen Marshal into battle with them--in honor of the fallen Marshal's glorious deeds.

Close-up of the initiate equiped with a flamer weapon. I am really, really looking forward to depicting some sort of heretic or witch burning on this banner. I know other weapons may perform better on the table top, but nothing says witch-hunt quite like a zealous warrior carrying a flame-thrower.

[Tyrannicide]

Tabard-wearing Neophytes. Genius!

[Urkh]

figures, i just get done converting my own standard bearer neophyte for helbrecht's command squad, and here you go totally outclassing what I've done, lol!

[Arthanor]

Very nice models, brother!

 

I am particularly fond of your standard bearer neophyte. Have you thought of counting him as a cenobyte servitor? I made a "scout with standard" to be one of my cenobyte but this model so outclasses him that I think I'll just field him as a neophyte (swaping the standard for a pistol which I already can do).

 

Can you tell me what the bits you used to make this model are? It looks awesome and I'd love to make ~3 similar ones to be my cenobytes.

[merc3065]

I like the models and the conversions.

 

Have you considered using black primer as your base coat vs grey primer?

 

Also, it looks like you are spraying your primer way too close to the models and too thick/long. The spray is building up in places and making a sort of "fuzz" or stippling effect.

I've had this happen with GW's skull white when sprayed too close to the model, too long of a spray or if it was not mixed up well enough.

 

Are you hitting them with the spray in short bursts or one long continuous spray?

 

By refining the priming technique you can really improve the overall finish of the models you create.

It's a lot like automotive body work, if you have very good prep work, you will have a very good finish. Bad prep work, poor finish.

 

What did you use for the shield and are those orc hands?

[Marshall Crimor]

figures, i just get done converting my own standard bearer neophyte for helbrecht's command squad, and here you go totally outclassing what I've done, lol!

Haha. I can relate. I had just finished my jump-pack chaplain conversion and got on the forums to upload a picture of my work and noticed that the chaplain Ginger Avenger had just uploaded had an almost identical templar cross-topped crozius in the ETL thread-- complete with a very nice paint job no less. Thank you for the kind words and I am looking forward to seeing your neophyte standard bearer.

 

 

Have you thought of counting him as a cenobyte servitor? I made a "scout with standard" to be one of my cenobyte but this model so outclasses him that I think I'll just field him as a neophyte (swaping the standard for a pistol which I already can do).

 

Can you tell me what the bits you used to make this model are? It looks awesome and I'd love to make ~3 similar ones to be my cenobytes.

I really like the cenobyte servitors that come with Grimaldus-(the direction I took with my neophytes is definately inspired by Grimaldus' servitors)-so when I add cenobytes to my force I will probably buy those. I have also contemplated buying an empire flagellant kit to chop up and make cenobytes/neophytes, though I think that would require a ton of conversion work ( I really just like the tattered robes but the models are bare foot and look a bit out of place in the 40k world).

 

Now as far as bits go, this may be a complicated responce because a few pieces on this guy came from an earlier experience with the hobby nearly 20 years ago. I apparently never throw any little pieces of plastic away...ever...The shield, especially, I believe came from a warhammer box set, like AoBR, that included bretonnian fighters. The sprue (which I apparently never throw away either) is stamped GW 1992 and says fighter on it. The body of the model is built around an old pewter space marine scouts model. The skeleton pieces come from tomb king spearmen but required considerable cutting and shaving to postition, and the shaft and horizontal cross piece of the standard are a tomb king spearman standard and a chopped up tomb king chariot standard respectively. The smaller chains are from either the empire flagellant kit or the chaos marauder kit. Everything else on the standard comes from the BT upgrade box.

 

To put him together I started by taking a hacksaw to his arms...I admit that I felt a little like a B-horror movie villian during this process. I drill shallow holes where the neophytes' arms once were and run thin wire from them, bending the wire to the basic pose that I want his arms to be in. From there I connected a BT upgrade sprue chainsword and began scratch-building his bare arms with modeling epoxy. ( I use a cheaper version of GW's greenstuff because, well, I am cheap, but I also find that the cheaper stuff doesn't stick to my modeling tools as badly.) The tabard and hood is also modeling epoxy. I chose to add bare arms, as well as unprotected heads to most of my neophytes because I wanted to make them look tough, zealous, and maybe even a little crazy. Charging into battle covered in power armor may take courage, but the guy with the bolt pistol and chainsword strapped to his bare arms, charging in half naked, goes beyond courageous, he is a little nuts!

 

I hope that answered your questions!

 

 

Have you considered using black primer as your base coat vs grey primer?

I have tried collecting warhammer/40k armies on and off since I was a kid, but I have just recently gotten "into" the hobby. My previous modeling tactic was to paint every model black, splash boltgun metal on the weapons, paint the bases brown and move on. I am really trying to figure a lot of this stuff out. Now that I am serious about painting and modeling I've tried black, grey, and white primers. It seems that every 4 models that I paint, I change my technique a little. Before, I primed black, highlighted, then worked on details. Now I am trying a grey primer, dark grey basecoat, then multiple washes of badabb black/serephim sepia before I move to highlighting and details.

 

Also, it looks like you are spraying your primer way too close to the models and too thick/long. The spray is building up in places and making a sort of "fuzz" or stippling effect.

I've had this happen with GW's skull white when sprayed too close to the model, too long of a spray or if it was not mixed up well enough.

Are you hitting them with the spray in short bursts or one long continuous spray?

What did you use for the shield and are those orc hands?

I've noticed that as well. I generally start with a continuous spray from approx. 12 inches away from the model, angled down. To touch up spots I move the nozzle closer (around 6 inches away) and spray in short bursts. I have struggled with priming models since I returned to the hobby. I haven't tried GW primer yet so I use a generic primer that is safe for plastics. I clean the models with water and a little dishsoap. I have been trying to narrow down my priming problem. I thought it might be that the primer isn't mixed enough, so for these guys I shook that can for about 4 minutes. I also switched from a white primer that was doing the same thing to grey in hopes that the brand of primer would fix the problem. After reading your post I think it may be a technique problem, rather than a material or "clean model" problem. /sigh

 

By refining the priming technique you can really improve the overall finish of the models you create.

It's a lot like automotive body work, if you have very good prep work, you will have a very good finish. Bad prep work, poor finish.

 

Amen brother. Currently, I spend about an hour scraping and filing the fuzz effect off of my primed models before applying the base coat, and even after that I still find rough looking areas after the model is base coated. I appreciate your comments and feedback. I think with where I am at in this hobby, I have have plenty of room for some refinement!

[Urkh]

my conversion isn't really much to show. I had gotten a few sniper rifle scouts from my cousin for free (that he acquired from someone else for free) that used to be ultramarines, but the first owner tried to strip the paint, but only did half the job.

 

So what i did was i chopped off the sniper arms, chopped up some high elf spears or something (i know nothing about high elves) to make the pole of the standard and glued them to a hand that was made empty by my chopping. Then I glued a normal standard that comes in one of the space marine boxes (don't remember which one), and chopped up a lot of arm pieces to make a new bolt pistol arm for the neophyte.

 

i would post a pic, but my phone camera sucks

[Marshall Crimor]

Hello all- Here is a picture of my progress on the initiate's back banner. something is a little off. I was going for a heretic burning theme. I like the sword and the scroll work, the fire and smoke, but something doesn't look quite right...Should the banner be bordered? a different background color? Looking for some suggestions on this one! Thanks!