XBA: Space Marine Heroes FINISHED

[Xenith]

Five days to go!

 

[The4thHorseman]

Where did you get a project tracker? This looks really cool and would definitely keep me more organized.

[Xenith]

It's called Pile of Potential, and I can't rate it highly enough! You can see what I'm working on here, the probably create an account also:

 

https://pileofpotential.com/Xenith

[Xenith]

So this plog is a couple of days behind my actual painting progress, so here's the ancient-cum-sanguinary priest:

 

After night 2

 

After night 3

 

I wanted the white armour to be on there, but wasn't sold on red robes, but I also wanted to test out the new baal red,  so he is 50/50 top half in red and legs in white. I'll splash some blood about later. Robes are a thick wash of mortarion grime (love this paint) over the white scar spray. I'm not 100% convinced by the tilting plate with the apothecary symbol, I might move it to the left shoulder, or somewhere else. I'll have a think and see hat it looks like once I've done the seals. 

 

In terms of baal red, I'm pretty happy with it, this is one thick coat. The shading effect is reduced on this as the paint is so thick, so I might go back and add a little mortarion grime, or skeleton horde to the recesses in the red, maybe blood angels red. 

[Xenith]

It...it is done...

 

 

 

I'll get the gang together for some group shot later, but I'm please to say I have finally finished painting one half of a starter set of models, this will be the first time I've managed it since the 3rd ed boxed set that contained a land speeder and a tactical squad! 

[Rhavien]

Gratulations Xenith! Looking forward seeing the pics 

[Xenith]

Aand group photo time!

 

Completed are

1 Captain

1 Bladeguard Ancient (Sanguinary Ancient)

1 Judicar

1 Chaplain (now on bike)

10 Assault Intercessors (Now 5 Death co and 5 Normal intercessors)

3 Bladeguard

3 Eradicators

and...lol.. I've just realised I left the Bladeguard Lt out of these photos...but he was done a while ago and back in the blog.

 

Anyway, photo time. These are finished to a point where I'm happy to stick them on the tabletop, however there are still bits and pieces to do like finishing the scriptwork on the rmaining purity seals, some illuminated writing on Sendini's relic shield, and then some kind of back-banner painting - any ideas what could go on? It'll maybe feature the quartered scheme of the 5th co, but what would Sendini's personal imagery be?

 

After that, they all need some griming up to the level of the Flesh Eaters. The Sanguinary ancient I originally wanted to be a Flesh Eater, however the Baal Red has come out slightly differently to the evil sunz red I've been using on them so far - and actually far closer to the original flesh tearers encarmine from the rogue trader art. 

 

 

And for the sake of completeness, there's the Bladeguard Lt. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Xenith

[Xenith]

I got my copy of Leviathan, and I have to say I'm impressed. This is maybe the best boxed et SGW has ever done. The production quality is amazing, the art also, and it has a full pack of mission cards and objective markers within, a first for GW.

 

I'm looking forward to getting the models built, however I have no idea what to paint the mix of primaris and 'firstborn' as - any fire themed BA successors?

 

[Paladin777]

Those look amazing!

 

I've got my own system of keeping track of my goals in Apple's Notes app, but that Pile of Potential looks great!

[Xenith]

Thanks Paladin! Definitely a 3 year labour of love  I hope to be faster with the next lot, but tyranids and titanicus call to me! 

[Majkhel]

Well, I can't just skim over the fact that you managed to complete the Indomitus box before Leviathan arrived. 
WELL DONE, BROTHER!!! 

I like how you remodelled the Judiciar hefting the hourglass!

[Xenith]

Thanks! Weird how quickly that time went, this was a milestone for myself in getting things done, I have so much grey plastic it feels good to make progress on it! 

[Xenith]

So what do we reckon, Leviathan terms as Blood Angels, Flesh Tearers, Flesh Eaters, or Other?

 

That awesome nid primaris Lt is definitely going to be a Flesh Eater. It's handy that my Primaris stuff already features basing material from my Hive Fleet Jabberwocky, these models will fit right in! 

It's also tempting to strip the cruxes from the terms and use them for heresy...though would they fight for the BA or Alphas???

[Spyros]

9 minutes ago, Xenith said:

So what do we reckon, Leviathan terms as Blood Angels, Flesh Tearers, Flesh Eaters, or Other?

 

 

Your models are excellent! The Flesh Eaters were savage!

I wouldn't mind seeing Blood Angels now. They have a lot of Tyranid relics/remnants from the Devastation anyway.

[Majkhel]

On 8/11/2023 at 11:33 AM, Xenith said:

So what do we reckon, Leviathan terms as Blood Angels, Flesh Tearers, Flesh Eaters, or Other?

 

That awesome nid primaris Lt is definitely going to be a Flesh Eater. It's handy that my Primaris stuff already features basing material from my Hive Fleet Jabberwocky, these models will fit right in! 

It's also tempting to strip the cruxes from the terms and use them for heresy...though would they fight for the BA or Alphas???

With those new sculpts it would be a shame not to make at least one proper Blood Angel!
Still I would encourage you to try something new as well. A Lamenter would be glorious.... But perhaps also an Atlatian Spear if you're feeling a bit Alpharious

[Xenith]

Yea, I think I have to do some Blood Angels at least. I've been looking at @Jolemai's old school BA models and getting Blue Helmet envy, so I might have to do at least my Hellblasters or Pyroblasters up as traditional BA? Ther Terminators I think might get their Cruxes sanded down for use as HH Blood Angels.

[Xenith]

Coming back to the BA as a bit of a palate (and indeed, palette) cleanser between blue nids, blue alpha legion, blue Legio Tempestus and blue thousand sons, I'm working on my SM Heroes series 2 terminators, I've just about got darrago, the standard bearer ready, just the banner to go. I managed to get him done in just about an evening, so with the less detailed dudes, I might be able to smash one out per night, or two nights, and get through the squad quite quickly!

Edited September 15, 2023 by Xenith

[Xenith]

So a bit of the works in progress:

 

I started on Brother Armaus yesterday also, with marines, especialyl Terminators I seem to do better painting one at a time, being the heroes they are, and getting the seratonin kick from completing various stages. I intend to make these guys as close to the box art as possible regarding herladry, then add my own twists like I did with my other terms. These guys might be the HH BA chapter Icon though to tie them back to that period, if you squint and ignore the crux.

 

I've also not been slacking, I picked up the SM heroes 4 set a while ago and hadn't done anythig with them, however I knew I wanted them to be HH compatible. I've been considering running an allied recon company alongside my Alpha Legion, so I was thnking of adding in some BA recon marines to go in the midfield and annoy stuff. I also added scopes etc to the bolters to give the impression of nemesis bolters in case I wanted to use them like that. Not the most BA of units, and not making the most of the legion rules, but even the angels need to go for the head sometimes. I aaaalmost, almost went with imperial fists for these guys as bolter armed recons are just much better as fists than Blood Angels, however that's too traitorous even for my Alpha Legion side. I've got the plasma gunner and heavy bolter in the unit to be able to run them as veterans also if I feel like it. I'm also going to try out a camouflage scheme on them, inspired by the rogue trader art, some some others I've seen recently (albeit mostly on primaris).

 

 

 

I won't add all the references here, but 've uploaded a few potential schemes to an album here:

 

 

 

 

 

[Xenith]

I finally spent the time to get my Kratos to a finished state, over a year after getting it (due to indecision on how to paint it)

 

Tentatively named Midae Ultio on account of it's size and all the gold. I really love this tank, it's like a battleship on tracks! Still awaiting a gunner for the top. 

 

Front view.

Terran Honours, Legio IX marking and weathering. 

 

More track weathering, back to bare metal and paint. The upper plate needs a vehicle ID number, but I forget what I'm up to, I think I have 10, so this might be tank 11? Either way, I went with tank 20 to be safe, this is the heresy after all! 

 

 

Extreme close up of weathering and peeling paint. 

 

Again, I had great fun weathering this beast, rhinox hide and a small sponge is some of the most fun you can have in this hobby! 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Xenith

[Spyros]

What a battleship! And the weathering is awesome!

[Xenith]

Thank you! Weathering is definitely one of my favourite parts of the process :D

 

You can't really see in these photos, but I also starter experimenting with rust/dust effects, with really really thinned Skrag brown painted into recesses and around bolts where grime/dust would collect, then slightly streaked. I'll be using this for infantry also, definitely looks good! 

[WAR]

Love it

[Majkhel]

Fantastic! I ADORE the hydra reveal
I'm totally with you on the weathering experience - it's fantastic! The only downside is perhaps that before you go there, you need to do all the pre-work of basing, shading, highlighting, more highlighting, even more highlighting,...

[Xenith]

On 10/8/2023 at 7:09 AM, WAR said:

Love it

 

3 hours ago, Majkhel said:

Fantastic! I ADORE the hydra reveal
I'm totally with you on the weathering experience - it's fantastic! The only downside is perhaps that before you go there, you need to do all the pre-work of basing, shading, highlighting, more highlighting, even more highlighting,...

 

Thanks both - this was definitely a labour of love - hard work concealing enough of the hydra to make it look like it was being revealed, but not covering too much to be able to tell what it is...

 

I've noticed the BA transfers are lacking weathering, so I may have to go back and dab some of them with rhinox hide, and it also needs the designation 11 I think - I should have really numbered all my classes of tank separately so I don't run out of transfers 

[Xenith]

Managed to make some models over the weekend - time is hard to find between a new job, and working on other personal projects, but we now have a Ballistus! My Hive Fleet Jabberwocky also got reinforcements in the form of another 3 zoanthropes, made from Neurotyrants, with lots of juicy bits left over for conversions.