Sword Bearers and the Unforgiven (Updated 1/07/23: Angels Redeemed)

[Spaced Hulk]

@ viewasjack: Cheers mate, glad you like 'em!

@ Brother Excedis: Thanks brother, and welcome back! Preacher is one of my favourites too.

@ Stobz: I know brother, I know I've been rebasing a few older models this week, so technically, I have actually done some painting (it's just not that exciting )

@ jbaeza94: Thank you mate

@ Master Toddius: Cheers Todd, nice to see you posting again mate.

Ok minor update time. I've not had much hobby time this week, so I've settled for just rebasing a few old character models and a bit of writing. Thanks for reading, C&C welome as always!

* * *

Although we are many, we are all one.

One voice, to honour our Gene-Father and our ancestors, to remember their glories and their sacrifices.

One shield, to protect the Emperor, his people and his domains, to defend them all until our dying breath.

One sword, to smite our enemies, to purge the alien and the mutant, to strike down the traitor and the heretic with righteous fury.

One legion, dispersed across the stars to do our duty, from now until the end of days.

We are the Knights of the First Legion, the Bearers of the Blades, and we are all one.

- From the Catechism of Unity, Sword Bearer's battle prayer.

Lord Arathorn, Interrogator Chaplain

One of two Interrogator Chaplains assigned to accompany the Spiteful, Lord Arathorn is a grim, brooding figure who casts an ever watchful eye over his fellow Space Marines. Unlike the rousing oratory and inspiring guidance of the Company Chaplains, the presence of the Interrogators amongst the Battle Companies is far more ominous. In addition to their other duties, they are tasked with safe guarding the character and fealty of the warriors under their command, ensuring that no Sword Bearer ever betrays his oaths or shows any sign of corruption. Those who are unfortunate enough to attract their ministrations do not speak of the reprimands they have received, nor will any discus the fate of enemy prisoners taken into the Interrogator's custody.

Like all his sinister brethren, Arathorn exudes an air of silent, deliberate menace that is more reminiscent of the dread Revenants of Second Company than the noble knights of the Fighting Orders. Notably withdrawn and uncommunicative, on the rare occasions when he preaches to Sixth Company, Arathorn's quiet sermons focus almost entirely on loyalty and honour, on maintaining the bonds of brotherhood and the fearful consequences of straying from the path of righteousness. On the battlefield, he wields an ancient, master crafted Crozius Arcanum known as the Iron Sceptre. As tall as a Space Marine in full plate, this relic weapon boasts an advanced disrupter field generator that crackles with barely contained energies, and is said to be capable of penetrating the armour of any traitor.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Spaced Hulk

[Interrogator Stobz]

Now we're talkin'!!!

 

Grimdark dude is cool.

[deathspectersgt7]

Agree , looks great Brother .

[Greenz]

Looks like some heretics are gonna be shaking in their booties

 

Very nice! And paint too! Someone's been busy. Busier than me for sure

[Brother Excedis]

Now that brother, that is what we are looking for here. Excellent brother, simply excellent.

[Spaced Hulk]

Thank you brothers  Like I said, I can't claim to have done a great deal of painting this week, as the models were largely done during an ETL competition, but they do look much better on properly finished bases. It's quite strange actually, as I never used to bother about bases at all, but now I actually get a lot of satisfaction from gluing bits of cork, grit and static grass onto plastic disks. Must be the OCD in me I guess  Here are a couple more of the characters I've re-based this week:

 

Titus Raum, Captain of the Hyperion Foot Knights

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/Sword%20Bearers%20Space%20Marines/CIMG0876_zpszr4tpy19.jpg

 

Charon, Sword Bearers Moritat

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/Sword%20Bearers%20Space%20Marines/CIMG0879_zpsbnyvevap.jpg

 

 

I've also done a bit of building and undercoating again this morning, and have finished off a couple of foot-assault marines (6th Company's two assault squads will be one infantry and one jump pack):

 

Assault Marine with Eviscerator

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/Sword%20Bearers%20Space%20Marines/CIMG0900_zpsvomex3n8.jpg

 

Assault Marine with plasma pistol

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/Sword%20Bearers%20Space%20Marines/CIMG0904_zpswn7mxaoi.jpg

 

And I've finally finished Balian:

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/Sword%20Bearers%20Space%20Marines/CIMG0899_zpsp6ttbck6.jpg

 

The rather exotic-looking knife on his belt is (in terms of fluff) a Tallarn hunting dagger, a trophy weapon acquired during a joint extermination operation by the Sword Bearers and a regiment of Tallarn Desert Raiders against the vile Hrud Xeno-Form.

 

As always, thanks for looking, C&C are welcome! 

 

[Pearson73]

Great posing and use of parts.

[Spaced Hulk]

Of course I fear them. They are ancient and terrible, as secretive as their forebears and shrouded in mysteries of their own. Death and destruction follow inevitably in their wake, and they hold themselves accountable to no-one save the blessed Emperor himself. Yet I rest better knowing that they exist, that they continue to stand sentinel at the edge of the great void. For there is a greater truth that must surely eclipse all of their secrets.

Monsters lurk in the darkness beyond the Imperium, waiting inexorably for their chance to strike. How do I know this? Because I have seen them. I have witnessed terrors beyond your wildest imagining, the ghoulish inhabitants of forgotten worlds, the nightmarish denizens that hunger for our flesh and for our souls. If you had seen what I have seen, you would not worry about the mindless rampages of the Ork or the devious schemes of the Eldar. True evil exists, and it watches us incessantly from the shadows...

There is some comfort in knowing that we have monsters of our own, dark guardians oath sworn to protect our borders. My one hope is that our enemies fear them as much as I do....

From the personal testimony of Inquisitor Karloth Drakk, Ordo Xenos, 727.M41.

++ Vid Capture: Knight-Sergeant Rathe, Third Tactical Squad, Sword Bearer's Sixth Battle Company. Recorded during the initial stages of the Asylus Campaign, securing primary landing zones from Khrave xeno-form marauders, 831727.M41 ++

* * *

Evening all Knight-Sergeant Rathe is my first painted (from scratch) model of 2016, which is why I've gone to town on the pics for him. I've always loved this particular Space Marine veteran mini, and as my painting skills were feeling a bit rusty, I thought I'd have a crack at him before I start on First Tactical Squad. He also represents something of a progression, as unlike most of my earlier models (which were painted using a wash technique, eg: light colours blocked in first, then multiple thin washes of a darker colour to create highlights and shade), Rathe was painted the old fashioned way (dark colours building up to light). I'm actually really pleased with how he's turned out, and I feel confident enough with a brush now that this is how I'll be painting all of Sixth Company.

@ Pearson73: Thanks mate, glad you like them. As most of you probably realise, building models is probably my favourite part of the hobby, so it's really nice that the pics I post get such a positive response.

In other news, I've pre-ordered myself a copy of Deathwatch: Overkill as an early birthday present, so there'll be a kill team joining the army at some point in the future

Thanks for reading, C&C welcome as always

Edited March 1, 2016 by Spaced Hulk

[deathspectersgt7]

Looking Good Brother .  I also ordered me a copy , I have not picked up a brush in months. I have 130 Marines put together . Also  a early happy Birthday.

[Brother Excedis]

Hmmmm I'm not quite sure which style of painting I like more. They both have come out well and have their merits. Let us see how the tactical squad turns out. This is well done so I know they will be, but it will show how well the painting style suits the thematic style.

[Greenz]

Nice Hulk! Your painting skills have greatly improved. Though I feel like the green is missing something, could just be the lighting though. I just feel maybe the green could use a slight further highlight. Or it could be the red actually that could be a bit brighter. Your models are fantastic, I just feel like something needs to "pop"

 

It's also been an extremely long week and I could be delusional

[Spaced Hulk]

@ deathspectresrg7: Thanks brother!  130 Marines!! You're really going all out on the ETL this year! I thought I was doing well with 79 models undercoated and ready for paint. How many Chapters are you doing mate?

 

@ Brother Excedis: Cheers mate  Biggest plus point for the new scheme is that I actually enjoy painting it!  The problem with the old method was that it's actually quite messy and time consuming, and because of the nature of the Sword Bearer's colour scheme (at least two primary colours, and three in the case of robed models), I find I spend more time correcting mistakes than actually painting. I've also always thought that the green in the old scheme was a bit too bright (more Salamander-ish than Dark Angels). From experience, I know I can knock it back with an black wash, but in that case, I feel that I might as well start with a darker green to begin with. I'll carry on using washes to paint robes, as I do like the effect that gives, but for the green armour I'm going to persevere with the new method.

 

@ Greenz: Thank you mate . It's probably a bit of both to be honest. My photography skills aren't brilliant (and neither is my lighting setup) but I have tried to make the highlights for the green very subtle. I always find DA with very bright edge highlights to be a bit Tron-ish, which to be fair is very eye catching but perhaps not that much in character for the Chapter. The Sword Bearers (like their homeworld) are supposed to be dark and brooding, like Knights in not so shining armour, so that's look I'm aiming for with the scheme. That said, I'll continue to experiment and see what actually looks best .

 

Very brief update tonight, just to prove I haven't been completely idle. Here's a sneak peak of a future project, all in various stages of WIP:

 

Fallen Hunters

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/Sword%20Bearers%20Space%20Marines/CIMG1038_zpsfwihzxrt.jpg

 

Thanks for looking! 

[deathspectersgt7]

13 Brother . Liking those Fallen Hunters .

[Brother Excedis]

Very fond of the Hunters. Very fond indeed. Is that one with the silenced bolter Aldous per chance?

[Punk possum]

HI fantastic work as ever mate!

Personally I think the new green is better, nice and subtle I do think the eye lens' maybe could do with being just a bit lighter but as greenz said it could just be the lighting on the photo. 

The fallen hunters... Now they are cool! Any chance of a closer photo of the guys either end the chap's on the far left and right are a bit hard to make out and I'm sure they are every inch the bad ass' that his buddy's are! 

[Spaced Hulk]

@ deathspectersrg7: Cheers brother, looking forward to seeing your new Chapters!

@ Brother Excedis: Thanks mate Very good guess, but the marine with the combi-stalker bolter is Branne, another of the Chapter's Pathfinders (First Company veterans assigned to "special duties" ). Aldous will definately be getting a new, suitably war-worn model at some point though.

@ Punk possum: Cheers mate! Yes, no problem, I did take the pics pretty quick so apologies for the quality. Eventually I'm planning on a whole week of updates for the Fallen Hunters, with individual fluff for each painted model. For now though, here are the two you asked for:

Vortigen, the Witch-Finder, Fallen Hunter Librarian:

(The right hand originally held another sword, which is why it's currently unpainted. I'm thinking I'd quite like it to be glowing with psychic energy, but have no idea how to best achieve that sort of effect. Advice/suggestions will be greatly appreciated! )

And The Revenant

The black primer doesn't photograph particularly well, but hopefully you can make out the details a bit better. This model actually has magnetised back packs, so I can switch between a normal power pack and a single thruster jump pack as I wish.

Finally for today, here's another member of the Ebon Blades, Sixth Company's Veteran Assault specialists:

Thanks for looking, C&C welcome as always!

Edited March 10, 2016 by Spaced Hulk

[Punk possum]

Cheers mate, awesome as predicted! 

Humm glowing with psychic energy you say? I guess there are a couple of options. There are a bunch of great tutorials about OSL effect scattered about the interwebs. There is a really nice three part on OSl in from the warps blog that was posted years ago but http://fromthewarp.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/painting-glowing-powerfist.html should hopefully take you to the first part (I book marked it all those years ago as being the best I'd seen on the subject).

An alternative would be lightning style, Again there are a number of tutorials out there a number of good ones to be found right here on B&C with Brother Nihm's still setting the standard at http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/100431-painting-nihms-lightning-guide-quick-and-dirty/  

Third would be a flame effect there are simply tonnes of tutorials for this but I don't have a link to any that I regard as outstanding to hand sorry. 

Edited March 13, 2016 by Punk possum

[Greenz]

Keep 'em coming Hulk! Looking good buddy

 

Is that a claw or a power fist on the chaplain? Can't say I recognize it

[Spaced Hulk]

@ Punk possum: Thank you mate! That first OSL tutorial is exactly what I was looking for Of course, whether I can do it justice is another matter, but I'll give it a go

@ Greenz: Cheers mate! It's a lightning claw from the Forge World Mark 3 weapon set, cut off at the elbow to replace an amputated limb on the Chaplain model. I removed the crozius arcanum a long time ago to build this fella:

Mortimar, Company Chaplain of the Spiteful Sixth

Originally built as a Deathspeaker chaplain for my abandoned Executioners project, I like this model too much to leave it gathering dust, so he's now been reassigned to the Sword Bearer's Sixth Company.

In other news, I have started painting First Tactical. However, I've also been distracted (as so frequently happens to me ) by building and writing some fluff for this guy:

Knight-Sergeant Acheron, 'The Kin-Slayer', Second Tactical Squad, Sixth Battle Company

Really pleased with how he's turned out, so he might be forcing his way to the front of the painting queue.

Thanks for looking, C&C welcome as always!

Edited March 15, 2016 by Spaced Hulk

[Interrogator Stobz]

Nice Kit-bashes, as usual SH.

[Stercus]

Nice work there Hulk. Achyan is tremendous, a real sense of menace. Really liking the new muted scheme too, you've managed to dial back the colour without losing any of the visual presence of the models.

[deathspectersgt7]

I seen the word fluff and no story whats up with that .​ The Kin-slayer looks Great Brother .

[Spaced Hulk]

@ Stobz: Cheers brother!

@ Stercus: Thanks mate! And also my apologies, I think I changed the name to Acheron (as a little nod to one of my favourite films) while you were writing your reply

@ deathspectersrg7: Thanks brother, the fluff will accompany the completely painted model

And a quick pic update, just to prove that there has indeed been some painting progress:

Not as much progress as I'd have liked, but they're getting there slowly. These guys have just had their heavy Nuln Oil wash, which is why the green armour is so dark. Next step will be to build the colour back up with a mixture of Caliban Green and Warpstone Glow.

Out of interest, has anyone ever tried making a template in order to quickly and neatly paint things like Tactical Arrows? My freehand isn't the best, so I'm wondering if I could make a card template that I could hold against the pad somehow? Just wondering if anyone else has ever tried something similar, or if I'm being overly optimistic

Thanks for looking!

[Interrogator Stobz]

Did you just say the P word? ;)

 

Nice job on those boys, great project to watch unfold.

[Dark Rage]

Acheron looks friggin sweet, your poses are always awesome, great squad.

 

As for templates I am not sure how well card would work, I do think there are some tutorials for painting tac arrows on here though I tend to like variety so if I paint arrows I would like them to vary in size and not all be identical like the transfers. I mean I may not even put it on the shoulder and just have an arrow across the hand or greaves.