Alpha Legion or Night Lords..?

[Snejk]

Ok, I may have done something irrational today.

I got bored,  took a look at my CSMs, didn't really like what I saw, noticed I had several half full cans of Chaos Black primer and went to work. 

 

I primed 71 minis before i ran out of primer (I have 15 terminators to prime) and gave them a basecoat of Necron Abyss. And I'm wondering what to do next.

 

I have always been interested in painting an Night Lords army and none of my friends who play have one so that would be cool. But then again I have played Alpha Legion since I took up the hobby a few years ago after being abscent for a decade or so. 

 

I think the Necron Abyss basecoat works both ways. But I'm pretty  much out of ideas and any input is welcome.

 

 

 

 

[Sgt. Blank]

I'd say you should go with whichever you are the most excited about. 71 models is a lot to paint, so make sure you're interested in following through...

 

Or do some of both!

[deathspectersgt7]

Alpha Legion

[HellChyld]

alway follow Dan the demon and do a mixed force of both. sneaky and scary works well!

[Snejk]

I'm most likely going Alpha Legion again. They feel slightly easier to paint. Unless I start doing scales and stuff on a grand scale. On the other hand terror markings and lightning bolts are kinda cool as well... 

 

Fluff wise it's also "easier" to justify cultists in an Alpha army. Even though they'll just act as meat shields for the legionaires. 

[Snejk]

alway follow Dan the demon and do a mixed force of both. sneaky and scary works well!

 

A creeping terror. 

Do you have any link or so to any of Dan's work?

[Ripper.McGuirl]

I second that idea.

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/172506-night-lords-18th-battle-company/

But I'm an Alpha Legion fan. I think they can be simpler if you want them to be, it totally fits within their canon.

[Kol Saresk]

I third that idea. Both Legions have plenty of awesome about them. And when it comes crunchtime, you can always say its an Alpha Legion warband using Night Lords cannon-foddermercenaries. :D

[Snejk]

I just counted what I have and what can be done and this is how the minis break down into units (found another three minis laying about...)

 

2x10 shooty squads and I have enough special weapons to kit both squads with plasma guns.

 

2x10 Close combat squads, with enough special weapons to go either 2x2 melta guns or 2x2 flamers.

 

1x5 Chosen/havoc plasma squad with 4 plasma guns

 

1x5 Chosen/havoc melta squad with 4 melta guns

 

1x5 Havoc squad with 4 A-Cans

 

1x5 Havoc squad with 4 Missile launchers

 

1x5 Havoc squad with 3 Las cans

 

I also have in various stages of incomplete:

 

3x5 terminators,

1x5 raptor/assault squad with 2 melta guns, and I'll repaint it as well, once I buy more primer, one new raptor box, still unopened.

Six bikes.

At least five Rhinos, 2 Land raiders, 2 Vindicators, 2 Predator tanks (one with all out las cans, one with A-can + Las cans),

3 Helbrutes/Dreadnaughts (One Forge World Alpha Legion),

1 Chaos Decimator,

1 Heldrake,

2 Daemon Princes,

and about 30 cultists...

 

And some random character guys. 

 

So there is definately room for a mixed force of Alphas and Lords. 

 

---

 

And 4 obliterators...

[tomfoolery]

Alpha Legion, not too many going around right now I think.

[Trevak Dal]

While that's irrational, it's why I don't have a single painted army.  I've repainted my Tau...6 times now?  Had quite an awesome (I'm told) color scheme for my firewarriors, that didn't transition well to the suits (and at the time, I wanted to do Night Lords CSMs...who were also Dark blue)

 

Now I'm painting them Enclave (red mostly) and my Red Corsairs...are getting painted grey (Like the Rebels they are, yessir), though I've not decided on the story of my home brew chapter other than "They fought with the Secessionists during the Badab War".

 

Why not blend elements of both?  Skull/terror markings, with scales instead of lighting?  If you have the careful hand, why not trim some very thin plasticard into tiny scales and glue them on bare leg and shoulder pads for added texture (if going with alpha legion)?  the thinnest plasticard I got I can cut with scissors easily enough.

[Urauloth]

There's a real shortage of Alpha Legion warbands imo. Done well, they look terrific, and it's easy to write really fun fluff for them what with the cults and plots and all. I say go for them.

[Snejk]

While that's irrational, it's why I don't have a single painted army.  I've repainted my Tau...6 times now?  Had quite an awesome (I'm told) color scheme for my firewarriors, that didn't transition well to the suits (and at the time, I wanted to do Night Lords CSMs...who were also Dark blue)

 

Now I'm painting them Enclave (red mostly) and my Red Corsairs...are getting painted grey (Like the Rebels they are, yessir), though I've not decided on the story of my home brew chapter other than "They fought with the Secessionists during the Badab War".

 

Why not blend elements of both?  Skull/terror markings, with scales instead of lighting?  If you have the careful hand, why not trim some very thin plasticard into tiny scales and glue them on bare leg and shoulder pads for added texture (if going with alpha legion)?  the thinnest plasticard I got I can cut with scissors easily enough.

 

Plasticard scales is an interesting thought. Unfortunately I'm quite impatient and don't have a very steady hand. But the idea is very nice.

[Snejk]

So, it seems the Hydra still has me in its grip. 

 

I have started on the two close combat squads. 

I basecoated with Necron Abyss, then I washed them with a watered down Kabalite Green to get some green to sink into the areas closest to the trimmins. I then added a second layer of watered down Sybarite Green for extra effect. 

 

Here you can see the slight difference in tones and shades. I'll highlight back towards blue once I have finished washing all minis. 

The one on the right has one layer of Kabalite Green wash. The one on the right has both a Kabalite and Sybarite green wash. 

 

Unfortunately my camera and light does not give the effect much justice. :-(

 

 

Here you can actually see the difference between the two washes. 

 

 

[Snejk]

Okidokie,

 

So, now I have washed all the infantry minis.

 

Next step is to start applying a soft coat of Sotek Green followed by Temple Guard blue and a wash with Coelia Greenshade.

Hopefully this ends up in a nice blue-green-turqouse ocean shade. 

 

I have to admit I don't really know what I'm doing... 

 

 

 

 

And this is some time later.

I applied a thin coat of Sotek Green and a thin layer of Templa Guard Blue. I'm quite pleased with the result. My goal is to get a descent looking army, so I'm trying to paint them fast but yet with some love. 

 

 

[Dan The Deamon]

Do both. Mixed scheme forces look awesome on the table. Keep some similarities like power weapons, bolter, eye lenses, and little details, and switch the armor colors around.

 

 

 

 

[Snejk]

Dan, your army looks amazing! 

Very impressive conversions. I think you have convinced me to do at least one or two squads of Night Lords. I have some raptors, a bunch or terminators and a close combat squad that could do well as NLs.

[Snejk]

I have finished the first mini in my "new" combined Alpha Legion / Night Lords army.

This is Icon Bearer "Alpharius" of squad "Primus". 

 

All chainblades will be Hazard striped. And I will paint some kind of symbol on the standard.

 

[Snejk]

Still some more progress on my first shooty squad.

Both bolter squads will be equiped with an axe champion and two plasma guns. 

 

 

 

[Targetlock]

I would say combined force as they are both pretty cool forces, be interesting combination to see.

[Snejk]

So, I have been painting very slowly and working my butt off but here is some progress on the latest squad. This is a 10 man Night Lords Close Combat Squad equiped with Bolt Pistols and Chain Swords. The Champ has two Lightning claws, and the two special weapon guys will carry either two melta guns  or two flamers. I have not decided on that yet.

 

I need to touch up on the eye lenses on the minis since i slipped with the brush and the red paint ended up every where.

 

Also notice the many red painted gauntlets. The squads backstory is that they are some the lowest scum the NL have reqruited. Most of them come from some prison planet. So their ethics were in question even before they were made into Astartes, and once they were created their low morale and etics crumbled away - and they went berserk onboard their cruiser, killing crew members, slaves, openly worshiping the dark gods etc. So their commander had the worst of them executed, condemned some to wear the red gauntlets and some got away with a scare.

 

That however didn't please the rest of the warband, who abandoned them on an isolated mining moon after a raid. And there they were stuck until an Alpha Legion warband "accidentaly" stumbled upon them, made a deal and "rescued" the poor bastards.

 

 

[The_son_of_Dorn]

erm erm, alpha lords, no i mean night legion! doh, very tough choices, for antithetical purposes i'd say Night Lords as with their fluff designating them to look scary each unit can be over gored, but with AL, fairly standard looking units with a hint of chaos marking (my own preference) but you can always covert a few guard units like le man russ's and ig squads.