The Nine Legions - Started Dreadclaws

[Dragonlover]

Ah right, I've got ya. Yeah although I'll never be one of these folk who quibble for a week over the angle of a leg, I do like to make sure my conversions look coherent. Picking out the correct Possessed arms for the crew took a lot longer than I thought it would.

 

Going forward, looks like we're firmly in Black Legion mode. The list I'm currently working from has 24 Chosen, 3 Dreadclaws, a Chaos Lord and two of the Warpsmith/Fiend formations.

 

At the moment the Lord is looking like a conversion from the DV lord, since his only upgrade is a power weapon. One Warpsmith is probably gonna be converted from a Kataphron, and I'm racking my brains for how to go about the second.

 

As for the Chosen... I'll finally grab a razor saw and go to town. I also like the way the Possessed arms look with the DV models, so I'll use a few of those that I couldn't use on the Rapier crew.

 

Dragonlover

[Iron-Daemon Forge]

Just catch up with the army log there - Dargonlover.  The Rapier artillery looking really cool & you'll enjoy using them in game.

 

Have you got any plan on what units you want to add to your Chaos force after ETL & if you'll be taken part in Call of Chaos later this year?

 

Got the last one done, which completes my third vow.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/20160801_010522-1.jpg

Dragonlover

 

[Dragonlover]

My immediate post-ETL plans are to get my AoS stuff sorted. Odds are I'll do something for the Call, even if it's just some of the random cultists I've got lying around. I'm not going as hardcore as the other year though.

 

As to the Nine Legions project, the Black Legion have my attention at the moment. Once I've got all my AoS stuff done, I'm gonna sit down and plan out the rest of the conversions. I've got four dudes out of the 24 Chosen built but a couple of them need work done on the shoulders. I may have to put my rudimentary sketching abilities to the test to come up with new mutations. I'll also take stock of what bits I actually have and may even cast some shoulders up for more variert.

 

Dragonlover

[Dragonlover]

I know I said I was focusing on the Black Legion, but I really can't be bothered to carefully adjust plastics tonight...

 

So I decided to build a Fire Raptor instead. I picked it up last month when I went to Nottingham to look after my nan, but the ETL has obviously taken precedence in my hobbying. It's the capstone to my Alpha Legion, and I'm just not feeling the kitbash I started.

 

I've got the two sides attached, the warping is pretty minimal thank God.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/20160804_195321-1.jpg

 

Dragonlover

[Excessus]

Lucky you! :)

 

Mine was a hell of warped resin, I used a few cm of greenstuff in total to plug the gaps...

[Dragonlover]

I had the opposite problem, had to carve thin slices out of the sides to get the plastic to fit. Also the build is slightly slanted, so getting the right hand wing support in was a nightmare.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/20160805_101951-1.jpg

 

Just the wings and guns left to do.

 

Dragonlover

[Vesper]

I still have nightmares about the building of my Chaos Fire Raptor.

Good luck !

[Dragonlover]

She flies! 90% of this model was irritating to some degree, and there are some truly baffling placements of mould gates/methods of assembly. Bloody gorgeous when finished though.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/20160806_230225-1.jpg

 

If I can find my Macragge Blue spray, I'll vow it. If not, it can sit in factory grey until ETL VI.

 

Dragonlover

[Dragonlover]

Well I found the spray, so she's vowed and ready for paint.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/20160807_234611-1.jpg

 

Wish me luck!

 

Dragonlover

[Dragonlover]

So I had a bit of a hobby slump post-ETL, although I did manage to get most of the AoS stuff done and repair some Marines I plan on entering into the Call. The server breaking the other week and also me trashing my phone didn't help.

 

However, I am back in the swing of things! Thanks to Kromlech doing a discount weekend on Evil Craft stuff, I've got one full squad of Chosen built plus the champ for a second. I've done all the pics so there's a new model and an old one so no pic is a straight repeat. Also I apologise for the excessive empty space in the pics, I forgot to crop them.

 

This guy was fun. I forgot the torso normally has the groove in it for the helmet so had to shave down a raptor torso to fit:

 

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/1476655687403-297759254.jpg

 

 

Couldn't get this pic to focus despite taking it three times. Bolter arms on the resin guy are from the Raptor kit...

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/1476655596693-1904792258.jpg

 

 

... because I'm terrible at positioning the Evil Craft arms. It's the separate hand, it throws me off. This bolter guy has the bolter from the power fist DV model.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/14766555596961565237417.jpg

 

 

 

Accidentally used the same chainsword arm on this one as well.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/1476655503954-293479121.jpg

 

 

The lightning claw arm here is from the DV guy.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/Mobile%20Uploads/1476655399082-1698513910.jpg

 

 

I'm really happy with how they've turned out. I want to try reposing some Raptor legs with boiling water, but I've not been in the mood for things to go wrong recently so I stuck with what I know.

 

Some thoughts on the Evil Craft stuff: overall high quality but the combi meltas look a bit like someone kit bashed one then made a mould of it, rather than just sculpting from scratch. Other that that, really nice sculpts. Had the odd issue with super glue not doing a resin to resin bond, and like FW they could stand to put the odd guidance peg in rather than all flat surfaces. Especially on the backpacks.

 

Dragonlover

[Midnightmare]

The evil craft stuff looks really well against the Chosen, they will look great together once painted. The Champion is especially lookin well; I have had the same trouble with the front torso for a Lord conversion I didn't think to use Raptor torso :tu: His back pack seems to be sitting a tad high though (is it the combi-melta one from the other Champion clam-pack?) He will make a good stand I for a Lord you know too with his fisty-claws, I would be tempted to magnetize his back pack for a jump pack to to get double use :)

 

Also if you want the two evil craft dudes with the same chainsword to look slightly different, maybe lower the chainsword on one, even cut it at the wrist too and position the blade more away from his body?

 

With the Raptor legs I tend to cut them at the groin joint, pin them and sculpt some more soft armour in. I use the term 'sculpt' loosely, as it is more ram some green stuff in the joint and score some lines with a hobby knife :D some of the legs a pretty easy to change to a 'walking' pose or a 'stood on a rock' pose.

[Dragonlover]

It is the combi melta pack; the handle hits a fold which pushed the whole thing up. I'll probably rip it off and add in a spacer.

 

Hadn't considered reposing the wrist. It's not a massive issue but I'll take a look anyway.

 

Do you ever repose the knees on Raptor legs? Or just go for 'foot on rock' and call it done?

 

Dragonlover

[Midnightmare]

I have done, but I tend to have to lose the knee pad an have to resculpt another, check out my Urkanthos on foot version (I think it's page 17 in my log, in a rush so I can't link it sorry!) I think they were the champion legs

 

I added a space to the very same back pack on a biker champ as it fowled the seat :tu:

 

EDIT - here you go it was page 16

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/287471-……by-my-hands-shall-the-false-emperor-fall/?p=4479639

[Dragonlover]

I find myself between homes, and thus all my stuff went into boxes. This has stalled progress on the Chosen because I can't find my Raptor sprues. However, I have got access to my green stuff and my Dreadclaws, so I'm starting in on the sculpt work. I want to bring the Dreadclaws in line with the DV aesthetic. To this end, I've started covering the cabling with a fleshy sheath, added a couple of horns on the leg and carved out a chunk of fin to add in a mouth type thing. I'm going a side at a time, seems easiest.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/1491247570077-170739364.jpg

 

Dragonlover

[Dragonlover]

Added an eye cluster and the mouth on the fin.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/1491351065380-1222761389.jpg

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/1491351137244-1832350410.jpg

 

Currently trying to work out the best place to have a corrupted Eye of Horus. There's not a lot of space anywhere other than the fins.

 

Dragonlover

[Midnightmare]

Well that s looking a lot more 'Daemonically Possessed' !! I like :tu:

[Dragonlover]

So I made some ridged tentacles using a pair of combs. The intent was to run green stuff down the gap in the door, then push the tentacles in. Trouble is, the tentacles are too bendy and won't push in. I'll have to come up with something a bit more solid.

 

I've decided to use the tentacles I've made as random extrusions instead. I may also use one as something resembling a tongue. I also reworked the leg horns, since I kept breaking them off.

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Dragonlover63/received_10155501265313455.jpeg

 

On another note, I love getting likes. It feeds the ego and gives me a nice little mood boost. However, knowing *what* you like, especially on a project like this is really handy, so please try and leave a comment! Also stops the feeling that I'm talking to myself.

 

Since I'm trying to get into the habit myself, I'll do you a deal: comment here, and I'll leave a comment on your plog. If you don't have one yet, start one!

 

@Midnight Runner: cheers dude. It's always bugged me that they're supposedly daemonic but have all these clean lines so they fit the Heresy. The hardest part is coming up with non god-specific looking mutations.

 

Dragonlover

[Carrack]

I'll bite. I like the fleshy growth over the cable with the holes showing the cable beneath. It seems to fit the aesthetic of the helbrute and maulerfiend and their similar cables. My favorite of your recent green stuff is the mouth on the fin. It's pretty awesome. The teeth seem to be coming out of the gums naturally, if that makes sense.

 

I feel a little unqualified to offer suggestions, but in my opinion, on your larger protruding mutations like the horns and eye cluster, I think they would look better with a bit of an effect on the surrounding parts of the dreadclaw. Like maybe some nicks and cuts on the armor to show how the horn burst out of the dreadclaw at some point. With the big eye cluster, maybe add a few smaller growths in the vicinity, that way there isn't such a stark contrast between smooth pristine armor and mutant eyeballs.

[Dragonlover]

I have plans for both those things, as it goes. I'm thinking of using small chunks of plasticard so I don't have to try an sculpt a hard edge. I'm also gonna do more work on the horns to anchor them, because they're still fairly easy to knock off.

 

I need to find my clay shapers. All my stuff's in storage and they're not in the box I thought they were. That'll help with the smoother transition.

 

Thanks for the comments on the mouth. That was a wing it and see moment that paid off. I'll probably do something similar at least once more on this pod, and also on the other two.

 

Dragonlover

[Excessus]

Wow, that looks ace, Dragonlover!

[Chaeron]

Love the eye-cluster and the venus-flytrap-esque mouth! Can't wait to see more - totally suits the baroque Dark Vengeance aesthetic!