Brazen Claws - Talus Unyielding

[SCC]

Many, many moons ago, in the dying days of 3rd Ed I posted my first B&C minis - a battle squad of Brazen Claws. Many years (and I mean years) later I completed that squad:

I also wrote an Index Astartes for the Brazen Claws in those early years (link in the sig for the interested) but, beyond adding a Dreadnought and a few test minis I never did much more with the BC.

It was much the same story with my other armies - a new DA army, Wolves and more - I dabbled but never committed until my recent Raven Guard army Shadow Force Dragomir. I burnt out on painting about a year ago and SFD remains incomplete, though still almost 1600 points strong (again, a link in the sig for the interested).

The itch to paint has returned, as it always does, and this time I've decided to scratch it with a new, more GrimDark Brazen Claw army in line with the new fluff GW and BL have put out for the BC - their homeworld destroyed, reduced to a mere 400 battered Marines in their self-imposed penitent crusade into the Eye of Terror and with at least one Company turned to Nurgle.

With that new reality in mind the 2013 SCC Brazen Claw is darker, dirtier and more damaged than the bright, clean early 2000's model. Below is my first test model:

The red is a few shades darker and considerably less highlighted whilst the blue is completely transformed from the earlier models. I've also added some chips and scratches and tried to use some pigment powders to add dirt to the Marine.

In general I'm pretty happy with the colours, including the 'ceramite grey' chips instead of the more usual metallic silver, although I clearly need to work on skin tones and robes and tone down the purity seal red a bit too. I've also ditched some of my old quartering gimmicks such as highlighting and blacklining delineations and just let the colours meet more naturally.

Recipes (for me as much as anyone) - Everything over a black basecoat naturally.

Red: Vallejo reds worked up to approx. Red Gore highlights, green wash for shading plus a Blood letter glaze for surfaces exposed to the light to give them a little more vibrancy.

Blue: Necron Abyss base worked up to Mordian blue highlights. Druchii Violet and Asurmen Blue used to shade the blue and give it depth, I'm going to try a glaze next time too I think.

Chips: Black base, Mechanicus Standard Grey main colour with Eshin Grey for depth and Codex Grey for highlights. I haven't trompe l'oiel'd (spelling) the chips because I haven't quite got my head around the process for that despite several tries with EC and SW.

The base is a simple test right now, I'm still leaning towards a desert/sand base (I think it needs a full brown/yellow colour without the black shading I've used here) but I'm also considering a proper mud base - I've got some MIG mud and some water effects stuff I'd like to try out for bases too.

C&C welcome as is advice on weathering powder - I've really not got the hang of it, I tried it on some pre-Heresy EC too (with and without fixer) and the end effect, post varnish, is always too muted and/or muddy.

[Ammonius]

I have always thought that the basic Brazen Claw color scheme was dangerously colorful, reminding me more of superheroes than grimdark Astartes. I really like how your weathering completely solves that quandry. Your new concept marines are great, and the sharpness of the divide where the red and blue touches is inspiring. Great work!

[Kierdale]

Great work, both on the old and new ones.

I love the auspex-wielder with his hand up halting the squad, and the helmet-less one holding up the book.

 

The new scheme is definitely grittier. I look forward to seeing more!

[millest]

really like the new gritty scheme but the origional scheme was awesome too, just curious whats with the green arm on the standard bearer?

[Caldaron]

Nice work !

[SCC]

Thanks guys, like I said, pretty happy with the general appearance, it's down to fine tuning before mass production now...

 

really like the new gritty scheme but the origional scheme was awesome too, just curious whats with the green arm on the standard bearer?

Ah, there's actually a junior Apothecary (behind the book holding guy - his hidden right arm is white), Chaplain (book + black arm/shoulder pad), TM (the auspex guy - he's got an AM cog on his hidden pad) and Standard bearer (green arm and standard) in that squad. It was an extension of the old RT era fluff about Chaplain initiates being marked out and trained and taking over the role of the Chappie if he fell on the field. It worked better for the junior Chappie and Medic than the others really.

[Captain Semper]

I like both styles really!

 

The orginal style is very clean, nicely shaded and highlighted - what's wrong with that? An army of those will just look fantastic on the table top! :yes:

 

Now on the 2013 version, that's a study on realism... I like it too as it touches upon a different level of immersiveness. My only comment would be the chips on the armour over the black base... I'm more a friend of the metallic been brushed straight on the armour instead of adding an artificial black background. I know it helps contrast (supoposedly also adds depth) but I just don't think it looks right. This has nothing to do with your skill scc, it's just the technique I'm not a big fan of...

[disease]

Big fan of your other projects but the new dark BC is simply fantastic. I hope you keep the momentum going on this project. How are you keeping the colours from spilling, tape?

[SCC]

I like both styles really!

 

The orginal style is very clean, nicely shaded and highlighted - what's wrong with that? An army of those will just look fantastic on the table top!

 

Now on the 2013 version, that's a study on realism... I like it too as it touches upon a different level of immersiveness. My only comment would be the chips on the armour over the black base... I'm more a friend of the metallic been brushed straight on the armour instead of adding an artificial black background. I know it helps contrast (supoposedly also adds depth) but I just don't think it looks right. This has nothing to do with your skill scc, it's just the technique I'm not a big fan of...

 

If GW hadn't come up with the new fluff and I hadn't just done a very clean RG army I'd keep that original scheme, it's fun to paint too, but I need a change from clean, so gritty it is.

 

On the chips, yeah, next time I'll make that black surround more subtle I think, it's too noticeable at the moment, that said, my weathering needs a lot of work full stop so...

 

 

Big fan of your other projects but the new dark BC is simply fantastic. I hope you keep the momentum going on this project. How are you keeping the colours from spilling, tape?

 

Thanks disease, the split between colours is just down to a steady hand, I'd certainly consider masking tape and spraying for vehicles, but for infantry I just take my time.

[SCC]

Test figure #2 pre-weathering:

As you can see I can't actually beat the urge to paint neatly - the pre-weathering look of these guys is dark but still very clean. I've also tried to go for less sharp highlights and a more blended 'area' approach with this guy, see for example the red kneepad - it (not very smoothly) graduates from light to dark as you go past the upward facing surfaces.

I'm going to try some sponge weathering for this guy as well as some 'scratches' - I'm hoping to get a more realistic/random look to the damage and a less deliberate look to it.

[SCC]

I just got around to reading the Brazen Claw short (very short, 1k words I think) No Greater Sin released as part of the Codex celebrations or whatever the reason was, I didn't pay much attention 'til I saw the cover with a BC on the BL site the other day.

 

Anyway, those 1000 words contain some nice fluff to hang an army on so I'm pasting the key items here while I choose a Company for my new BC army:

 

Five Companies remain loyal - 400 Marines remain (which is actually a lot for 5 Companies plus a Command element to go with the Chapter Master really if you think about it, sort of 3/4 strength or so if you look at the UM Chapter org chart in C: SM)

 

• Chapter Master Caul Engentre

 

• Captain Macklen Eogh of the First

 

• Captain Embrose Kalgach of the Third

  • Bionic right arm (broken as of council)

 

• Captain Julas Imbolkh of the Seventh

  • Fiery hair turning grey

 

• Captain Firlus Ghad of ???

  • Augmetic throat

 

Other forces:

• 50 x Castigatii ‘stood unmoving in the shadows’ - this is many compared to the few BC Marines left

• Captain Erod of the Second

  • Took his Company out of the Eye without orders to return to ‘what we should be doing’

 

Lost Companies

 

Ninth Eighth Company

• ‘Chased the Children into the Eye after Hrtel’ (another Captain or an enemy Champion?) and appears lost

Eighth Company led by Captain Duro appears to have turned to Nurgle

 

There's some interesting stuff there, like the Castigatii and the Second Company leaving the Eye to return to 'what they ought be doing', so we'll see if anything comes of any of that.

 

The context leads me to guess the 'Castigatii' are Marines who have been punished for 'weaknesses of the flesh' (or possibly seriously injured somehow which might amount to the same thing) and have been heavily bionicised or similar hence the description 'unmoving' and hidden in shadows. Alternatively they may have been punished/bionicised when they showed signs of physical mutation from ~40 years in the Eye of Terror.

 

The other new BC fluff in the Codex is that they have returned from the Eye where they were attempting to atone for the loss of their Homeworld (Talus IV) and are currently battling against the 13th Black Crusade.

[SCC]

A little while between updates but progress is being made.

First up my second test Marine, even more muted than the first highlights wise:

I'm still struggling with weathering, especially as all the really good examples I can find are either black armour with silver chips, or more commonly light coloured armour which is dinged and dented in dark colours. Finding something to stand out on very dark red and very dark blue simultaneously is proving difficult.

That said, I may have discovered a solution - plastic and resin. One of the other issues I had with weathering was working out where, how much and at what angles etc. so while playing around with this guy when his paint was done I decided that painting the weathering on wasn't working for me, so why didn't I just actually chip and scratch him ? So I did, with a file, some find sandpaper and an etching tool and I like it much better than the painted on version I've done. I'm less enamoured of the silver look on most of this guy (he's metal) but the chipping and rubbed paint on the back pack below where the grey plastic shows through hold more promise than most of my weathering so far:

The little one at the top and the big one on the vent are actual damage, the darker one on the front of the vent is painted on, the former just seem more realistic (obviously). Now i just need to work out where to do the damage...

Which I'll do to test mini #3:

I'm trying out more glazing and less paint for highlights, he's gone super glossy and I'm wondering how much will survive the DullCote but I guess we'll see soon enough.

I've also lined up the next 3 models to join the red, blue and brass team:

Hopefully test mini #3 will let me refine weathering and damage to the point where these guys can be the first proper Marines to join team BC.

[Lysimachus]

Very cool start!

 

While I really do like the new scheme, for me there just isn't enough contrast to make the weathering/damage stand out.

 

Had you considered using the older, brighter scheme as it would make a perfect base to add the darker chips, weathering, etc and then they would really pop and still look gritty?

 

 

Fluff-wise, I like the idea of the Castigatii being punished for the mutations they've suffered, blamed for something beyond their control. Something we came up with for another project was the idea of mutated brethren locking themselves away in their armour, shamed by their failure but also to try and protect their brothers from 'catching' their mutations.

 

Also love the replacement of mutated bits with bionics, ties back in with being IH Successors but also makes them almost like loyalist IW which is cool too.

 

cheers

 

Lysimachus

[SCC]

Very cool start!

 

While I really do like the new scheme, for me there just isn't enough contrast to make the weathering/damage stand out.

 

Had you considered using the older, brighter scheme as it would make a perfect base to add the darker chips, weathering, etc and then they would really pop and still look gritty?

 

 

Fluff-wise, I like the idea of the Castigatii being punished for the mutations they've suffered, blamed for something beyond their control. Something we came up with for another project was the idea of mutated brethren locking themselves away in their armour, shamed by their failure but also to try and protect their brothers from 'catching' their mutations.

 

Also love the replacement of mutated bits with bionics, ties back in with being IH Successors but also makes them almost like loyalist IW which is cool too.

 

cheers

 

Lysimachus

Hmm, interesting. I think the old scheme is just too bright (and also takes way to long to paint) but I could go up a couple of shades on both colours, still be darker and quicker to paint than the old scheme but maybe be bright enough to make the weathering pop. Very interesting...

[geektom]

Pictures never do a model justice, so it may be that we can't see it the same way you can. Question: SM armor is not metal, correct? It is "ceramite"?

 

Perhaps use celestra gray and then paint just inside that with white for the chips?

 

Have you looked into the Army Painter line of "dips"? Perhaps you could start with the older, brighter scheme and then do a series of dips to get the weathered look you are hoping for. Just thinking out loud. I have this same topic on my mind as my chapter's colors are pretty bright and I don't want them to come across like they just stepped out of the paint shop...

[asmodai650]

Hey SCC, I've also started a 1850 point army of brazen claws and re discovered your miniatures yesterday! I do like the new darker scheme better, and I think even without the chips and scratches they would look good. I am adding in a few drop pods in my army, so how would you quarter them? Also, the index astartes link doesn't seem to be working. Was this a causality of the b&c servers?

[SCC]

@geektom: agreed, PA is ceramite, that's why I've tried to paint grey scratches previously. I still prefer actually scuffing the paintjob to reveal plastic/resin beneath (it just didn't work with the early test minis as they're metal).

@asmodai: Hmm, I'll dig out a copy of the IA and send it your way...

@SCL: give yourself a purity seal out of petty cash, the old scheme idea is a good 'un (see below) !

Real life has been keeping me busy but I've been beavering away whenever life offers the opportunity:

Fine, I haven't actually painted anything here, but I have taken an old Brazen Claw and given it a bit of weathering as several folks suggested. And y'know what? I quite like it...

And with that in mind I've updated the new scheme:

The red is richer, but I've added plenty of washes and glazes to give it more depth than the old red and the blue is quite a few shades darker than the old electric blue. I think I'll take the red down a notch next time so that the red and blue are matched more closely in intensity.

Plenty of detail work still to do but the basic colours are blocked in and I'm pretty happy with progress so far. I'm also looking at whether or not I can do black (volcanic) sand for the base, that's a nice easy colour to weather with, but I can't find any good examples...

[geektom]

These look *AWESOME*! I think you found the balance you were looking for! Great job, SCC.

[deathspectersgt7]

These are some great looking MARINES !!.What caught my eye was the grenades one the last Marine.

[disease]

Please take this as constructive feedback (the models are gorgeous), have you considered oil washes?   Your minis at the moment have a 'wet look' to them, the use of oil wash would still give you heavy shading and dirt, but as the upper areas are then cleaned with a cotton bud / q-tip dipped in spirit, a highlight is reintroduced.

 

granted, it's extra effort, but I think it would put these into the stratosphere of awesome.

[Tyrannicide]

I can appreciate what you were trying to do originally, however the last test model is closer to what I imagined with your return to these guys. 

 

Assuming you'll be knocking down the glossy effect with a nice coat of matte varnish? 

[recon0321]

Very nice always like the brazen claws

[Lysimachus]

Glad to be of help, SCC! Really like the new mini, as others have said it probably needs something to give it a more matte finish, but I think it will make a great base for the weathering to really pop.

[SCC]

@Geektom, recon0321: Thanks for the kind words guys, I think this scheme is the right one too. 

 

@deathspectresgt7: Yeah, the green stands out nicely on the blue/red, I need to brighten the eye lenses to make them really pop too...

 

@disease: Constructive feedback gladly accepted! I hadn't considered an oil wash I must admit, I think I'll give these guys my patent pending 'double DullCote doozy' and see how they look when they're nice and flat. I think it'll solve the shiny issue and smooth a few of the transitions too. If it doesn't work I'll start looking at oils, or at least tutorials for oils, I've always used acrylics or enamel in the past...

 

@DarthPotato: Yep, DullCote to be added shortly...

 

@SCL: DullCote, DullCote, DullCote And again, thanks!

[Dosjetka]

The more recent and brighter colours look far better. I'm looking forward to seeing the latest model finished :tu: