Tru-Scale Deathwatch Team (And other characters)

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

Hey all, long time lurker (and admirer of everyone's work) here at B&C.

 

I used to collect 40k back in the dim dark days of 4th Edition, but as I got older exams and life kind of got in the way and stopped me. I'd always been a keen modeller and converter, I just lacked the discipline and skill to build large armies. Plus I never had anyone to play, so they sort of just sat in my loft...

 

Some friends of mine recently got into tabletop RP games and dragged me into it; they are also 40k fans and we decided to have a crack at playing some Deathwatch. Safe to say I love it, and I decided that if we're going to do it we'll do it properly, so I set myself the task of building the characters we were all playing, and because I wanted it to be more than plug-and-play, I'd tru-scale them using the terminator legs system.

 

I've got 4 to build; Skold, a slightly deranged Space Wolf Devastator who is followed around by a servo-skull that only he can talk to, Driver, a very, very very angry Desert Fangs Techmarine, Jayne, a Crystal Guardians Librarian who is basically a walking angst machine and Lycus, an ostracized Dark Angel Tactical Marine who would quite like to become a Black Shield. The challenge is to try and fit all their quirks in to their models. I do like a challenge... 

 

As well as them I'll be modelling all the special opponents we face and other fun things along the way.

 

Anyway, enough chat. I'm about a third of my way through building these guys; I'm in the middle of my exams so progress has been slow, but it's coming along slowly.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/10312084_10152426808370429_1857977188_n_zpsc201f375.jpg

 

Skold (left) and Lycus (right) in their base-testing poses. I hadn't worked with GreenStuff for almost 4 years before I embarked on this, so I'm pretty pleased with what I have so far.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/10356501_10152432262995429_1957398898_n_zps53283faa.jpg

 

Skold, Jayne and Lycus. Really struggling to come up with ways to make Jayne (middle) more librarian-y whilst looking like he's part of a very specialist kill-team.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/974341_10152437174455429_1311044298_n_zps1451f4ff.jpg

 

Lycus in his current state. He still needs all his detailing, and I want to try and turn his helmet into a Black Templar esque Crusader helm, which will be fun.

 

I'm away this weekend but next week I'm aiming to finish the Greenstuff work on all of them, add detail work to Skold and Lycus and get them prepped for painting and start work on Jayne's (quite elaborate) force weapon. After that it's off to my friend's to be painted and I start work on the Watch Captain and our (planned) enormous Tyranid big-bad-boss-bloke...

 

 

Thanks for taking a look.

 

P.S. I apologise for the poor quality of photos - they'll improve from here on in I promise!

[Son of Carnelian]

These look rockin'! Keep us posted on your progress. 

[Brother Dallo]

Yeah, these are looking awesome. I'm digging the bases. Aaaaand I've just realised my pun. B) Are the Desert Fangs and the Crystal Guardians DIY chapters? Keep up the good work.

[Doghouse]

Very nice stuff :tu:

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

Thanks for the comments guys. I'm at my parents this weekend but I should have some stuff to show you next week!

 

The Desert Fangs are taken from an attempt to make Angry Marines an actually workable chapter - close combat heavy and richeously angry is the order of the day. The Crystal Guardians is basically my girlfriend's attempt to make a 'nice' chapter who try to preserve balance and human life at all costs. It's kind of interesting and gets her to play I guess...

[Brother Dallo]

That's cool. Let us know if their fluff ever makes an appearance here.

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

So, whilst I may have been away from my desk this weekend, I've still been working! Hashed out some rough designs for the Librarian's Force Weapon. His player wanted it to be more unique - not just a sword, hammer, axe or halebard so I decided to give him a curved blade on some kind of polearm, with a crystal incorporated into the design somewhere*.

 

Hashed out a few designs, what do people think?

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-05-18%2000.04.10_zpsxwkuyra4.jpg

 

C&C is welcome, as always!

 

 

P.S. Doghouse...I am not worthy! It was your tru-scale stuff that inspired me to do this, but my attempt to do it your way failed utterly - oh to have your skill with the mythical GreenStuff...

 

 

* - The fluff for her Crystal Guardians chapter is that they were founded especially to defend the planets where the rare crystaline element Psykarium is found to naturally occour - it's a material that greatly enhances the ability of a psyker to focus their power through it. Features heavily in psychic hoods and force weapons, hence its importance to the Imperium. They are all about eco balance and protecting humanity and tend to be regarded as kind of weak by other Chapters. Something her character has set out to change...

[Grotsmasha]

Kromlech actually sell a couple of weapons like that, here's one from a Dornian Heresy Thousand Son from a while back,

Cheers,

Jono

[Monstra Sumus]

I like the second iteration of the Force weapon. Skull topped and just the right amount of 'can-opener' to envision it ripping apart Elite armoured units. 

 

Also, in reference to your missus background for her Chapter, they should mastercraft a thunderhammer called weakness then slap people with it. 

[Brother Dallo]

Thanks for the fluff info. I second the idea of the mastercrafted Thunderhammer called Weakness.

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

Kromlech actually sell a couple of weapons like that, here's one from a Dornian Heresy Thousand Son from a while back,

 

Cheers,

Jono

 

Yeah it's actually a Kromlech sword I've based the design off. I don't know how big it'll be in person but it should be plenty enough for a nice Force Weapon. Headed to Dark Sphere tomorrow to collect some remaining bitz (and buy the unit of Tau I need for the next build) so I should have an update tomorrow evening!

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

PROGRESS! 

 

Had my last exam yesterday, so in celebration I headed down to the local store and picked up some bitz, sat down at the table at around 5...and didn't stand up again until 2am. Got them all about 90% done, only minor detailing is left to do and some touch ups before they get sent off to be painted.

 

First order of business was to sort Jayne's force weapon. Having bought the bitz we decided to keep it simple, so I pinned the blade to a suitably ornate looking handle (both Krommlech bits - big fan, as you'll see later) and set about finding out how he'd carry the damn thing. It looked utterly massive compared to the model, even a tru-scaled Astartes so I was a little scared it would be out of scale but in the end it worked alright.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140521_192218_zpse50fc083.jpg

 

As I mentioned in the opening post I haven't done this stuff in several years - greenstuffing, modelling, converting are all skills I'm having to re-learn as I go. One thing I haven't done before is pinning but I'm a convert - it makes life so much easier than I used to think it could be!

Jayne's pose isn't the most dynamic I'm not going to lie, but I'm not that confident yet to be altering the positioning of legs etc. It works though because he's meant to be a psyker in the background, blowing stuff up with his head whilst the others surge forwards and deal death to the Emperor's enemies.

 

Because of the thickness of the handle and the angle I wanted it to be carried the normal blade-carrying hands wouldn't work so I eventually settled on the grenade hand - its got the thickness and keeps the scale going down the handle, as well as allowing me to pin through without damaging the hands.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140521_221042_zpsef108b6b.jpg

 

Next up was to do all the greenstuff on their waists that was making the models look decidedly not-complete. So that had to be sorted, and it's a small but significant change. Really coming together!

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140521_200731_zpsb651199b.jpg

 

I've also decided I'm going to be ambitious and carve out a Black Templar 'Crusader' helmet for Lycus - it links back to his back story, but presents a bit of a challenge. The current theory is to bulk up his face with GS then cut down the excess and sculpt with a knife, as I'm better with that than I am with putties. We'll see how it turns out.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140521_204809_zps720e476e.jpg

 

Whilst I'm here I also thought I'd show off the converted Deathwatch pattern Bolter that Lycus carries - I didn't think the metal ones had the right heft to be as impressive as it should be and the mould is showing its age, so I made my own which looks a bit cleaner and more beefy. The fire selector is the back box on a Cadian helmet, the tube to the scope is stolen off a meltagun I had lying around and the barrel is drilled - a requirement for me now I have a pin vice again!

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140521_202308_zps092ad828.jpg

 

After this I kind of lost myself in the modelling and worked through until I had a headache either from glue fumes or how tired I was. Then this morning I woke up, checked over my work and took some nicer photos to show off to you guys. I really like the pouches on them all, really beefs them out and makes them look like they are tooled to fight a proper war. I also got some detailed greenstuffing going on Lycus with straps around his legs for knife and pistol - something I need to do on the other two before they are finished.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/P1000504_zps7334991f.jpg

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/P1000505_zps6b7b80a2.jpg

 

 

All that's left to do is the details on legs and elsewhere, finish up bases, design and build a strap for Jayne's slung bolter (and loads more pouches on everyone) and finish Lycus' helmet. Hoping to be done by the end of tonight, certainly by end of play Saturday so they can go and get their colour added.

 

 

 

Oh, and I've just bought a box of Tau pathfinders...the next project for this campaign is on its way. I'm wringing my hands with glee!

 

 

C&C welcome as always folks! Thanks for reading!

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

Okay so apparently working full time limits your time to build models?

 

Whoda thunk it, eh.

 

 

 

Anyway, the nucleus of the kill team is complete, aside from painting, off to which they have now been dispatched. Here's Lycus, Jayne and Skold in all their pretty-much-finished finery. A couple are missing bits that have been left off for ease of painting, but for all intents and purposes they are done! Yay!

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140524_153652_zpsf447b429.jpg

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140524_155753_zps3618c50e.jpg

 

(I apologise for the lower quality of the photos, my normal camera was packed away ready for me to move house at this point...)

 

 

I've now moved on to a new project - the Watch Captain. Now, he's a Blood Angel and that normally comes with some attached conditions, i.e. he has to be half made of gold and nipples on his armour. However, I'm trying to maintain a 'clean and efficient' aesthetic to these guys, to fit with what the Deathwatch are and do - that is they are Special Forces.

 

So I'm trying to squeeze all that grandeur and pomp and ceremony into his posing. I think an imposing power sword, point-down in the dirt as he surveys what is ahead conveys a certain sense of...badassery.

 

I've started him at least, what does B&C think?

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140612_231059_zpsbfa78b50.jpg

 

We've got a game planned this weekend; after that we'll see what we need and that's my next project.

[Bungicats]

Really enjoying the poses you have chosen for your team. Looking forward to seeing some paint on these guys.

[Grizzly_bear]

Looking really good brother.

[Urael]

I love seeing TrueScale Deathwatch! Your Kill Team is looking good! :D

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

Late start at work today, so had a chance to get a bit more done on the as-yet unnamed Watch Captain.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140613_110403_zps9d0f4585.jpg

 

The GS on his legs is still a little rough, but they'll get a touch-up and some bitz to cover them. I am pretty proud of that cloak though, gives a bit of dynamism to an otherwise very static model.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140613_110416_zps65841bce.jpg

 

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140613_110410_zps63109d58.jpg

 

He's really beginning to take shape, and so far I'm very pleased with what he's shaping up to become. Possibly the most proud of this model of them all so far, and he isn't even finished yet!

 

 

 

 

Oh, and a cheeky little bit of fun - one of the tactics we have developed is to take our Heavy Weapons guy, stick him behind cover built by our techmarine and let him loose with something ridiculous like +30 to his BS. Thought we could do with something to consistently model some hashed-together barricades, so came up with these puppies.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140610_132342_zps95b15cd5.jpg

(Actually built them a while ago but forgot to post them up!)

 

[ThursdayNightGeneral]

Can't sleep, so I've done some more work hashing out the good Captain. Nothing new is glued yet, just trying to get a feel for scale and posing.

 

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/ThursdayNightGeneral/20140614_131309_zps437ba64a.jpg

 

The Terminator is there mainly for scale - he's a side project for the same game. Meant to be an Inquisitor, but also shows just how big these tru-scale Astartes actually are - he looks as if he's in old, cheap, bulky power armour than an imposing Tactical Dreadnought suit.

 

Trying to decide if I should go with Manly Bald for Captain man or give him some hair. He's a Blood Angel and therefore I'd normally do him with hair as they are so often depicted in the fluff, but I've never been able to take senior officer models with the hair on GW heads seriously. I can't help but feel a bit of manly bald helps to convey a sense of maturity and wisdom, as befitting a Marine of his vast experience...

 

Thoughts, critique and ramblings welcome, as ever.

 

 

 

Oh, and if anyone feels like laying some suggestions out there, I need a retinue for that Inquisitor...