LaMT's Chaos Space Marines WIP

[Large and Moving Torb]

Though I've been a member here at the B&C for more than 10 years, I don't think I've ever started a "Work in Progress" thread. That changes today. Like others, I start this partially as a log and suggestions thread, but also as a helpful motivator for getting things done. Here I'll track the expansion of my current CSM forces, as well as any new ones I start.

Currently, I field a Black Legion force, and occasionally a smaller Death Guard force. And I'm in the process of putting together a World Eaters force (I just have one unit of Berzerkers and couple champions put together so far). So, without further ado, here's what I'm working on.

First, my recently completed Aspiring Champion:

Pretty basic; with bolt pistol and power weapon. I need to add decals. I've wanted to do one without a helmet for a while, but there really hasn't been one on the basic chaos space marine sprue, and I didn't want to use a loyalist or a mutation sprue head. So pulled one off a 'Zerk sprue. I was pleased with how well it fit. Kinda reminded me of the pic of the lord in the 3.5 entry and also the lord from Dawn of War. Usually I dot eyes, but thought this guy looked better without them.

I also have a new champ I'm working on as well. Still gluing:

Not much conversion, I know, but I've tend to save that for special units.

Call me a traditionalist, but I still try to old with WYSIWYG, which was a rule back in 3rd edition. That's since been dropped officially, but, darnit, I just can't let it go. Back in 3rd, the CSM default weapon was just a basic melee weapon, and you added a bolter and/or a bolt pistol. Now it's the bolt pistol that comes standard. So I've been working on these:

18 sidearm packs. If you can't tell, some of these came sans grenades, others sans pistol. So, going back to the 'Zerk sprues again, I pulled grenades and pistols as needed to add to the packs. So far, so good. And they will be attached to these guys:

I'll be stripping off the knives and replace them with the packs. End of an era for them. Oh, and if you notice, the gold trim on these guys is pretty bright. That's because the old scheme was to use Burnished Gold, a now oop paint. See here:

Well, that's it for now. Hope to have more posted in the next couple of days. Thanks for looking.

[Son of Carnelian]

Love the old school goblin green base man! Now just paint over the sand with some grey and we will be in 3.5 Chaos business! 

[deathspectersgt7]

Nice looking BL.

[Large and Moving Torb]

Thanks guys. Should have another few pics up today.

 

 

Marshal Sampson of Terra, Hah! I didn't even think about the Goblin Green base being old-school, but I guess it is. What's it been since 4th? Graveyard Earth or Bestial Brown or something? Anyway, I still use the Goblin Green on all my Chaos stuff and will continue to. Unfortunately, when I first started, I didn't realize it was best practice to paint the sand/ballast on the base and many of the minis have way too much grass on the base to effectively paint around it.   Another of my noob mistakes at the time. I suppose I could tweeze off the grass, but it'd be too much work. Luckily, I wised up by the time I got to my Death Guard units.

[Knight of the Raven]

I like the shading on your new aspiring champion, especially on the face. Nice sword blade too.

[Hyaenidae]

The face, the black, and the blade look spot on, man. I can't help but feel that the gold needs something, though. Maybe a very thin highlight of silver along the highest raised areas?

 

Still, looking good! :tu:

[Large and Moving Torb]

Thanks, guys. 

 

1000heathens, appreciate the suggestion on the silver highlight. Might try that sometime this weekend.

 

In the mean time, here is that other champ, put together and painted up:

 

 

It might be hard to tell, but I actually altered the sword hand position, so its more going across his body. 

 

 

And now both, with decals!:

 

 

Please excuse the bad lighting. I will have to see if I can dig out a better camera than the crappy iPhone. I know I have one somewhere. Still working on the packs, but hope to have them completed and glued on sometime tonight.

[Large and Moving Torb]

Another small update. Finished the belt packs for my Black Legionnaires, so now they are WYSIWYG with the rules!

 

 

And on the new 'dex, too. I also recently got a few of the new Citadel shades, and I have to say, they are pretty sweet. While I always liked the results I could get from the previous inks (some of which I still have and use), I felt like I had to fight with them to get them just right; adding drop after drop of water to get the ink to the shade I wanted. The new shades are pretty much plug-and-play, useful right out of the pot. I was able to use Agrax Earthshade to update the horns on a few of these models, and used Nuln Oil on all the boltguns, added a little bit of highlight after each shade dried and that really helped spruce these models up a bit. 

 

Also, I had this guy primed for a while, and just didn't do anything with him. I was able to paint him up pretty quick using "The Dip" method, which I've used on all my other Death Guard stuff: 

 

 

Just need to drag him through the ballast tub and paint up the base. The rim of which will be Gobbo Green, of course! 

 

I'll post as I have more.

[Large and Moving Torb]

And I've finished up Typhus. 

 

 

When I use him on the table, he'll likely go in with this crew:

 

 

All metal, all the time! Well, okay, there are a couple pieces of plastic here, but 90-95% metal.

 

Glad to have Typhus finished. Been wanting to field him for a while. 

[Chandrian]

well done on the Term's  I like the Nurgle shoulders :O !

[Large and Moving Torb]

Back with some updates. Probably will be a bit long and will have lots of pics.

 

First, I've been working on some cultists for a while. I'm sure we all have projects that we are up and down about, and which seem to drag on. Such is the case with these guys. Got the Dark Vengeance box just before 7th was announced (grumble, grumble) as I'd wanted to do some cultists since seeing them in the new codex. Finally got both squads assembled and primed in late summer and have been painting them slowly.

 

Here's most of the close combat squad near completion: 

 

 

Last one I need to finish up highlights on is the flamer cultist:

 

Also, as I didn't want to plunge into another DV set just yet, and I wanted to give some variation to the cultist squad members, I bought a Flagellant Warband and modified them with various bits to make them look 40k-ish (and get them close to WYSIWYG  ) :  

 

I'd been planning on using these guys in both my Black Legion and Death Guard armies. Hadn't quite figured out what to do with them in my BL force, and was going to use them as infected in the DG force. But then I got to thinking, maybe I should use spawn in my DG force. Make them all Nurgly and such. Then these guys were announced:

 

It was like a sign! From Father Nurgle to be sure! One look at them on the Games Workshop website, and I knew these were the guys who were going to become my Nurgle-marked spawn. I'd already gotten a box of spawn a couple years ago, and still have plenty of bits from that box. While the generic spawn are decent models, they don't really look like former Aspiring Champions, and don't have much of a Nurgly look to them. So I developed a plan to use those spawn bits to modify the Blightkings, which would give them that fluffy look-and-feel of being Aspiring Champions who asked too much of Father Nurgle and have since been mutated beyond reason. And when the Blightkings box hit the shelves last weekend, I picked up a box.

 

And here's the first foray into modification:

 

 

 

Second one:

 

 

 

These guys are still very much WiP. Next will be a few dollops of greenstuff, followed by more spawn bits. I'm enjoying working on these guys so far. On top of that, they were much cheaper than buying two more boxes of Chaos Spawn, even at an online retailer with a 25% discount. So, really happy all-in-all. Thanks again for looking!

 

[Dragonlover]

They look pretty damn sweet. I like the way you've done the power weapons on the Champions.

 

Are you planning on answering the Call of Chaos?

 

Dragonlover

[Large and Moving Torb]

They look pretty damn sweet. I like the way you've done the power weapons on the Champions.

 

Are you planning on answering the Call of Chaos?

 

Dragonlover

 

Heh, hadn't really read into the Call of Chaos stuff before, what with my layoff from the hobby and the forums. Think I will answer the Call! I need to see what I want to enter though. Will probably have a list together in the next day or two. Thanks for the comments and the CoC suggestion, Dragonlover.

[Large and Moving Torb]

Since I've joined the Call of Chaos VII, I figured I'd post some of the opening shots of the units I'll be working on. They are in various stages of readiness. This is more of a housekeeping post.

 

First, the Black Legion Chaos Lord with bolt pistol and power sword, and the Chaos Cultists with autoguns and heavy stubber:

 

 

 

These models are from the Dark Vengeance box set.

 

 

Also in the Black Legion slots, we'll have this Obliterator:

 

Metal, new in blister pack! Huzzah!

 

And the last addition for the day, my squad of World Eaters Berzerkers:

 

They go from still on the sprue to assembled and primed. Will be 8 of them, including the Aspiring Champion, eventually.

 

And I'm also including the previously posted Chaos Spawn in my vow. I also have a unit of havocs, but I will post the preliminary pics later, once I've taken them. We'll see if I can get it all done in time.

[Large and Moving Torb]

Here's a quick update on my Chaos Spawn. Got some greenstuff on them and added bits. First one:

 

 

And the second one:

 

Just about ready for priming. I might clean off a little more flash I see in these pics.

 

It's been a while since I greenstuffed anything. While I'm satisfied for the most part, I don't think I have quite the natural feel of the stuff that some of the other folks around here have. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. And as always, thanks for looking!

[Large and Moving Torb]

Another quick update. I've got my full unit of Chaos Spawn pretty much converted. May add a little more greenstuff here and there, but they are just about ready to be primed.

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

[deathspectersgt7]

Nifty looking Spawn.But looking forward to more painted BLPA.

[Large and Moving Torb]

Here's the final unit in my Call of Chaos vow. The Chaos Havoc squad, in various stages of preparation:

 

 

 

This squad has models that run from the late 90s to the Dark Vengeance box. So, several stages of armor. Fittingly chaotic, I say. 

[Large and Moving Torb]

Well, after a long layoff from painting, I started up again earlier this month. Call of Chaos came and went, and of course, I didn't complete my vow.   Oh well. Still, I'm going to complete the models in my vow, just on a much longer timeline. So here is the first batch of those:

 

 

This is only 3 of the 4 I converted. Did this as I only needed three for a recent tournament. I'll work on the other soon, but for now these three will do. The only other thing I may do to these guys is add some more highlights. But I must say, I was pleased with how they turned out as they are.

 

Also, I've been working on my squad of Berzerkers (part of the vow) and doing work on some cultists, so those will probably be the next models done. 

 

As always, thanks for looking!

[Large and Moving Torb]

Wow, over a month since my last post here! Unfortunately, I've had a flurry of activity around the house and any free time I get has gone to painting and modeling, so I haven't allotted time for posting. So here are a couple of things I've been working on:

 

Chaos Lord on a Juggernaut of Khorne -

 

 

Here he is in near complete form. This is the old metal model. I bought this guy over a decade ago, intending to use him in a World Eaters army, but never quite got around to it. Then the CSM 3.5 dex was replaced with the sub par dex, and this guy ended up lying fallow for years. Now with the Khorne Daemonkin codex, I've been inspired to pull him out and use him. To freshen him up a little, I've modded him just a bit. I took the plasma pistol off and added a bolt pistol instead. In addition, I really liked the ensorcelled weapons from the WHFB Khorne Skullreapers box, so I hacked off the old axe he came with and added the new axe parts. 

 

One other thing about this model: when I put it together, the hind legs were slightly off the base. I wasn't sure what to do about that. So I used some of the slate chips from the GW basing kit and created a little rock pile for him to stand on. Quick and dirty solution, but I think it works.

 

 

Khorne Bloodthirster -

 

 

Another victim of the loss of the old 3.5 dex, this kit has been a roommate of the Juggernaut kit for over 10 years. This one is metal, too. I've got him mostly done. Just a few more patches of paint, few more highlights, basing, and he'll be done. I also plan on using him in my Khorne Daemonkin army. 

 

I've also got a few more Berzerkers done (stuff that was in my old vow!) and I'll post pics of them as well in the next day or two. 

 

[Kythnos]

Great job, you really made those classic models look ace! Btw., is that still the old goblin green GW used to advertise to paint your bases around the time of these models on the Bloodthirster's base?

[Large and Moving Torb]

Goblin green? Darn tootin'! I actually use it for all my Chaos models. In fact, you can see the guide from one of the old CSM battle force boxes above. That's what I followed when I was new to the hobby. Had a screw-top pot of the Goblin green that I used for a long time, until it finally completely dried up. Then got the current pot I use circa 2008, IIRC. Still going strong! Hopefully it'll last until I finish all the Chaos models I have.

 

I've started a Crimson Fists force, too, but haven't painted the bases yet. I will probably use one of the browns for them. I still have a working pot of Graveyard Earth in my paint kit. ;)

[Large and Moving Torb]

So, learning things can be fun. Relearning things usually isn't. 

 

I finished up my Juggernaut of Khorne kit, and since its metal I decided to put a layer of 'Ard Coat to it. I've found this greatly reduces the instance of paint flaking off metal models. Doesn't prevent it forever, but it helps preserve the paint job longer. So, the 'Ard Coat goes on and I think "Wow, that's shiny. Too shiny." Now, I had some Latham Medium around, but was feeling lazy and had a spray can of Purity Seal nearer. When the Coat was dry, I took the model out to the garage and gave it a quick blast with the Purity Seal.  It was a little humid out, but I didn't think much of it. Came back 30 minutes later to find a layer of what can only be described as semi-transparent "frosting" on the model. Argh!! Yeah, I'd done this dance before, but it'd been so long I'd forgotten. 'Ard Coat + Purity Seal + Humidity = Glazed Donut Frosting. Again: arrrgh!!

 

So that meant spending a large portion of my painting time retouching parts of the model. It looked especially bad in the joints and cracks, where the Nuln Oil had gone. Luckily, I still have a pot of Black Ink, so was able to use that to help darken those areas quickly. Wish I'd snapped a pic of the model in that state, but I was just so flustered, all I could think of was repairing the damage. Needless to say, it was not a really fun painting day.

 

/rant off

 

Anyway, I think the model still came out well, though you can still see some evidence of the "frosting" on some parts of the model:

 

 

And if you're wondering, yes you can see the infamous pot of Goblin Green in the background of that second picture. I have to say, even though I find some parts of this sculpt clunky (e.g., the bunny ears are way too thick), I really like the "expression" on the mask. You can see the anger and hatred. It just up and says, "Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut!"

 

Also have a picture of my Khorne Berzerkers. They are at various stages because I needed to go ahead and get a few of them ready for play. I'm in an Escalation/Narrative Campaign league this summer, and I'm using the Khorne Daemonkin codex. It'll be my first time using that book. Anyway, here they are:

 

 

The Bloodthirster is near finished. Should be up and done tomorrow morning. Hopefully. 

 

[Large and Moving Torb]

Alright! Things went much better with the Bloodthirster. I used Latham Medium over 'Ard Coat to finish it up. While it was still a little shiny, the Medium dulled it nicely. May do one more coat of it, just to see if it can tone it down any more. Still, very happy with the results. And so here it is: 

 

 

So, things went quickly enough with the Bloodthirster today, I had time to put these guys together:

 

 

I actually have a second box of them to put together, but the Flesh Hounds (or Fleshounds) will be next to get painted up! 

[Large and Moving Torb]

A quick update - I've gotten my Flesh Hounds of Khorne through the base coat stage. One thing I've done differently with these guys than I did with my other Khorne stuff is that I've already put the ballast on the base. It got undercoated with the rest of the model. Think I'm going to do the base on them the same colors as my Nurgle/Death Guard stuff. 

 

 

 

 

The one closest to the camera has already been shaded. Hope to have the rest Nuln Oil-ed shortly. As always, thanks for looking!