Officia Monstrosa – Iron Warriors

[Tyrannicide]

Apologist, will we be seeing the company sigil anytime soon? By the description it sounds really distinctive and I'm eager to see your take on it.

[apologist]

Where did you get the base from, and do they do bigger ones for land raiders and Spartans? 

It's a standard GW one, though I got this second-hand. I think it's the same one they use for flyers like the Valkyrie. I took a shot of it after texturing and painting (sand and PVA, then sepia inks, then drybrushing successively lighter neutrals) but before I attached the tank. 

 

Static grass tufts were added once the Predator was in place.

 

The Knight-size oval works for Land Raiders:

This is a wooden one cut to the same size and bevelled. 

 

Apologist, will we be seeing the company sigil anytime soon? By the description it sounds really distinctive and I'm eager to see your take on it.

I've run a bit short of bits (annoying ones that you don't expect to run out of, like right-handed pistol grips) at the mo, so progress has reached a bit of a pause. However, I'm keen to get a standard bearer done – a command squad or Honour guard would be a fun sub-project.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Apologist

[apologist]

+ Well, that took longer than expected... +

My latest board is – after much building – ready. This will be used for a variety of purposes; not least to provide a good backdrop for Officia Monstrosa.

 

I'll keep the building process out of this blog, as it's not really much to do with the Iron Warriors themselves. However, here's a couple of shots showing the Pitiless IV in situ:

 

 

 

What do you reckon?

 

If you are interested, there is a fairly in-depth explanation of how I went about planning, building and painting the Streets of Purefinder Chanterwick (sparked by the fortuitous discovery of a dusty worktop in the depths of my work's warehouse) on Death of a Rubricist:

• Planning
• Construction
• Paving I (with thanks to Rob Hawkins for his invaluable tutorial which formed the basis for this.
• Paving II
• Priming
• Painting

Please do feel free to browse the info there.

 

+++

 

 

A couple of people have sent me private messages (which are always lovely to receive; but please don't feel you can't ask in-thread!) asking for a size comparison with a human. Here's one showing a marine next to Santos Santana an Abraxan Mercénarii d'Pilgrimáge from my Court of the Sun King project.

 

 

+++

 

*Blows dust off, cracks pneumechanickal knuckles*

Right, back to work...

Edited October 20, 2015 by Apologist

[Kriegriss]

goodness but I have missed this thread so glad to see you back Mr. Apologist you're board looks nifty I too am brainstorming a verticles style board. more complex then I first thought as well, the hardest part is making it playable and not just a crowded mess but bravo you're board is looking exceptional

[Brother Dallo]

Just had a read through all of your stuff on board making. That's a really nice looking board, and it's giving me ideas for when I eventually get around to making my second board. Your explanations were easy to follow and understand. Great job.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Dallo

[Doctor Perils]

Whoow, that comparison makes me realise just how terrifying a Space Marine would be !

 

Great beginning for a board 

[apologist]

Ba-bang!

 

The Predator rocked back as though kicked; the tracks quickly settling with a rhythmic clanking as a cloud of dust billowed from every flat surface. The engines' idling grumble kicked into a whine and a metallic tinkling as the tank wheeled away and turned down a side-alley.

 

The crack of the double-retort echoed and re-echoed weirdly in the confines of the sub-district streets, and Izmir's eyes flickered, darting around; suspicious. Even slaved to his autosenses, the tank felt close and confined; like a loose-knit bag over his eyes. 

 

Izmir and the other two permanent crew were locked into their seats; their armour soft-connected via their backpack ports. The fourth Iron Warrior squatted awkwardly in the little remaining space; his feet braced against the crew's dormant charging backpacks. Jogged around in the heat and the dark, the tank crawled onwards – into danger; towards an uncertain victory.

 

+++

+ Acerbus, Predator battle tank +

Standard order dictates three Astartes to man a Destructor-armament Predator – the commander, who operates the main turret and directs the crew; a primary gunner, who controls the sponsons; and a driver, who is responsible for navigation and mobility.

 

Unlike the advanced micro-noosphere of other vehicles available to the Legions – such as the dread Land Raider, Sicaran variants or Crotalid assault transports – vehicles based on the rugged Rhino were rugged, practical and built with redundancy and reliability in mind. This was an intentional part of the concept briefs: Astartes tanks were designed to take advantage of the sophistication of the crew's personal equipment – their power armour. With the armoured crew having shielded internal comms, advanced autosenses and numerous other targetting and survival aids, the tank itself could get by with the bare minimum. In case of damage or loss, the vehicle could be quickly repaired or replaced. In the unlikely event of it being captured, the tank would prove impractical to most enemies – if for no other reason than the distorted scale necessary for the post-human crew.

 

As a result, the Deimos-pattern Predator was a spartan environment, with little thought given to aesthetics or comfort. Nevertheless, some advnaced systems were in place. The crew's thrones were designed to intergrate with the rear of power armour plate, essentially replacing the need for a backpack while in place. The backpacks could be stored near the rear of the tank for retrieval, and could in turn be plugged-in to recharge. This gives an example of the spare elegance of the design; as the three backpacks could be used in a pinch to substitute for an engine subcompartment – allowing a Predator with catastrophic damage to limp away even if all four engines were destroyed.

 

This Predator – designate Acerbus – is marked with simple visuals; yellow stripes and an alphanumeric key marking it as tank One Hundred of Muster IX. The alpha symbol following the Muster indicates it being a dedicated infantry support tank, rather than a full part of an armoured cavalry division.

 

The Iron Warriors were well-supplied with comparatively simple Rhino-based vehicles; as more advanced designs – even those partly created by Perturabo himself – were preferentially deployed to other Legions. The IVth turned this to an advantage, spearheading massed armour deployments and making the most of the lightning-strike capabilities available to an armoured force that required little support and virtually no rest. 

 

This was achieved by integrating a Jardimcy Legionary to the crew; an additional 'spare' Astartes who was – in theory – carried in shuttle groups in Rhino carriers that accompanied the main column; but in practise often forced to cram into the tank alongside the small amount of supplies each Predator carried. The Jardimcy would take over duties for injured or exhausted crew, extending the vehicle's combat capabilities. They were also used to replace casualties in the field; reducing the need for a supply train and allowing the column as a whole to continue driving forward.  

 

The presence of the Imperial Eagle remained common even deep in the Horus Heresy. The reasons for this are many and varied – everything from the IIIrd Legion's conscious mockery of Imperial ideals; the Alpha Legion's misdirection; and simple misunderstandings or the dissemination of misinformation. In the case of Acerbus, the Eagle was maintained in honour of the Imperium – the Iron Warriors felt they were fighting against the tyranny of the Emperor himself, not the institutions the IVth had sweated and bled to build.

 

Resplendent in Legion livery of gunmetal and black, a large bulldozer blade for rubble clearance has been installed on the Predator. This was an extremely common upgrade; particularly amongst those crewed by siege-orientated dodekatheon members.

 

A number of gleaming blue lenses are visible here; each of which are available for any member of crew to use via their power armour's 'hood'; the pict-slave's vision being directed, ghostly and green, into the viewer's visual cortex.

 

Finally, the Predator Destructor's fearsome standard armament of two 'Godhammer' lascannons and the distinctive quad-firing burst autocannon are visible. These made the tank a versatile terror against everything from heavy infantry to medium-weight battle tanks. In concert with its pack-mates, the Space Marine Predator was a versatile machine capable of bringing down even the god-machines of the Titan Legions – albeit at great cost!

 

Amongst the Iron Warriors, names were commonly given to Predators following their first successful campaign. On the face of things, this may seem an uncharacteristic indulgence for the fiercely unsentimental IVth Legion, but classification and naming had a ritual significance – almost to the point of obsession – to pre-Compliance Olympia. Such a history was not easily erased; and the cold exterior of most Iron Warriors only imperfectly subsumed a furnace of suppressed creativity and emotion.

 

Simple geometric and high-contrast yellow and black markings on the turret and top of tanks made the vehicles easily identifiable from the air; helping to minimise 'friendly-fire' accidents. The 'IV' here has been crudely daubed on by hand – perhaps by a literal-minded Iron Warrrior – and could not possibly be seen from orbit.

[Kriegriss]

as per usual stellar work man

[Xin Ceithan]

Just awesome.

This settles it. I wanted to look into those true metal paints anyway....might as well make an IW test model. With the plastic HH rumors around, tempted to try my hand at true scaling while I am at it.

[Legio Draconis]

This thread never fails to amaze. 

[apologist]

Cheers all; I do appreciate all of your comments, thanks for your help and support with this project.

 

You may have noticed this blog has been a little slower of late. Apologies for that; but I hope the reason will make up for it.

 

With the rumours of plastic Horus Heresy abounding, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with an in-depth tutorial on how to build 'true-scale' marines. This is what I've been working upon behind the scenes. The first part went up on today here on Death of a Rubricist [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] 

 

The remainder will follow over the next few days, and by following it you will end up with something like this:

.

 

My aim is to make creating 'true-scale' marines as simple (and cheap!) as possible; so I hope you enjoy it.

 

+++

PART 1

I'm well aware that this can be an expensive hobby! For that reason, this tutorial is based around the least monetary outlay possible. My hope is that you will be able to build a squad of 'true-scale' marines for minimum outlay: with just a box of Grey Knight Terminators and your bits box.

 

It can also be intimidating to start modelling work like this, so I've used as few tools and materials as possible. The great joy of making miniatures is getting your own ideas into the figures. For that reason, I encourage you to use this tutorial as a springboard rather than 'holy writ'. It will show you how to make a basic marine, but please feel free to vary the parts used based on what you have, to embellish and improve on the basic marine I show here.

 

With that said, for this tutorial you will need:

• Greenstuff putty
• Superglue
• Craft knife and cutting mat
• Polystyrene cement
• A tub of lip balm (or similar lubricant)
• A sculpting tool with a point, edge and smooth end; such as this [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+]

The following parts from a plastic Grey Knight Terminator kit:

• Torso front
• Torso back
• Left arm
• Right arm
• Legs
• Two shoulder pads

The following parts from a plastic Space Marine Tactical kit:

• Right hand with a weapon
• Left hand
• Backpack
• Head

The exact parts you select will depend on the pose etc. you want; experiment and enjoy. Equally, if you have some other cool bits – a Forge World head, some grenades and holsters etc., feel free to embellish the marine. Similarly, if you prefer larger hands, substitute the hands from the Grey Knight Terminator kit.

 

This marine will be wearing a Mark IV armour suit. Once this basic tutorial is complete, my intention is to show some tips and variations for other marks of armour. If there's a particular type you'd like to see first, please let me know in the comments.

+ Part 1: Legs I +

Cutting away flared armour

I_ The first thing we need to do is trim the legs from the sprue. The flared knee armour is the first thing to go.

II_ Carefully cut up towards the joint, taking the knife up parallel with the lower leg armour. Do not cut through the central part (with the indent).

III_ Press the knife down at the angle shown, cutting through the plate.

IV_ Gently cut away the section by repeating the cuts earlier until the section drops away. Aim to keep the surrounding area clean, revealing the shape of the lower leg armour.

V_ Repeat the process at the top; cutting under towards the joint, then near the joint.

VI_ Continue until the top of the flared shield drops away.

VII_ Carefully cut away the 'point' this leaves at the back of the knee joint, trimming until you have a round shape as shown.

+ Removing raised surface detail +

VIII_ Use the blade of the knife to trim down the surface parallel with the armour plate. Work gradually for large areas of raised detail – trim away layers rather than lumps.

IX_ To smooth the surface, draw the back of the blade back over the area – as though shaving – to remove any slight imperfections.

X_ The hip plates need to go. Hold the legs as shown, and press the knife in to make a guide cut parallel with the top of the upper leg armour. Note that the flared knee shield has been removed here, as described earlier.

XI_ 'Roll' the blade round the upper leg along the line of the upper armour, using the guide cut to start you, and finishing at the top of the armour visible on the inside of the leg.

XII_ You should end up with a cut like this, that follows the shape of the upper leg. Deepen the cut with gentle, gradual pressure.

 

XIII_ Using the instructions for cutting away flared armour (see above), carefully and gradually trim away the hip plate. It's almost inevitable that it'll look a little ragged, but aim to be as clean as you can. When trimming down the plate on the leg, use the raised 'piping' reinforcement rods on the thigh to guide you; cut the hip plate down to this depth, not down to the underlying armour.

This completes the first part of the tutorial. In the next part, we'll introduce the putty and start modelling.

 

 

The original (with pics) can be found here.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Apologist

[Kriegriss]

This is wonderfull news I even have a unit of grey knight terminators that I got mostly for the bits that I didn't know what to do with perhaps I shall make a truescale deathwatch kill team or something I really like the look of youre truescale marines so I will be watching very closely

[apologist]

Ta very much

 

I couldn't resist, so part 2 of the tutorial is also up here. This part shows you how to work with greenstuff.

 

There's quite a lot of detail in there, so apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but I wanted this  to be as thorough and clear as possible.

 

+++

+ Part 2: Legs II +

 

We left the legs looking like this, with much of the detail removed or trimmed back using a craft knife. This stage will show you how to use greenstuff. If you have never used modelling putty before, don't worry. It's much easier than it might seem; and a lot of the skills you have in modelling or painting will apply: patience, a sharp eye and a steady hand.

 

Working time and lubricant

When freshly mixed, Greenstuff can be sticky. As it cures, it gradually becomes less sticky and more manageable – until eventually it is stiff and unresponsive. Eventually, it will cure completely rigid. The time between mixing and curing is called the 'working time'.

 

Experience will teach you about best working time for different effects. For hair and similar textures, you generally want a stickier consistency, so the best working time is within a few minutes. For smooth areas, you will want the green stuff to be more resistant, so you will need to wait a little longer. Wait too long, and the greenstuff will not attach to the area you are working upon – it's all a balance.

 

For this project, we will attach freshly-mixed greenstuff to the area, then let it cure in place for a bit. Once it is more workable – i.e. it stops sticking to your tools – you can use the sculpting tool to smooth it into shape. +

 

This is all very well in theory, but in practice, it's very dull to mix tiny amounts to do a small area. You will more likely want to work more than one bit at a time, and this means working with greenstuff that is slightly too sticky or stiff. A tiny lip balm of vaseline is your friend here.

 

You can use any lubricant – sunflower oil, water etc. – the critical point is that it keeps the modelling tool smooth. This is what prevents the greenstuff from sticking to it. My tips are simple:

 

• Use clean tools – any nicks or blobs of old putty will cause new putty to stick to them.
• Use a tiny amount of lubricant – just dab the tool lightly on the vaseline.
• Do not use it at all if you can get away with it. I only tend to use it when using very freshly-mixed greenstuff, or trying to smooth the very top layers.

That said, experiment – you should find what works best for you.

 

+ Sculpting upper leg detail +

I_ Use your sculpting tool to carve off a small amount of two part greenstuff putty. I suggest a ½cm (¼in) length as shown. This will give you enough to do all the legs, chest and arms in this tutorial. Cut away and discard the tiny bit where the two colours meet. This will have mixed and cured a little; creating a hard bit.

II_ Begin mixing the two colours together using your fingers. The image above shows the green colour starting to appear as the blue and yellow mix. Note the 'marbling' effect, which indicates the putty has not been sufficiently mixed. It is important to get a uniform colour and texture, or you risk parts curing at different rates (or not at all).

III_ To help mix the greenstuff, stretch it into a rod, fold it back on itself and twist it into a spiral as shown. Repeat this five or ten times until the putty is thoroughly mixed. The putty is now beginning to cure; but don't panic. There is plenty of working time before the putty becomes unusable, so don't rush.

IV_ At first, the putty will be quite sticky. Leave it for five or ten minutes, then tear off a small piece and roll it into a rod that is approximately the same height as the shin, as shown. While you wait, you might remove the second hip plate in the same way as the first; or spend the few minutes trimming the next set of legs.

V_ Use the stickiness of the putty to stick the rod to the centre of the inside of the thigh. Ideally, you'd do each greenstuff element separately, but this is not always practical. I tend to start on the upper legs, as they're protected a little if you want to work more than one part at a time. An alternative approach is to use a 'factory-line' method and prepare ten or so sets over the course of a few days, leaving each element to cure overnight. This reduces the risk of accidentally squashing or distorting your work. 

 

VI_ Press the putty gently into place with the spoon-ended part of your modelling tool. Aim to fit it within the existing plastic detail of the thigh plate, and do not let it overlap the top or bottom of the armour. If it does spill, scrape it away with the sharp edge of the modelling tool and use the spoon-ended part to smooth the cut.

VII_ Work gradually round the whole thigh, so that the putty wraps round the leg within the boundaries of the armour as shown. Don't worry about it being messy at this stage.

VIII_ Let the putty cure until it is no longer so sticky. Place the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool flat on the surface and use tiny circular movements to gently begin to smooth the putty into the surface.  

 

IX_ Continue smoothing right round the upper leg. Aim to fill the recesses in the armour between the supporting rods of the armour, working the putty right up into the crevices of the leg armour, creating a smooth cylinder. You can see in the image that the putty does not work right to the edges of the original plastic detail, but uses that. Aim to create a smooth transition so that the putty blends into the existing detail.

X_ Repeat on the other leg (ideally, leave to cure overnight). You can leave the greenstuff work here if you are happy. Alternatively, you can sculpt a more natural and realistic-looking leg, which suggests musculature.

XI_ For the more developed leg, tear off a smaller piece of greenstuff than before (approximately half the size), roll it into a rod, and place it over the top part of the leg as shown. If – being an impatient soul, or carried away with enthusiasm – you are working straight on top of uncured greenstuff, be careful not to use any pressure or you risk distorting the underlying greenstuff work. If you have let your greenstuff cure, you don't need to worry.

XII_ Using the same smoothing technique as earlier – tiny circular motions of the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool – gradually work the greenstuff into the upper part of the leg, creating a curved cylinder. Find some examples of real plate armour for reference to guide your work. 

 

+ Sculpting lower leg detail +

XIII_ With the upper legs complete, tear off a small piece of greenstuff – approximately half the height of the shin [+see step IV+]. Roll it into a rod and press it firmly onto the back of the calf.

XIV_ As before, gently but firmly push the greenstuff into the recesses of the leg, using the existing plastic detail to guide you.

 

XV_ This image shows how the putty has filled the recesses, creating a smooth transition between the plastic detail. Work right into the very corners. I prefer to look of a reinforced front plate and lighter rear armour on the lower legs, but if you want a one-piece lower leg, then use more greenstuff and the edges of the front plate to guide your placement instead of the reinforcing rods.

XVI_Continue working round the lower leg. If you have some excess greenstuff at the end, use the sharp edge of the modelling tool to trim it away before smoothing it back over the area.

XVII_ Repeat the process on the second leg. If the result is not smooth, then use a little vaseline to smooth the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool and draw it across the surface in vertical strokes. Continue until you are happy, and the greenstuff follows the existing lines of the armour, with no bulges or lumps.

This completes the lower legs. Before continuing, it is safest to leave the legs to cure completely overnight. If you choose not to, then be careful not to touch the smooth greenstuff work or you risk spoiling it (or at least creating more work for yourself as you tidy it up).

 

If you decide to continue before the greenstuff has cured, you have the option of creating inlaid detail (see step XIX below) – just be careful to hold the part by plastic, as shown in the pictures below.

 

+ Infilling and creating detail +

In part 1 of the tutorial, we looked at carving away plastic detail, but what if it's recessed into the surface, like the text on Grey Knight legs? In these case, we're going to fill them in to create a smooth, unbroken surface on the plate.

XVIII_ Take a tiny piece of greenstuff and draw it out so that it sits over the area you want to fill. It's better to start with too little greenstuff than too much, as it can be a pain to clear away and you can always add more.

XIX_ Use the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool to smooth it into the recesses with the same tiny circular movements you used earlier. If it overflows the area just a little, that's fine. You're aiming to break up the underlying shape, so drawing the surface out very thinly over the surrounding plate will help to hide the work.

This shot also shows a small panel line in the thigh on the left-hand side. These details are optional, but easy. Simply use the edged part of the modelling tool to create a rough rectangle by pressing very gently into the uncured surface.

XX_ Use the point of the modelling tool to add a couple of dots in the middle. You don't need to worry about neatness too much, but try to get them central and the same size.

XXI_ Working from the centre of the detail area outwards, use the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool to smooth the surface ever so gently with the same circular motions. Work very gently to avoid distorting the detail. You're aiming to close the displaced putty in on itself evenly, to create a sharp recessed line or dot. The tip of an empty propelling pencil is great for creating recessed buttons with this technique.

 

This completes the basic legs. We will return to them for an example of detailing (with Mark IV kneepads), but for the moment, put them safely to one side to cure.

 

The original (with pics) can be found here.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Apologist

[apologist]

And part 3, the torso, is up.

 

+ Part 3: Torso I +

+ Preparing and cutting the torso to shape +

If you've worked through the earlier parts of this tutorial, you know all you need for this part, which is often the sticking point for true-scale marines. I've made torsos for my marines in a number of ways, but the inspiration for this one comes from an excellent Iron Hand made by MonkeyBallistic of Those Whom the Gods Would Destroy.

 

Because this approach uses a grey knight torso, it relies less on free-sculpting, and is thus a fantastic way of making these marines easier to make. It also means that we can make use of the sharp lines of the original sculpt, for a crisp finish. The final part of the choice of the Grey Knight Terminator torso as a basis for this tutorial is expense: if you've bought the box for this tutorial, I'd like to get most out of it we can.

 

I_ Assemble the torso as normal using polystyrene cement. Use a knife to trim away the psychic hood, leaving the rim at the height as shown. While not essential, I prefer to cut away the D-shaped detail on the back behind the hood's rim and scrape out the wires inside the remnants of the hood; just to further disguise the source of the parts.

 

II_ Cut away any detail overhanging the edge of the chest plate. Follow the curve of the plate to guide you. Try looking at the chest from underneath if the detail is obscuring the line of the chest plate. It's more obvious from this angle.

 

III_ Carefully cut upwards from the bottom of the chest plate to remove the surface detail, as described in part I of this tutorial. As before, work gradually to ensure a relatively smooth finish. Follow the curve of the armour plate, and avoid cutting into the collar.

 

IV_ To check you have shaped the piece properly, look at it from underneath. Here, you can see that the curve is not even, and that a layer of what was decoration remains in place.

 

V_ Continue gradually shaving away layers until the chest plate is correctly shaped in a smooth curve or even depth. You should be able to see the collar, as shown.

 

VI_ Trim away the belt detail on the back with one smooth cut. If you are careful, you can slip the blade in flat against the bottom and cut upwards without touching the surrounding area. Again, this is not essential, but removing parts that are distinctive of terminators helps to hide the source of your marine.

 

VII_ Cut into the back of the torso, just to the side of the vent detail. Use the curve of the lower corner to help you get a straight line (see the following step for clarity). Press down carefully until the blade sits at the depth shown. Hopefully it goes without saying that you should be careful, cut away from you where possible and use a sharp – ideally new – blade.

 

VIII_ Remove the blade and cut back into the side as shown. This shot should clarify where the cut in step VII was made, too – a straight vertical just to the side of the vent detail

 

IX_ This will cut away a square section from the back.

 

X_ Make a guide cut near the top of the shoulder joint at forty-five degrees, as shown. Make this cut shallower than the one in step VIII – approximately half the depth.

 

XI_ Cut in from the other side and trim away a triangular section.

 

XII_ Round off the corner; either with a file or simply by making a series of additional and increasingly smaller angled cuts.

 

XIII_ Repeat the process on the other side.

 

XIV_ Trim away the remaining vent detail, aiming to get the back section as evenly flat as you can. The backpack will sit here eventually.

 

This completes the carving and shaping of the torso. For a smoother finish, use a needle file to refine the edges.

 

 

+ Torso sculpting +

Phew, you can relax a bit. The carving's the hard bit of the torso. The rest is essentially an extension of the greenstuff techniques we looked at in part II of the tutorial.

 

I_ Start by rolling a small ball of greenstuff, using the neck of your space marine head as a guide for size. Drop it into the recess in the torso. If you are working straight through the tutorial from the start, the greenstuff you mixed up earlier will likely still be within its working time. If you are starting fresh from this point, mix up some more greenstuff and let it cure for fifteen or twenty minutes before beginning. +

 

II_ Use the spoon-ended part of the modelling tool to press the ball down and fill the entire neck area as shown.

 

III_ Fill any recessed surface detail on the front of the Grey Knight torso as described in steps XVIII and XIX of part 2.

 

IV_ Roll a smaller ball of greenstuff – approximately three-quarters of the size of the one used in step I – and place it towards the back of the inside torso as shown.

 

V_ Smooth the ball out with the same circling motions used earlier, to create the basis of the neck piece. It is important that this sits towards the back, against the collar, or your finished marine will look hunched forward, rather than throwing his chest out proudly. Because you are working greenstuff on top of greenstuff, be very gentle. I suggest using greenstuff towards the end of its working time (see the notes at the start of part 2 of this tutorial for more on working time) as it will resist pressure better and not distort.

 

VI_ Make another similarly-sized ball and place it on top of the first. When working layers like this, a balance must be struck in the working time so that the underlying layers resist distortion, but not be so rigid you need to use lots of lubrication – or you risk the later layers simply falling off in future! If this does happen, simply use superglue to secure the piece.

 

VII_ As before, smooth it out. This creates a simple internal collar. This technique can be used in lots of places. It's good for ribbing or tubing; such as that used in space marine undersuits. 

 

VIII_ Before the greenstuff cures, use a spare marine helmet to create an impression in the neck area. Push it down gently until it sits where you want the final head to be.

 

IX_ Carefully remove the head to reveal a dip that will hold any standard marine head and give your true-scale marine more poseability when you are assembling him. If the greenstuff sticks or starts to come away with the neck, leave it to cure completely and simply remove the head later. Greenstuff is not a glue, so you'll easily be able to pop the temporary head out of place once cured.

 

 

At this point, the torso can be used as-is (once cured, of course), but if you wish to add more detail or make a specific mark of armour, then carry on. The instructions at the bottom of the inload on Death of a Rubricist here are for Mark IV Maximus armour, as seen below. In future, I aim to add instructions for different marks – let me know if there's a particular type you'd like to see.

 

Edited October 28, 2015 by Apologist

[apologist]

Grist to the mill

 

Some more marines are nearly ready to join the Warmaster's cause. I've been on a bit of a building spree recently; and the news about the new boardgame is delightful. Having access to plastic Cataphract legs, Tigrus boltguns, Mark IV backpacks and heads is going to make this project so much easier, quicker and cheaper.

 

In the meantime, however, I'll stick with resin and greenstuff :)

Here's a couple of new marines. One is made up of the tutorial marine with new shoulder pads – I prefer these to the Grey Knight-based ones in the demonstration, but wanted to keep that as simple as possible – and the second is in a bit more of a dynamic pose. Both use some selected FW bits; the bare head is from the Iron Hands upgrade set, and the helmet a minimally altered Blood Angels helm.

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by Apologist

[GrandMagnus]

Is it just me or are your pauldrons getting smoother and smoother. I mean, your Ultramarines look awesome, but their pauldrons are very rough, for lack of a better word, compared to these.

[Commissar Molotov]

...the news about the new boardgame is delightful. Having access to plastic Cataphract legs, Tigrus boltguns, Mark IV backpacks and heads is going to make this project so much easier, quicker and cheaper.

 

 

Very much what I was thinking as I saw the sprues this morning. It does make things interesting, though I'd personally be wishing for plastic Tartaros! I've particularly enjoyed your tutorial. The Monkeyballistic technique has really invigorated your progress, though I can't help but feel it makes their necks look a little exposed - I'd like to see a small strip of plasticard armour to protect their necks. 

 

As ever, loving your progress! 

[apologist]

Is it just me or are your pauldrons getting smoother and smoother. I mean, your Ultramarines look awesome, but their pauldrons are very rough, for lack of a better word, compared to these.

 

Ah, for that you can thank the magic nature of computer-assisted design and casting; rather than any increase in my skill. :)

 

 

Very much what I was thinking as I saw the sprues this morning. It does make things interesting, though I'd personally be wishing for plastic Tartaros! I've particularly enjoyed your tutorial. The Monkeyballistic technique has really invigorated your progress, though I can't help but feel it makes their necks look a little exposed - I'd like to see a small strip of plasticard armour to protect their necks. 

 

I can see what you mean. In the case of the Iron Warriors, I like the space as it helps create a dark area (for tonal contrast); but MonkeyBallistic's more in-depth approach definitely looks more striking for armour in colour. I may well play around further with the technique, and thanks for the kind words on the tutorial.

 

You may be pleased to hear that I've recently received a couple of Invictarii bits to pursue your suggestion on the Calth blog...

[Saa]

This is hands down the most inspiring modelling thread I've ever read. You've made the daunting parts of truescale seem achievable.

 

I tip my hat to you Sir and thank you for the guide so far.

 

Saa

 

.......or something like that

[Commissar Molotov]

That's exciting to hear! The new Consul in the boxed set has leg armour similar to the resin praetor - I think he might be a good basis for a Suzerain!

[apologist]

The Wormwood King

 

I assembled Perturabo last night. The standard figure is fantastic, so I didn't want to make any alterations to the basic pose. However, I couldn't resist making a few tweaks; namely trimming the wires on his head back a little, and swapping the head on the hammer for Ferrus' Forgebreaker. 

 

While I like the idea that Perturabo adapted it when he received it from Horus, I think it's a shame that the visual continuity is lost. I imagine the lord of the IVth would have little sentimentality about the design, but I think iconography and imagery is particularly important when it relates to the Horus Heresy.

 

As the old saying goes 'the best conversions don't look like converions', so the changes to the head are minimal. I used a craft knife to trim the cables away from the face a little – for me, they're a little intrusive in the original sculpt.

 

The original, for comparison:

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/catalog/product/600x620/99560102231_Perturabo07.jpg

[Daemon2027]

Nice, I like the little changes. I think the head looks a lot better with less cables.

[Calas Typhon]

Must say, Vast improvement without the mass head cables.

 

Looking forward to more!

[apologist]

Cheers; I think reducing the length and number of cables opens up the face and matches the artworks a bit better.

 

Snatched a few minutes to build a base for him last night. While the Knight base is cool, it's a bit over-the-top for my liking. Having him closer to the ground also shows off his stature – compared to his marines, he's huge!

[Spinsanity]

Cheers; I think reducing the length and number of cables opens up the face and matches the artworks a bit better.

 

Snatched a few minutes to build a base for him last night. While the Knight base is cool, it's a bit over-the-top for my liking. Having him closer to the ground also shows off his stature – compared to his marines, he's huge!

I don't recall ever seeing Perturabo next to a PA marine, but if he's huge next to your marines, he must be gigantic next to a regular PA marine!