Chapter 888 (Ultramarines...kinda)

[Kierdale]

I guess I'll do some blue and orange (or red-to-orange) test swords soon :)

 

Just to say, am really enjoying the revamp of the Mentors and your gritty take on them. I loved the Lost Patrol battle report, I've never seen one before and you've made me want to play it.

Thanks!

The grittiness was because I wasn't happy with my 'off-white highlighted with white' experiments, and pure white would have been too clean. What to do? Get mucky!

That was the second game of Lost Patrol. The first, with the rules unmodified, was a slaughter. In that second game we didn't allow any xenos deploys on path ends adjacent to hexes occupied by scouts...which probably made it too easy for the scouts. Next we'll try the optional rules I found on the net (max 1 xenos deploy on any path end unless there is an infestation).

[WarriorFish]

Red-to-orange sounds good to me :)

[Kierdale]

Progress is slow but coming along. Metal badges, purity seals, cables and the like. Crux still to do.

I've added one of the small shields, not on a shoulder, but on the back of the sergeant's forearm, as the original metal terminator sergeant did waaaaaay back :)

I'll see what decals I have and what ideas I can come up with for some heraldry to put on it.

[Kierdale]

Wolf no more.

I need to do some GS work on his chest and add an etched brass Aquila. Some seals and scrolls here and there maybe.

And I think I'll turn the storm bolter into a combi-plasma. What do you think?

[Race Bannon]

That was labor of true love there. Very impressive!

[Kierdale]

Thanks.

Out of interest I stood him next to the other, more recent, terminators I'm building now to see how tall he was and he is considerably shorter in comparison!

Accordingly I'll be putting on a high, heroic base. :tu:

[Kierdale]

The Mentor Legion first company.

Treading regolith all over the place.

The Terminator squad is at last complete!

I took pretty much the same photos with a white and with a black background. Please tell me which you think looks better...

The squad

Individual shots

First

Drain filled with green gunk (Tamiya Clear Green).

Second - puncher

Not my best checks ever, but I'm happy with them.

Third - chainfist

Fourth - heavy weapon. The shoulder is magnetised so I can swap between assault cannon (all barrels drilled) and heavy flamer.

Sergeant

Sword was done following one of Duncan's tutorials, with different colours. Very happy with how it came out.

There is more green gunk under the grill the sergeant is standing on but you can only see it from certain angles.

I'll post the ones on black backgrounds soon. :)

[Kierdale]

One other question:

What to write on the scroll-plates on their armour?

Puncher has a plate on his right shin, and the sergeant has one on his right shoulder and across his chest...

There are only two officially named Mentors (Nisk Ran-Thawll - Chapter Master, and Manse Jah-Hlley - A Tutor [assigned to instruct other forces]) so the only thing to go on name-wise is double-barrelled family names.

Any name suggestions? :)

[WarriorFish]

They look great, the power sword really pops along with the weathering. The bases are the cherry on top (or should that be underneath?) :) I have no idea what you could write on the scrolls though, I usually go for more general concepts than names!

[Kierdale]

Thanks!

I eventually went with 'Mentor' on the knee scroll of Puncher and the shoulder of Sarge, and 'Magister' on Sarge's chest scroll.

 

I'm going to be away for three weeks soon so I won't be on the B&C much but for this army next I think I'll do the terminator librarian ( I added some scrolls and a small locked chest to his belt and an etched brass Aquila to his chest. I'll have to built up his base to make him stand taller than Magister squad) or the tactical squad. Likely I'll spray both white at the same time anyway.

 

I'll be heading back home to Blighty for holiday and as usual I'll buy some miniatures to keep me busy for the next few months ( truth be told I still have boxes on open from my last trip home! Don't tell the missus!). I think I'll get a terminator assault squad (now I really want to do another shooty squad too. Cyclone launcher and chainfist on one, and do a weapons swap on the sergeant so he's got his stormbolter outstretched in his left hand and his sword [ I might swap for swap for a different model] in his right hand)...and either a Baal Predator or a Dark Talon.

[WarriorFish]

Can't wait to see some more Terminators like this :tu:

[Kierdale]

There will be some :tu:

 

I also emptied the vat of Simple Green that's been on the balcony for months and got fifteen scouts out of it :D

Five BP&CCW, one heavy bolter, a pair of sergeants and the rest with bolters.

 

That brings the existing Mentors to:

Completed:

5 scouts

5 terminators

 

WIP/to do:

10 tacticals

5 sternguard

5 sniper scouts

15 other scouts

1 razorback/rhino

1 terminator librarian

 

Things just kinda accumulate...

[Teetengee]

Given the fluff of the Mentor legion, I would have gone with the names of tenets or virtues held dear to the training soldier. Duty, Honour, Cleanliness, Perseverance, Courage, Strength, Astuteness, Intelligence, Thoroughness, Fastidiousness, or similar or shortened forms. The paint jobs are great but the bases are in some ways even more exciting.

[Kierdale]

Thanks, Teetengee, I'll use those names for future squads :tu:

 

I won't get him finished before I go away but I'm starting to paint the TDA librarian today. I want to keep him predominantly in the white and green of the chapter but will do his helmet and left arm blue.

[Kierdale]

White done, decals on and both weathered.

Working on 'steel/silver' now.

In this photo the second 'verse' on his right shin looks a little closer to the axe than the other three verses are but it's pretty insignificant when viewing the mini normally :)

Next up is green, then the blue helmet and left arm. Copper wiring. Gold detail on axe....purple axe blade...plasma coils to do...lots.

[deathspectersgt7]

Love it cool to see campaign Badges.

[Kierdale]

Love it cool to see campaign Badges.

Thanks. I have a lot of the axe-with-thunderbolt symbol (I believe it's from the Imperial guard decal sheet) and I plan to use that as the campaign badge for my Mentors.

 

Have a growing collection of marine backbanners that I've never used and though I used to play back in the Rogue Trader and 2nd edition days (and thus love backbanners :D) I don't see them as fitting my Mentors, but from the Objectives Showcase thread I got the idea of making them as objective counters. That'll let me do some more Mentor imagery (inc. an Owl head ;) ) and campaign badges.

[Kierdale]

Bought the DA flyer and a squad of assault terminators (I think I'll go with 2 claws, 2 hammers and a hammer for the sarge').

 

Scout sergeants can still take hammers in the new codex? If so then one spare hammer goes to the 10th company.

[Kierdale]

Green, white and blue done and weathered.

Gold and copper shaded but not highlighted.

Hazard stripes on psychic hood need weathering.

Plasma coils are just base coated.

Axe and belt stuff needs paint.

Eyes need Tamiya Clear Blue.

Oh and lights/lenses...

And Crux...

But it's coming along!

[WarriorFish]

Helmet and hood look excellent, he has a lot of detail to do but that just means he'll look all the better when done ;)

[Kierdale]

The de-wolfed TDA librarian is done!

And mounted on his height-boosting base ;)

And with the terminator squad

Close ups and different angles

Hidden Content

I undercoated the tactical squad a month or so ago so I should get them done before I move onto new models. Patience. Patience.

[WarriorFish]

He turned out great, the colours really pop especially with the head and arm plus good use of basing to help adjust to the older model scale The Mentor Legion need more psykers like this

[Kierdale]

Just a quick post to say I’m back working on the Mentors too. Now putting 23 decals on the tactical squad :tu:

[WarriorFish]

Christmas came early :D

[Kierdale]

:D

Considering they’re red, white and green, I guess you’re right!