Betrayal of the Night: 2016/01/04 A Legion takes shape...

[ckpmax1108]

Hey Ya'll, you may remember me from my Minotaurs progress blog a few months back here.

I'm back, and with something that smells of.....Heresy!

 

Here, I'll be logging my foray into the Horus Heresy, and plopping on my opinion that the Space Marines are a  much more interesting faction during this timeline.

Picked Night Lords because Batman. That's all there is too it, and it give me an excuse to experiment with different things.

 

So without further ado, below is my first steps into heresy:

 

 

So got myself the Betrayal of Calth box as its the main reason I'm starting in the first place, and because its a damn good start for any Horus legion. Its perfect Night Lords too as they're all Mk 4. Armour.

 

 

..and its got a lot of heft to it, the models are all GW quality, so loving them already. The miscellaneous stuff is top quality. Wish it was more FFG quality, but then again, the presentation is still incredible.

 

 

Quickly built the Chaplain, to use as a test piece and get the feel on how the rest would be painted.

Did a neat thing with the armour base, inspired on what Forge World did on the Alpha Legion Contemptor scheme.

 

Metal Medium!

 

Wanted to give them a candy finish for the dark blue, so opted to get myself a bottle of Metal Medium to try out.

One thing I noticed is that it works incredible well, but you need to mind your %'s in mixing.

- Add to much of the Medium, the finish is too pronounced and the colour turns lighter.

- Add too little the finish is almost not existent.

 

The lightning effect came out super well. Just thin strokes of varying mixes of dark blue, light blue and white. A steady hand and patience goes a long way.

 

Have something neat planned for cloak, but I'll leave that to another post.

 

As always, I'm open to all comments/ideas/criticisms.

[Aeternus]

Looking lovely man :)

 

The lightning and skull especially, really impressive! Always glad to see more NL being done!

 

Will keep my eyes on here...and hey Pantheon ;)

[Black_out]

Yet another joining the VIIIth. Welcome to the Legion.

 

Beautiful work on the chaplain. The armor, the skull, the lightning...it all lopks excellent

[Pearson73]

Nice work on all the detailing - skull, lightning, etc.

[Chandrian]

As already mentioned...Welcome Brother and excellent job

[SickSix]

Wow great looking Night Lord chaplain. Love that armor.

[KrautScientist]

Wow, the paintjob on that chaplain is already looking spectacular, plus it proves how an excellent paintjob will totally imbue the model with some character -- so much so, in fact, that I just mistook those scrolls at the model's hip for some leg bones worn as a trophy...

 

Anyway, fantastic job!

[ckpmax1108]

Gee...thanks guys! Thanks for all the kind words!

Didn't expect to see a bunch of replies already to this thread. This motivates me to do even more for the legion.

 

After doing the cloak for this guy, will proceed with the Centurion in Cataphractii armor in the same scheme. Will be my first foray in exposed flesh in-line with NL lore.

 

Which brings me to my next question, NL are usually super pale with the whole of their eyes in just black, right? 

[Black_out]

Yep. The Nostraman born recruits are all described as pale of skin with solid black eyes (though it's always been unclear to me if it's the entire eye or just the center). I can't comment on the Terran recruits.

[ckpmax1108]

Yep. The Nostraman born recruits are all described as pale of skin with solid black eyes (though it's always been unclear to me if it's the entire eye or just the center). I can't comment on the Terran recruits.

Thanks Black_out

 

Did quick update before the end of the day. Felt inspired after work, so plopped down and did the final layers to finish off the Chaplain.

 

 

Flesh cloak! Also did the glow on the Plasma pistol. Just need to paint the edge highlights on the silver parts, the base, matte coat, and some blood splatters, and he's all set!

[wilks]

Awesome flesh cloak! I assume it's custom made

[Black_out]

I love how you painted the stitching onto the cloak. It really gives it a 3 dimensional feel without having to break out the sculpting tools!

 

Would you mind sharing your process for the power armor? I just can't get over how deep the colors are.

[ckpmax1108]

@wilks: Made from the finest sinners and despots!

 

@Black_out: No problem man, I'd be happy to share. I use mostly Vallejo paints, but I'll list Citadel ones too for convenience.

 

-Black prime

-60/40 mix of Metal Medium and Dark Prussian Blue/Kantor Blue. Layer it on armor panels and such

-Black ink wash all over

-Re-paint with the same 60/40 metal and blue mix, avoiding dark recess or corners.

-Edge highlight armor corners with Dark Blue/Caledor sky. No need to be neat with this, so you can paint it fairly broad.

-50/50 mix of Dark Blue/Caledor sky and white as another layer for edge highlight. Abit cleaner one this time, painting it within the first edge highlight. You only need to do this on edges that the sun can shine on.

-Sky Blue/Teclis Blue as the last edge hightlight, painted as thin as you can manage to be within the second edge highlight.

 

Lightning is a bit tricky, but Ill try to explain it on my next post. Honestly, its different depending on who you ask, but I'll try to keep it simple :)

[hushrong]

Awesome mini and that cloak is gorgeous!

 

*I need to see a doctor for thinking that about a flesh cloak...

 

Looking forward to seeing more of the NL painted up!

[sockwithaticket]

That's remarkably well done. Good Night Lords are always a welcome sight.

[ckpmax1108]

So finally, officially finished my Chaplain:

 

 

...and as promised, a visual tutorial for lightning effects (not the best :/):

 

Once you decided a place to paint in your lightning effects (a location where you can paint it as continuously as you can), grab your Dark Blue/Caledor Sky and paint irregular streaks from one point of an area to the opposite corner.

 

When painting the streaks, you don't have to make it as clean or thin as possible, just make sure you have the lines zigzag and irregular.

 

After this, take Sky Blue/Teclis Blue and paint within the streaks that you've done. Making sure they're slightly thinner, so use a thin brush with a sharp point. Then using the same brush, take white and trace the streaks where two lines meet, or when a streak end in a point.

 

Sorry if the mini-tut sucks, I'll try again in another post XD

[sheep]

Amazing start to the night lords mate, you have the character of the legion down pat and the freehand is great!

Look forward to more!

[Black_out]

Loving the chaplain!

 

I find it funny that there's a rather large amount of NL players and yet almost none of us use the same method for our lightning lol.

[Flint13]

Amazing work on that Chaplain! I think he's the best use of Kurtha Sedd I've seen yet.

 

That flesh cloak is just unreal.

 

Oh, just as a minor fluff aside, between the Terran and Nostraman legionaries, the Terrans were typically (somehow) even paler than the Nostramans, with entirely black eyes instead of the super exaggerated black iris that almost eclipses the sclera in the Nostramans. Some of them apparently had a thing for filing their teeth to points as well. Check out John French's "Child of Night" if you get a chance ^_^

[ChaosRyu]

Fantastic chaplain!

 

Love the idea of using metal medium with the blue. I may need to borrow it.

 

How did you do the bone colour if you don't mind me asking?

[Brother Heinrich]

Nice work dude, any chance we could get the recipe for that cloak?

[ckpmax1108]

Amazing start to the night lords mate, you have the character of the legion down pat and the freehand is great!

Look forward to more!

Thanks very much! Stay tuned for more then The Terminator searg will be next on my list.

Loving the chaplain!

I find it funny that there's a rather large amount of NL players and yet almost none of us use the same method for our lightning lol.

Thanks Black_out! I know right? It brings that much uniquness to our own NL forces.

Amazing work on that Chaplain! I think he's the best use of Kurtha Sedd I've seen yet.

That flesh cloak is just unreal.

Oh, just as a minor fluff aside, between the Terran and Nostraman legionaries, the Terrans were typically (somehow) even paler than the Nostramans, with entirely black eyes instead of the super exaggerated black iris that almost eclipses the sclera in the Nostramans. Some of them apparently had a thing for filing their teeth to points as well. Check out John French's "Child of Night" if you get a chance

A very eloquent praise as always Flint. Glad to see you here buddy!

Fantastic chaplain!

Love the idea of using metal medium with the blue. I may need to borrow it.

How did you do the bone colour if you don't mind me asking?

Metal medium is such a nice technical paint to use. I wonder why I never used the stuff!

See below for my bone recipe

Nice work dude, any chance we could get the recipe for that cloak?

Thanks Brother Heinrich! Any way I could join the ranks of the 15th? wink wink

See my flesh color below for stealing

Bone

- Base with Model color Ivory (Not too sure what's an equivalent Citadel, you can probably get away with Ushabti Bone/White Scar mix)

- Wash with Umber Shade/Agrax Earthshade. Wait to dry.

- Base again with Ivory, but avoid recess.

- Layer on 50/50 Ivory and White mix, and follow the contour of the surface you're painting while avoiding the edges (to let the layer below show).

- Layer on white in the middle of the Ivory/White layer, to show off the extreme edge/centre of the area.

Flayed Flesh

- Base with Tan/Bugman's Glow

- Wash with Fleshtone Shade/Reikland flesh/Ogryn flesh. Make sure the wash doesn't go too heavy in the recess, and lightly wipe off with a dry brush at the top/exposed areas. Wait to dry.

- Layer on the top areas a 70/30 mix of Bugman's Glow and Ivory. Best to paint this on in one stroke, from one point to the end. Top of folds, top areas, top of creases.

- Layer on Medium Fleshstone (Bestigor Flesh, and a tiny, tiny, TINY bit of mournfang brown), and streak on a layer at the top areas. Don't let the brush reach the end of the material, and if the stroke leaves a bit of a brush stroke at the end, the better.

Stitches

- With a thin brush (sharp point). draw a line across your material with Black Red/Rhinox Hide. If the line runs across multiple folds, paint across the top, then go back and connect the lines as it goes through the recesses. Better to do this than chase a line through irregular surfaces.

- Draw small thin lines perpendicular along this line. No need to be neat.

- Do a light wash along the lines you've made with Fleshtone/Reikland. Wait to dry.

- With the same brush as before, use Black and trace the long line along the top of pronounced areas only. No need to do in the recesses. You don't even need to do continuous black lines across the pronounce surface, break it up if you want.

- With black again, paint small perpendicular lines as before. Again, you don't need to match these up with the brown layer.

PROTIP:

- If you want different patches of material to be of a different colour, do a light wash over a specific area. You've done your work already on the shading and highlights, let the wash tint it to the color you want, eliminating the need to redo the highlight/layers/shading. (In the case of the Chaplain's cloak, I used Umber/Agrax shade)

[ckpmax1108]

Waiting on a FW order so I could finally build the bulk of the box, but for now, hit with an inspiration for a Praetor.

 

Darvhak Jur

The Lord of Bones, Scavenger of Corpses, Temple of the Dead

 

 

He walks among death.

He is followed by the dead.

He is among the dead he dealt.

Bones shake in un-life.

The skulls cackle at his deeds.

As they bear his tools of murder.

He lives among death.

 

And death happily welcomes him.

 

 

A praetor that excels in his Legion's doctrine. Murder and death. So thought of a character that wears his enemies as trophies (like any other Night lords), but he mostly only takes a piece of bone. Some say its his form of reverence for the dead, others say its for fetishes in his dark rituals, but more common-say is that its his way of keeping a kill count.

He fashions each bone into his power armour, some of it ornamental (acting as a tabbard), and others something functional (acting as a hold for his weapons, or to hold his cloak).

 

A lot of it is pretty much a scheme I'm going for, and I'll flesh it out when I get more progress into him. I did do a base though, but nothing too spectacular.

 

All in all, his wargear will be:

The Wraith (Artificier Armour with trophies)

The Splintering (A sword and spear pair, that counts as a single Paragon Blade)

The Prisoner (A make-shift skeleton adorning his jetpack, counts as Iron Halo)

Jetpack

Digital Lasers

Meltabombs

 

Also, a question for 30k vets out there:

 

With the box contents, what sort of competitive Night Lords army can I run with it? Have no idea of the options open for us (still waiting on my book), so just going with heresay.

I want to utilize Terror Asault, definitely, so will be building the 30 tacs as Terror squads. All Volkite chargers, cause of the choom!

But what sort of loadout will be good for the Termies? I ordered a squad of Raptors too, so what's a good loadout for a small squad of 5 of them?

Really need help in this regard :<

[Flint13]

Was looking forward to seeing what you were going to do with that box set...

 

... But dat helm doe. I *really* want to see that in the flesh (well, plastic)

[Doghouse]

Very nice work on the chaplain, I really like the terror markings on the helmet. Praetor is shaping up nicely, that concept sketch with the skeleton holding the cloak is a really nice idea.