IVIilitarus' Legendary Freeblades - Project Complete

[IVIilitarus]

So many godamned decals.

 

I have covered an Imperial Knight with flowers and butterflies and am extremely happy with the result. The decals are dirt cheap, purchased from EBay and are the sort of decals normally used in nail decorating. A small sheet of twenty various decals might run $3 or less. Thunderhead now requires highlighting and various touchups before I can start working on the base. A small amount of the decals' edges is visible in the third image. This is mainly because I haven't matte coated the model it, so the decal film's shine is still there.

 

http://i.imgur.com/C2aLV0d.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tURgEFl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vWfDSZD.jpg

[Col.hertford]

I like the transfers and they are remarkably successful, they actually make the blue seem a bit flat. I appreciate that your highlighting, but I think some white transfers on the blue would look good too.

[Ovidius Incertus]

Those transfers look awesome.  Un-grimdark, but totally fitting at the same time.

 

Agreed that the blue now looks lopsided without something white on it.

[IVIilitarus]

Guys I am so confused

 

The knight is purple. It's a very deep, rich purple. I painted it in Naggaroth Night, which is this colour: http://totalwargamer.co.uk/images/detailed/8/Naggaroth_Nightshade.jpg

 

I painted it in the purple that is basically Hive Fleet's carapace colour - purple. Or the colour a lot of Eldar players use. Or Horus Heresy Emperor's Children purple. Like that deep, rich purple.

 

I swear, it's not blue. I mean, when I took the photos, I learned that digital cameras hate purple and the camera turned the purple into a deep blue. I then adjusted the hues in Photoshop to the original colour and those are the pictures I posted. I swear, the knight is purple and white I have no idea what's going on here.

 

Also, regarding the purple now feeling a bit empty next to the white - this is sort of intentional. I'm of the opinion if I stacked out the purple full of decals as well, it'd look too cluttered. I want attention to be drawn to the white and motif. I will admit the purple even looks a bit empty to my eye, but I'd rather keep it a little empty than have too much. I might add a few more white decals here and there.

[IVIilitarus]

FULL ALBUM HERE: http://imgur.com/a/sbosP

 

http://i.imgur.com/np7oIA9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1kxHS9h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tJMaV8x.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OAvZO7p.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pDt8RI5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/B3gNy0F.jpg

 

Thunderhead is the second of three Imperial Knight Cerastus Freeblades. The first is Le Fer de Lance, seen here: http://imgur.com/a/BZ4Xp. The third is a work in progress.

 

FULL ALBUM HERE: http://imgur.com/a/sbosP

Of the three knights I'm working on, Thunderhead represents the all-ranged variant and she is based in honour of the Imperial Guard. Thunderhead was an exercise in conversion, decals and painting. Thunderhead is built on a Cerastus Knight Castigator, but her Tempest Warblade has been swapped out for a Rapid Fire Battle Cannon from the standard Imperial Knight. This cannon was then modified with a belt-feed ammunition system made of discarded .22 LR casings and putty. The idea for the belt feed was shamelessly stolen from [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer/comments/29m8r1/grey_knights_imperial_knight_conversion_wip/).

On the painting and detailing side of things, I set a personal challenge to myself when planning Thunderhead. The challenge was, "Cover a ferocious, massive war machine in pink flowers and butterflies and make it work." I think I met that challenge. Thunderhead has a cherry blossom motif. She is painted in Naggaroth Night with a diagonal white accent inspired by the sort found on some Space Marine colour schemes. The white accent hosts the cherry blossom motif. White decals were placed onto purple sections of the armour so the purple sections don't appear too dull. The cherry blossoms and butterflies are all waterslide decals used in nail decoration, an idea shamelessly stolen from [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer/comments/2w0z3t/imperial_knight_baroque_parade_armor/)

The base is a scene depicting an Imperial Guard infantry advance. Models were selected or assembled specifically for motion, action or otherwise fitting into the scene. The base was inspired by massed infantry assaults seen in WWI and WWII. The Death Korps of Krieg models lend themselves well to that era. Of particular note are the wounded soldier, bleeding on the ground and almost reaching out to the viewer and the broken soldier, huddled behind Thunderhead's left foot and unable to advance. Reference images for the base are located [here](http://imgur.com/a/djYIB)

The base is pine and was ordered from a carpenter, who made the base according to the size and specifications I prescribed, as well as staining it and finishing it. The plaque is aluminium and was made by a jewellery store that does custom engraving.

She is presently piloted by Lady Odessa de la Torre (Last of Her Name, Honoured Custodian, Mountainbreaker). Lady de la Torre is a roaming freeblade and the sole survivor of a destroyed house. Unlike many freeblades, she has not forsaken her old heraldry completely and retains the Half Tower icon of House de la Torre on her right shin. A single drop of blood has been placed in the heart of the tower representing the blood spilled by her house in service to the Imperium and her eternal duty as House de la Torre's last standing tower to honour the bloodshed of her family and safeguard their legacy.

Overall, I am extremely proud of Thunderhead. The decal work was imperfect, however. Some of the decals silvered slightly or have noticeable edges when looked at extremely closelsy, but this is unnoticeable at tabletop distance.

My goal with this 3 knight project is to build 3 Imperial Knights that are truly unique in model and base. Le Fer de Lance was the first, featuring a heraldric shield and I modified his Shock Lance with an axe head, effectively creating a Shock Halberd. Thunderhead joins in with her dual-ranged weapons, belt-feed ammunition system and scenic base. Despite the imperfections, I am proud down to the last footprint and bloodstain in the snow of this work.

Comments and criticism requested.

[Brother Pheidias]

Such a grand story that model tells. Love the colours, though maybe the white Aquilla-decals need to be dulled a bit, as they seem to have that annoying plastic-sheen at the moment.

[IVIilitarus]

The decal silvering will haunt me for the rest of my days, but I'm proud no matter what.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Personally, I expected Thunderhead to have a samurai in its Throne Mechanicum- they're the only warriors on this planet who can put flowers on their armor, without automatically becoming the butt of a gay joke.

 

Then I read the history you wrote for the Knight. Good job, but a female pilot was certainly unexpected.

 

Have you decided to use magnets to form the rapid-fire battle cannon's ammo belt?

[IVIilitarus]

The plan for Thunderhead was always a female pilot, but when I saw someone do the nail decals on a knight, I knew I had to do it. Problem was Le Fer de Lance is modelled after French tradition and would look out of place covered in anything but fleur de lis (which it is) and Nighthawk is a genocidal loon, so that left Thunderhead.

 

The ammunition belt links are magnets, with magnets inside each casing as well. The original plan involved a linked belt that could articulate, but that was WAY too much of a pain to handle and I just glued everything in place.

[Col.hertford]

Love this, the base totally balances the Purple... Those poor Krieg running to their deaths. muhahahaha

[IVIilitarus]

Work on Nighthawk has begun. Nighthawk is the last of the three knights in this project.

 

The first two are here and here.

 

Nighthawk is a modified Knight Acheron, having had its Reaper Chainfist replaced with Peacemaker, a modified Castigator Tempest Warblade. The blade has a pair of Flamestorm Cannons mounted on its side for the dual purpose of igniting the sword and burning the interiors of vehicles and fortifications once the sword has made an opening.

This knight will be an exercise in weathering and corrosion effects. The armour has had large amounts of battle damage drilled and cut into it already. The base depicts Nighthawk perched on a bunker, which will later be filled with allied Militarum Tempestus troops.

 

Knighthawk is a damaged, worn, genocidal machine driven by a delusional lunatic - the exact opposite of the noble scions and their shining steeds that march the battlefields of the 41st Millennium. Truly the hand of the Emperor works in mysterious ways.

 

Nighthawk is pledged in service to an inquisitor, who raised its pilot. The inquisitor assisted a knight world in a tremendous war against the orks and in return, he asked that he given the right to adopt the house's unwanted, ill savant child and a particular knight suit. This suit had been locked away in the house's Sanctuary and not used, owing to its deranged and genocidal machine spirits. The inquisitor married the hapless child into the machine and after much conditioning and brainwashing, Nighthawk strides to war.

 

Nighthawk's pilot is permanently sealed into the throne mechanicum and lives in a drugged, brainwashed state of delusion. In the pilot's eyes, the he is a wandering pilgrim who brings the light of the Emperor to his enemies, causing them to kneel and worship. This is half true.

 

In reality, Nighthawk, like all Acherons is a genocidal beast bringing flame and ruin to worlds. Its Throne Mechanicum corrupted and tortured by centuries of genocide, now with a mentally ill prodigy implanted in it, Nighthawk strides the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, burning all in front of it. All the while, the pilot lives in contentment as he watches how quickly the unbelievers repent and worship the Emperor when he brings the Emperor's light and warmth upon them.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Z2EuZQQ.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/ciq7iQP.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/B1Gzuku.jpg

[Firepower]

That work space is so clean...and you call yourself an artist?! :P

 

Some awesome stuff here, particularly in the modelling department.  It's hard to look at a LRC with a cannon on the front and not smile with glee. :D

 

If I were to nitpick one thing, I'd have to say the colored armor plates feel a bit flat.  Of course they are quite literally flat in most places, which would make highlighting rather tedious compared to basic edge highlights, but they may benefit from a bit of shade/washing in the crevices and along trims instead.  Darker shadows or brighter highlights, largely the same thing really.

 

Keep marching on.  Just one to go :)

 

P.S. 

 

Love the owl :D

[IVIilitarus]

Probably about half way done with the project overall.

Everything is dark and dull because the highlights haven't gone on yet. I have not even completed shading the entire model. The sword is still unpainted and I will be picking out details and battle damage properly at a later stage. The shading also needs a ton of cleanup, but the basic idea of the model is here - ugly, war-worn and silently angry.

The scratched and chipped armour weathering was created by messily painting shades of brown, bare metal and Typhus Corrosion before airbrushing the armour's main colour over it. I then used a small brush dipped in hot water to scratch away at the surface paint to reveal the paint underneath. This technique was stolen from here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer/comments/2r0n77/my_imperial_knight_paladin_or_an_exercise_in/ I will also be adding sponge chipping effects and cratered and broken armour effects to the model. The craters were created by drilling a hole into the area and then widening it by scraping and carving out the edges with a hobby knife. This creates a crater. The crater can then be painted bare metal and the surrounding area chipped or weathered with soot effects.

It's coming along delightfully ugly and grim and I love it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/LXEmxdF.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/DEP1Xgs.jpg

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Impressive work on the battle-damaged Knight.

[Col.hertford]

Nice pose, this is coming together!

[IVIilitarus]

Feeling like a proud dad.

 

http://i.imgur.com/K5eTsMi.jpg

[Nomus Sardauk]

Feeling like a proud dad.

 

http://i.imgur.com/K5eTsMi.jpg

Aww, aren't they sweet... NOW PICK YOUR FAVOURITE, CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR CHILDREN! :devil:

[Argent aquila]

That Acheron is brilliant!

Loving all your knights thus far!!!

[IVIilitarus]

FULL ALBUM HERE: http://imgur.com/a/8HLyO

The third and final knight of my big centrepiece project is tabletop ready, but still incomplete. The previous two are here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer/comments/42l6uf/thunderhead_imperial_knight_cerastus_crusader_we/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/comments/3xpc1x/le_fer_de_lance_freeblade_knight_cerastus/

NIGHTHAWK is built on an Imperial Knight Cerastus Acheron. The Acheron's Reaper Chainfist has been replaced with a modified Tempest Warblade from the Knight Castigator. The sword has a pair of Land Raider Flamestorm Cannons fitted, as part of the burning to death theme.

Nighthawk is heavily weathered, with parts of armour carved or drilled out, on top of numerous scrapes and some corrosion. This is in line with its theme as a grime, genocidal machine with none of the elan and nobility of other knights.

The knight itself is largely complete, but the base will be fleshed out with a scene depicting Militarum Tempestus Scions standing victorious on the bunker littered with charred corpses.

Nighthawk is pledged in service to an inquisitor, who raised its pilot. The inquisitor assisted a knight world in a tremendous war against the orks and in return, he asked that he given the right to adopt the house's unwanted, ill savant child and a particular knight suit. This suit had been locked away in the house's Sanctuary and not used, owing to its genocidal machine spirits. The inquisitor married the hapless child into the machine and after much conditioning and brainwashing, Nighthawk strides to war.

Nighthawk's pilot is permanently sealed into the throne mechanicum and lives in a drugged, brainwashed state of delusion. In the pilot's eyes, the he is a wandering pilgrim who brings the light of the Emperor to his enemies, causing them to kneel and worship. This is half true.

In reality, Nighthawk, like all Acherons is a genocidal beast bringing flame and ruin to worlds. Its Throne Mechanicum corrupted and tortured by centuries of genocide, now with a mentally ill prodigy implanted in it, Nighthawk strides the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, burning all in front of it. All the while, the pilot lives in contentment as he watches how quickly the unbelievers repent and worship the Emperor when he brings the Emperor's light and warmth upon them.

FULL ALBUM HERE: http://imgur.com/a/8HLyO

http://i.imgur.com/WxCiHWK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dvVNZRu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7tfshRO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iOZAjaB.jpg

Feeling like a proud dad.

Aww, aren't they sweet... NOW PICK YOUR FAVOURITE, CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR CHILDREN!

When Nighthawk is completed, he'll be my favourite for the theme. Thunderhead for style and conversion sexiness. Le fer de Lance gets shafted because I think it's the least interesting base wise and has the lowest quality conversions, but I love him regardless

That Acheron is brilliant!

Loving all your knights thus far!!!

Thank you!

And many thanks to everyone else who has offered comment and support on this project!

[IVIilitarus]

I was waiting a number of items before I could continue work on Nighthawk's base. These were mainly corpse bases from Secret Weapon Miniatures, and a set of female heads from Statuesque Miniatures for my scions. They've arrived and work continues.

 

The base depicts a bunker scene divided into two floors. The top shows a triumphant Militarum Tempestus Command Squad having secured the bunker and are doing the flag waving, radioing-to-HQ and staring-into-the-distance thing victorious people do, reminiscent of WWII and Vietnam victories over hills and bunkers when a squad seizes an area and has some time to breathe.

 

The bunker interior consists of a pile of horrendously burned corpses - the previous occupants and a lone scion sent to investigate.

 

The scenes are intended to contrast against each other, depicting in equal parts some of the heroism and brutality of war. It's perhaps fitting that the scene at the top will be the only one that gets photographed for the propaganda broadcasts, while the base is cut away to show the bunker and its interior.

 

The Scions have magnets fitted into their feet, with corresponding magnets fitted onto Nighthawk's base and their standard bases. I can remove them from the knight's base at will and use them as an actual Scion squad.

 

http://i.imgur.com/s9dQqqR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IYGGYJX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/86WtceU.jpg

 

 

[IVIilitarus]

NIGHTHAWK is now complete.

 

Nighthawk is the third and final of the three knights I've worked on as centrepiece projects. This part of the project is now complete.

 

NOTE: This album contains description, images and recreations of burned and mutilated corpses.

Nighthawk was an exercise in weathering and presenting meaningful themes in a work. Beyond the other models, which were mainly exercises in technique, Nighthawk adds themes and is more of an art project.

The knight itself is largely an exercise in painting weathered, battle-damage armour. Significant parts of the armour plating were drilled, cut or otherwise damaged prior to painting. Damage includes large calibre cannon entry wounds on shoulders, claw marks on the left shin and a fractured faceplate.

The base of the model was an attempt to bring meaningful themes into the project. This model is built on contrasts - half the base is white snow and the other half is a charred, burned bunker. The majority of the project is dark when viewed from the front, but light-coloured Scion uniforms and a banner break it up. The bunker's roof depicts a heroic victory scene and the interior depicts a grisly, morbid scene. These are viewed in more detail in the images.

While still flawed and requiring lots of cleanup, I am proud of the result and am extremely happy that my centrepiece projects are complete.

The plaque reads: NIGHTHAWK - Light your way in the darkness with the pyres of burning heretics.

 

 

Lore bit: Nighthawk is pledged in service to an inquisitor, who raised its pilot. The inquisitor assisted a knight world in a tremendous war against the orks and in return, he asked that he given the right to adopt the house's unwanted, ill savant child and a particular knight suit. This suit had been locked away in the house's Sanctuary and not used, owing to its genocidal machine spirits. The inquisitor married the hapless child into the machine and after much conditioning and brainwashing, Nighthawk strides to war.

Nighthawk's pilot is permanently sealed into the throne mechanicum and lives in a drugged, brainwashed state of delusion. In the pilot's eyes, the he is a wandering pilgrim who brings the light of the Emperor to his enemies, causing them to kneel and worship. This is half true.

In reality, Nighthawk, like all Acherons is a genocidal beast bringing flame and ruin to worlds. Its Throne Mechanicum corrupted and tortured by centuries of genocide, now with a mentally ill prodigy implanted in it, Nighthawk strides the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, burning all in front of it. All the while, the pilot lives in contentment as he watches how quickly the unbelievers repent and worship the Emperor when he brings the Emperor's light and warmth upon them.

 

http://i.imgur.com/5r6LxjG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wXGZzUK.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/MFnwrla.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AeMQo9z.png

http://i.imgur.com/U38oaET.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/810M5w6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tdK8ltj.png

http://i.imgur.com/3kjJX72.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8pqimRq.png

http://i.imgur.com/eAlsv3K.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CPHijwI.jpg

[Ch@oZ]

Apart from enjoying seeing your work i have a semi-ethical question...

Isn't it kinda weird we're all in a hobby where keeping photos of severely burnt corpses for reference isn't unheard of?

[Argent aquila]

Apart from enjoying seeing your work i have a semi-ethical question...

Isn't it kinda weird we're all in a hobby where keeping photos of severely burnt corpses for reference isn't unheard of?

Nah, totally fine. no worries here.

I love the research and realism of the diorama you've created on the base IVlilitarus, stellar work all around!