My "Vostroyan Legion"

[Joe]

Have you considered sourcing third-party bits for your Vostroyan Scions? Mad Robot have some rather neat Imperial Bearskin heads that'd work for them.

[tvih]

I tried looking around but couldn't find much, only a mention of Meridian Miniatures but apparently the heads were no longer at their site.

 

Those you linked could work in a pinch, and I also considered if I could just sculpt a fur hat on an existing scion head. Obviously the tricky part is getting the surface right. Just needs plenty of poking and shaping with a toothpick or suchlike, I suppose. Could be worth a try at least.

[tvih]

Hrm, the fur sculpting didn't really work out, no surprise there. And now I have to try and clean up the heads I was using as a base :P I guess I'll just use the regular heads for now, I won't glue them on anyways so I can swap in new heads later if I can think of a good solution. Haven't really made progress assembling the scions past the first two (Tempestor Prime with magnetized coat - haha - and pistol, and one with magnetized las/melta).

 

I have a gaming day coming up on Sunday. I was thinking of running a mixed "Castellans of the Imperium" army list with Vostroyan Company Command Squad and Steel Legion Veteran Squad. I assembled my second Chimera for the occasion, but would need to paint it too. And of course I don't have all the necessary paints for a Vostroyan vehicle, whether khaki-based or the old 'Eavy Metal scheme  I'm not sure if I'm getting any more infantry, so as it is Vostroyans outnumber Steel Legion and that's why I'd rather paint the second Chimera as such too because I don't know when I can afford to buy more (with the current number of infantry I'd need about 5 transports, I have 3). Though the Vostroyan scheme will require more airbrushing, and my airbrush is once again clogged up, which is why my CF/IF marine tanks are on hold too 

[tvih]

I rarely see fortifications talked about nowadays - maybe the discussions are buried in threads I haven't read, I dunno. But I've been trying to sell of my Wall of Martyrs Bunker and Defense Emplacement for some time, without success. Thinking about it now and messing with Army Builder and the fortification options there, I'm reconsidering building them - I really like the look of the Wall of Martyrs, which is why I got the sets I have in the first place. In additional I do have two Aegis Defense Lines, a Skyshield Landing Pad and an Imperial Bastion (only ever used an Aegis so far though).

 

One reason for these considerations is the Guard's heavy weapons squads (although Sisters' Retributors and other long range units like marine Devastators could benefit too of course). Especially with the LoS issues of my Guard's metal heavy weapon models. Putting them in transports doesn't seem such a good option in that there's not enough fire points for all three to shoot from. Inside an AV14 bunker they'd be reasonably safe with no LoS issues, with less than the cost of a Chimera (unless buying upgrades of course).

 

Still need to do some reading on current fortification restrictions in a regular-sized game (used to be just 1 fortification per primary detachment back in 6th Edition, after all), but my Guard models are getting giddy about the prospect of having a proper line to man.

Edited February 19, 2017 by tvih

[tvih]

This newly constructed command post bunker appears almost as grimdark as my future...

 

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/imperial-bunker1.jpg

 

Came out alright I guess, still need to do a bit work on the clutter on the ground in front of the bunker, but after more than four hours of working on it I figure it's "close enough" for one sitting.

 

Prior to starting the bunker I took a piece of Aegis line to paint as a test piece:

 

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/aegis-testpiece1.jpg

 

Now I'd just need to finish the rest of the Aegis

Edited April 25, 2018 by tvih

[WarriorFish]

Looking good :tu: I'm terrible with painting terrain, too busy painting infantry and tanks :P

[tvih]

Yeah, it was first time painting a building for me, decent result considering. I do have 10+ tanks and like 200+ infantry of various armies to get around to... Sigh :(

[tvih]

By the Emperor... I'm gone a while and things go completely bonkers? Just put some paint on some Custodes and Vostroyans today, first I've painted since February. Then I start to look up what's been happening in more detail, notice new Guard codex... and it seems like this is now a FOTM forum based on the insane amount of posts and apparent craziness of the Codex? Yeez 

 

I guess I should get my hands on the Codex, though I'm hesitant to pay for rules right now since I've no idea when I'll actually get around to playing. Vostroyans and Steel Legions now having their own "buffs" is something I'm not sure how I'll deal with before I read the Codex, after all I don't really have enough of either army to field them alone - I mean, even with both on the field it's still a rather small game! So many metal dudes still left to paint though, especially Vostroyans. Seems they still haven't come up with a guide to painting Vostroyan vehicles, though?  I have had the second Chimera basecoated since Jan/Feb as I was trying to decide which scheme to paint it in.

Edited October 22, 2017 by tvih

[tvih]

Damn, this is one dead thread... but what's this? I spy with my little eye... a Manticore?

About two years after selling my previous unpainted one and then basically instantly regretting it, I now finally have a new painted one! And even managed to make the camo look like my previous ones after the long break. The biggest downside to the SL camo still is that it makes the vehicles of my other Imperial armies look so bad (and even the ork scheme doesn't really compare so well)

Now if I only could get some more infantry done (still only one painted troop squad), but da orkz have been taking most of my efforts since spring. I did play two games with a Crimson Fists + Sisters + Guard combo recently, though, the first of which finally prompted me to order this Manticore.

Edited November 10, 2018 by tvih

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Manticore is well done.

[tvih]

Finally got around to trying the Vostroyan Chimera. I was going more with the older scheme rather than the new one. However I'm just not sure if I should be making it a bit lighter still. No proper photo of the WIP yet, but looking at the guide:

 

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/vostroyan-painting-guide.jpg

Basically I did steps 1, 2 and 5. However despite using unmixed Ushabti the end result is rather subtle, perhaps somewhere between steps 3 and 4. So I'm undecided whether to just try a few more passes at it. It feels a lot trickier somehow to get an "even" effect with these colors compared to the gray on black drybrush of the Steel Legion scheme.

Edited November 14, 2018 by tvih

[tvih]

It seems I'll be adding 3 Leman Russes with Battle Cannons to my force. They certainly bring a nice amount of firepower for their points, making Vindicators and such look like a joke. Or even the Manticore, due to Grinding Advance. That rule is just nutty.

 

What's more, it looks like that for tournament games I might run them as Catachan Tank Commanders with plasma sponsons in a Supreme Command Detachment. Maybe throw in a Harker for good measure, I'm a sucker for heavy bolters and always wanted an excuse to get the model.

 

As a side note I also realize that theLR Punisher would be better off as Vostroyan, since the 24" turret weapon would certainly have an easier time reaching targets (without having to move over 5" to maintain grinding advance) at the boosted 30".

 

But speaking of paint schemes, I'm dubious about actually painting the newcomers as Catachan. Although as they are preowned models of which two are basecoated in a desert color, making them Catachan would be fairly easy, I would just need the Caliban Green Air paint to have it sorted. But still, not sure I wanna go that route.Yet I tend to want to go WYSIWYG with my unit colors, so it's a bit of a dilemma. Of course, even the Manticore would've been more effective as a Catachan. So much for "industrial efficiency"!

I suppose that actual paint scheme aside I could instead make a Catachan Spearhead detachment and then have two tank commanders and two heavy support Russes (running my current SL Russ as an Executioner) and the Manticore. If I also had Harker, he could give rerolls of 1s to the non-commander vehicles, the commanders could give them to themselves after all. Heck, if I dropped the Armoured Sentinel and 4-man plasma command squad, I could even squeeze in a fifth Russ. But that'd probably be a bit boring even if effective, as the Russ model really isn't one of my favorites.

[duz_]

More tanks is always the answer!

 

I wouldn't worry too much about WYSIWYG for paint schemes and regiments. As long as their easily distinguishable from other tanks.

[tvih]

I was thinking maybe using some sort of flag - like those marine backpack banners of which I should have plenty laying around - in Catachan colors to denote their "allegiance".

 

I kinda ended up getting the fourth additional Russ too. I don't know if I'll ever run all five together, though. In either case I may end up participating in a local tournament with my Guard in January if I can get all the infantry painted in time.

[duz_]

If you magnetised flags to them then you could make sets to let you mix and match regiments and chassis as you please

 

That's an awesome idea! :tu:

Need pics ;)

[tvih]

I'm just not sure how I'd paint the flags. Maybe just with the Catachan camo pattern, I can't freehand any tiny-detailed good-looking pictoresque flags. I thought about magnets but I'm not sure where I'd put it "out of sight" given that the vehicles are already assembled. Although obviously not gonna glue them on either. Might just stick it on/in a blob of blu-tack.

[Shamansky]

One painter told me an old trick he uses to freehand tiny pieces. He draws a draft with pencil and then just applies color to it

[tvih]

I've tried that and similar methods a few times, but mostly the problem lies in actually being able to make small enough strokes with a paintbrush, no matter how small said brush. I'll probably just do the "camo flags" for simplicity's sake.

Might pick up the "new" Russes tomorrow, then I could get to painting them at some point (supposed to be painting my orks, but too tired to paint anything since the Manticore). When I do that I can also touch up the ol' Russ and the Chimera with the airbrush. And then finally varnish them, because the paint comes off the rivets/bolts etc otherwise. Didn't get around to doing that previously.

[Shamansky]

Another trick: print it. And use something like this method

[tvih]

Went straight to work on my Vow. A decimated drybrush and many curses aimed at an airbrush later, the Russes are already mostly done. Here's an overview of my current Steel Legion vehicles, the new ones being the middle ones:

They look ok at a distance, up close I'm not quite happy with the airbrushed parts. Same goes to a lesser extent with the older Russ, Chimera and Sentinel that I touched up a bit. At any rate, in years past I might've ended up redoing these new Russes after the issues I had, but as it stands I just want some damn models on the table.

A Basilisk and Taurox should join these buggers at some point during the ETL most likely.

[WarriorFish]

Your drybrush served the Emperor, so did not die in vain ;) Looks good to me, but some touching up is never a bad thing if you want :)

[tvih]

Mainly the touching up ended up doing the camo in a far stronger color than I intended and also in a larger area. The Manticore is how I meant it, but with the airbrush/paint problems it ended up being a case of repaint the vehicles entirely, or do the camo with a stronger pattern. I suppose the stronger pattern is closer to normal for SL, but I liked the subtle version.

[tvih]

Needed a break from Marines and Sisters on which I've been working on a lot the past couple of months, so a bit of work on the Guard for a change.

 

I had been planning on painting the Scions 5 for Vostroya and 5 for Steel Legion in order to help both detachment fill out the battalion... but then I was finishing assembly on the first 5 I remembered that Scions don't even get the Regiment bonuses when in an Astra Militarum detachment. So as a result, I decided I'll do all 10 with the same scheme, this being the test mini:

 

 

This seem to be one paintjob that really doesn't look good when photographed :( It's basically meant to be a mix between the two armies, though it ended up definitely more prominently Vostroyan, given the abudance of red and the brass - though for Vostroyans I've usually used Gehenna Gold... I'm not sure if I should use it for these guys too. The Legion-like features are mainly the similarly colored bedroll and the black hat (or helmet for helmeted models) and pants. Not sure if I'll paint the weapon casings, but if I do I guess I could make them black too like my Legion infantry squad has. Still needs highlighting, but I don't have a suitable color to highlight Evil Sunz Scarlet with unless I manage to mix something. Red & Yellow for orange, I guess.

 

Upon planning the upcoming lists I again ran into the fact that I'd need to have like one more heavy weapon unit and a sergeant/officer for the Legion detachment. As it is I need both sergeant/officer models for squad leaders, so I have nothing to run as Company Commander to give Orders with. In the meanwhile Vostroyans still have their three Commanders. Problem is trying to buy those two things separately is almost as expensive as just buying a whole darn squad seeing as GW still sell it. The HW unit would allow for running a HW squad for Legion (as I have two unused HW teams for them, third being Vostroyan, bah). So, maybe I'll just have to bite and get the extra squad at some point.

 

In any case I have a further 4 scions and then a metal infantry squad to paint so I can run the battalion alongside a Sisters battalion for a casual list. I hope the rest of the Scions won't take as long as this one did (without even being highlighted yet), or it'll take a year.

 

Going forward from there, I'd like to also do the Basilisk at some point but my airbrush has crapped out so I won't be able to do the camo, which certainly sucks. Same goes for the Taurox. Vostroyans still need their vehicles too but that'd require airbrushing the brown base!

[WarriorFish]

Good to see you back on your Guard :tu: I've been working on Scions recently too, a nice change from the usual Guard and with the CA2019 points drops they should serve you well on the table top :)

[tvih]

They do have the benefit of being plastic, at least! Though currently I'm struggling with magnetization which is one reason these guys haven't been finished earlier already. The way some parts are shared between weapon options and some not makes it quite a "puzzle" considering how many options there are, not that I plan on all of them... but 2x plasma, 2x melta, 2x volleygun, vox (or 2), and medic are quite lot already for 10 guys on top of 2x tempestor options, considering! The above model is magnetized at the shoulders, but others are or would need to be at the elbow, etc. The power cables don't make it any easier that's for sure, so I've been considering being unfluffy and doing away with them completely... except for the volleyguns.

 

One other thing of annoyance is not being able to give orders to Scions without a Tempestor Prime, but if I use one then I don't have enough dudes for two squads anymore! Funny thing is I even magnetized the coat option for the Prime. I'm considering trying if I could replace the dagger it has with a sword-length blade. Might've been easier had I not glued in the hand already. Or maybe I'll just make the second coat for the different weapon option, hah.

 

I also have a bit of a pickle with my second Sentinel. I got it partially removed from sprues from my brother, and unfortunately one part of the legs is missing. I suppose my options would be to either try to design and 3D print a replacement, or to make a mold and try to replicate, but my success with the latter has never been very good while not having a printer of my own yet means prototyping is difficult.

Edited January 16, 2020 by tvih