The Revenge of the Fire Badgers

[Captain Mike]

Well I'll start with the test model... (still having camera troubles I'm afraid). 

 

 

4 years ago I started a small project called the Fire Badgers. That had to stop for university reasons, and I stopped playing and painting at all for a few years. 

But WH40k is a bad addiction, and eventually it will come back to claim you. I've started a Pocket40k army (link in signature), and now I'm trying to strip and remodel all my different chapter projects into one army which will be fun to kit bash and paint. I thought I might as well go with the chapter I liked the most; the Fire Badgers. I've updated the paint scheme (though my painting skills have degraded a fair bit) and will be updating their fluff. 

Comments and criticisms are very, very welcome. As will be expanded on in the fluff (when I get round to writing it!) the Fire Badgers have to scavenge most of their armour and weapons. I want to represent this by painting on a lot of rusty panels and also using a mash up of a lot of different parts. There's going to be a fair amount of orky bits, not to represent them using ork equipment but more their having to scavenge and improvise weapons. 

Edited March 1, 2017 by Captain Mike

[Magos Kasen]

That is surprisingly awesome haha. 

[The Traitor]

Very cool/ fun idea, can't wait to see more!

[deathspectersgt7]

Like it .

[Hod]

I like what you did with the helmet, it really makes him feel like a badger.

[Captain Mike]

Thought I'd share a WIP of the next guy... Fun fact, I actually hate the chest eagle torso. Whenever I get a chance to shave it off and replace it with something, I do. That's part of the reason I wanted to make this army scavenge for their armoury. 

I'm kinda proud of the scratchbuilt pistol, but it barely shows in image! 

 

 

Badger Fact: Badgers are part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes polecats and wolverines. Yes, blog will now have badger facts. 

[The Traitor]

He's looking good, aquilas are for loosers, anything will look better. Also please keep on the badger facts!

[hushrong]

Fun idea and really like the recent guys armor. Also, badger facts!

 

All I have ever learned about badgers was from Jeremy Clarkson. What he shared about them was worrisome.

[deathspectersgt7]

Another fun fact they don't do well against suvs  . Liking the use of an Orks weapon .  

[Captain Mike]

I thought I'd take you all through the process I'm (hopefully) going to use to make my Fire Badgers look rusty and worn, whilst still keeping the grey and flame paint scheme. It involves masking, which is something I've never done before so be prepared for this to go very, very wrong. Comment, advice etc more than welcome.

Anyway, the initial rusting! 

Halfords matt black spray -> Dry brush Leadbelcher -> Dry stipple mournfang brown -> dry stipple mephiston red -> wet and dry stipple trollslayer orange -> drybrush runefang steel. 
 

Badger fact: The common European badger's latin name is meles meles meles, making it the nominate subspecies. It can be found throughout all of Europe, with the exception of Rhodes, Crete and Spain.

Edited March 1, 2017 by Captain Mike

[Captain Mike]

Next two layers of paint on. The maskol has also been applied... I have no idea if it will work. 

ON the plus side, the fact that he was heavily undercoated with rust has made things easier for me, being notoriously inattentive and sometimes missing whole parts of models. It will always be at least painted rusty! I also focused on panels that I think would be replaced most often and left them entirely rusty, as if they've only repaired them a few days before a raid. 

I'm still a bit rusty myself, so you can see where I've laid the paint on a bit too thick. Live and learn. 

 

 

Badger fact: An adult eurasian badger can measure between 60 and 90cm in length and 25 to 30cm in shoulder height. Generally in autumn a badger will weigh 15 to 17kg, though the heaviest verified male badger was 27.2kg. 

[The Traitor]

He looks cool now that he's finished, badger helms are quite interesting, will have to see a full squad of them to form an opinion ;)!

[SickSix]

I really like this theme! Very unique and fun. Looking forward to a whole squad of badgers!

[Captain Mike]

Second dude painted! 

The rust effect is... kind of underwhelming to be honest. I mean fething camera doesn't help, but I don't think the rust effect was bright enough once revealed. And the smaller bits just don't really show up that much. He certainly looks both battered but distinctively a Fire Badger so... 70% win? 

 

That said I do like how the little scratch built pistol came out. It wouldn't look great as a main weapon, but it suffices as a back up. 

 

 

[Captain Mike]

Three more guys in progress. The guy with the lamp is designated sensor-marine. As the look I'm going for is Fallout/Pirates/SpaceHulk raider/Scavengers (simple really), their tech may not be up to standard. So there will be designated marines for things like voxes, sensors etc. No in game purpose, just for aesthetics. 
 

I'm also working on bases at the moment, but it's taking some time to get the materials together. 

I forgot to Badgerfact the last one, so here's a double bill!

1. Badgers live in setts. Eurasian setts can consist of 6 adults and their litters. 

2. It is nearly impossible to dislocate a honey badger's jaw. 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I like the gray armor with flame decals. Excellent work.

[Captain Mike]

Finally, there are bases! Well... one. These are pretty cheap to make, but do take a little bit of time. I think I'll diversify them as I go along, but the general idea is to represent old space ship floors. The Fire Badgers tend to raid enemy shipping lanes but they also like to take on (and commandeer...) space hulks, and I thought broken rusty deck plates fitted with their overall aesthetic. 

 

 

 

Badger Fact: The American badger's latin name is Taxidea taxus.

[Captain Mike]

I know it's not a proper update, but seeing as I spent about as much time on organising this as I usually do building and painting an entire model... my bitz box is now organised! 

See about a year ago I decided that I was unlikely to ever do 40k again, so I put all my bitz in one big box and just forgot about them. Then I started doing the Fire Badgers again (who will soon branch out to include Imperial raiders, eccentric ad-mech and other stuff) and I needed my bitz back in order! 

Yes to make an army that is defined by how disorganised and ramshackle it is, I had to organise. Does that count as irony?

Also enjoy the image of all the half used sprues I clipped; 

But don't think you're going to be denied a precious badger fact! 

Badgerfact: The Asian Badger (Meles leucurus) is also know as a Sand Badger. They are generally smaller than Eurasian badgers, and can be found in Russia, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan and the Korean peninsula.  

 

[Captain Mike]

Demi squad done! Two main gunners, two vanguards, and a sensors officer. 

 

 

​Badger Fact:  Eurasian Badgers have been present in the British Isles since at least 300,000-400,000 years ago.

[Captain Mike]

Update! 

​Since 8th edition came out I've had a chance to look at the army lists, and I think the most fitting army for my Fire Badgers is the Space Wolves. So many unit ideas I had fitted, and it allows my main units to have the boltgun/pistol/close combat weapon combination I've always modelled and I think is most suitable for the kind of ship-to-ship fighting the Fire Badgers engage in. The only thing about 8th is that there is now kind of ​a difference between chainswords and close combat weapons. In practice, things like combat blades have the same bonus as chainswords, but I think that's kind of a cheat to allow people to keep their lovely scout models. As such any models going forward I'm going to have to model with either chainsaw bayonets, chainswords, or sheathed swords. Not a huge problem, except I really don't have that many chainswords! Fortunately my old friend the hole punch and plasticard were around, and I think I've made an unwieldy, ugly and ramshackle looking chainsword suitable for the scavenging Fire Badgers. 

​Now for the new unit type; Rust Claws! Rust claws are the chapters newbies. As part of their trials they are tasked with building their own armour, being dropped onto  old warzones to salvage what they can. What they can't salvage they have to improvise. The first thing a Rust Claw learns to build is a Muerta-pattern chainsword; two savage edged circular blades in a heavy metal housing, powered by whatever the Rust Claw can get his hands on. When a Rust Claw has assembled a suitable set of armour he is injected with his black carapace and allowed on raids. Headstrong, savage but often poorly and unreliably equipped, Rust Claws charge to the head of the fight with the aim to prove themselves to one of the veteran raiding cetes. 

 

Here's four I have work in progress, two equipped with a Muerta-pattern chainsword, one with a chain...glaive? And one with a chain axe. Rules wise they are all intended to be the same. 

 

 

And one painted WIP. Status; rusty! 

 

 

Accompanying the Fire Badgers on their raids are auxilia units; men who are drafted into raiding parties as part of Fire Badger rackets, or go voluntarily in pursuit of glory and booty. These auxilia wear bulky void-skins, furs to mark their allegiance and also to try and keep them warm and heavy duty, fully enclosed combat helmets. The casualty rate amongst the auxilia are often astoundingly high, and some enemies they find in space-hulks they know not to even try and engage. 

 

And here are three prototypes! I am... not great with greenstuff it must be said. But I try darn it, and also try to keep it relatively simple. 

 

 

Badger fact: Asian badgers (Meles leucurus Hodgson) eat pine nuts, berries, earth worms, larval and adult insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals like root voles. This may or may not be similar to my diet at university. 

 

​

Edited June 28, 2017 by Captain Mike

[Captain Mike]

The first Rust Claw is done. Meet Kieva. 

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/CaptainMikul/IMG_20170629_211723933_zpsanioa8ok.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/CaptainMikul/IMG_20170629_211442392_zpsexjrlphw.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/CaptainMikul/IMG_20170629_211735655_zpsr2rr0vj1.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h46/CaptainMikul/IMG_20170629_211447769%201_zpscgxfvubh.jpg

 

I think the rust manages to unit the different colours of the armour pieces? 

 

Badger Fact: American badgers live primarily in the Great Plains region of North America.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Captain Mike

[Captain Mike]

New addition to ol' Fire Badgers; Black Sail Terminator.

 

The Fire Badgers don't actually have access to any terminator armour, being a very young chapter and then losing the favour of the adeptus mechanicus. Not that this would stop them trying to make their own, even if the result was somewhat unreliable and ugly.

 

It's also an excuse for me to use some old chaos warriors I had hanging around. This whole project is about recycling and I was at a loss as to what do with them.

 

My hope is that it is recognizably a terminator, even though it intentionally doesn't use any terminator parts?

 

http://i.imgur.com/d25whH5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RZVta9N.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/irT45Gg.jpg

 

Badger Fact: Asian Badgers can be found in open deciduous woodlands, coniferous woodlands, mixed woodlands, adjacent pastures, scrub, steppe and sometimes in suburban areas

[Captain Mike]

Black Sail Terminator #1 done. My friend pointed out that the black cape is a bit bland compared to the rest of the model. This was intentional on my half, as the rest of the model is quite busy, but do y'all think it's bland and may need some added details?

 

http://i.imgur.com/2uk3dK7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UZvyr2Y.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/G6npMot.jpg

 

And for scale reference. The metal plates on his shoes make him a wee bit tall, but I think it's close enough to be imposing but not totally out of proportion?

 

http://i.imgur.com/8Pdzgeq.jpg

 

Badger Fact: The Eurasian Badger is of least concern in terms of conservation.

[Captain Mike]

+++++++++++++++++

Tiech stomped into the apothecary bay of ​​the Celestine's Revenge​, ​​still wearing his armour's undersuit. The bay was one of the few clean places on the ​Revenge,  ​kept so by the sawbones and their servitors. ​The stench of anti-sceptic washed over him, drowning out the smell of his own sweat that cloyed his body and his beard. It was quiet, but not for lack of activity. His men simply didn't make much fuss, and his apothecaries and their servitors were well trained.  

​"Where is he?" he growled to Marsun, the chief apothecary. The sawbones was currently arms deep in Talki's ribcage, working around an impressive chitinous claw the young space marine had managed to get wedged in a lung.  

​"Who? The last raid put 10 Badgers in here, and don't get me started on the settgard boys we've got on overflow." 

​"Rikard you curr, where is he?" Tiech growled back. Marsun weathered the commodores anger with barely a shrug, the movement eliciting a low ground from Talki, and gestured vaguely down the corridor. 

​"Ward 8A. He's fine. Lost the leg, I'll get the cogs on that as soon as I finish up here. Now if you don't mind Edvar, I'm busy saving your crew." With that Marsun returned his attention to his patient, muttering for a servitor to re-adjust its grip on Talki's rib cage.  

​Tiech found Rikard in 8A, looking gaunt but very much alive. His leg, as Marsun had promised, was completely absent. He nodded to Tiech. 

​"Comm'dor" he said. "Chaplain Antvos is dead. I'm sorry." 

 

Tiech nodded. He already knew. "You're one of the few who is. He knew he didn't have many friends in the crew." Rikard snorted a laugh.

​"Ain't that the truth comm'dor. Sure you'd want to know; he fought to the end. Took a few of those 'stealer currs with him as well. Still shouting in their faces when they had claws in his lungs." Rikard looked fiercely proud of this. Whilst he was one of the newer recruits to Tiech's crew, having been picked up from a high security prison on Yandara, he had bonded well with the otherwise despised authoritarian Antvos. He recognised the chaplain's need to enforce some modicum of discipline in the unruly Fire Badger's crew. Once Rikard made sergeant, he often deployed his squad to support the chaplain. In some ways they had become Antvos' own enforcer mob.  

 

​"Well of course he bloody did." Tiech laughed. "But we've suffered a big loss today. And I find myself without a chaplain or second in command." He looked Rikard up and down. "Think you're up for the job?" Rikard looked stunned. Tiech was gifted to the unusual display of having a battlescarred, bioengineered super soldier stutter over his words. 

​"Don't I need ehk-u-meni-khal training or something?" he managed to get out. Tiech was impressed the miner turned prisoner turned grunt space marine knew the word. 

​"Did Antvos ever strike you as the religious type? We all worship the God Emperor as much as we worship gold Rikard, but you know Antvos was here for discipline above all else. And I think you've got a flavour for handling this mob when you were going round as his personal whip." 

​"And got the enemies too." 

​"If you want friends then turn down the job. If you want a better share of the loot and my unswerving belief in your loyalty, take it." Tiech stared at Rikard, his lip occasionally twitching under his messy beard. Rikard considered for a second, his hand absent mindedly running over the bandages on his missing leg. 

​"I'll need a leg, first."

​"Already on it."

​"Alright... and I'll need skulls for my armour. Lots of them. Atvos was a good space marine, but I think he was too conservative on that front." Tiech grinned, his tobacco and mead stained teeth shining through the black bristles. 

​"Those, Chaplain Rikard, I'm sure we could arranged." 

​++++++++++++++

​Alright so maybe my writing skills are a bit rusty, but I do want to start adding some flavour text to me models. Anyway, I present to you the WIP of my first HQ; Chaplain Rikard. He's scratchbuilt mostly from the chaos knights sprue, though the legs are combination of standard marine legs and a lasgun mount from a chimera. One of the legs went *ping* during modelling, so I made a replacement. When I found the lost leg, I decided to integrate the two.

​The gun was... a result of it being a bit too late in the evening I think. I may scale it back but part of my does like the over the top audacity of the thing.  

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

http://i.imgur.com/9uIAcOY.jpg

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

​Badger Fact: I'm going to put these on hold and see if this post generates any interest, I'm running out of facts!