The Falsa Astartes Crusade

[DBadger]

_Returning hobbyist here. It has been fully ten years since I have bought anything from Games Workshop. Heresy, I know, but at last I've found my ZEAL and uncovered my miniatures.
 
I was collecting a mixture of things. I started off with Space Wolves, but didn't like how much they broke codex. I then moved on to Imperial Guard and fell in love with the Inquisition, so had a joint Imperial Guard / Witchhunters force. Though I then decided to move on to Adeptus Mechanicus, so had a three way going on.
 
None of my painting was particularly good (actually, incredibly bad) not helped by me buying an Ultramarines force off eBay for £20 which appears to have been painted by the "dunk the whole mini in a tin of ronseal" method.
 
So I have been trying to repurpose my army as a Black Templars army. I have been hacking and slashing here and there, basically trying to salvage anything that looks remotely decent, which hasn't turned out to be a lot. I also have a Land Raider that has gone missing somewhere, probably in my sock drawer.
 
Anyway, all primed so far. I have painted a few shoulder pads but that's about it.
 
This is the extent of my army at the moment, plus a Land Raider somewhere.
 
http://i.imgur.com/JzRbQBm.jpg?1
 
And this is the centrepiece of my army. Let me explain... when I was doing Adeptus Mechanicus, this was a titan of some description. My first Rhino was so bad that I basically smashed it up a bit and turned it into a base piece. The titan itself is a kitbash centred around a Lego Bionicle Rhaakshi, because I absolutely love the look of it. I have painted it in a skeletal theme trying to pick out the detail in the model. It has various Imperial Guard parts on it plus some spare Marine bits to try and make it look kosher. I'm not sure what I'll use it as eventually. It may just end up being a shelf piece.
 
I still have a lot of Lego chains to add to it to Templar it up a bit, and a tabbard would be great.
 
http://i.imgur.com/UCtf8rm.png
 
Its base is a genuine Sainsbury's curry lid.
 
Anyway, my friend is a bit of an expert kind of painter and is lending me a hand with painting tips. Unfortunately I have a very unsteady hand to the point where I cannot paint any detail. I have tried. Once I get down to the details i go all shakey and have spasms and it really doesn't work. Am trying though. He's come up with a scheme that's basically just drybrushes and washes that I should be able to work with.
 
Anyway. I'll update you later. For the Emperor!
 
(Oh, on the crusade name, I've always liked the idea that (at least some of) the Black Templars end up so peed off with the rest of the Astartes that they eventually some time around 998.M41 launch a crusade against them, starting with the Dark Angels.)

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

Allow me to be amongst the first to welcome you back to the hobby and into The Eternal Crusade!

 

I hear what you're saying about not being able to get a lot of detail right where you want it. There are many good posts in the painting threads here to assist you. I personally do a lot with the dry brush as it goes fairly quickly on the edges you want highlighted. Line highlights are tricky, and I haven't yet figured out how to do it with good effect.

 

Your army looks promising, brother. I look forward to seeing your progress!

[DBadger]

Thanks.

 

I have preordered Dark Imperium (before I knew what a Primaris marine was) so with a bit of contrived fluff they'll be added to my army.

 

Then I have to take a break from buying anything. If I'm desperate I have my sister's old unpainted Emperor's Children I could nab some bits from but obviously they're tainted!

 

I have a large amount of foamboard, so may attempt a Thunderhawk. In the past I have scratch built tanks but I fail when it comes to the tracks so a TH would be better.

 

I'm very out of touch with the rules as 4th Ed was new when I was playing. My codex was 3rd Ed! I still have the 2nd Ed space marines 'dex too (which is why I want a Thunderhawk).

 

Will likely be battling Tau, Orks and Dark Eldar the most. Thinking of planning another pilgrimage to Nottingham at some point so need my army looking good for then.

 

All my bloody paints have dried up...

[Brother Christopher]

Welcome, Brother! Good luck with your Crusade.

 

Regarding the Thunderhawk, there are some pretty decent plans for a paper model our there on the Internet. I used them for my scratch build, but never got around to finishing it.

[Othniel's Blade]

I knew I recognised that  model... The head is almost perfect for the allusion to the Reaver. Can't wait to see more!

[DBadger]

Forgot to say but the majority of those marines are 2nd ed (I think) snap fit, I bought them as a lot off eBay then spent weeks getting the paint off with cilit bang... Not nice, and the models look awful. They all have identical poses. I will be getting various bits, including tabbards, and seeing what I can do to salvage them and make them less static.

On top of that is a squad of 20 better posed space wolves with the bits removed, and a new squad of 10 tactical marines, plus a couple of the less embellished Emperor's Children. So all in all about 35 decent marines surrounded by snap fits, and not a single one an actual Templar.

But I'll prove them gradually. And get the ECs exorcised.

 

ETA:

 

So here's their painting. I saved this one from the cilit bangification just to have a record of how glorious their painting was.

 

http://i.imgur.com/DMHnh6f.jpg?1

 

I paid £20 and got maybe 40 of these things, a landspeeder, a first generation rhino put together backwards, another landspeeder painted like the above (unsalveagable), and various other bits including a metal terminator with an arm missing and a strange one-piece metal razorback turret.

 

Below is my painting...

 

http://i.imgur.com/kJMA2Cd.jpg?1

 

Thinner paint but not much better... It was ten years ago but that's no excuse. Not sure what I was doing with the rosette there, and that's what happens when I try and paint eyes even with the tiniest of brushes.

 

Here's a comparison of their marines and a new build:

 

http://i.imgur.com/ykwjNph.jpg?1

 

Every single one of their 40 or so marines is identical to this. Exactly identical. Other than the rosette and knife I added to jazz this one up a bit, mind.

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

Try soaking in Simple Green (if it's available to you). It takes quite a while to strip the paint, so patience is the name of the game, but it removes almost everything, even the primer coat. I also use lacquer thinner on metallic models for the same purpose, but it will destroy any plastic bits that may be on the model, so be careful and use the Simple Green if you have any doubts.

 

I used the Simple Green method recently for a VERY heavily painted piece, and with the aid of a worn out toothbrush, was able to get it down to bare plastic again and start over. No damage to the model was evident, and after a thorough rinse, painted up very well (see the helmet on my Sword Brother in the Challenge Against The Dawn).

 

It's Worth a shot.

[DBadger]

I used cilit bang, which apparently is the closest we can get to simple green here. It worked mostly but still left paint in the recesses that I had to file out. It took forever though. Am keeping this one model just for the hell of it, while the rest are pretty usable.

Dark Imperium came today (not sure how, when it was released today and I chose 2nd class post!) so I can add various Primaris marines to my army. They're quite a bit bigger though.

I am going to be buying various bits online including scarecrow tabbards, which I shall attempt to retrofit to my older marines.

Done some research and what I have is actually the 2nd ed starter set marines, which is pretty cool really. But they all have identical poses. I'll be adding tabbards and other accessories here and there, but I'm wondering what other remodelling I could do. May be able to remove the heads with a knife, not sure how well embedded they are, but these are two part models - body plus gun... So I don't hold much hope.

Will have to wait until next pay day for that though.

Dark Imperium seems wholly worth it so far though even if they are Primaris.

 

 

--

This was the remnants of my Ad Mech army. The Space Marine based parts anyway. Not entirely sure what I'll repurpose them as.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wwI94ER.jpg?1

[DBadger]

Dark Imperium Review

 

Huge shout out to Triple Helix Wargames if I may, as I ordered Dark Imperium by 2nd class post and it arrived on Saturday (release day)!

 

Impressive box. I found it quite a challenging build, because every piece has an exact place; you can't mix and match anything and every piece is used.

 

Speaking as a 4th ed gamer I found the quality to be superb compared to what I am used to. Every part of the sprues was used with no wastage; it felt like they really tried to get as many parts in as possible, rather than the other way around, of limiting themselves. There is so much detail on these models that they could easily pass off as finecast.

 

I still need to file off flash and mould lines, but here are my models so far.

 

Commanders

 

http://i.imgur.com/JiTxQ3R.png

 

I used an Imperial Guard head to add a bit of variety. Other than that these are unchanged, though I did make a mistake with the hero, having his one foot hovering in the air. I like this pose though as it looks like he is running into battle.

 

The hero is made of several pieces to create this bulky but detailed look.

 

Special members

 

http://i.imgur.com/Gs89hpd.png

 

The power fist is from my own bits and highlights my first mistake. It is very easy to make mistakes with this box set because everything has a place. If you cock up one thing it will bite you in the backside further down the line. Here I was left with no arm to fit, so ended up adding my own power fist.

 

Briefly I'll touch on the marine's backpacks. They're very brittle in this set and it's very easy to break off a vent while trying to cut it from the sprue. There are three sprues which contain backpacks and they all attack the pack in a different place, as if each sprue had a different designer. The best ones have three attachment places: the top two vents and the bottom middle. The others attach them variously bit usually to the bottom vents; even though I used an X acto I found that the vents could snap off while cutting the sprue!

 

Banner pole is just as bendy as always; should be a separate part. The banner itself though is generic enough to be used for any chapter.

 

Five normies

 

http://i.imgur.com/c7n7gli.png

 

The bolters are much larger than before and therefore look like real weapons now rather than just cartooney tokens. You cannot pose anything in this box set but it is not really an issue, as the poses themselves appear dynamic, unlike previous snap fit kits (this model isn't snap fit, but feels like it).

 

The one thing you can pose is the heads, but only if you cut off the little square tab at the bottom that fixes them in place. I found this key to making the models look good as some of the heads don't follow the line of the gun otherwise.

 

Everything has a slightly different connector so you can work out what piece goes where eventually. You have to follow the rule that if it nearly fits, it doesn't fit. You'll know when you have the right arm, the right leg, etc, because it will fit seamlessly and you'll go "OH". If it looks like it fits but a little bit off, it isn't the right part!

 

As a result of that I was left with:

 

Three more mistakes

 

I ended up using some hands I already had to change these ones. Had to file down the bolters to remove the left hand. I gave them grenades to look like they're doing something.

 

http://i.imgur.com/JrCKP7M.png

 

The assault marines

 

My first ever assault marines so I have nothing to compare them to, but I am hugely impressed by these. They are so bulky and solid, made of various parts. The jump packs feel like real equipment and their boots are specially made. They also all have different poses, going as far as sitting at a different height to look really dynamic.

 

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

 

The final five

 

Five heavy plasma type weapons.

 

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

 

In all I'm impressed by the quality we are getting here. I would say that the limited part moulds create such good poses that I wouldn't mind a tactical marine box being made of this kind of pre-sculpted marine in fact. I'm not sure how much variety you could get out of two sets though.

 

They are also not particularly modifiable, as most have the shoulders attached.

 

The marines which do not will absolutely kill you. Trying to find the right arms for those is a nightmare. I found I had used the wrong arms earlier on (you can probably see in photo 1 that there isn't an exact attachment there). If you do that there's no real going back, so I had to model them differently.

 

Next steps

 

I will eventually be getting some tabbards to add to these marines to Templar them up a bit.

 

Comparison

 

The one picture I took these for didn't come out any good, sorry. It's dark now too so I can't retake it yet. But was trying to show the difference between:

 

A Primaris Marine, a 4th edition Space Marine, and a 2nd edition starter set snap fit marine:

 

http://i.imgur.com/0M4e7LN.png

 

All in all, I prefer the Primaris marine! I think it is the realistic weapon that does it more than anything.

 

 

Non-model details

 

In the box you get a ruler and some dice, alongside two short army books, an instruction book and of course the full £35 rule book.

 

If you're splitting them then it's perfect as:

 

- The army books are separate

- The instruction book tears very easily and cleanly in the middle

- The sprues only contain one army. Four sprues of just Space Marines, and then I didn't look a the filthy demon scum.

- The box even contains a smaller box inside, so you can easily split it into two and hand out the half you don't want.

 

I gave my Death Guard to a friend in exchange for the Kill Team Space Marines (he collects Tau and bought it for them), of which he's painted one for me, below. Very grateful of him for this and this will be my colour scheme.

 

 

With postage this set cost me £75. As I was already buying the rule book, that means I spent £40 on the marines themselves, which I think makes it just about worthwhile (considering I am adding ten marines to this from Kill Team).

 

I am not sure it is worth at the full RRP however, if you are just collecting one army.

[DBadger]

These are my attempts at improving my 2nd edition snap-fits.

 

This is what they did look like, though this guy has an old flamer:

 

http://i.imgur.com/fy9UqzW.png

 

Otherwise all were identical with bolters.

 

I only managed a head swap on one. It was so difficult and ended up looking so bad that I did not try with the others. It turned out as I was working this one that it wasn't in fact snap fit - the arms snapped off while I was trying to cut the head. So I managed at least something decent-ish with this one. But as you can see, I have damaged the body.

 

http://i.imgur.com/e2wzjTa.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/LuXi6MY.png

 

I picked up a long chain necklace from work for a quid, which I have been cutting up and using on my models. I'll admit that there is definitely some case of "chains make everything better" in a bad cover-up attempt, but I think they look OK and marginally improve the models.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ChfSj5c.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/56SAYk1.png

 

I was able to remove the bolter from one of them and replace with a new style flamer.

 

http://i.imgur.com/u2f2oNA.png

 

And I removed the old-style rocket launcher and replaced with a new one. Couldn't get the arm off, but the eye lines up and it has the new backpack.

 

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

 

On top of my shakey hands, my eyesight isn't 100%, so seeing these models at such high detail is making me cringe.

[DBadger]

I found Ulrik the Slayer, who was a HQ from my Space Wolves army. I have modified him a bit, removed some of the wolf emblems, left a tail and the pelt as removing them would damage the model too much. He's going to be a chaplain of some sort. Only done the base coats so far.

 

Did look like this:

 

http://i.imgur.com/0V4dV8M.png

 

Cleaned it up, primed, and base coated some parts. The grey will be white, and there will be washes on the cloths.

 

Couldn't get the backpack emblem to stick so it's off for now. I think over time GW plastic simply stops working with plastic glue.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Je8zrrl.png

 

I also found this guy, was already painted bar the shoulder pads, so trying to make him better.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ffTF6Ql.png

 

Did find my old commissar from my Imperial Guard army along the way. Probably the only half decent finish in my army, still not very good but the best of the lot. I based it up in the materials I shall be using for my Black Templars.

 

http://i.imgur.com/f2E5oJw.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/D0pTe72.png

 

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

[DBadger]

So I figure with a mainly black army, it was important to get some colour down first of all. So I've painted every rooty-tooty-point-and-shooty in red (not the whole weapon, just panels). I've painted every purity seal in a base of red and cloth, and I have basecoated all of the shoulder pads. I have painted about half of the bases in their first coat though it's going to take a few.

 

I have been practicing with my whites (or off-whites, rather), and have managed to empty a pot of paint to mix some together so that they all match (the paint hadn't been used for ten years... plopped out in one lump!) - That's why the shoulder pads are all currently grey. Still trying to find the right mix.

 

Here's my current squaddies. Still ten more to build, and the Primaris box to paint.

 

http://i.imgur.com/3K1aTV2.png

 

Here's Ulrik the ...Chaplain, looking a little better, but still needs a lot of work.

 

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

 

I tried making some washes for use on cloth but they just pooled, so I think I need to buy some ready-made.

 

 

 

These guys are from my old weird hybrid Adeptus Mechanicus army. I am not sure yet what use they will have in my Black Templars. I have begun repainting them but they're pretty gross. I need some more shoulder pads. I don't know what the point of all the tech was.

 

http://i.imgur.com/PQlV1V6.png

 

This guy is who I am testing my colours on. I think the shoulder pads look OK (I just need a lot of patience to try and get the black trims clean). The cloth isn't though. I tried a brown wash that I mixed myself but it just pooled, so I've painted back over with my base coat again.

 

As you can see I tried to paint the face. Big mistake!

 

I managed to salvage my Tin Bitz with some warm water, so I have begun basecoating any metals with it (I'll be drybrushing with boltgun metal and chainmail).

 

Also been practicing basing on this one; it's just railway ballast and green flock.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GrZxfm1.png

 

 

Edit to add:

 

Not sure what you'll think, but I'm pretty happy with this guy (until I saw it up close on a monitor of course).

 

I tried dry brushing with greys but it just felt plasticky. So I tried just edge dry brushing with chainmail. This makes it look like black painted metal, which is a look I like.

 

http://i.imgur.com/tH6HfdS.jpg?1

 

I managed to just about paint the eyes this time.

 

Eagle is boltgun with chainmail highlights. Shoulder pads built up from grey to the base colour to my off white mix. Bolter is red with boltgun dry brush, chainmail highlights, and chainmail on the very edges of the red panels. Backpack drybrushed boltgun with chainmail highlights. Finally tried a wash on the cloth of the purity seal, and on the red, then highlighted red on top of that. Not too visible in the photo.

[DBadger]

I now have four painted to this standard.

 

http://i.imgur.com/85MGA8m.jpg?1

 

The guy on the left needs touching up I think, and I forgot the edge highlight on his bolter.

[Marshal_Roujakis]

Might just need some brighter reds for the eyes, make them more pop out and make some heretic squeal in terror as one of these knights walk up out of shadows or fog...

chainmail highlight looks good, drill out the barrels for your bolters and that beaky model on the back still has some mold line issues...

 

just saying brother :p

 

otherwise well done

[DBadger]

Thanks. And yes, I won't be happy until the barrels are drilled. I need to buy a drill for that though!

 

Every time I upload I spot something my eyes missed, like the mould lines on beakie or splodges of grey here and there. Really annoying. I will fix beakie and go over the rest.

 

I found some 0.17mm black pens, wondering if they will work for text on scrolls.

 

The only red I have at the moment is a red and black mix from an old project. Not sure what mixing white into it will do. But it's on my long list of paints I need.

 

Might have another shot at the titan tonight. Not sure what chapter's Rhink it will be but I do have Dark Angels green paint... Which would be fluffy (to my crusade).

 

Going to try a darker wash on the purity seals and need a wash on Ulrik as the bone is too flat.

 

Edit: retouched Ulrik, painted another squaddie, and tried again with cloth guy. Also painted his power sword, fading from red to yellow, can't get a good photo though (I'll work out how to use my phone's focus eventually).

 

So this is my painted army so far.

 

http://i.imgur.com/P1pW1qK.jpg?2

[DBadger]

10 squaddies done so far. I'm on holiday at the moment and gave took the majority of my army with me, with the goal of having it painted by the time I get back.

 

I found my better Imperial Guard models and must admit to falling in love with some of the characters again. I may paint them up as a companion force, of fanatical guardsmen who crusade alongside the BT in a kind of 8-minuter capacity as cannon fodder. Fortunately I do not have them with me to distract me, though I have been working on their colour scheme. Current thoughts:

 

http://i.imgur.com/VVffx24.jpg

 

Risk is them looking like unpainted Cadians.

 

They will get a lot of crusade/inquisition iconography. I have a Russ, a Chimera and a weird kitbashed tank from the mk1 Rhino that Ultramarines guy put together backwards (I saved the sides and rebuilt in between).

 

Add probably 100 guardsmen of various types.

[DBadger]

So on top of the ten at home I now have:

 

http://i.imgur.com/fXxz2d7.jpg?1

 

Still need to do some black highlighting and bases. One day left of my challenge, so should be done!

 

This is my current Emperor's Champion, but as I don't currently have a codex he'll be replaced by one with appropriate war gear eventually.

 

http://i.imgur.com/SI3riSa.jpg?1

[DBadger]

CHALLENGE: BIKES

 

I've always considered these "beyond use", these old Space Marine bikes. They have parts missing, are caked in paint and generally look unusable.

 

So my challenge: to put them to use in a new conversion.

 

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

 

Here's my progress so far!

 

http://i.imgur.com/UDn9Cve.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/c1tIsOp.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/e7S8CTX.png

 

_____________________________

 

I went to the beach and struck gold, so I've re-based my Emperor's Champion.

http://i.imgur.com/ac03z3K.png

I've also been repainting my Rhino (base for my titan). I decided upon Imperial Fists - few reasons, first being that I needed a chapter that wasn't my own, to add some variety and colour, but also kind of wanted it related to my army. BT's being Fist successors led me this way. Also yellow is a colour not featured much in my army, and it doesn't matter so much if it isn't perfect, as it's a crashed Rhino. (How recently crashed will depend on how it turns out!)

http://i.imgur.com/4ovTqDj.png

Yellow seems very hard to paint! Glad I'm not doing an army of IF. But I am doing half a mini, sanded down one side so that it lies on the ground as a casualty.

The yellow appears very grainy (but it was cheap paint, from The Works I think and probably 20 years old!). Still need to touch up the black edges. Worked my way up from black to the base colour there, to yellow.

Here's the army so far:

http://i.imgur.com/Ul5EgCj.png

Front five: "finished"
Next two rows: finished, but need touching up and basing
Next three: all finished except the armour
Back lot: unpainted or partly painted

And still that sprue of 10 marines to put together.

I had a trawl through eBay. Nothing particularly exciting, no great deals or anything. Though I did happen upon these:

http://i.imgur.com/5XiItFL.png

At a tenner it seemed like a snap to me. (1999 Chaos Warriors)

They are going to be counts-as bikes. I went into detail into how and why Marines would/could have horses in another post but it seems to have been deleted for whatever reason. Anyway, main reasoning for using them is that they scream "knight" and have a great canvas for heraldry.

I have one marine that has walking legs but a really weird shrugging pose; I'm going to cut him up and create one of my riders walking alongside the horse with a reign, to add some variety to them.

Unfortunately it appears from the pictures that the spears are both plain and damaged, so won't make good power lances.

Here's an early test of my Imperial Guard livery:

http://i.imgur.com/1czF7sC.jpg?1

[DBadger]

First and only Imperial Fist mini. I freehanded the insignia. Tried to draw the fist on some test pieces but couldn't, so I just went with a numeral.

 

http://i.imgur.com/gCo8RiI.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/3HIhnoO.png

 

Top of the Rhino still needs doing; not sure if it's staying black to be honest.

[Othniel's Blade]

 

At a tenner it seemed like a snap to me. (1999 Chaos Warriors)

They are going to be counts-as bikes. I went into detail into how and why Marines would/could have horses in another post but it seems to have been deleted for whatever reason. Anyway, main reasoning for using them is that they scream "knight" and have a great canvas for heraldry.

 

I did something similar on my first RW army for a Chaplain and RW Command Squad. Haven't quite finished them to where I like, but was inspired by blog images from another set of Fist cousins, the Executioners.

 

Edit: unfortunately, they have too much iconography to convert over to BT now... though I may have to get another box to do so.

[DBadger]

Do you reckon the legs scale well to the Marines, or am I best buying biker legs off eBay? Kinda hoping they can just have those legs but perhaps with a bit of greenstuff to smooth them.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Nah the legs scale just fine with marines. I've seen several conversions using the Chaos Warriors and they look pretty awesome. Just google chaos warrior black templar conversion for some eye candy.

[Othniel's Blade]

I think they pair well in the end, but the torso/waist join can be tricky if you don't glue it right. Doghouse has a tut on here for making 'Gothic' marines with the Chaos Warrior legs (infantry).

[DBadger]

Excellent.

Although I'm left with six pairs of legs at the moment with enough bits to make marines except for the back torso half. Might try and source some or start casting them.

Still no tabbards though.

I've caved in and started using some DA iconography, mainly in some sword brothers I am making. I've decided in my army a winged sword denotes a sword brother whose brethren have been lost in battle. Decided this because like torso backs, I am lacking in shoulder pads!

I've put together a squad of sword brothers and a few other scavenged Marines. Bought some more primer so when my horses come my army should grow a fair bit.

Also found some scouts... Ew. Old 2nd end scouts with the steamrollered pose.

Still no sign of my Land Raider...

 

_____

 

It's kitbash time. Or, rather, model bash. I've ran out of models to build and have no money to buy more yet, so I'm hacking apart old ones and repurposing them.

 

Found two more bikes which weren't in good nick at all. I turned them into one using the better parts of them, and added a few bits here and there, to create this "chaplain on bike" or similar, I don't know.

 

http://i.imgur.com/H7sdB2g.png

 

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

 

This guy's a bit shakespearean... Basically his body is made of two front torso parts merged together as I ran out of backs. Which was fine, but the weird shape of the head hole knocked his head while I was putting it together and he ended up contemplating his power fist, so I left it that way!

 

Legs are Rogue Trader!

 

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

 

My sword brothers. Not sure if legal - three have power swords. If not they'll be distributed out as captains.

 

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

 

Found one of Ultramarine guy's apothecaries, which I had painted badly as a Space Wolf at some point. Gave him a power fist and he ended up looking like John Travolta. Couple of other mods there but they're both pretty poor so not sure I'll be using them.

 

http://i.imgur.com/6cQaXYU.png

[DBadger]

I really need a new name for my crusade...

 

Anyway, horses came, and they're perfect, recommend them to anyone looking for conversion ideas.

 

They have shields which would look OK if smoothed over with green stuff but they have chaos insignias on them so no good otherwise.

 

They also have capes which fit Space Marines well but without their backpacks.

 

Here's my three normal horsies and my captain who is walking alongside.

 

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

 

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

 

I may give my sword brothers above the capes, although there are only four of them and they won't fit with backpacks. I might see if there's some way to combine the two. They look great though and have no chaos emblems on them (like the horses themselves).

 

Almost ready to prime everything so should be back to painting soon. Just a couple more minis to scavenge together.