Nova Terra Interregnum – The Alien Wars

[Brother Dallo]

A good start. Are you planning to mix bolters and bolt rifles in the same unit?

 

Dallo

[Disruptor_fe404]

The oils are having a great effect I think! Is it just one of the oils (just one oil? An oil? Bah, 'oil' is a cumbersome word to quantify) that is shading and washing?

[apologist]

A good start. Are you planning to mix bolters and bolt rifles in the same unit?

 

I'll likely split the Gatebreakers off into their own blog soon, as they include Primaris marines, which obviously moves them out of the scope of this Nova Terra Interregnum-themed project. 

 

Either way, I'm in two minds about armament. On the one hand, I kinda fancy having some (whisper it low) unconverted models for once, and on the other, I prefer the shorter look of boltguns over the bolt rifles.

 

The oils are having a great effect I think! Is it just one of the oils (just one oil? An oil? Bah, 'oil' is a cumbersome word to quantify) that is shading and washing?

 

Thanks Disruptor_fe404. Just one oil paint, yes – burnt sienna. 

 

Minor progress:

[Slave to Darkness]

Any chance of a step by step for the grimy yellow? I am tempted at doing a small Imperial Fists army based on the old novel and this is exactly how younger me imagined how it looked. Never tried oils and the thought of them confuses me, wouldnt know where to start.

[Xin Ceithan]

Since I have been already privileged by seeing a member of the Gatebreakers in battle, it's awesome to see more of them stepping up to defend the fringes of the Imperium!

[apologist]

 

Long time no see, but The Alien Wars rumble on as the Nova Terra Interregnum reaches its climax...

 

Any chance of a step by step for the grimy yellow? I am tempted at doing a small Imperial Fists army based on the old novel and this is exactly how younger me imagined how it looked. Never tried oils and the thought of them confuses me, wouldnt know where to start.

 

Since I have been already privileged by seeing a member of the Gatebreakers in battle, it's awesome to see more of them stepping up to defend the fringes of the Imperium!

 

Apologies for the long delay, but you can now indeed see the Gatebreakers in their own blog here: No Impediment to Progress, which includes a step-by-step guide to the yellow used. There's a full step-by-step tutorial on my blog, +Death of a Rubricist+, here, too.

 

+++

 

But for the moment, back to the long-neglected Angels. After blowing the dust off the figures, I had a hankering to paint a couple more. I ended up polishing off the second Tactical squad:

 

 

Back row, left to right: Brother Verroccio (Ambriel 4:11); Brother Schirru (Ixael 6:05); Sergeant Lazarus (Melchizadek 8:15); Brother Pappacordo (Zether 1:09); Brother Brunellecci (Hamurabbas 1:03)

Front row, left to right: Brother Ornaghi (Utchael 3:04); Brother Ilean (Rasa 1:01); Brother Simnal (Saditel 2:02); Brother Cleon (Sanael 1:02); Brother Zoma (Caraniel 9:01)

 

Very pleased with these, and with a second squad completed, I've now got an officer to pick out and paint. For those who wanted to see the Scouts completed, they'll be the next squad – I started on them at the same time as the four above, so shouldn't be too long, either. +

 

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+ Sergeant Lazarus (Melchizadek 8:15) +

 

Touches of contrasting blue are used here as accents to draw the eye. With a big banner, the focal point (the head) needed a bit of extra help to stand out. The inspiration has a helmet, so unlike his comrade, Sergeant Furiel, I didn't want to use a bare head to draw the eye. Instead, I built a lot of lines converging on the head – the gun and blade do, as does the large blood drop jewel on the banner. I really hammered the point home with the veteran sergeant freehand on the breastplate, too. This was taken from the Age of Darkness books; which themselves have a nod to Rogue Trader. I was tempted to go further, but restrained myself – I want to leave some design space for the officers without going really over the top.

 

 

 

I think I've hit the balance of ornamentation and keeping things close to the inspiration right; but judge for yourself. The original models are pictured above. Hopefully the poses are evocative enough of the original, even if they're not identical.

 

 

 

It's been so long since I've worked on this army that I'd forgotten whether it was the personal name (i.e. Lazarus) or the ritual apotropaic name (Melchizadek) that should identify the squad. Judging from how I did Furiel, I think it should have been the other way round. Still; this is the sort of mistake that – firstly – can be justified fairly easily in-universe (some sort of tradition of the squad, or a personal affectation); and secondly, would likely have never been noticed by anyone but me!

 

 

 

Getting the text onto the hand-painted scroll sent me cross-eyed. I was cursing myself for blithely giving him the apotropaic name 'Melchizadek' to fit on there. Still; it did mean the blackletter script on his banner had the easier name to fit!

 

 

 

As per the paint scheme of the time, the sergeant has a yellow Chapter symbol on a black field. You'll note that the rim is two-tone; red and gold. I thought making it all metal would have been a bit much, and similarly all-red would have looked odd.

 

I like the bolter strap here – it gives a sense of dynamism to an otherwise very still figure, suggesting that the boltgun is in motion; perhaps being swung to fire.

Edited September 14, 2020 by apologist

[BadgersinHills]

Lovely stuff!! :) 

[apologist]

Ta very much! Here're the others that I completed last night.

 

+ Brother Ilean (Rasa 1:01) +

 

 

Mark VI plate doesn't turn up in the Tactical squads of the original army, so I was in two minds whether to include it. In the end, I squared the circle by keeping the details minor – if you compare these figures with the ones in the Devastator squad, you'll note that the Tactical ones simply have Mark VI helmets, and are otherwise identical to the rest of the squad; whereas the Devastators are converted more faithfully, with chest cables, single-piece greaves etc.

 

 

 

The variation helps to blend the army together, rather than having the armour marks artificially separated. In my vision of Space Marines, their armour is fairly hotch-potch – some wearing full newly-produced suits of a particular armour mark; others inheriting bits and pieces from previous brethren; or augmenting their armour themselves with recourse to the Chapter forge. As a result, the idea of a whole squad – let alone a whole army – being identically equipped just chimes wrongly to me. It would feel rather too uniform and modern, and not properly evoke the pseudo-mediaeval Dark Age feel. 

 

 

 

Of course, some uniformity is desirable, or they'll end up looking like a rag-tag warband – cool for some Chapters or periods in the 40k universe's history (the Horus Heresy period can suit the identikit Stormtrooper look, for example), but not for Nova Terra Interregnum-period Blood Angels, I think. The Chapter badge and overall clean look of the paintjob is thus important to establishing the group's retrohammer-themed identity. +

 

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+ Brother Verroccio (Ambriel 4:11) +

 

 

The big ol' missile launchers used throughout the army help to evoke the Rogue Trader-period inspiration. 'Proteus-pattern' is GW's in-house term for modern designs based on the older stuff, and I really like this conceit. It's a very clever way to explain the difference between older and modern designs without invalidating anything in-universe.

 

 

 

You'll notice more tiny writing on the pauldron nameplate; again, cursing myself for including so many curly 'c's and 'o's in his name! I've added a little skull on the pistol pouch to break it up a bit – note it echoes the squad kneepad honorific. The missile launcher cowling has the same yellow stripe as in the first squad – though I've added two here. It's a minor detail that makes no odds to the background, but will be useful in-game. Simple visual indicators like this – along with squad banner and honorifics – is a nice way to help both you and the other players keep track of which squad is what.

 

 

 

The power pack is a holdover from 2nd edition. Note also the little trigger mechanism/remote he's carrying in his left hand. That's a nod to the similar details of the single-piece missile launchers from the later 2nd ed. boxed set. I made it from an auspex, with various bits trimmed off and replaced.

 

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+ Brother Brunellecci (Hamurabbas 1:03) +

 

 

The other beakie helm in the squad. There's a balance to strike – it's nice to have some variation, but too much spoils the uniformity. With both sergeant and squad leader in Mark VII, I felt I could get away with a few more than in the first Tactical squad. There's a Mark IV helm, too (see Brother Zoma in the full squad pic), though since this is much less distinctively different to Mark VII, it stands out less.

 

 

 

As with Verroccio above, Brunellecci has a small personalisation on his pistol holster, though here it's a blood drop. I think little details like this, the script on the boltgun, the black-wax purity seal and so forth really help to give some realism and make the model feel like an individual.

 

 

 

I like this Intercessor pose. I think the arms (and possibly the whole thing) are from the easy-build marines – either the three-man kit that popped up everywhere or the Dark Imperium starter – which just goes to show how easily these can be repeatedly integrated into an army without it looking like an army of clones.

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[Dagoth Ur]

Looks absolutely fantastic! I still have my old Angels of Death codex at home and whenever I open this thread I feel the urge to take a look at it!

 

Are the Alien Wars still open to contributions or has that ship sailed, if you don't mind me asking? :)

[apologist]

Are the Alien Wars still open to contributions or has that ship sailed, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Yes, absolutely – it's a big galaxy out there, and I'd never be able to fill in all the comings and goings of all the aliens, plucky rebels and Space Marines during the Nova Terra Interregnum; not in a hundred lifetimes.

 

I'd be delighted to have more people contributing their own little bit of the NTI here; sharing ideas and inspiration is why we're on a discussion forum, after all.

 

Most of the articles and blogposts here are intended to get reader's ideas churning; if anyone fancies following a thread I've laid, I'd love to see where it goes!

 

If you'd like to get involved, but don't know where to start, there's a summary and call to action here:

 

 

Will you join free humanity as it throws off its oppressive past? Club the rebels back into line to save humanity's soul? Follow the trail of the Astartes errant? ... or will you explore the resurgence of ten thousand alien species?

 

+DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?+

Edited September 14, 2020 by apologist

[KrautScientist]

More fantastic work from you! Brother Sergeant Lazarus is a piece of art -- I am simply in love with the freehands and blue teardrops!

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Fine work on the Blood Angels, apologist.

[Sandalphon]

Very nostalgic nod to the past there brother!

 

Wonderful work as always.

[apologist]

More fantastic work from you! Brother Sergeant Lazarus is a piece of art -- I am simply in love with the freehands and blue teardrops!

Thanks, KS – I'm continually having to haul back on the reins to stop myself going over the top. As I mention below, it's proving a fun challenge to balance accuracy to the original with creativity.

 

Fine work on the Blood Angels, apologist.

Very kind, ta.

 

Very nostalgic nod to the past there brother!

Wonderful work as always.

Thank you!

 

+++

 

Bit more WIP work today; I've been painting up some scouts and the Rhino. 

 

 

The tracks – and some other fun accessories – are not pictured, but are currently drying, too. You'll spot the Rhino's on a base: that's part of my plan to help frame the piece and to give it a bit of additional height. It'll still look rather undersized in comparison with the infantry, but hopefully not too markedly. The large oval size base seems to fit the Rhino well; not so large that it's obstrusive, but not so small it gets lost.

 

Painting it was partly an exercise in trying new techniques, and partly a dry run for painting the Gatebreakers' Land Raider[/ur;]. I used stippling – that is, holding a brush perpendicular to the surface and tapping it up and down to deposit subtle dots of paint – to build up some variation and visual texture without creating an air-brush style smooth gradient. I think the latter would be great for Eldar tanks or similar, but I see Space Marines as a bit more rough-and-ready. Some texture on the tank also helps sell it as a scale model of a battle tank; big, smooth, flat surfaces can easily look toy-like. 

 

I use an old 20mm (¾in) flat brush, which had started to splay for the stippling, which sped things up considerably, and avoided the repetitive identifiable 'stamp' which you can get with a smaller or round brush. The metals were approached in the same way as my Iron Warriors, for a deep, dirty effect.

 

From the details above, you'll note I've supplemented the effect with some edge highlighting. This throws some of the more important lines into contrast, and helps to make the model 'pop'. The lower left detail shows the glazed windows, a detail I'm absurdly – and quite disproportionately! – proud of. They were made with blister plastic glued to the inside with PVA (don't use superglue, as it can fog).

 

The markings are still to go on; I'll use the original as a guide, but likely modify things a touch. The big flat markings look great on Tim Prow's clean, crisp original, but my grungier style is nowhere near as clear and accomplished. I think my work will be better suited to more 'realistic' stencil-type markings. There's a balance to be struck between making it recognisable and making it my own.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Rhino's detailing and weathering are well-applied.

[Lienna]

I've just binged my way through this thread. Absolutely love the retro-inspired Angel's. You've perfectly balanced the retro style poses with more modern details and painting.

 

Absolutely fantastic work, can't wait to see more!

[Brother Lunkhead]

Good stuff Brother apologist

 

The retro work on your Blood Angels looks great, and the stippling technique you're using on the Rhino has yielded some nice results. I'm going to try that on my vehicles too

[Slave to Darkness]

You finished the Dreadnought yet?? :D 

MAy I ask where you got it from? My Wolves need a couple of those I think. 

[apologist]

The Rhino's detailing and weathering are well-applied.

Thanks! The finished vehicle awaits below...

 

I've just binged my way through this thread. Absolutely love the retro-inspired Angel's. You've perfectly balanced the retro style poses with more modern details and painting.

Absolutely fantastic work, can't wait to see more!

Cheers, Lienna – and more there shall be :)

 

Good stuff Brother apologist

The retro work on your Blood Angels looks great, and the stippling technique you're using on the Rhino has yielded some nice results. I'm going to try that on my vehicles too

A very quick and enjoyable technique. I did a midtone, then shade, then back up the midtone before tinting it. The second midtone layer helps with the sense of depth and, as long as you keep away from recesses, improves the sense of depth.

 

You finished the Dreadnought yet??  

MAy I ask where you got it from? My Wolves need a couple of those I think. 

Not yet, I'm afraid – I want to finish off the army as-was in WD139 before expanding it with things like the Dreadnought. Too much sidetracking otherwise!

I do, however, have a finished one in my Gatebreakers colours here; in the short story Monstrous Servant.

 

The kit was a full fan-sculpt; I don't think that the chap's got any left (he basically cast a load for himself, so when the spares were gone, that was it). You could always ask him – he's a member of the + Death of the Rubricist + Facebook group (if you'll forgive a little self-promotion!)

 

+++

 

What do you get if you take hyper-advanced Dark Age colonising technology and tell it to make a tractor that can run on local materials, survive anything short of military-grade technology, repair itself on the run, and carry twenty colonists?

 

...and what if you then rediscover this, armour it with inch-thick plating, mount a pair of micro-rocket launchers and stuff it full of the most terrifying human warriors ever created?

 

 

The inspiration, painted by Tim Prow:

[BadgersinHills]

Excellent work! 

[apologist]

The original model is a lovely clean warm red, with large, bold geometric markings. To give it an 'apologist-style' makeover, my update is a bit more grounded and less striking. +

 

The scheme is a more muted red, to match the rest of my army. I've also used outline markings on the doors, rather than the large flat blooddrop symbol. This was partially because I wanted to keep as much of the red showing (I'm pleased with how it came out), but also because Forge World's Deimos-pattern Mk1C Rhino that I'm using has much more sculpted detail than the original plastic kit. I felt that working the marking into the recesses would have looked odd, as would leaving an odd cog-toothed line running through it. A military-style stencil outline seemed to fit nicely.

 

As explained in the WD139 article, the white blooddrop here denotes that the Rhino is part of Third Company. Thinking about it, since I've made the minor tweak to include two small flanking blooddrops for that symbol elsewhere in the army (you can see this on the flag above), I ought to go back and adjust the door markings to include these.

 

 

+ Coded symbols +

 

 

From left to right, the front shows:

• Army badge – the blue circle. I've used Vallejo Prussian blue to get a dark, desaturated blue for this.
• Squad marking – the boxed '1' marks this as Squad Raphael's transport.
• Chapter symbol – The winged blooddrop of the Blood Angels.

All of these are copied fairly faithfully from the original; though I've reduced them all in size slightly. The Army Badge has had to be bumped up a bit, as the Deimos Rhino has raised detailing where the original had a flat panel.

 

I used blue-grey for the vision and targetting lenses here. I could have matched them to the marines' green/orange accents, but thought that a cool dead grey worked well for glass.

 

 

 

The top shows the double-headed arrow that's a common Codex marking denoting a Tactical squad. Background-wise, Epic: Space Marine explained that these markings are intended to assist with orbital (or air-support) identification. A neat idea, and – I'm sure coincidentally – it's a brilliant place for easy reference during a game.

 

To avoid a flat white look over the more battered red effect, I used a combination of stippling, negative painting (painting carefully to leave little gaps, rather than creating them afterwards), and two or three off-white hues to create a similarly varied and textured finish to the rest of the paintjob.

 

 

 

Musing on this, sometimes paint detailing can really make a game run more smoothly – both for you and the other player(s). 9th edition makes it explicit that you must share what's in each transport vehicle. With this system of markings, it's easy to explain that the white '1' appears both on the transport (on front and back) and also on the banner of its sergeant and veteran. All the Codex markings help with clarity, which make real-world interaction a bit smoother.

[Yosef Hausakluif]

Classic and modern, detailed and gritty, individual yet cohesive, homage to what I first remember about the painting guide of ‘how to’ paint space marines back in the RT days. GREAT work overall and so impressed with the dedication to this ongoing project, attention to minor things often overlooked, and continued skill at pulling these models out of the past and into the present so vividly and faithfully to their previous incarnations! Edited September 17, 2020 by Yosef Hausakluif

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Fine work, overall.

[Urauloth]

Superb work. The subdued colour scheme and weathering really looks like a workhorse vehicle the Blood Angels haul around on campaign with them, and the modern take on the classic details looks fantastic.

 

Did you do anything to make the rhino bigger? Is it just being on a base that makes it look less out of scale than they usually do? I've been avoiding them with my Death Guard because they look like jerry cans on tracks next to modern plaguemarines. Maybe I should try putting one on a base...

[Grim Dog Studios]

Fantastic stuff as always, glad to see you are working on the Angels again. I love what you have done with the Rhino, all the extra details such as the flags and the rails on the side really harkens back to that Oldhammer feel you are going for. The base tops it off as well, giving it the height required so it doesn't look out of place amongst the primaris scale marines. I may have to steal that idea off you!