Nova Terra Interregnum – The Alien Wars

[deathspectersgt7]

Awesome.

[apologist]

Excellent work conceptually updating that old Techmarine ; a fit font of ideas there for anybody seeking to do the similar sort of thing - or , for that matter , just to produce a well-executed conversion that makes good internal and aesthetic sense. 

 

Out of interest , the left hand gripping the bolt pistol -  is that on a Primaris / Mk X arm ? I ask because there's a fair few of those I have around, and it's been .. quite the bother to get hands that actually fit them decently in anything other than the excessively limited array of forms available in the main boxes. Terminator hands seem *about* right (occasionally a little oversized) , but I wasn't aware of any left-handed pistol grip ones , and presume it was moulded with the phobos bolt pistol ?

 

Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Ryltar – much appreciated. Alas, I'm afraid it's not a Primaris arm – it's from the Forge World assault marine packs (the Mark V one, I think). They include a sprue with bolt pistol, chainsword and four hands; a left and right for both pistol and sword grip. I've ended up with a few spare that I'm gradually working through.

 

It may be an older design, though; I've certainly got a load of FW pistols that have hands moulded on...

 

There is a Mk X pistol grip on the Raven Guard sprue, though even that one is partially covered by a strap. 

 

Techmarine is looking sweet.

 

Ta very much!

 

Beaky Techmarine!!

By the Omnissiah, that is a sight for sore eyes!

 

Also a very impressive and comprehensive outlook on the ideas and execution of the conversion...

 

But first and foremost - beaky Techmarine!

Ha, yeah; it was fun to dive into the old school for a bit. Now just need to work out the details for the Chaplain and Medic and that's the whole army built(!)

 

...and since we've just passed 500 posts, it might be fun to look at how the Blood Angels currently stand.

 

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by apologist

[bluntblade]

I keep losing track of this thread and needing to catch up. Always great to see your progress :) Edited October 10, 2020 by bluntblade

[Quixus]

the models look great but aren't those Tartaros legs on the Indomitus pattern terminators? Why not build proper Tartaros (and Indomitus) Terminators?

[Ryltar Thamior]

the models look great but aren't those Tartaros legs on the Indomitus pattern terminators? Why not build proper Tartaros (and Indomitus) Terminators?

Those are Aquilon terminator legs he's used. They're a fair bit bigger than the 'standard' marine terminator legs and bodies - hence why his truescale terminators are bigger than Primaris marines for height and breadth. They do share some commonalities with the (regular scale) Tartaros legs, to be sure; although are also more baroque and gracefully lined - quite fitting for the IXth. 

 

There's not really an easy way to make Indomitus truescales at the moment - closest I can think of is Abaddon and maybe Horus ; although I've also seen some attempts built from reworked Gravis armour from time to time. And I have to say - these are the best truescale terminators I think I've seen anybody do that aren't obvious 'one offs' for some character. 

 

Part of the difficulty of truescaling is that you're never going  to get various details exactly mirroring the smaller 'official' renditions of things - without far too much work for it to be worth it, in various cases. So we tend to accept 'near enough' results using cataphractii legs for Mk.III, and tartaros legs for Mk.VI. [well .. I do, anyway - with the new Mk.X kits around, a few people like Apologist are taking knife-to-plastic and carving down knees and  things to greaves as you can see here] 

 

Or, in this case, Aquilon legs looking a bit more Tartaros-esque than the Indomitus they'd in theory actually be if this really were a 2nd Edition Blood Angels army writ large . Because while I've no doubt Apologist *could* have spent untold upteen hours individually carving down the knees so as to add circular kneepads, and hollowing out the thigh-plates so as to build the exoskeletal bracing .. I'm not sure how much more 'terminator-y' the resultant miniatures would have been as a result. 

 

This is also partially an artistic license thing as well - there's a whole host of undeniably classic 40k art wherein various of the Marines depicted aren't in any form of armour that's directly recognizable as 'proper' mark whatever (nor wielding weapons of patterns that're available in plastic, metal, or resin) ... and within certain broad parameters, we accept this - because the 'feel' is right ; because we can tell what it 'correlates to' on the tabletop or in more established renditions, even if it's not an exact match. And it looks really cool doing it. [Oddly enough, it's actually Karl Kopinski rather than John Blanche who tends to do this sort of thing - perhaps it's his historical style creeping in, or maybe it's that with Blanche, he's a lot closer to the design studio so they're working off *his* renditions to design models rather than the other way around. Or all of the above and then some, who knows.] 

 

In any case, between the helms and the pauldrons, and other stylings above the waist - they definitely look fairly unmistakably Indomitus-esque to me. Evidently just with some artificer especial atttention to the areas southwards thereof by the Chapter's forge. 

 

Individual tastes and favourability towards this approach may, of course, vary. 

[Closet Skeleton]

 

Can confirm that there was at least one old 2e terminator squad officially done with matching hazard-stripe marking on the power fists. 

 

I have no idea why it's so hard to find this box image on the net; most of the stuff on image search is the other (presumably metal rather than plastic) box with the chainfists and assault canon - where there's still hazard striping on both the chainfists and the powerfists, albeit in different places on each. 

 

Although the official Blood Angels Terminators rendition of the era (the same iirc plastic terminators and sergeant) has them with black fists with a white drop marking and red digits.

 

I was going off the Ultramarines codex which only has metal terminators. I was too busy looking at Tyranid and Fantasy box art in the 90s to remember the marines . The BA terminators in the 2nd ed rulebook also have stripes on all their fists but there's a lot of 1e models in that colour section including the Apothecary Standard bearer and a Zoat fighting that beakie BA devastator squad so I think its just the White Dwarf BA army.

 

I remember Hazard striples on chainswords also being common but in the Ultramarines book its only that chainfist blade that has one and there's none in the 2e rulebook or DA/BA codex. Stripes on pistols seem more common.

[Sandalphon]

These are just so nostalgic and amazingly executed. I saw a painter called 'tears of envy' and it made me think of this strike force (because it creates said tears)... stunning.

Re the hazard striping, as people have been saying it's been present and varied since terminators were released and often the 'EM team applied it to both PF's, CF's and SB's depending on who was painting.

On that note - Is this the box (RTB09) people are looking for? I thankfully still have it, and the contents! and i'd say you have more than done the re-scaled versions justice.

I have been debating for years whether or not i recreate the box art or absorb them into my first, (with the black and gold DA armour scheme on the back)..but remain undecided, and keep getting sidetracked.. i have to say the beauty of your BA is making me lean in that direction again!

[apologist]

I keep losing track of this thread and needing to catch up. Always great to see your progress

Thanks bluntblade. I'm very pleased to say that I have now finished building everything I need; so the posts over the next few weeks should be building up to a climax.

 

the models look great but aren't those Tartaros legs on the Indomitus pattern terminators? Why not build proper Tartaros (and Indomitus) Terminators?

Thanks Quixus – cheers for the feedback and that's a good question; one I'll address below.

 

 

the models look great but aren't those Tartaros legs on the Indomitus pattern terminators? Why not build proper Tartaros (and Indomitus) Terminators?

Those are Aquilon terminator legs he's used. They're a fair bit bigger than the 'standard' marine terminator legs and bodies - hence why his truescale terminators are bigger than Primaris marines for height and breadth. They do share some commonalities with the (regular scale) Tartaros legs, to be sure; although are also more baroque and gracefully lined - quite fitting for the IXth. 

 

There's not really an easy way to make Indomitus truescales at the moment - closest I can think of is Abaddon and maybe Horus ; although I've also seen some attempts built from reworked Gravis armour from time to time. And I have to say - these are the best truescale terminators I think I've seen anybody do that aren't obvious 'one offs' for some character. 

 

Part of the difficulty of truescaling is that you're never going  to get various details exactly mirroring the smaller 'official' renditions of things - without far too much work for it to be worth it, in various cases. So we tend to accept 'near enough' results using cataphractii legs for Mk.III, and tartaros legs for Mk.VI. [well .. I do, anyway - with the new Mk.X kits around, a few people like Apologist are taking knife-to-plastic and carving down knees and  things to greaves as you can see here] 

 

Or, in this case, Aquilon legs looking a bit more Tartaros-esque than the Indomitus they'd in theory actually be if this really were a 2nd Edition Blood Angels army writ large . Because while I've no doubt Apologist *could* have spent untold upteen hours individually carving down the knees so as to add circular kneepads, and hollowing out the thigh-plates so as to build the exoskeletal bracing .. I'm not sure how much more 'terminator-y' the resultant miniatures would have been as a result. 

 

This is also partially an artistic license thing as well - there's a whole host of undeniably classic 40k art wherein various of the Marines depicted aren't in any form of armour that's directly recognizable as 'proper' mark whatever (nor wielding weapons of patterns that're available in plastic, metal, or resin) ... and within certain broad parameters, we accept this - because the 'feel' is right ; because we can tell what it 'correlates to' on the tabletop or in more established renditions, even if it's not an exact match. And it looks really cool doing it. [Oddly enough, it's actually Karl Kopinski rather than John Blanche who tends to do this sort of thing - perhaps it's his historical style creeping in, or maybe it's that with Blanche, he's a lot closer to the design studio so they're working off *his* renditions to design models rather than the other way around. Or all of the above and then some, who knows.] 

 

In any case, between the helms and the pauldrons, and other stylings above the waist - they definitely look fairly unmistakably Indomitus-esque to me. Evidently just with some artificer especial atttention to the areas southwards thereof by the Chapter's forge. 

 

Individual tastes and favourability towards this approach may, of course, vary. 

 

 

You're far too kind, Ryltar! That pretty much sums things up. I would add that, like much in 40k, there are multiple truths here. Firstly, practicality. I'm not going to pretend that there wasn't an aspect of compromise for the sake of ease in choosing to leave the legs largely unmodified from their Aquilon roots. My hobby time is rather limited, so I have had to make peace with occasional 'that'll do-ism' in order to strike a balance between the good and the unreachable perfect 

 

Having said that, it's not pure laziness. I did want to reflect the opulent, highly-artificed nature of the Blood Angels, and the sculptural lines of the legs suited them well. In contrast, my Ultramarines Captain Aethon (built for the Betrayal at Calth boardgame) has the rear of his legs converted to 'proper' Cataphractii armour, as I wanted a more pragmatic feel to him. Sadly I then put a cloak on him, so most of the hard work is hidden(!); but I know it's there. 

 

Finally, I think Ryltar Thamior's point about artistic license is particularly worth expanding on. I think converting space marines places hobbyists on a spectrum of preference, with pure creativity on one end and perfect accuracy on the other. While I can see the appeal of 'rivet-counting' accuracy; matching artwork and lore to get an immediately identifiable figure (indeed, as the techmarine above shows, I do it myself sometimes); I also have a great love for expanding upon and riffing off the material that exists.

 

In my mind, the 40k universe is vastly larger and more complex than we see reflected in the models or background. Given the scale, it's almost an inevitability. I find it unlikely that – for example – Space Marines armour marks are anything like as simple and coherent in-universe as they are to us. I imagine Space Marine armouries are more akin to mediaeval workshops or car manufacturers of the early 20th century than the bulk factories of the modern world; producing and altering one-off personalised suits rather than identikit equipment in a production line.

 

Add to that the sheer scales of time, the religious trappings around maintenance, and the tiny variances between the many hundreds of Forge Worlds, and I don't think that any two marines would ever really look identical. Consider the example of real-world armour (or weapons):

 

Mediaeval breastplate development (note the telling statement 'commoner forms'!)

 

The labels we put on these things tend to be retrospective. A knight would ask his armourer to make a breastplate, rather than a 'globose plastron'. Similarly, the blacksmith would just make the best one he could; according to the preferences at the time. He's not going to think in terms of Mark II. Even if a 40k-armourer did, it's going to be drowned in minuteae – the X period, from Y manufactorum of Z forgeworld; worn by A hero in B battle and repaired in M year by N famous artificer...

 

For those reasons, I don't think that 'perfect accuracy' really reflects the reality of 40k. Even the Great Crusade period reflects this, with specialist armour marks appearing for different legions. (Hell, as I never fail to mention when the opportunity comes up, such is my geek-pride, I even got one named after my Ultramarines, in the form of Praetor armour  being named thus in Dan Abnett's Know No Fear as an easter egg). While I think the HH setting makes more sense for sticking to established rules and aesthetics – hobbyists like Anvils of Konor do it exceptionally well, for example – even here I think a hodge-podge of patchwork plates works equally well.

 

I'm aware that my preferences are just that – my preferences; and that's part of the reason why I picked a 'blank spot' in 40k history to develop. I set this army in the Nova Terra Interregnum in order that I could explore the ideas outlined above.

 

I hope that clarifies things, Quixus – and as I say, I do very much appreciate the feedback and constructive criticism. The above explanation covers most of it, but as I say, sometimes it is done for the sake of ease... and in those cases I very much appreciate the occasional nudge to ensure I don't just get lazy.

 

In this particular example, you and Ryltar Thamior have got my mind ticking over. Can I make a 'proper' suit of Indomitus armour? Hmm... well, let's wait and see

 

 

These are just so nostalgic and amazingly executed. I saw a painter called 'tears of envy' and it made me think of this strike force (because it creates said tears)... stunning.

 

Re the hazard striping, as people have been saying it's been present and varied since terminators were released and often the 'EM team applied it to both PF's, CF's and SB's depending on who was painting.

 

On that note - Is this the box (RTB09) people are looking for? I thankfully still have it, and the contents! and i'd say you have more than done the re-scaled versions justice.

 

I have been debating for years whether or not i recreate the box art or absorb them into my first, (with the black and gold DA armour scheme on the back)..but remain undecided, and keep getting sidetracked..  i have to say the beauty of your BA is making me lean in that direction again!

 

Thanks Sandalphon – much appreciated. On a personal note, I'd love to see those Terminators worked up in the black Dark Angels scheme. If you're looking for an excuse, then the Alien Wars of the Nova Terra Interregnum offer a great reason – perhaps this marks a period when the Deathwing were wearing black for some reason?

 

As hinted at above, the setting is specifically designed to reintroduce or blend old or retconned material in with the modern setting.

Edited October 15, 2020 by apologist

[apologist]

+ Apothecary of the Third Host +

 

 

Following on from the reimagined techmarine, here's the army's medic – a Blood Angel apothecary. Along with a lieutenant, a librarian and a chaplain, you had to include at least one apothecary in your army.

 

Whereas the techmarine was an attempt to copy the pose of a classic as closely as possible, here I've adhered less closely to the original model – though I have aimed to make it clearly reminiscent of the original through details.

 

The original

 

There were two core reasons to my decision here. Firstly, that banner. It is lovely; but it always struck me as odd that the medic held it. Secondly as with the techmarine, I wasn't too fond of the original sculpt. In fact, besides the detail on the pads, none of the classic medics really had much that made them scream 'medical officer'. With a different scheme, they could easily be just another soldier in the line. Such aesthetics are great for the real world – after all, you probably don't want officers and specialists standing out – but I like the greebling that 40k adds to figures.

 

 

 

My interpretation saw me keep the chainsword armament, mark VI armour and slightly left-weighted posture. The banner was reduced to a back banner, and I gave him some robes of office along with some apothecary equipment. He's intended to be a halfway house between the current sculpts and the classic one; so he shares details with both. While he has a forearm mounted reductor and belt accessories, his backpack is a standard one, for example. Similarly, his helm has no additional optics like the modern sculpts. I did toy with that, but decided that it overlapped too much with the techmarine.

 

 

 

The pose is relaxed but alert. In losing the banner, I had the option of giving him a hand weapon. I opted not to do this, as I felt it made him look too much like a front-lines fighter. An open hand felt more appropriate, and nods to the original.

 

 

 

Another nod to the original sculpt is the hand flamer. Clipped off to allow the medic to hold the giant banner, I thought it would be a fun detail to return his weapon to him after thirty years!

 

 

 

Dark Angel Master Lazarus was the donor kit for the front of the body. Since I didn't want to include a full cape, it necessitated sculpting the back half of the torso and his arse. The detail is mostly hidden – which is forgiving. My sculpting's not the best, so it's nice to practise on areas like this which are not hugely visible in the finished model. The cape that he originally wore swooped over the leg you can see here, necessitating a bit of repair work on the pistol grip and holster, which is not sculpted in the original. Similarly, I filled in the semi-circles on the corners of the greaves left by the removal of the ankle details. I don't always do this, as I quite like the clean mark it creates, but here it felt right to clean up a bit more than usual. 

 

 

 

This detail shows the banner top that I originally had on him. The characters and sergeants have, thus far, all had unique banner tops. A comment from cowboyjesus on Instagram suggested that I match the banner top of the original – and who am I to reject advice from the (rootin' tootin' gunslingin') Son of Man?

 

 

 

I think the suggestion improves the result, tying it closer to the original, so thanks for the idea. The banner top here is still unique – the wings are carved from another banner top and attached to the blood drop from the haloed original.

 

+ Theoretical +

In losing the big banner, the figure becomes less of a focal point for the army, so one of my first additions will be a dedicated Ancient. These specialist banner bearers didn't exist in the Rogue Trader period in any 'crunch' terms, but since they exist now it seems a fitting addition. Here, the anonymity of the original sculpts should prove a benefit – perhaps I'll create a banner bearer that matches the pose of the original. In this way Tim Prow's model from the GW studio army will prove the seed of two new figures.

[Lienna]

I love that army shot. At a glance it looks just like it came from a 199x white dwarf. Then you look closer and all the little details and paint job tell the story of how far this hobby has come!

 

Absolutely outstanding!

[Xin Ceithan]

Superb work on the Apothecary. Now, could you make FW please ad this one to their range of alternate armour mk Apothecaries!

 

Bonus points for including the hand flamer. Always a nice option to have when you run out of desinfection agent - or into an enemy. It's nice to have options.

 

The relaxed pose is probably my favorite part... totally the quiet veteran, just waiting for the next poor frater to be patched up. Love it!

[Pearson73]

Super cool pose for the apothecary, lots of cool details in there too. The army shot looks cracking too, always good to see an army coming together and mustered for war.

[HvitrValdyr]

Hell, as I never fail to mention when the opportunity comes up, such is my geek-pride, I even got one named after my Ultramarines, in the form of Praetor armour :) being named thus in Dan Abnett's Know No Fear as an easter egg). :)

I literally just started reading this and wondered what the praetor pattern helmet looked like.

[apologist]

 

Hell, as I never fail to mention when the opportunity comes up, such is my geek-pride, I even got one named after my Ultramarines, in the form of Praetor armour being named thus in Dan Abnett's Know No Fear as an easter egg).

I literally just started reading this and wondered what the praetor pattern helmet looked like.

Voila – you can see the Praetors of Calth here: Brother Eumon of the Fellwas the first I made. Hope you like!

 

 

 

The inspiration is from the seminal artbook Visions of Heresy.

http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/76/1939f547435e419d8d7b73eef00f69e1/l.jpg

 

That picture got me started on truescaling in the first place :)

Edited October 16, 2020 by apologist

[Slave to Darkness]

Love the medics pose, shame he wont have a huge banner, but I see why you aint doing it. Im just a sucker for a large banner :lol:

[BadgersinHills]

Looking great! What arms did you use for the Apothecary? I'd like to have a similar pose for a Judiciar of some sort. 

[apologist]

I love that army shot. At a glance it looks just like it came from a 199x white dwarf. Then you look closer and all the little details and paint job tell the story of how far this hobby has come! Absolutely outstanding!

 

I'll count that as a succes, then – thanks for the kind words. I'm looking forward to having the whole army done and getting it set up on a classic green board

 

Superb work on the Apothecary. Now, could you make FW please ad this one to their range of alternate armour mk Apothecaries!

Bonus points for including the hand flamer. Always a nice option to have when you run out of desinfection agent - or into an enemy. It's nice to have options.

The relaxed pose is probably my favorite part... totally the quiet veteran, just waiting for the next poor frater to be patched up. Love it!

 

Yeah, I was pleased with the relaxed posture. I think that's part of the reward of conversions; you have a vision before you begin, but it's not 'til you set it down at the end that you find out how closely it aligns. Here, my plan was quite vague – basically 'make the front of this figure work by putting other bits on – so it was a pleasant surprise to set him down and see a medic.

 

Super cool pose for the apothecary, lots of cool details in there too. The army shot looks cracking too, always good to see an army coming together and mustered for war.

 

Very kind, thanks. Looking forward to getting these on the table at some point.

 

 

Love the medics pose, shame he wont have a huge banner, but I see why you aint doing it. Im just a sucker for a large banner

 

Me too – I do love a good flag, as the rest of the army shows! I'm looking forward to building the Ancient; and perhaps some serf banner bearers, too.

 

 

Looking great! What arms did you use for the Apothecary? I'd like to have a similar pose for a Judiciar of some sort. 

Alas, I've no idea. I tend to just select bits from a big pile of sprues and bits I have. I'll see if I can find something similar and let you know. 

+Edit+

I think the arm is from one of the Dark Imperium Easy-build marines; just crooked at a right angle.

Edited October 16, 2020 by apologist

[apologist]

Though workers of iniquity may consume my eyes and waste my flesh,

Though sinful agency weary my body and spoil my works,

I remain faithful to the ideals of my Lord,

Still I shall rely on my Lord to direct and guide me,

And though I die, I shall die knowing neither defeat, despair nor dereliction of duty

Great Angels! In his name! Sanguinius!

 

 – The Dirige Conspectu of the Blood Angels; known as the Lament of the Lost –

 

[Slave to Darkness]

 

Though workers of iniquity may consume my eyes and waste my flesh,

Though sinful agency weary my body and spoil my works,

I remain faithful to the ideals of my Lord,

Still I shall rely on my Lord to direct and guide me,

And though I die, I shall die knowing neither defeat, despair nor dereliction of duty

Great Angels! In his name! Sanguinius!

 

 – The Dirige Conspectu of the Blood Angels; known as the Lament of the Lost –

 

 

Could it be the adult version of one of my fave minis?? 

[Ryltar Thamior]

I predict this is going to lead to an interesting side--pastime of people attempting to spot the classic miniatures Apologist is referencing in his builds , before he posts the confirmations 

[Slave to Darkness]

I predict at some point he gets the urge to do an updated version of this sexy lil number with the power fist. 

[BadgersinHills]

Love the Chaplain! He looks like a grim man, you've perfectly captured the feel a Chaplain has. 

 

Thanks for the information about the arm! :) 

[StratoKhan]

That Chaplain is quite amazing, am I right in thinking that you sculpted the skull face?

It’s really great. Some Chaplains have quite cartoony skull helmets, this one is anything but.

Great work!

[apologist]

That Chaplain is quite amazing, am I right in thinking that you sculpted the skull face?

It’s really great. Some Chaplains have quite cartoony skull helmets, this one is anything but.

Great work!

Thanks very much – and yes, the skull mask is sculpted on top of a Sanguinary Guard helm – one of the ones with a grille, rather than the sculpted faces. 

 

Love the Chaplain! He looks like a grim man, you've perfectly captured the feel a Chaplain has. 

Thanks for the information about the arm!

Not at all – hope it comes in handy.

 

I predict at some point he gets the urge to do an updated version of this sexy lil number with the power fist. 

 

I really do need to have a think about where to go for future expansion. I do very much like the 2nd edition sergeants, so maybe I'll give it a go. Thanks for the prompt

 

I predict this is going to lead to an interesting side--pastime of people attempting to spot the classic miniatures Apologist is referencing in his builds , before he posts the confirmations 

Ha! That's a fun idea. In fact, I really like the idea! Perhaps people could post up ideas for classic figures they'd like to see my try to update in the thread? I can't promise I'll get round to them all, but it'd be a great way to get some variety. 

 

I do talk a bit about this in a blogpost on my orks, if you'd like to read a bit more about how I go about doing my retrohammer updates.

 

 

 

Could it be the adult version of one of my fave minis?? 

 

 

 

 

 

That's certainly the intention. As you see below, my model is the result of common inspiration – it's a combination of elements of Dave Gallagher's artwork:

 

... and the Chaplain from the original army:

 

The Death Company Chaplain was – I suspect, judging by the helm style and various details – a similar combination. It's a good example of how the retrohammer concept, of using classic inspiration to inform modern conversions, works in practice. 

 

+++

 

+ Building the Chaplain  +

David Gallagher's artwork of Blood Angels fighting genestealers inspired my Captain Tycho, and it includes this interesting character, too – a silver-armoured Chaplain. In terms of miniatures and paint schemes, Chaplains have always been black, so he's a very distinctive figure that stands out beautifully against both the red of the line troops and the black of the Death Company. 

 

Part of the joy of exploring the Nova Terra Interregnum is that it's largely uncharted. Who's to say that – for whatever reason – Blood Angels Chaplains weren't routinely silver at this time? It's a perfect excuse to try something new out.

 

 

The cape is from the Dark Angels Master Lazarus figure. I used the front on the Apothecary ; I never like cool pieces to go to waste. It's attached to an easy-build marine, which demonstrates it's not about throwing money at a problem, but about finding the right pieces.

 

 

 

The rest of the build is relatively straightforward. A period backpack fits nicely in the project.

 

 

The weapons were picked to evoke the artwork – the boltgun is an Umbra pattern one (the modern take on the 2nd ed. boltgun). The only modification I've made here was to slightly shorten the barrel to better match the artwork. The crozius is a thunder hammer haft from the Mark III marine set, with a banner top from the Command squad on top. I've added a tiny ruby blood drop below the skull. The scale's slightly off the artwork, but the principle elements are thus still there.

 

 

The head's the obvious big difference. I started with a head from the Sanguinary Guard kit and trimmed down the top of the head and 'brow' of the helmet, before sculpting the skull on top. The eye lenses and grille of the original helm was left in place to give fine detail. The latter part works as a hint of teeth; and – I hope – helps it to read as a sculpted helmet rather than a literal skull.

 

I added a couple of purity seals and details to the belt. This area's not visible in the artwork so, as with the cape, I decided to improvise and riff off what was there. I think the cape's a good addition – he would have looked too plain without it. Looking back on it, I'm tempted to add the additional details on the legs – what do you reckon?

 

+ Theoretical +

Pleasingly – and slightly intimidatingly – the completion of the Chaplain means that the entire army is now built.

Painting next, then. Left to complete from the basic army are:

• Techmarine
• Apothecary
• Chaplain
• Land Speeder.

I'm a bit undecided on whether to try non-metallic metal silver or metallic paints for the Chaplain. What are your thoughts? 

Edited October 19, 2020 by apologist

[BadgersinHills]

Great stuff!! Try NMM. :) :)