WIP/PLOG:The Joy of =][= Painting (Updt: 2 Jun - Crusader)

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Well folks, after a while experiencing some hobby burnout, I'm finally feeling the enthusiasm to get back in the saddle and get serious about finishing up the Ordo Hereticus strikeforce led by Lord Inquisitor Soulis, the Saviour of Valka, and long-time tabletop alter-ego of yours truly since some of my earliest days with the hobby. This force started out as an auxilliary force to my Imperial Guard regiment, the Emperor's Own Valkan Rifles, but I am making the push to make a full-blown Inquisition/Scion/Ecclesiarchy force ... failing to do so during the halcyon days of Codex: Witch Hunters has been one of my greatest hobby regrets so time to rectify this now that such a force is again legal thanks to 8th edition.

So I am starting with a new version of Lord Inquisitor Soulis himself, who will now be using the rules and a converted model of Inquisitor Karamazov. Since I can't buff him with retinue like in the good old days, this is the best way I can get a half-way competent in close combat Soulis. I'm also going to enlarge his 2-man crusader retinue of 6th edition codex fame into a 6-man unit.

I got started last night:

Unfortunately my bitz box has gotten rather large (and dispersed over a few boxed) and it took me all evening last night to round up my Forgeworld etched brass =][= stuff, my old faithful Bretonnian men-at-arms box, the Grey Knight swords I bought on eBay, a metal crusader, and some other bitz. The crusaders will be similar to the two chaps on the right:

As for Soulis himself, I'm going to at minimum do a head swap, or am contemplating even chopping the current Soulis (who is no longer game-legal) off at the waste because its one of my best paintjobs and I'm concerned I won't be able to replicate it, and attaching that to Karamazov's lower body:

Either way, we're talking about an Inquisitor hat on a Sanguinary Guard head. Then the multimelta servitor will become a Scion manning the multimelta. I'm just not a huge fan of that servitor. The rest will stay the same, although Soulis' Throne of Judgement will be gold, not faux marble.

[Captain_Krash]

Now this is going to be great!!! Can't wait to see more acolytes!!!

 

Krash

[SlangWhanger]

Looking forward to seeing where this goes! But why is Soulis no longer legal? Force/power swords are still a thing...

 

And whilst it is a great paint job, that's too cool a model to chop up!

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

He’s wearing power armour so the illegality comes from there but I guess it could be carapace. I line for the days when he had a Rosarius in 3rd and he will again riding into battle on his throne!

[CaptainHelion]

There's nothing stopping you from running him with power armour! The Datasheet doesn't tell you what his armour is, just that he gets a 4+ save. So you can have him in power armour, in a t-shirt and jeans, whatever. And he'll get a 4+ save from it.

[Plasmablasts]

Agreed: he could easily pass as wearing a particularly ornate suit of carapace armour, so please don’t feel obliged to take a hacksaw to such a handsome model!

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Thanks for the encouragement, brothers.

 

Part of the reason I want to cut up the old Soulis model is because it turned out so well and I'm not sure I'll do that well again. But you are probably right, I may want to field him on foot sometimes so I should keep the model. Plus who knows, maybe GW will one day do us inquisitors a solid and give us back a bunch of the options we used to have like artificer armour? One can dream, but unless they come out with new kits (man do I miss 3rd edition when they ridid a bunch of the "fringe" armies instead of just new marine stuff all day every day) it is not likely.

 

Hopefully I get some time to start converting this weekend!

 

Also, as a preview, I am planning a second squad of crusaders who will ride with one of my Tempestor Primes and his command squad in a Chimera. For that crusader squad, I am planning on using Scion models with power swords and either these or these. I'm having a really hard time deciding. What do you think? Or does anyone have alternate suggestions? In any event, I can agonize over that choice while I kitbash the Bretonnian man-at-arms-based Crusader squad.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Well, it took be a surprisingly long time to source all the bitz I need from my bitz boxes and a few other places (for example, Lord Inquisitor Soulis' head was in with some Praetorian Guard Scions I was building because I was going to have one of them helmetless and with a bionic eye), but I think I've finally got what I need:

My two existing crusaders have those IG skull shoulder pads, and fortunately I found three in my bitz box. Also three old school WFB Empire Knightly Order heads and swords. Most importantly, the pi

[WarriorFish]

Good to see you working on Soulis again :tu: I look forward to seeing him resplendent in his fancy hat ;)

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Last night I made some more progress. This was the most stressful part of the conversion, because I was worried about screwing up and I had only the one head and the one hat. I think it worked out well:

Not perfect, but "good enough". The hat is sitting a little high on his head but it is growing on me. I have now started constructing the throne. It is not the easiest kit to construct but thank the Emperor it's not metal. Plastic would be much better. We shall persevere, however!

[librisrouge]

Do you have any experience using Karam...Soulis in battle? I've always wanted to use mine but he seems fairly expensive for what you get and I'd love some alternative opinions.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

No I have zero experience with him on the tabletop ... but I’ve loved the model for years and never bought it because the inter webs always say he’s not worth it. I finally just said “to the warp with it I’m buying the model and using it!”

[librisrouge]

Cool, let me know how it goes. I’m determined to start using my inquisition on the table more but I’m favoring a Terminator Malleus man over Karamazov.

 

-The Eye That Sleepeth Not-

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

It's been a while, but I finally have some progress to share. I debated, procrastinated, and ruminated over what to do with the multimelta servitor. After a couple failed attempts I came up with what we see below, which I am satisfied with:

So Soulis and his throne is coming together nicely. I'll mount it on the legs hopefully tonight and get the final banners and such attached. I'm on the fence about the torches ... they are slightly warped and are rather thin, I'm really not sure I can get them to look right. I also have a purity seal for Soulis' right shoulder (he has the same shoulder pad but with a purity seal on his power armour version), but I can't quite get it to look right so I may skip it in this incarnation.

[librisrouge]

I really dig how that turned out dude. Rock on.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Cheers, librisrouge!

I was able to spend a bit more time on him this evening, and I'd say he's ready for undercoating:

[walter h]

Thank you! I have Karamozov,and the melta servitor didn't fit my vision and I considered what I would work.I want to borrow your idea.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Go for it!

 

I used the door gunner from the Valkyrie kit for the legs if you were wondering. I’m quite happy with how he turned out. I never really liked that servitor. For Soulis that’s a bit too grimdark.

[walter h]

I was, wondering now I can see it . You really did a great job on this.You should enter this in BCK's challenge,but he hasn't done the Character challenge yet.

[Plasmablasts]

Great work!

[WarriorFish]

Great work Nico, really makes the model your own :tu:

[Vel'Cona]

You have chosen the best hat, by far.  The MT swap-in for the gunner makes sense, as well.  I'm surprised how clean of a cast you got for your Throne of Judgement.  Was that the first one you ordered?

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

It was the first one although I didn’t even order it I just picked it up at FLGS where it had been sitting so long it still had a price tag from several years ago.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

I vowed some Crusaders for the Astra Militarum painting event, that will be part of Lord Inquisitor Soulis' retinue:

[Crizza]

Cheers, librisrouge!

I was able to spend a bit more time on him this evening, and I'd say he's ready for undercoating:

Now imagine this with a Custodes Dread:D