Firstborn Templars

[Brother Christopher]

@Firedrake Cordova, I watched the content that you recommended. It does seem very nice - the results are quite stunning; however, I am DETERMINED not to make use of them, at least for my OG Marines. His method seems quite time-consuming - don't get me wrong, I like the final result but I intend to streamline and hasten my process.

 

On 1/17/2023 at 6:23 PM, Firedrake Cordova said:

Ah, that's a shame - there's masses of wonderful content on there, from beginner-level stuff up to Golden Daemon winners like Richard Grey and Trovarion. Although, I'll admit it's easy to spend 10 hours watching tutorials and 0 minutes painting because of it..! 

 

Haha, so it does! There is something almost mesmerising about watching skilled people do what they're good at. Simiarly to professional sports, with the limited time for my hobbies, I prefer to make the effort to actually do stuff instead of getting lost in the amazing aspect of the Internet, being passionate people showing how they go about doing stuff they're good at.

 

In other news, I managed to finish some more models:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brother Christopher]

More models. Black Templar Honour Guard / Sword Brethren based on the OOP Ultramarines HG.

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

[sockwithaticket]

Good job Templar-ifying those two, they'll fit right in with the crusade.

[Brother Christopher]

On 2/5/2023 at 11:07 PM, sockwithaticket said:

Good job Templar-ifying those two, they'll fit right in with the crusade.

 

Thanks mate for leaving a comment! I'm glad you like them!

 

More mostly OOP stuff:

 

3 metal scouts and one plastic scout with a custom head (I wanted to try a non-scout head, I think this one is from the Vanguard Vets box):

 

 

And an attack bike with the 3rd (?) edition metal side car:

 

 

[Brother Christopher]

More painted models:

 

Initiate Bike Squad

 

 

 

Metal Space Marine Chaplain with Skull Helmet (such a lovely, classic model! one of my all-time favourite chaplains, right next to the metal TDA Chappy):

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice work  

 

18 hours ago, Brother Christopher said:

Metal Space Marine Chaplain with Skull Helmet (such a lovely, classic model! one of my all-time favourite chaplains, right next to the metal TDA Chappy):

Ah, my two favourite Chaplain models, too!

[Warden-Paints]

Chaplain and the Vets look amazing, all the best aspects of firstborn on display here, what a great looking army. 

[Brother Christopher]

On 4/1/2023 at 6:00 PM, Warden-Paints said:

Chaplain and the Vets look amazing, all the best aspects of firstborn on display here, what a great looking army. 

 

Thanks mate! I do hope to finish my army one day. Though the constant threat of them becoming obsolete, as well as reading that the models are clearly inferior to the Primaris rane sometimes makes me feel bad and demotivated to work on my collection. After all, I'd like to see my skills applied to modern minis. Alas, my fate is intertwined with oldmarines.

 

Speaking of oldmarines, in terms of my collection, it doesn't get any older than this:

OOP Metal Emperor's Champion, c.a. 3rd Edition. A piece of BT history.

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Ah, I remember that guy! (I have one somewhere ) Wasn't he a limited edition model to boot?

 

30 minutes ago, Brother Christopher said:

Though the constant threat of them becoming obsolete, as well as reading that the models are clearly inferior to the Primaris rane sometimes makes me feel bad and demotivated to work on my collection.

Paint the minis you like, and don't listen to others.  Ultimately, it's all personal preference (e.g. whilst the new Primaris models are technically better sculpts, I prefer the aesthetics of the older models - others disagree, and that's fine )

[Brother Christopher]

Thanks! I mean, I know that what you're saying is good advice but sometimes the reality of my backlog is a bit overwhelming. The rumours of GW moving Land Speeders and Dreadnoughts to legends was surprisingly depressing. Even though it's just a rumour, it seems more like a possible eventuality than an unfunny joke.

 

I do appreciate your comment, though. I feel the same way about the difference in aesthetics/technical quality between the old and new model ranges.

 

***

For the next model(s), I think it's about time to do something on the Terminator front. With the new Terminators on the horizon, it's about time I deal with some of my Terminator HQs.

 

Parallel to that, I'll be working on a conversion of my two Storm Talons (after all those years, I decided to redo the front bit, i.e. guns and landing pads) and start painting the Thunderhawk. Even though the feeling of futility of my efforts tries to get the better of me, I'm determined to finish the soon-to-be obsolete army either way (dramatic over-exaggeration intended).

[Firedrake Cordova]

Terminators sound good - everyone loves Terminators, right?  

 

I don't know if it's any help, but if you've got a large task, it's very easy to just sit there, look at it, not know where to start, and never start - sometimes it's best just to pick something and do that; if you do it a few times, you find said task magically got smaller  

 

22 hours ago, Brother Christopher said:

The rumours of GW moving Land Speeders and Dreadnoughts to legends was surprisingly depressing. Even though it's just a rumour, it seems more like a possible eventuality than an unfunny joke.

It's surprising how attached we get to things which we shouldn't really. I grew up on WHFB, and have been through the loop a few times, so I know (and feel) where you're coming from! Do you have a regular gaming group who would be happy with using "Legends" units? Or one which would be open to trying older rulesets (I still like 2nd edition due to the vehicle rules), or an alternative ruleset (e.g. One Page Rules) that would allow you to use them?

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Firedrake Cordova

[Brother Christopher]

8 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

(...) sometimes it's best just to pick something and do that; if you do it a few times, you find said task magically got smaller  

 

This is my reasoning right now. Also, the last couple of painting projects were driven by reason - stuff that I felt I needed to do, like the OOP scouts or SM Bikes. Terminator HQs is something completely different. I have a couple of conversion ideas that I wanted to implement. Also, the Terminator HQ project will initially be super annoying. I don't know why I care, but I just can't stop: I want to 'future proof' these HQs and intend to prepare a wide array of weapon options just in case I'll get back to gaming and there's a particularly appealing loadout. This means I'll have to work with magnets - something I see as a necessary evil. I find magnets fiddly but, alas, they are useful...

 

Yesterday I made a thorough search and itemisation of the available terminator bodies and bits. It took me way more time than I care to admit but I feel I'm done with planning and am set to start working on fitting the magnets and doing other conversion work.

  

8 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

It's surprising how attached we get to things which we shouldn't really. I grew up on WHFB, and have been through the loop a few times, so I know (and feel) where you're coming from!

 

Luckily this is something that didn't affect me but I can emphatise with you. What GW did was unacceptable and a grim reminder of what they can do. Also, them making a turn now (with the to-be-reainmated WHFB) is somewhat disgusting in that light. Having said that, I do hope that the revived Old World is great.

 

8 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Do you have a regular gaming group who would be happy with using "Legends" units? Or one which would be open to trying older rulesets (I still like 2nd edition due to the vehicle rules), or an alternative ruleset (e.g. One Page Rules) that would allow you to use them?

 

To be honest, I'm more of thinker/whiner than someone who's actually concerned. This has a lot to do with my more general worldview.

 

I'm not worried about how GW's decision may affect my gaming. I think that I won't find it difficult to find mates to play using proxies, "Legends" rules or to use OnePageRules (something that I haven't tried yet but am very much looking forward to). The thing that sometimes gets me down is a sense of... (pardon the over-dramatic and solemn words) injustice or unfairness. When I bought the models, I operated under the assumption that GW is a company who will support their products - after all, it's the bare minimum one can expect. Them relegating some of the models (any models) to "Legends" is something I perceive as a betrayal of the consumer's trust. It's a matter of principles.

 

I don't really want to get into this in detail not to derail my own thread but I've taken issue with GW's policies (marketing, sales strategies, pricing and rules) for a long time. As such, I've been focusing over the last couple of years on fixing the mistakes of my more naive, optimistic past self by working on the largish collection of models. I enjoy it most of the time but I also sometimes feel that working on outdated models, often using outdated methods (greenstuff or plasticard in the era of 3D printing) is a wasted effort.

 

 

[Brother Christopher]

On the topic of outdated methods and wasted effort... I am still working on a bunch of Terminators, including my Terminator Marshal. I struggled to get them done for the better part of last week but they're almost done. I did most of the conversions (green stuff), I added some custom bling (which took ages because of how small and fiddly the bits are and how rubbish I am with superglue) and I fitted the magnets for the swappable arms. I am left with some finishing touches: removing mould lines, adding shoulder pads and removing/replacing non-BT iconography and am set to FINALLY PRIME THESE TERMINATORS!

 

This little project reinforces my determination to get over the conversion stage of my hobby and solidified my resolve not to get new stuff to convert. It proves to just be too time-consuming!

 

I must be impaired in some capacity since it takes ma ages to prep the model(s). To see so little progress take so much of my time is quite demotivating and mentally draining but I'm really excited about finally getting around to painting these guys. However, the negative experiences of these past few days are very valuable: as I said above, it really helps me focus on the ultimate goal (a painted army) and avoid getting distracted by (ideas of) new projects.

 

I find it also surprisingly difficult to come to terms that my involvement in 40k is coming to a close. Not and end, since I am quite set on refocusing on gaming in the forceable future, but to a close. The thought of finiteness of my collection: of not adding anything or not starting new projects is both soothing and disturbing. Apparently, buying new things and thinking about cool conversions are such a huge part of the hobby that missing out on them leaves a strange sense of hollowness.

[Brother Christopher]

And here's the photo update:

 

 

The arms are magnetised to 'future proof' my army, if that makes any sense considering the size of the models.

 

This, I think, is a BA Captain:

 

I removed most of the tears and replaced them with skulls, for a more generic feel. I decided to leave the tear/drop on the tilt shield, though.

 

Here's the base for my standard bearer with some clunky DIY conversion - lantern with candles and rubbish chains:

 

 

Considering how much time it took me to do this... yeah, that's a bit depressing :D It's also the valuable lesson that I mentioned before: no more conversion work of this sort. It takes longer than I dare to admit and the quality is sub-par. Having said that, I the model 'holds water' as a whole:

 

 

Now, here's my Castelan or Marshal in a relic armour. I really like this one, I think this might be a resin HH Abbadon? I got him cheap with some other sculpts and decided to use him as a HQ - works pretty well with a pair of lightning claws:

 

And my precious "main Terminator Marshal," based on a regular old TDA body:

 

 

 

As you can see, I added a cape, a tabard and some green stuff cast ornaments. Some of the details, like the 'pins' on the front and back, are clunky by today's standards but... yeah, I hope that you'll appreciate my intentions and my vision for the miniature ;) I also tried to make a custom knee pad but I'm not particularly happy with it.

 

 

The model was supposed to be in a defensive, commanding pose to account for the indented primary wargear, i.e. a relic storm shield and a power sword. The sword is beyon fixing - the blade is a bit bent but I really loved the sculpt and decided to keep it. I tried to fix it in hot water but I managed to achieve only this much - the blade is really, really fine and I don't want to risk damaging it more.

 

 

 

 

To be honest, I can't wait to start working on this one!

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Personally, I think you're doing yourself a disservice - they look good to me!  

 

It is definitely a shame the sculptor of the power sword used a banana as a reference though!  As you say, I'm not sure what you can do to fix it (other than lopping it off and replacing it with a plastic part ) 

[ZeroWolf]

I concur, it's far better than what I could manage

[Brother Christopher]

Ah, I am a bit bitter because it took me literally a week to glue the bits in place and that was quite draining. Granted, I did that during my opponent's turns while playing Civ VI but it might have made things worse. I felt like I spent ages doing this without doing any real progress. Also, I'm now in my 'negative' phase with the rescaled Terminators on the horizon and generally technically superior sculpts, I feel that gluing actual chains in place and fiddling with green stuff is somewhat of a wasted effort. A modern vanilla kit will have better details and won't be as time-consuming to build.

 

Having said that, as you can see, I'm still devoted to "the old ways." One by one, I'm realising my plans and past, childish dreams for my crusade. Although I feel that, by the time it is done, my army will be outdated and without a proper future (apart from proxying and OnePageRules), I am determined to finish what I started all those years ago. Even if it involves some occasional complaining online. Sorry for that!

 

Regardless, I genuinely can't wait to start painting these guys!

[Firedrake Cordova]

I don't know if it helps, but when you're done, your army will be "yours" and will have more character than an army which is simply built "out of the box"   

[Brother Christopher]

@Firedrake Cordova It does help, it's one of my main sources of motivation.

 

I'm rambling and 'complaining' here just to... vent, I guess. It's just that my hobby has been a mess - when I was younger, I felt like I'm doing the smart thing getting all those things at discount prices or second-hand. I never really thought that Space Marines will become obsolete and getting all the things I wanted is a 'safe investment.' Now that I'm older and have more disposable income, looking at my force is sometimes depressing. As I mentioned earlier, deep down below I feel I'd rather have a smaller, more modern army. An army collected by the more mature and self-restrained me. Sometimes I feel that converting and even painting the models I have is a wasted effort.

 

Other times, I'm super happy with my collection which includes a bunch of super OOP metal stuff (3rd Edition Black Templars, old scouts), a bunch of the amazing OOP metal stuff (Chaplains, Techmarines, named characters and the like released in 4-5th ed) and a whole lot of cheap Space Marines. I also appreciate the 'recovery projects,' salvaging some second-hand minis and giving them a place among my Crusade Force. Oh, and there's the scratch-building part...

 

Luckily, more often I am happy with the fact that I started 40k back in my Uni days, in 5th edition. It's been a gateway to painting and other hobby-related stuff. While the over-saturation of all-things-40k, that GW is a culprit of, makes me feel detached from modern 40k, I enjoy my version of it - the occasional games and conversations with my mates. I also enjoy painting and converting models and seeing myself grow together with my piece of hobby. It's just that the "deep down below" part of me, the 'logical bit,' is a source of complaining. It calculates time, effort and prospects for using/displaying the models and the result of the calculation isn't great. There's another bit, the rambly bit, that sometimes fuels my posts. Sorry for that ;)

 

Right now I'm in the process of once again reconceptualising the future of my force. Luckily, with Primaris getting more and more stuff based on 'normal primaris marines' (i.e. bolter guys, plasma guys, nerf rocket guys, flamer guys and maybe in the future jump pack guys), I'll find it more and more easy to just use my models as proxies. I can't see myself playing in serious tournaments and for the casual game, I'll make sure that it's what is what is clear to my opponent.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Honestly, I think it's human nature to be a bit variable - we're known for being creatures of emotion, and not being rational  Sometimes, a gentle moan can be cathartic, but if you do it too much, you risk falling from the Emperor's light and succumbing to the embrace of Khorne.  

 

I think the middle part of your post is the thing to concentrate on - you've had untold hours of enjoyment converting and painting your marines, and making them your collection, rather than "just some more Space Marines". You've got some long out-of-production models which give you a good kick of nostalgia, and take you to a happy past. Maybe there were times when you were feeling down, and assembling and painting models made you feel better? Yes, it could be argued that it represents wasted of time, but it's likely all hobbies are if you look at it "clinically". Sometimes, we over-analyse things to the point of being unhealthy, and it's all too easy for our internal analysis to be tainted by outside events (i.e. if you're having a bad day generally, it's easy for that to contaminate your attitude towards other things).

 

TL;DR: paint more minis  

[ZeroWolf]

I concur, do what you find enjoyable. You've done sterling work so far.

[Brother Christopher]

A small update on the TDA Marshal. This past week was quite busy but I finally managed to get some work done this weekend. I must say, I'm quite pleased with how he turns out.

 

The model is quite busy, maybe a bit too busy, but this kind of is what I wanted. After all, this dude is supposed to represent the leader of my Crusade (or a fighting company) - I suppose that he deserves to wear a lot of bling and have an ornate armour. I'm not a huge fan of the modified knee pad, though... it's not great but it is what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

And I started working on the arms, too:

 

 

[Otto van Gerrig]

23 hours ago, Brother Christopher said:

A small update on the TDA Marshal. This past week was quite busy but I finally managed to get some work done this weekend. I must say, I'm quite pleased with how he turns out.

 

The model is quite busy, maybe a bit too busy, but this kind of is what I wanted. After all, this dude is supposed to represent the leader of my Crusade (or a fighting company) - I suppose that he deserves to wear a lot of bling and have an ornate armour. I'm not a huge fan of the modified knee pad, though... it's not great but it is what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

And I started working on the arms, too:

 

 

I think this fits the spirit of the Marshal's quite well. I especially like the right leg with all the writing on it. 

[Brother Christopher]

On 5/15/2023 at 11:35 PM, Otto van Gerrig said:

I think this fits the spirit of the Marshal's quite well. I especially like the right leg with all the writing on it. 

 

Thanks! While this was a conversion project that I had high hopes for but ended a bit disappointing (it took me way to long to finish him and I feel that the new release, with their impressive details, overshadowed and made much of my efforts obsolete), I really wanted to do him justice.

 

And here's the finished model:

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Grotsmasha]

Ut most respect to anyone who can be bothered to paint text onto purity seals