Black Templars tournament army build

[Recoil889]

Like many people, 8th edition has dragged me back in after many years away. I played mostly during 3rd edition, and stopped not long after 4th edition came out. Since that time, I have known one true love; The Black Templars.

 

Because I am a glutton for punishment, I have decided that I'd be playing Black Templars during the 2018 ITC season. They're not a hyper-competitive choice, and certainly not the best (not even close) Space Marine chapter for tournament play. With that said, here are my goals for this army over the season:

 

-Win at least one game per event.

-Maximize my 'hobby score' at each event.

-Win best painted army one time over the season.

-Have fun.

-Drink beer.

 

I'm planning to use this thread as a place to post my works in progress, finished models, and photos of them on the table at events as the season goes on.

 

I'm happy to hear all meaningful comments and critiques as I move along with this project. Don't be shy!

Edited January 3, 2018 by Recoil889

[Recoil889]

A few finished models to start.

 

High Marshal Helbrecht:

 

 

Castellan (with magnetized weapon hand):

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Recoil889

[Recoil889]

Ancient:

 

 

Crusader Squad #1:

 

 

Each of these marines is magnetized in the torso and on the weapon arms. This will give me the flexibility to change weapon load outs as I need to.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Your models look good.

[Dosjetka]

Welcome to the Eternal Crusade, Recoil889!

 

Your models look great, keep up the fantastic work. :tu:

[Sagentus]

Really liking the look of this bt army. Nice gritty feel about them. Helbrecht is my favourite, really like the dirty gold look

[The_Stray_Idea]

Brilliant banner. Simple and well executed. I look forward to seeing the crusader hosts.

 

Stray

[Bro Castiel]

That banner bearer is amazing! Love the work.

[Recoil889]

Thanks everyone for the kind words and interest.

 

Here’s a Culexus assassin:

 

 

Vanguard Veterans WIP:

 

[Armament81]

Love your work on the black highlighting, I have found it to be one of the more challenging aspects of my project as well.  Any tips on edge highlighting?

[The_Stray_Idea]

The vanguard are looking sharp buddy. I’m liking the blue through the top and bottom of the jump pack.

[Recoil889]

Love your work on the black highlighting, I have found it to be one of the more challenging aspects of my project as well. Any tips on edge highlighting?

I think this subject is glossed over too much in the miniature painting world, so the first piece of advice I’d give you is to consider how contrast plays a role in a miniature this scale. What we’re really trying to do when painting is to complete the illusion that our miniatures are 8ft super-humans but shrunken down to a 28mm scale. Of course, at 28mm scale, the details are too small to naturally cast the shadows and highlights we’d see in real life, so we need to create really striking contrast to represent them in a way that’s *kind of* believable.

 

If black is the darkest dark that we can paint, and white is the lightest light, how can we create contrast if we paint our “black” armored space marines just flat black?

 

So, step one is to reserve your use of black for your darkest areas on the miniature. With my Black Templars, their base color is actually a really dark grey washed over with purple tones. Then I bring the black color back into the shadows and recesses.

 

Here’s my recipe for black “Basecoat”:

 

Prime black

Heavy drybrush VMC black-grey

Drybrush VMC neutral grey

Wash Druchii violet

Wash 1:1 Druchii violet: Nuln oil

 

It comes out looking like this:

 

 

From there i’d go through and put my “shadows” back into place and highlight up as necessary. For edge highlights specifically, I try and be careful to not overuse them. They’re not from Tron, after all. So consider where the light would come to a “point” and highlight across that corresponding sharp edge.

 

Technically, I’d recommend you always try and paint with the largest brush you can use to achieve your goal, and try not to use anything below a size 0 in general. A 00 is usually too fine to hold enough paint to get anything done before it dries up. Thin your paint until it’s milk like in consistency, and use the side of your brush almost at a 45* angle always moving towards where you want to finish the highlight to help minimize pooling.

 

I also recommend you try and remain connected to your painting table through two points of contact always, whether it’s your elbows or bottom of your hands, whatever. It’ll help keep you steady. The new GW painting handle has honestly been a godsend.

 

Lastly, a wet palette is a really crucial piece of equipment to working with acrylics like this. Make one or get one of the sta-wet ones. They’re cheap.

 

I hope this was reasonably coherent and helpful.

 

Good luck!!

Edited January 4, 2018 by Recoil889

[Armament81]

Awesome, thanks for the tips!  I did start using a wet palette when I started my destroyers and man, I can't believe I waited this long to use one.  I may actually try that style of black basing on my next batch of Marines, while the results have not been bad with my edging, your BT are exactly what I would love them to come out like.  I think your tip about not making them look like they are in Tron is also true, I get a little overzealous about edging every edge.

 

Cheers!

[brother tycho]

Oh this is all for the spectators, gorgeous work recoil

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Assassin looks great, but why are there candles on the Assault Marines' jump pack?

[Recoil889]

The Assassin looks great, but why are there candles on the Assault Marines' jump pack?

Because it’s hard to see in the grim dark future, man. That and I’m really playing up the zealous crusader part of this army. You’ll see candles, holy books, chains, skulls, etc all over the place on my models.

 

Another couple of my HQs. They still need a little love before they’re ready they’re be primed, but they’re just about done. Techmarine and Chaplain with jump pack and plasma pistol.

 

 

I’ve got a few Razorbacks on my painting table, too. Getting all three done this weekend might be a tad over ambitious. We’ll see.

[Recoil889]

Got the color scheme for my Razorbacks mostly blocked in. It’s still pretty messy, and needs quite a bit more to be finished, but here’s the general idea of what to expect.

 

[The_Stray_Idea]

Very retro hunter killer on the razorback I’m digging that. Tech marines is an unauthordox HQ choice for Templars. I’m curious how that will play out. Great little kit bash on the Chaplain. Keep it up.

 

Stray

[Recoil889]

Very retro hunter killer on the razorback I’m digging that. Tech marines is an unauthordox HQ choice for Templars. I’m curious how that will play out. Great little kit bash on the Chaplain. Keep it up.

 

Stray

Thanks!

 

Truthfully, the techmarine is the about as cheap as it gets for an HQ at 57 points naked. I needed a second to fill out my second battalion detachment to have enough command points. Abhor the Witch every turn eats through them quickly. We’ll see how it pans out.

[The_Stray_Idea]

He’s just extra power weapon attacks for a crusader squad not a bad investment especially if your getting the command points you need.

[Recoil889]

Objective Markers:

 

 

I also placed a custom dice order with Chessex. Here’s a preview:

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

[Recoil889]

Slowly finishing up converting and assembling a few units of scouts over the remainder of the week. Hoping to batch paint all 15 of them over this weekend coming up. I’ve never been much of a batch painter, so wish me luck!

 

[brother tycho]

luck+

i like that scout sqd, and i realllly like hobbyists that actually paint their modeling up right away

[Recoil889]

luck+

i like that scout sqd, and i realllly like hobbyists that actually paint their modeling up right away

Thanks! Truthfully, I’m not great at getting stuff painted up. That’s partly the reason I’ve been trying to post here. In fact, I’ve never had a fully painted army before.

 

My first real painting deadline is in 30 days. I’m traveling to a GT that has a strict painting requirement to participate. I’ve already booked my hotel, made travel arrangements and paid for my entry. If that doesn’t keep me painting, I don’t know what will!

 

Here’s what I need to paint before then:

 

1x Chaplain

1x Techmarine

3x 5-man scout squads

2x 5-man crusader squads

2x 5-man devastator squads

2x Razorbacks

1x 3-man Aggressor squad

1x 5-man Vanguard Veteran squad (over halfway done)

 

Lots of long nights ahead..

[Armament81]

 

Thanks! Truthfully, I’m not great at getting stuff painted up. That’s partly the reason I’ve been trying to post here. In fact, I’ve never had a fully painted army before.

 

I am in the same boat!  Using this forum for motivation has been great.  And I get to find inspiration from other great painters like you!

 

I gave your technique a go on my captain, and I really liked how it turned out, I think I will definitely be using it with the rest of my marines.