Task Force Umbra - a Raven Guard 5th company WIP

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

We're at the shiny shoulder pad stage.

[thewarriorhunter]

Is that for decals?

 

If so do you brush on the gloss varnish or are you doing something else? I'm about to get into decals and am researching what to do since I'm having custom ones printed and they won't be cheap.

[dode74]

Have you tried printing your own?  I did it and it works fine.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

@thewarriorhunter - yep, surface prep for decals. It’s brushed on ‘Ardcoat thinned with a tiny bit of water - I found it going on a little thick straight from the pot and I was getting brush marks in it which sort of defeats the point of a smooth surface.

 

@dode74 - I have, all of my RG chapter badges and some of the squad numbers on the knees (as well as the chapter badges for my Red Hunters). The only issue I’ve had is that the squad numbers aren’t as malleable as most of the other transfers I’ve used, I think it’s because they’re very ink-heavy being printed as black ink on white paper.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Transfers are down on the Aggressors, including another tedious battle to get the knee squad numbers to lie flat. I think it's probably my home printed transfer that are the issue rather than the shape of the knee pads, but it was still annoying. Sadly the weather here isn't especially conducive to spraying anything yet, so their bases still remain to be done. Nearly finished though.

In lieu of working on the Aggressors' bases, I made a start on my conversion for the Corax Command challenge. I really like the aesthetic of the Phobos kits but the characters all refuse to wear helmets, which irritates me greatly. So I decided to convert up a Phobos lieutenant to enter the challenge with. I've got some work in progress shots to share:

The majority of the model so far is Reiver based, as I've had an unopened box of them lying around for some time.

I decided to go with the carbine/paired blades/grav-chute loadout to make him more versatile on the battlefield. I've scraped away a right thigh pouch to mount the holstered pistol and added his paired combat blades. I saw no reason that 'paired' meant 'identical' so I've given him a sheathed sword-sized blade across his waist and a smaller knife as part of his left thigh webbing. The sight on his carbine is from Anvil Industry and I think looks much better for an occulus bolt carbine than the huge square sights on the Incursors' version.

Still to do are his grav-chute, head, and left arm. I'm probably going to use a Reiver head, as the Infiltrator/Incursor heads aren't available separately yet, and I'm hoping a friend will come through for me with the flip-up auspex screen arm from the Intercessors kit.

[thewarriorhunter]

I like the Anvil optics. I've thought of picking up some to add to weapons.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

I like the Anvil optics. I've thought of picking up some to add to weapons.

I really like them, as evidenced by the fact I’ve now got four different optics represented in my RG.

 

This one is actually one of their Regiments sized ones, rather than an Exo-Lords one, but I liked the multi-scope look of it, and it fits very nicely on the top rail of the carbine once the back four mounting pegs were filed off.

[WAR]

I like the Anvil optics. I've thought of picking up some to add to weapons.

 

They are worth it. 

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

The Aggressors of Squad 9, 5th Company, are finally finished.

Next up, a Phobos Lieutenant for the Corax Command challenge:

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Aggressors.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Another lieutenant complete, this time a Phobos lieutenant from 10th Company, who acts as the co-ordinator between the 10th Company and 5th Company elements of Task Force Umbra. Might have to sort out a 1st Company lieutenant at some point to do a similar job for my Sternguard.

I quite enjoy doing little kitbashes like this, they're a nice diversion from stock models (though I try to personalise every model where possible) and it's nice to be able to tell a story through the model.