Task Force Umbra - a Raven Guard 5th company WIP

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

With vow 1 complete, and having not had much time to paint over the last couple of weeks, it’s time for ETL vow 2 and my first ever vehicle.

[Race Bannon]

Awww yaaas!

[WAR]

looking forward to this

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Had a spare evening yesterday to get some work done on the dreadnought. Got all the metallics down, washed and highlighted.

Tried the same method for the black as with my power armour - Dawnstone drybrush then wash with Nuln Oil to knock it back down. Worked OK for the highlights but the large flat panels have got some horrible tide marks on from where the wash has dried irregularly.

Next step will therefore be going back over the panels in black to sort the finish out before I move onto the other steps.

Two steps forward and one step back is still forward though.

[Race Bannon]

I dunno.  Maybe it's the pic, but the "tide marks" help give it a used look.  It also suggests that the black is lightened up a degree.

 

I really dig it :tu: 

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Thanks Race.

 

I wondered whether the final matt varnish would flatten it out a little bit. It’s not awful but I was hoping it would look a bit smoother.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Time for another update, now that I’m nearly done with my second ETL vow.

I’m really pleased with how the dreadnought has gone. The wash tide marks aren’t such a big deal now there’s more to draw the eye away, and I’m hoping that the matt varnish once it’s based will soften some of the remaining marks anyway.

Finally got round building this guy. I love Apothecaries in the fluff so I wanted to be able to field one but didn’t want to buy the command squad box. A trawl of bits sites and an order from Kromlech sorted me out. The Kromlech parts are great quality, very little clean-up required.

For these guys I went back to my favourite third-party manufacturer, Anvil Industry. I bought a set of the Exo-Lords combat blades to replace the chainswords on my Assault Squad/Vanguard Veterans (haven’t decided what they’ll be yet). A quick sawing off at the wrist and I’ve got some nice swords/power swords which I’m happier with from a Raven Guard stealth assault aesthetic.

My little painting/modelling table in the living room with most of my ongoing projects. Not pictured – most of my Sternguard Veterans or my Devastator Squad as they both need respraying, my Land Speeder which also needs respraying, or my other Rhino chassis which might become a Predator one day.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Dreadnought.

[Cordova]

I like that Dreadnought - he's looking sharp. I like the posing on the Apothecary too.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Thanks Fraters, glad the dreadnought is up to scratch.

 

Hoping to get it finished this weekend if the weather's alright for spraying - need to prime the base then varnish everything once it's done.

 

Now I'm pondering what to do for vow three. I'll have completed a Librarian, 5 sniper Scouts, a 5 man Tactical Squad and a Dreadnought. Left unpainted will be:

 

10 Sternguard Veterans

5 Devastators

5 Vanguard Veterans

10 Reivers

3 Aggressors

Apothecary

Lieutenant

Land Speeder

Whirlwind

 

I want to get at least one more vow done, but I don't want to take on something that's going to get boring or drag me down.

 

Maybe the Devs and the Lieutenant next?

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Dreadnought is done.

I’m pleased with the final outcome. I was a bit concerned that the base was too much but I think it provides a nice counterpoint to the darkness.

I really enjoyed painting my first vehicle, and I’ve got a few more on the pile to consider later.

[Cordova]

I like that a lot. The base helps the model 'pop'...plus, who is going to argue that he's parked on crosshatching?

[Shadow Captain Vyper]

As a disabled veteran, I really thought our venerable brother would be more conscious of parking in a handicap loading area.

 

(ill see myself out)

 

Looking good!

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Here in the UK the cross-hatch markings denote an area of a road junction you're not allowed to wait in unless you're turning right.

 

He's not interested in road regulations.

[Cordova]

Here in the UK the cross-hatch markings denote an area of a road junction you're not allowed to wait in unless you're turning right.

 

He's not interested in road regulations.

Now I've just got the image of him trying to indicate and turn...

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

 

 

Here in the UK the cross-hatch markings denote an area of a road junction you're not allowed to wait in unless you're turning right.

 

He's not interested in road regulations.

Now I've just got the image of him trying to indicate and turn...

He indicates with twin lascannon beams.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Next up for the ETL is my Sternguard Veterans.

10 dudes with converted bolters may not seem like much to hobby veterans but it’s a big whack of models in one chunk for me. Shouldn’t take long to get a batch painting process set up and hopefully knock them out reasonably quickly.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Quick update on the Sternguard, vow 3 for ETL.

Armour is done, eyes are done (though my first run through looked pretty cruddy so they had a lot of remedial work), shoulder pad rims done (and doing them has reinforced that choosing 5th company was the right choice – painting those rims has been a real ballache).

Next up – metallics then weapons. I’m working at a reasonable pace so I’m confident they’ll be done in good time.

[thewarriorhunter]

Looking good! I'm a little late to the party but are you still going to run the Assault Squad swords as chain swords?

 

Also did you source the sights for the boltguns on your stern guard? Anvil has some sights I was looking at getting for when I do some special boltguns for characters/elite units.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

I’m undecided yet, they’ll either be Assault Marines with chainswords or Vanguard Vets with power swords. I’m leaning towards the former currently.

 

The Sternguard scopes are Anvil Industry’s Exo-Lords tactical scopes. I bought some of their sniper scopes too - my lieutenant’s got one, as I think does my sniper scout sergeant. As with all of AI’s stuff they’re really good quality.

[thewarriorhunter]

I really like Anvil. I run their winged helms for a lot of my units and I bought their 'not-a-tech-marine' backpack to convert up a tech marine at some point.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

I’ve bought loads of their stuff, both for my Raven Guard and for my Inquistion cadre. Really impressed with their quality and speed of delivery.

 

I’m tempted by the techmarine-esque kit. Is it good?

[thewarriorhunter]

I haven't assembled it but it does look very nice. I'll try to remember and take some photos of it tonight and maybe get it blu-tacced onto a marine so you can see what it looks like mocked up.

[golfdeltafoxtrot]

Awesome, thanks dude. Looks like another order with Anvil might be in my future. Should probably paint more of what I've already got first, but sometimes you really need that shiny new thing, you know?

[thewarriorhunter]

So... forgot the pictures... maybe tonight?

 

But I do know what you mean. My wife and I occasionally do a 'no spend' month where we buy nothing except necessities and we're in one of those right now. We may extend it to next month as it's a nice reset.

 

That being said because I'm not buying anything it's getting me in the mindset of working on what I have on the workbench, which is a good thing.