My Fists

[tvih]

I don't think I ever made a dedicated thread for my CF/IF/whathaveyou (or if I did, I couldn't find it), mostly putting some of their things in my BT thread over in that forum. So that I don't "have to" do that as well as maybe bring an occasional tidbit of life to this forum - it's not overly lively after all - I'll just start a thread here.
 
I'm mainly doing CF, been planning on some IF for a long time but only ever got Lysander and a Vindicator done, not sure how much else I'll end up doing with the difficulty I'm having painting yellow.

My CF largely mirrors my BT in unit composition, you could say I've been roughly splitting my model collection between the two.
 
Here is some of the stuff I've done so far, isn't all that much since I never get around to actually painting things (nor playing games for that matter). My CF scheme is quite grimdark, with black undercoat, Necron Abyss for armor and then Regal Blue highlights.
 
http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/cf-termi-nidkiller.jpg

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/etl2013-kantor-grimdark1.jpg

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/ife2016-vow1-full.jpg

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/ife2016-vow2-full.jpg

One of my favorite models, chances are he'll end up being more than just a sergeant when the list composition allows:
http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/crimson-fist-stern-sergeant.jpg

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/if-lysander.jpg

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/if-vindicator.jpg

These are the latest models to get painted, claw model was finished today:
http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/cf-termi-cfshield2.jpg

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/cf-termi-claws.jpg

As you can see I'm piling on the Elite units, although I suppose that's fitting for CF. Still need more power armor rather than just terminators, though. Lots and lots of units to be done. Closest to completion are currently Thunderfire Cannon which is done except for the Techmarine that needs a bit of repainting. Four more CC terminators that mostly need highlighting and the shields/weapons/partially shoulderpads done, and basecoated Razorback, Land Raider and Vindicator. Sadly the brushing of basecoats for the last two ended up less even than it seemed at first, the paint pot magically changed consistency after the first couple of layers.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tvih

[tvih]

Aaaand it looks like I "get" to repaint that Emperor-cursed claw model. Was gonna varnish it but the varnish decided to do the dreaded frosting effect instead. A good way to nullify some 4 hours of work, that's for sure, because it's not just the whitening effect but also the surface isn't even now, so can't just repaint the affect area (most of the front).

[valhalla130]

The Sternguard model you said is one of yyoir faves is a lieutenant in my Fist company. He's also one of my favorites.

Oh, and very nice CF paint job on him.

[anarchistscourge]

You say you have trouble painting yellow but that Lysander model looks fantastic! The face is pretty close to perfect

[tvih]

You say you have trouble painting yellow but that Lysander model looks fantastic! The face is pretty close to perfect

 

Thanks. He's not too bad I guess, and I do like how the face turned out. But for the armor he has about a thousand layers of paint on him and it kinda shows in some parts, in a bad way. It's not really a "repeatable" way of painting IF. It started with black undercoat, then Tausept Ochre basecoat, then Averland Sunset, Golden Yellow and finally Flash Gitz Yellow highlights. The plan is to try just last three (well, except Yriel instead of the old Golden) but it's still a pain in the butt. All the yellows tend to end up so greenish for some reason unless you really pile on the layers.

 

For example that Vindicator also has at least 12€ worth of paints piled onto it - gray primer and then basically almost an entire pot of Averland and then another pot of Golden Yellow... and an entire pot of thinning medium spread between the two. Airbrushing really wasn't the most economical solution. As such it's also not really a repeatable procedure and makes me unlikely to do further IF vehicles.

 

Even for infantry I'm not sure if I'll do more than maybe a 5-man shooty terminator squad to accompany Lysander if I ever actually end up fielding him, and then at least one troop unit, most likely some MkIII marines. Basically a small patrol detachment with little in the way of synergy. CF and IF functioning as separate chapters these days if going by "WYSIWYG" and in terms of special characters kinda messed with my original plans from years ago.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Well done.

[anarchistscourge]

I’ve found the beat way for IF is to spray with a averland undercoat. Base the same colour over the top. Then depending on how grim dark you can wash seriph sepia mixed with medium and go up in highlights through Urien yellow to flash gits....or fully layer yriel yellow over the top of the wash and highlight to flashgits then highlight with something like pallod wych flesh

[tvih]

Yeah, I got an Averland spray for the basecoating. And the Casandora wash for the recesses as per the WHTV guide, but I find I don't like it that much so far, I can't seem to get it to look good. In fact I think the main armor areas would work OK the way I have them planned, but it's perhaps the recesses that bother me the most.

[tvih]

The full terminator assault squad finally done:

 

http://www.tvih.net/stuff/wh40k/cf-termi-assault-squad.jpg

[anarchistscourge]

Me likey! Really love the super dark blue you have there and not overboard on highlights either

[tvih]

It's definitely not the most common paint choices for CF. I think originally I didn't go for the more common lighter colors because it felt a bit too Ultramarine-y. In dimmer lighting it's easy to mistake the Necron Abyss for actual black, though. Definitely nice that the highlights are subtler than grey on black on my Templars (on the units, such as vehicles, where I even do highlights for them).

[robofish7591]

I think crimson fists should be a darker shade of blue, it really makes the crimson stand out.  I personally do kantor blue washed with drakenhof nightshade, but I really like what you did with necron abyss!

[tvih]

Painted models aside, I'm still struggling with whether or not to buy the Dark Imperium box. I'd really need a rulebook, but I dunno about the Primaris (would sell the DG). They'd be for my CF, but on the other hand they're not really necessary, I have too many models as it is. But somehow I'm loathe to buy the rulebook separately as it seems a "worse deal"... go figure, my stupid brain.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Terminators.

[anarchistscourge]

I agree if not done right CF look to much like ultramarines. I washed mine with nuln oil and medium and the blue is still very light the units on their own look lik UM but on the table you can’t mistake them for CF

 

the dark imperium box really is great. I picked one up and traded the DG for more marine and it’s now the back bone of my army. Does very good work

[tvih]

Long time not much happening with my Fists (or marines in general). But going forward it would seem the CF will be my main focus marine-wise. I tallied up the forces in Battlescribe and it seems I have about 5000 points worth allocated to the Fists currently. If only more than a fraction was painted... and it's too darn much anyway when I already have another marine chapter with at least as many points in it. Oh well, what can ya do.

 

Painting-wise I started on the first two Primaris models yesterday. Sidelined by other things today so not sure if I can work on them further yet. They really are giants now that I look at them assembled. Makes them easier to paint, at least.

 

[tvih]

Oh look, it only took almost a year to get a Primaris unit table-ready! And then misfocused the photo, apparently. First finished troop slot unit for my CF army anyway!

They still need shoulder decals, but not in a hurry with those. Decals are such a pain in the butt, only ever have done a couple.

Next up probably Inceptors since it's only three models. Gravis Cap'n is also basecoated, so maybe do him at the same time. Then the hellblasters. And that's just scratching the tip of the iceberg.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Crimson Fists.

[nusphigor]

really neat job on the primaris. One can see the progression on your painting skills :)

keep us posted!

[tvih]

Have no fear, the Inceptors are here:

Given how ridiculous the original attachment was, ended up doing some drilling to make 'em stick (was that a PUN?). But at least they should be good to go now.

[tvih]

Suffer not the heretic to live, quoth Captain Quinn:

[tvih]

A Thunderfire cannon (or; Doctor Octopus with his latest anti-Spider-Man device) for your viewing displeasure:

As mentioned in the original post, the cannon itself was mostly done previously already, just painted the cog symbols now basically. The techmarine was repainted from poorly-painted BT to CF with some other touch-ups as well as the original arms (as BT he had melee arms), though it still looks rather "meh" compared to most of my other CF models for some reason. I suppose the bent and not-very-smooth resin doesn't help any. Also spent a few hours replacing the magnets with stronger ones. What a mess having 12 magnets in a single infantry models - that's what magnetization madness gets ya, folks! At any rate the unit is finally ready for combat as a fully and cohesive painted whole. I think I've only ever fielded it once unpainted in 6th edition.

Edited October 21, 2019 by tvih

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Techmarine gunner is well-painted.

[tvih]

Cross-posting a bit from my BT thread!

---

I was already aiming to play a full CF list for the time for yesterday, but as usual my painting schedule didn't hold up. So instead it ended up being a BT+CF tag team. I was facing off against tyranids once again in a casual 2000pt match, using a scenario from Vigilus (I think) where the defending starts in the middle and the attacker comes from the table edges and respawn lost units or ones that have suffered 75% casualties.





I just kinda piled up everything in the middle, trying to screen the tanks which were not exactly optimal for this battle. As it turned out even less than you'd think because the Predator and Vindicator caused zero wounds in the first turn attacking the Hive Tyrant, because apparently wound rolls of 1 & 2 are all the rage these days. Though it was a trend that kept true for all higher-STR weaponry throughout much of the game. Business as usual, then.

In any case, with the attacker going first my Templar infantry bore the brunt of the first turn's psychic shenanigans and also genestealer charge. Starting with 3x5man troops squads and 1x5 vanguard vets I think I lost four from one tactical squad and all five vanguard right off the bat. One or two CF Primaris.

On my own turn other than the Pred & Vindi fails I did a reasonable amount of damage overall. I destroyed the "northern" genestealer squad and the Broodlord I think, as well as 3 warriors. In the south I also killed two thirds of the genestealers there, as well as some warriors.



The Templar squad heading south got quickly wrecked. As did the CF Intercessor squad, leaving it at one man prior to a suicidal charge which killed a genestealer. This left me with just a single Templar troop model alive at this point. Vindi & Predator still weren't getting much done at all and some genestealers reached them in CC, making them useless for a turn. Thunderfire had killed some models, and used tremor shells on a respawned Genestealer squad (on the right in the pic above). Sadly that didn't help much, as the unit reached my lines right away regardless. Go figure. That resulted in the death of my Dreadnought.

The Hive Tyrant also moved up, charging some of my remaining infantry. My EC used Heroic Intervention to engage it as well, doing a bit of damage. Over the next turns my warlord Lieutenant attacked it too, leading to his demise. Eventually the HT got worn down and killed too though. But I was running short of models already. My witch librarian and Grimaldus were soon the only infantry survivors on the northern edge of the table in addition to a single Intercessor as the other two Intercessors died charging a respawned broodlord. Grim & co + the tanks did kill off some models there, including the enemy warlord.



The tremored genestealers were what really wrecked my eastern flank, they killed the last Templar sergeant as well. It didn't help that a Swarmlord also moved in after them after a while. Damned thing was impervious to pretty much everything I threw at it, including a full round of shooting from my tanks, a charge from my Techmarine Gunner, etc.



After four turns I had my (more or less damaged) tanks, a single Inceptor, Grimaldus, the Librarian, the single Intercessor. More likely than not they all would've been destroyed had we continued, but by then the game had been going on for five turns. I was hoping the game would go faster with my ol' marines than the ork games eight months ago, but apparently that was not to be. In fact this took longer than those did. And heck, I didn't even remember to use several beneficial rules, the use of which would only have slowed things down further.

Overall it was a fun battle, though as the defender it would've been rather impossible to reach the victory condition - having sole control of at least one table edge - given both sides had a full 2000pt list. In terms of my list the main takeaway from this was that oldmarines really do suck these days. It's like using grots, pretty much, which in turn means my Templars are in a bad spot indeed and likely not to see that much action going forward. CF did quite a bit better (the Veteran Intercessor upgrades sure came in handy!), and I would have had a good chance at winning had we been playing a more regular mission.

---

For CF going forward I need more heavy weapons for the Doctrine - of course in this particular game that wouldn't have made a difference. I have some oldmarine vehicles I can use for that effect, as I was thinking of maybe getting a cheesy Repulsor Executioner considering the ludicrous number of heavy weapons you can pile onto it. I do have a unit of Centurions if I could get around to finishing them as well. Could do Devastators, but my motivation for working on 1W infantry oldmarines is at an all-time low after this latest battle.

I also got a Shadowspear box for cheap on sale, which means that I have those Primaris models to work on too, allowing me to field up to 5 squads of Primaris troops. For the sixth slot I'll probably have to paint sniper scouts, ugh (not that I don't have power armored models to paint, but double ugh).

Edited December 1, 2019 by tvih

[tvih]

I wish I had realized how expensive separately bought Eliminators are, I would've bought a second Shadowspear box while I had the chance (it was 50% off) even if I'd only have had use for the Eliminators and Suppressors from it and even if I'd gone bankrupt. Buying those two units separately already costs as much as the whole Shadowspear box would've.

 

I'm possibly taking Crimson Fists for a Kill Team campaign that's starting, and said Eliminators have two spots on the planned initial roster. But on the big table 2x3 combined with the sniper Scouts would certainly have been something for enemy characters to think about.

Edited December 11, 2019 by tvih