Mantis Warriors - Praying for Redemption

[Brother Lunkhead]

Lovin' the Mantis Warriors

[Warbringer]

@ Warbringer

The latest lockdown seems to have given me ample time to mess about with these and get them ready for the first game.

 

@ HvitrValdyr

Thank you buddy. Want to convey Mantis Warriors without getting too silly.

 

@ Xenith

Thank you. This is a timely reminder for me to remember what paints I used. For the test model I think it was:

Waaagh! Flesh, Biel-Tan Green, Warboss Green and Skarsnik Green. Thin Agrax shade on there too.

For the latest squad:

Waaagh! Flesh, Warboss Green, Skarsnik Green, Biel-Tan and then Nurgling Flesh. Moving the Biel-Tan closer to the end seemed to give a much brighter green colour.

 

 

 

Someone has told me Bladeguard are supposed to be on 40mm bases. So I've switched those in. Done a bit of adding skulls and trinkets. The Sergeant has two swords and the shield on his back. Not channeling Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or anything...

 

 

 

Here's the 3...

 

 

Decided to add straps to the skulls eye sockets or across the tops of them to convey how they are kept up there. Pretty much there with these. Although I stil might give someone a bionic leg. Thinking the back leg on the guy on the right.

 

 

Looking great mate - looking forward to playing these with my Ork Crusade Force or with my current Salamander Project :)

[Krakendoomcool]

@ War of the Eagle

 

Thanks so much. It will take me ages to get an army painted! I've seen a load of inspiring Raptors, there is a few similarities.

 

@ Brother Lunkhead

 

Thank you (me too).

 

@ Warbringer

 

In time, really need to pick up the pace and paint the rest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've painted something! The first Bladeguard Veteran is now finished. 

 

[Wulf Vengis]

That's...amazing... The colors are phenomenal and striking. I love it.

[Slyen]

Nice work!

I can't wait to see the rest in their bionics with paint on them.

[Majkhel]

Awesome!
Loving the vibrancy of spot colours on the slightly muted green!
Battle damage and bases are fantastic too!

[Guest Triszin]

You breathed the art work you referenced into life. That's an amazing job

[WAR]

Wow! Amazing job

[Spinsanity]

The little nod to the RT-era Badab War scheme on the vet’s shoulder pads is brilliant, just like everything else in that min, what a beauty!

[space wolf]

Great, great, great stuff!

[Dantay VI]

@ War of the Eagle

 

Thanks so much. It will take me ages to get an army painted! I've seen a load of inspiring Raptors, there is a few similarities.

 

@ Brother Lunkhead

 

Thank you (me too).

 

@ Warbringer

 

In time, really need to pick up the pace and paint the rest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've painted something! The first Bladeguard Veteran is now finished. 

 

 

These are utterly brilliant, I love them.

Makes me wish I could do a Mantis Warriors army.

 

What I really like is the reference to the Tranquility veterans on the shield with the black and yellow markings.

[Doghouse]

That is fantastic, really nicely painted and converted with a very gritty feel that I like a lot. That is superb.

[Krakendoomcool]

@ Wulf Vengis

 

Thank you very much. Colours were feeling a bit much at one point but all seemed to come together in the end.

 

@ Slyen

 

Thank you. Bionic leg guy is next, painting him now. Taking forever.

 

@ Majkel

 

Thank you. Bit of luck with this one, painted it in subassembly and didn't see how well it worked until I put it all together.

 

@ Triszin

 

Thank you buddy. Wolfdawgart who does the inspirational artwork is really cool. At the risk of sounding like a big head idiot we were talking about how I want to build and paint minis when I see his art and he wants to draw more art when he sees my minis. We are setting each other off with the Mantis Warrior stuff. This is very unique and cool for me.

 

@ war009

 

Thank you. Super pleased with this one. Preasure on for the other two.

 

@ Spinsanity

 

Thank you. Bit of a happy accident. Saw a wasp carapace in the shield to use those yellow and black colours, also put tranquility camo on the shoulder pads and tilt shield. They turned out well together.

 

@ space wolf

 

(great name  ) thank you so much.

 

@ Dantay IV

 

Thank you Brother. Did tranquility shouder pads too figured they are VETERAN Bladeguard so made sense to me. The shield was a happy accident, was copying a wasp and turned out a nice cross wasp/tranquility.

 

@ Doghouse

 

Thank you. Been working on the battle damage for these in particular. I love looking at it myself so wanted to be able to produce it myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artistempire on twitter/instagram has done a paintover of my Mantis Warrior. I absolutely love it. Really brings him to life. The long grass was an inspired choice especially for a tranquility camo wearing Mantis Warrior. Love the lightning on the power sword and the glowing eyes and shield eyes. He looks like even more of a badabass now!

 

[BadgersinHills]

The power sword is super gorgeous. Wonderful mini, I'm excited to see more! 

[Doghouse]

I think you've done a great job of making them distinct without going the wolfy mcwolferson route. The shield, top knot and trophy rack all enhance the feel separating them from regular chapters without going over the top. Their look feels more of a subtle cultural influence with adopted practices rather than being a forced stereotypical stamp, very nice work and fantastic use of parts. :tu:

[Smoke Frog]

That bladeguard veteran is truly glorious. Please keep painting!

[Krakendoomcool]

@ Badgersinhills

 

Thank you! Got one more done now.

 

@ Doghouse

 

Thank you. Was hoping to do a lot of alterations but not go overboard.

 

@ Smoke Frog

 

Thank you buddy. Got a little more done.

 

 

 

 

 

I've got the Bladeguard Sergeant painted up now. So only one left for this squad. Snails pace continues.

 

Leonardo the Turtle and Blade the vampire/hunter were the influences here...

 

 

 

 

 

[Doghouse]

Very nice and great work on the basing.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the dual-wielder.

[HvitrValdyr]

Love it. Is the green cultist head with blue forehead decoration a reference to Leo?

[firestorm40k]

Very cool looking army so far, great work! :tu: B)

[Smoke Frog]

That marine is amazing!  

[BrandX]

WOW! i have a model that is posed just like that for my warmachine army. he doesnt have a shield but the two swords do a lot of damage. your paintwork is amazing too! thats called a blade guard sergeant you say?

[Krakendoomcool]

@ Doghouse

 

Thank you buddy. I'm tempted now to take the Jungle basing to it's natural conclusion and make an armies on parade board for these.

 

@ Bjorn Firewalker

 

Thank you Bjorn. Pretty happy with him in particular.

 

@ HvitrValdyr

 

Haha, it could have been. This guy is pretty Leo, especially with the shield/shell and scabbards on his back. It's the colour scheme of Mod Synth's GSC (twitter/Insta), also thought it fit quite well with my colour scheme.

 

@ firestorm

 

Thank you so much, hoping to one day have them in armies on parade. Just need to convert them all paint them and make the board and finish it real quick.

 

@ Smoke Frog

 

Thank you buddy!

 

@ BrandX

 

This is a Bladeguard sergeant for me, although made from no Bladeguard parts. Thanks!

 

 

 

Bit of model making this time. I've been playing Crusade with my Mantis Warrios and frankly just embarassing myself with how unfinished and slow the progress of the army has been. So trying to get some of the units at least fully built! Here is a stab at posing the Eliminators. The plan with the crouching one is to eventually have him in a little tree, but thats gonna slow me down further!

 

 

I've also been looking at taking some Assault Intercessors for Crusade but obvs cant just build them I have to spend ages messing around. Here's an idea putting a Gravis helmet on my Reiver idea from the start of the project...

 

 

Wasn't 100% on the idea and also had a look to see how it was with a chainsword. Really depends how much I want that striking scorpion look. I love Strikiing Scorpions and will have that yellow and green colour scheme. One to ponder.

 

[Custom Hero]

I really like the first one with the chain knife.