bigtrouble’s Dark Angels

[Marshal Mittens]

Maybe listen to a horus heresy book on tape while painting? Can help get into the story of your guys!

[Chaplain Raeven]

I usually leave some unpainted lads next to my PC, eventually the guilt or mood to paint becomes great enough to get started. Or pick a model and paint one baselayer for a couple of minutes and call it a day, it's a start.

[Raziel-TX]

I feel ya. I got 80 percent of the HH box sitting in a box, primed, and I have no motivation to knock it out. 

Maybe try your hand at something else or reward yourself with a vehicle or character you’ve had your eye on?

 Changing the pallet and/or focusing on getting a detailed mini knocked out has helped me in the past.   Current project is  a McFarland action figure which I’m going to try some free hand on. 
 

Hope to see some minis from you in the near future!

[Interrogator Stobz]

^^^That. I'm doing Kill Teams to break things up. Still a huge pile'o DA shame, but something is better than nothing. 

[bigtrouble]

WIP on a Primaris Librarian. Trying OSL for the first time.

 

[bigtrouble]

Finished libby. 

[Interrogator Stobz]

Cool osl Brother 

[Raziel-TX]

Concur. Nice job on your psyker. 

[bigtrouble]

I pushed the contrast a little further and took better photos.

 

 

[Interrogator Stobz]

Good risk!

[bigtrouble]

Fallen Sighted! Send in the Ravenwing! TL;DR: Campaigns are a ton of narrative fun, but the book keeping aspect is kind of a drag after a year worth of battles.

 

Last night my cousin and I wrapped up our 16 mission progressive campaign with an epic battle using the Ambush mission from the big rule book. I loaned him my new Librarian to use as the Fallen psyker for the final confrontation.

 

The Death Guard have been all over this recruiting planet, spreading plague and attempting to capture Dark Angel gene-seed for some nefarious purpose.

 

Over the course of the campaign, my two heroes, an Interrogator-Chaplain and his Librarian companion, uncover the dark pact between the Fallen and the Nurgly boys. In exchange for the now-diseased planet and all the mutated remains of Space Marines and recruits gene-seed, Mortarion is helping this Fallen Psyker ascend to Daemonhood! The dark ritual is fast approaching.

 

Obviously, this plot must be stopped! The two heroes in operational command have planned a multi-pronged attack on the ritual site, beginning with a daring charge from the Ravenwing assets to secure the flanks and pin heavy enemy elements, and culminating in a dramatic Teleport attack from Deathwing Terminators and Knights to confront the hideous daemon Primarch. A small contingent of veterans will also support a surprise attack to directly target the Heretic Angel from none other than an ancient Relic Contemptor Warden of the Rock.

 

We set up some unique win conditions for this mission. Obviously, I needed to kill the Fallen Psyker before he ascended. No time for concern about his confession and salvation, he must be stopped! I also needed to kill Mortarion to banish him and his gang from our ruined world.

 

My opponent thus had to keep the Fallen and Mortarion alive for the whole game so that ascension would be assured. But that would not be enough, the Death Guard must destroy the two Dark Angels heroes before they can report back and bring the full force of the Rock down to the planet.

 

So for a win, I need at least one of two HQs to survive, and  Mortarion and the Fallen destroyed. For my opponent to win, he must survive himself and destroy both my HQs. Anything else is a draw.

 

Turn 1: Ravenwing elements patrol through the ruined city to locate the ritual site. The remainder of the force is held in reserve. They successfully anchor a flank with a unit of outriders backed by a bike chaplain tying up his terminators and a Rhino stocked with melee legionaries. The other flank does not fare so well, with almost a whole unit of Black Knights lost in response.

 

Turn 2: The reserve elements arrive, and the Deathwing teleport in close to the Librarian to protect him from Mortarion’s eventual wrath. The Warden and his bodyguard sneak in through the forest, and snipe off the Fallen. This was rather dramatic, as it took rolling a 4 for damage on the single unsaved lascannon shot to bring him down! Mortarion charges the Librarian and his retinue, and the battle begins in earnest.

 

Turn 3: Having destroyed the Fallen quickly, the Dark Angels begin to adopt a defensive posture, falling back and trying to get some distance between themselves and Mortarion so that they can shoot him from afar and not suffer his contagions. To little success, as Mortarion only takes a few wounds of chip damage, and charges in and begins his slaughter. On the other side of the line, the Interrogator loses his battle against the terminators and daemon bugs, but at least he’s given his compatriots a fighting chance.

 

Turn 4: The Dark Angels, led by the Deathwing Knights muster and make one last ferocious counter-charge against the Daemon Primarch, hitting him with everything they have left. To no avail, however, as he’s left on 5 wounds. In the bottom of 4, Mortarion reaches the Librarian and brings him down. With both of my HQs out of the game, we called it there. No way for anyone to win now, the remaining Dark Angels will succumb to the disgusting intruders and the planet is lost. But the worst fears of generations of inner circle - a fully ascended Fallen Daemon Prince - has been stayed, at least for now!

[bigtrouble]

Primaris Chaplain on Bike. More angles in my gallery

 

Outriders finished.

[bigtrouble]

2nd squad, 4th company Intercessors

[bigtrouble]

Some WIP shots. The aggressors are basically finished, but need varnish.

Edited March 16, 2023 by bigtrouble
photos

[bigtrouble]

Here’s a better look at the Agressors. Next up is some infiltrators.

[The Pounder]

Great looking Aggressors!

[bigtrouble]

I’ve been working on these vehicles, finally sat down today for a few hours and did the wash then dry brush. The impulsor is only mostly done. I still want to do the details and fix a few things, but they look pretty good on the table.

 

[Prot]

I really like how much mileage you got out of the drybrushing. As a side note, I'm really curious if Razorbacks become a 'thing' in 10th. Some real possibilities there.

[bigtrouble]

On 5/15/2023 at 10:41 AM, Prot said:

I really like how much mileage you got out of the drybrushing. As a side note, I'm really curious if Razorbacks become a 'thing' in 10th. Some real possibilities there.

I was pleasantly surprised with that myself. The army painter line has its problems, but the greens are quite nice for DA.

[Grotsmasha]

On 5/16/2023 at 3:41 AM, Prot said:

I really like how much mileage you got out of the drybrushing. As a side note, I'm really curious if Razorbacks become a 'thing' in 10th. Some real possibilities there.

 

I've recently switched to drybrushing with cheap makeup brushes, and man can you get some really smooth finishes with them

[bigtrouble]

8 hours ago, Grotsmasha said:

 

I've recently switched to drybrushing with cheap makeup brushes, and man can you get some really smooth finishes with them

I’m gonna pick some up. I don’t like my stiff bristled dry brush. Too choppy.

[Grotsmasha]

1 hour ago, bigtrouble said:

I’m gonna pick some up. I don’t like my stiff bristled dry brush. Too choppy.

 

The trick is to keep it just a tiny bit damp. Grab a sponge, wet it, then mostly wring it out, then whenever you refresh your paint, just touch the brush to the sponge first. Artis Opus on Youtube has some AMAZING drybrush vids and finishes.

[Raziel-TX]

Fully concur with the Artis Opus education piece.   

[bigtrouble]

First game of 10th! We only played 1000 points, and only 2 turns due to time and focusing on rules. It was a good time. Venomcrawlers are good. Sternguard are good but have to be careful not to use them incorrectly. Gravis at T6 is amazing. I dropped my Inceptors on Abbadon’s bodyguard squad and took out 4 in one go.

[bigtrouble]

WIP progress on the Impulsor. Still messy, but I wanted to post it anyway.