Progress Log: Alpha Legion Warband: "The Last Surprise"

[W.A.Rorie]

Nice work!

[hd3]

The noise marine bodies are finished! More or less. I finished the druchii wash over all the metallics. Then did the tubing with Caliban green and a highlight of gauss blaster green. For the canisters on the powerpacks I used Caliban green and stippled warpstine glow. I'm thinking of making another pass at them stippling moot green for more colour.

 

I used a thinned volupus pink for a recess shade on the pink panels beside the trim. Honestly I kinda like this effect, it looks to me like blood is seeping out from the joins of the armour which is exactly the kind of :cuss:ed up thing a slaaneshi worshipper would enjoy. For the black panels, I used fenris grey as a highlight because I thought a sharp harsh contrast would suit the Emperor's Children. Finally thinned warp lightning over the gauss blaster for the tassles. 

 

I did the eye lenses but I think they might need another pass. The shape of the pupils looks a bit goofy to me. 

 

For the disharmonist, I used Vallejo steel with nuln oil for the power blade and screamer pistol handle. Then Vallejo royal purple with nuln oil for the cape. Later I plan to highlight back up with purple and then further with purple pink mix.

 

I plan to add a big gold slaaneshi emblem to it later. Honestly, I'd prefer some more third legion imagery but I'm not paying all the extra money for a gold roman  numeral 3 , no matter how cool it would look...

 

Then it's finally onto the arms and sonic blasters!

Edited February 19 by hd3

[Valkia the Bloody]

Looking good. The colors really pop. 

[W.A.Rorie]

Green is an excellent choice. Like @Valkia the Bloody said it makes it pop.

[hd3]

Tidied up the eye lenses a little with nuln oil and added a stippling of moot green to the canister on the back of the power pack. I wanted it to look like a lava lamp with blobs of bright green floating in it.

 

I started blocking in the base colours on the arms and sonic blasters. I deliberately tried to avoid any consistency here so the forearms, shoulders, hands etc. are all random alternations of pink and black. I used Vallejo duralumin for the metal on the gun and iron hands steel for the armour trim. Corax white for the panels and heads.

 

I'm planning to use Vallejo old gold or liberator gold for the gun trim and a mix of corax white with just a bit of moot green mixed in to give the white panels an off green tinge, then highlight with white scar.

[The Pounder]

Looking good!

 

I think the random placement of colours is definitely the way to go!

 

Can I suggest that if you’re going for Vallejo Metallic paint go for the new True Metallic Metal range, they’re stunning.

[hd3]

13 hours ago, The Pounder said:

Looking good!

 

I think the random placement of colours is definitely the way to go!

 

Can I suggest that if you’re going for Vallejo Metallic paint go for the new True Metallic Metal range, they’re stunning.

 

Thank you!

 

I heard those were good! I'm planning to try them next but first I have to use up these giant bottles of jet exhaust, duralumin and gunmetal grey. 

[hd3]

So I finally had a chance to sit down and work on the guns and arms. The armour is the same formula as the bodies obviously.  I ended up using Vallejo old gold with reikland fleshshade for the trim on the gun with a combination of bakthazar gold and runelord brass for the various grips, frets, knobs and covers. The really fun part was the skulls and the white panels. I wanted to give it that wan green shadow look so I used warp lightning at 1:5 contrast medium over the white then re asserted the corax white over the top. I might actually go back and give the skulls another pass with the corax white to build it up a little more. For the cables I used warp lightning too but it's over duralumin and I did some tesseract glow on the front to help give a more varied glow effect. Then white scar with blood angels red over the eyes of the skulls.

 

I think I might put some nuln oil in the recesses of the sonic blaster with the long cables tied together for some more definition.

 

Finally retributor armour with thinned volupus pink for the aquilla icons.  I'm mostly really happy with how these turned out save that I'm worried there's too much green on the sonic blasters and blastmasters now. Of course my goal was to make the guns look like the green power field was so overflowing that it's starting to seep out and saturate the whole weapon. So I guess I got what I wanted.

 

Lastly I'm just gonna do a quick highlight with a bright silver of some kind for the metallic parts and silver trim.

Edited February 23 by hd3

[W.A.Rorie]

Looking good 

[hd3]

 

First, the Noise Marines themselves are finished! These arms attached so easily compared to the rubric marines. I also painted in the screamer pistol on the disharmonist and picked out all the rivets and edges with storm host silver.

Finally, the decals. I deliberately went with the more deformed aquilla because I think it matches their deformed natures better than the original. I also added a gold slaaneshi rune on the cape. I tried to pick the one that most closely resembled the slaaneshi rune on the powerpack. Finally, just a nice roman 3 on the disharmonist knee to remind everyone they are still the third legion. 

 

Now I just need to do the bases and apply the micro sol and my noise marines are finally done!

 

 

 

Edited February 28 by hd3

[hd3]

I also started on building some of my new models for the Alpha Legion. I finally got a replacement set of arms for my last terminator.

Spoiler

 

 

 

Next , I was very kindly gifted a rare Alpha Legion warpsmith by a member of my club.  I've attached an image of the original STL for comparison but I wanted a more traditional look. I especially wanted the warpsmith shoulder pad with the cog teeth trim. Thankfully I raided my bits box and after scraping off an unneeded arrow, I was able to find a suitable fit. I also used a GW plasma pistol from my bits box (annexe).  I love all the extra AL emblems on this model. I'm so excited to paint it. I've even decided which decal I will use. Single head hydra then a mechanicus cog on top for a border.

 

Finally, for an upcoming 750 point game, I began assembling my Leviathan Dreadnought.  Let's see how that vehicle list likes d6 melta lance and anti vehicle 2+ grav flux bombards. I'm going to go with using the same diamond scale pattern I used in the venom crawler for the outer chassis if the leviathan, I think.

 

 

Edited February 28 by hd3

[hd3]

Finally made some more building progress on my leviathan dreadnought. I placed one of the back panel coverings on upside down though and now have a gap to fill. Aspiring sorcerer for scale.

 

 

I also did the prototype for my rubric marine bases. Just need the rest of my magnetized bases to arrive.

Edited March 7 by hd3

[hd3]

Finally finished the sub assemblies of the Leviathan Dreadnought. This was also a first for me. The seam on the right side (house left) was a bit too wide so I used some two part Tamiya epoxy quick putty to fill the seam so it's not so obvious. I had only intended to do the one side because it was quite a bit larger but now I'm looking at it, I'm thinking I might fill the seam on the other side too. 

 

For the arms I had the right arm with the grav flux bombards extended out slightly while the cyclonic melta lance arm is straight neutral which hopefully looks like the dreadnought is bringing his arm up to aim.

[hd3]

Filled in the other seam. Hopefully this will make the chassis look a bit nicer. 

 

I also started work on the contemptor. Thankfully this fancy alpha legion torso also spares me some trouble. Though now I'm considering building the chassis with the aquilla and painting in 30k EC colours to use it as a basing trophy. Maybe even on the base of the Leviathan Dreadnought if it will fit. Otherwise it'll have to wait until I inevitably crack and buy a forgefiend. 

 

For weapons I'm going to give it the fist but I haven't decided which gun yet. I'm leaning towards plasma destroyer or volkite. Anything except the melta. 

 

 

 

Edited March 14 by hd3

[hd3]

I finished assembling the contemptor dreadnought limbs. I went with the dual volkite culverin for the right and the chain fist with grav blaster for the right. I did misplace the chain sword twice though. And missed part of a sprue nub on the hilt of the blade. I feel like I have to find a way to file away the sprue nubs without leaving such a big scratch on the model that I get when I use a file though.

 

My bases finally arrived so I have now glued my 'prospero ruins' base toppers and friday I plan to finally attach the rubric marines.

Edited March 18 by hd3

[W.A.Rorie]

Very nice

[hd3]

Finally glued my rubric marine to my fancy prospero ruins bases. Can't wait varnish these.

[W.A.Rorie]

Nice job

[hd3]

Started putting leadbelcher on all my character models and dreadnoughts now the weather is turning good. I want to finish all my 40k rules models before I move onto 30k.

 

Also excited to report I'll be doing my first ever commission. An Alpha Legion casualty for the Horus Heresy.  I didn't get paid cash but I did get a casualty of my own which will serve as my focus of hatred/vendetta/oath of moment marker.

 

 

 

There's also a mystery piece. WHAT IS IT????

Edited March 29 by hd3

[hd3]

Finished attaching and varnishing my noise marines. The marble bases didn't come out as nice as I'd hoped but I can live with it. I used a brush and some Abaddon black to add a few more streaks.

 

I also applied the highlight of Tamiya silver leaf to the new models. 

[W.A.Rorie]

Very nice!

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I quite like the marble effect, even if it didn't come out quite as intended.  From what I can see, some of them do look marble (like the 2 in the back) while others didn't - primarily, I think due to jagged type pattern(s) on some of them (the front right and left in particular).  That said, while not looking very marble-ey, the jaggedness plays nicely with them being noise marines, as it kind of looks like cracks or distortion caused by their sound waves.

[hd3]

So I'm trying desperately to get my Leviathan Dreadnought ready before the 11th. I went over the parts of the Leviathan that wouldn't be facing the enemy with a coat of Vallejo gunmetal to help add a bit more contrast and then a nuln oil gloss wash over the bright silver parts. The wash didn't really cooperate though. Part of me thinks this just doesn't work with large panel vehicles like it does with infantry. 

 

Meanwhile since I was stuck waiting for the paint to dry on the leviathan proper, I did the base.

 

This is a custom print resin base to match the ruined city theme for my bases. I started with Tamiya light grey primer spray then did tallarn sand over the soil with agrax wash before drybrushing ushabti bone. Then for the ferrocrete I used Vallejo neutral grey with a nuln oil wash and dry brushes of dawn stone then administratum grey. 

 

The metal edges are Vallejo gunmetal and iron warriors. Then they all got rattling grime, Vallejo rust wash, red iron oxide pigment before a few touches of streaking grime.

 

The shrub and leaves are castellan green with warp lightning and an edge highlight of moot green. I'm really happy with how this has turned out. Now I'm just praying I can make the Leviathan Dreadnought good enough for this little stage.  I think I'm going to repeat the scale pattern I did for the venom crawler on the upper torso of the Leviathan. I might have to do some battle damage around the knees to help cover up where I got too aggressive removing the sprue nubs.

[W.A.Rorie]

Base looks great!

[hd3]

Made some progress on the Leviathan. I used Balthazar gold to pick out secondary mechanical details and then did a wash of 1:1 agrax and lahmian medium to tint the colour a bit more. Next I'm going to do a dry brush of necron compound to catch the edges a bit. The bulk of my effort went into doing the scales on the torso. I decided to do then only in the outer parts to hopefully give the impression of some hardened carapace of a great beast. 

 

 

I'm using the same technique as Juan Hidalgo. Intersecting diagonal lines of black templar then feathered lighter black templar on the top of each scale before a downward highlight of stirmhost silver on each scale for contrast . I know it looks like garbage now but it should look great once the blue is on. My venom crawler has a finished example for reference.