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

[hd3]

I've been debating what to do about the engines. I was wondering if it's worth doing it like it's spewing flames like a "real" jet engine or it I should just leave it black.  If it I did the burning version, I'm not sure how I could do the flame effect.  The metal panels are easy enough, just copy the melta formula but I don't know how to paint a lit jumppack.

[Firedrake Cordova]

I suppose the other option is to make the exhausts look "hot", i.e. glowing red at the end of the nozzle?

[hd3]

3 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

I suppose the other option is to make the exhausts look "hot", i.e. glowing red at the end of the nozzle?

 

Yeah! That would be close to what I want and not as hard. How would you paint it though?

[Firedrake Cordova]

You basically want it to be yellow on the edge, then going through red to black (where it's cold). GW did a tutorial for one of the Cities of Sigmar models.

 

I think stippling some dark red around the exhaust, then a smaller area of mid-red, and then edge-highlight with a bright yellow could work?

 

Edited May 2, 2024 by Firedrake Cordova

[hd3]

I got in the bone details using zandri dust that was washed down with agrax to get a bit closer to steel legion drab imitation, then karak stone and finally flayed one flesh just on the very tip of each horn. After that I used a really light coating of abaddon black on the lightning claws which i highlighted with runefang steel. I was thinking maybe a light drybrush of iron warriors next? A really dark metal.

 I left the black deliberately thinner than usual so the metal underneath would show through.

 

I really need to find a way to make my highlighting neater. Is it just better and cleaner to highlight while the model is still in pieces so it's easier to get a good angle on the edges?

Edited May 12, 2024 by hd3

[Firedrake Cordova]

I like the claws as they are

[hd3]

24 minutes ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

I like the claws as they are

I guess a part of painting is knowing when to stop 

[hd3]

First attempts at highlights. I think the admin gray came out a bit thick. Any tips for getting thinner edge highlights?

[Grotsmasha]

It really does come down to practise, and using the side of your brush as much as possible. If you like to thin those lines a little, it'd recommend cutting back in with black on the flat of the panels.

[hd3]

16 minutes ago, Grotsmasha said:

It really does come down to practise, and using the side of your brush as much as possible. If you like to thin those lines a little, it'd recommend cutting back in with black on the flat of the panels.

 

Cheers grot, I'll take another pass with Abaddon black later. Then just a little warp lightning around the edges and I'm happy to call this one done!

[hd3]

First warp talon finished 

 

The green on the edges comes out really strong under light but is much more subtle in normal lighting . 

 

I also was excited to do the dark angels helmet which is Caliban green over Abaddon black with warpstone glow edge highlights and a little iron warriors on the edge.  This was my first time doing open loyalists aside from my ultramarine starter marine so I was excited to try. I'm pretty happy with it.

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2024 by hd3

[hd3]

[hd3]

I've finally finished my first unit of Warp Talons! I'm mostly happy with these though I noticed a few trends that I think need to be worked on. First, I need to practice on thin edge highlights that I make progressively larger. Partly this was hard because the paints tended to flow much more than I would like for the highlights.

 

Secundus, I've decided that using the old pre heresy Hydra insignia is a rank of status in my warband, hence why it's on the talon champion.

 

Third, I had to abandon the decal I was using to indicate warp corruption because there was nowhere to put it on the talons. I tried on the side of the jump pack but it didn't look great.

 

Fourth, this was my first time using warp lightning contrast around the edges in advance instead of an afterthought. It's still tough to gauge if I used it enough because under strong light it comes off really strong whole under natural lighting on most of the talons it's barely noticeable.

 

If anyone has any comments or suggestions for how to improve or what help the look, please feel free to reply!

Edited May 28, 2024 by hd3

[hd3]

Finally, the model I've been really excited for. I've decided to put off the Havocs for a while to focus on the aspiring champion. The inspiration for this one came from the vexcilia. I decided since he's carrying around the warband's history, that should be a big part of his role. Everything is going to be designed to reflect that. I scraped off the chaos undivided mark on the power pack as part of my removing all possible chaos symbols policy and I'm going to replace it with the modern hydra. In contrast the old hydra goes on the shoulder which will be painted black, an old indicator of veteran status from the heresy.

 

 

The powermace in contrast is going to be a copy of duncan Rhodes tutorial on how to paint horus' powermace World-Breaker. This one will be the inferior: World-Denter. 

 

Meanwhile the vexcilia will use the Alpha/Omega combination symbol above the skull while the script decals from the space marine transfers and skull decal make up the body text.

 

Problems I have now:

 

1) I need to find a good way to firmly attach the vexcilia to the top of the power pack. Someone suggested pinning but I don't think I have the skills. I thought maybe cut a thin hole in the power pack and Tamiya plastic glue? Maybe some tiny white putty around the base of the rod.

 

2) how to paint the vexcilia banners so they look like unbleached cloth with text on them. I really need the banners to look distinct from the bleached bone look. I can't seem to find a vexcilia guide anywhere though.

 

3) A different black for the shoulder. I really want to avoid the flat black I use on guns and jump packs. I need an almost metallic black, something where you can almost see the silver paint underneath.

 

4) I really want to put XX Roman numerals on his left shoulder but to keep the arrow in the middle and make it fit. I need some TINY white Xs to fit the miniscule gap. Which may require buying more decals. I considered trying the black but it doesn't show up as well against the blue.

 

I dunno why but for some reason picking out the decals made me come up with a whole history to justify why this marine wears them so I intend to post that later once he's done. Highlights included:

 

 

-World Denter, the discarded prototype of world breaker. 

-His rank which from Serpentia somehow translates as either Sergeant Archivist or Lord Propagandist, depending on your reading the kanji.

- All four major symbols of the alpha legion from different periods of their history and the personal history of this warband. Formerly the fifteenth harrow of the twentieth legion, now their nickname being their only moniker: "The Last Surprise"

 

 

 

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

The warp talons came out quite nicely

[Wolf Lord Duregar]

They look great, amazing paint-job. Looks hard to get that right, that really nice blue and all that metal. Well done sir!

[hd3]

5 hours ago, Wolf Lord Duregar said:

They look great, amazing paint-job. Looks hard to get that right, that really nice blue and all that metal. Well done sir!

 

I can only claim partial credit, grotsmasha gave me the winning formula for 30 percent takasar blue and 70 aethermatic blue 

[Wolf Lord Duregar]

But you still painted it, thin and nice, very neat.. So - be proud!

[hd3]

Finally started on the aspiring champion. Ive already put in the gloss undercoat and black templar edge highlights for shadows so I moved straight to adding my blue mix. I always forget how much the colour changes under different light, this was dark blue when I went to bed. Now it's almost green. I admit the shifting lighting is very 'alpha legion' but I might still do another pass with heavier talassar one more time. 

 

On the shoulder, I did the interior over with a heavy coat of runefang steel. Grot suggested for the black I wanted I go with the brightest silver possible underneath and on top 75-25 contrast medium and black templar in thin coats.

 

I'm thinking I'll try the same attempted sandstone formula I used on the Venomcrawler base rubble for the stone at his foot.

[Firedrake Cordova]

It's amazing how the colour looks different on the front and back (I love the colour that's one the back of the model!)

[hd3]

Redone with a second coat and more talassar to keep it more blue. I've blocked in the foundation colours and got a reasonably glossy black on the shoulder I'm happy with though it's not quite what I envisaged. Now the part I'm dreading, how to attach the Vexilia... I seriously have no clue how to do this nicely.

[hd3]

Colourd in the first layer of brass details. I don't think the gold chaos star is very alpha legion but it's too difficult to clip off so I think I might try and cover it up with some iron warriors and nuln oil.

 

I'm also not sure how to colour the claws gripping the exhausts on the power pack. I want something that gives a strong contrast but leaving them silver seems lazy.

 

 

Edited June 3, 2024 by hd3

[hd3]

[hd3]

I added a bit of aethermatic blue to the more prominent spots of the armour to get more of the aquamarine colour back after overdoing it a bit with the talassar.  

 

I'm finally almost finished with the Vexilia! I decided the emblem base should be similar to the AL colours so I just applied my usual recipe though I only used leadbelcher. For the banners itself I'm going to use bugmans glow, then cadian flesh and Kislev flesh to hopefully get a nice tan colour. 

 

For the actual text if the Vexilia, I'm going to use the black script and a skull icon from a space Marines transfer sheet. I might have no choice but to free hand the text in the bottom banner unless I can find really small decals. Or pay out the insane money for the legiones astartes transfer sheet.

 

I still have no idea how best to attach this though. So far my current plan is to use paint on the bottom of the Vexilia to mark how wide the central pillar is and then drill a hole that size with a pin vice and Tamiya extra thin the Vexilia in place.

[Grotsmasha]

Looking great so far