The Importance of Model Poses - Alpha Legion Painting Update (Warp Talons)!

[abaumann]

Update: Scroll to end of thread to see most recent pics!

(Resurrecting an old thread here to post progress on this Alpha Legion army, so disregard the list below as it was from 9th edition)

 

Original post:

Henlo,

 

Over the past several months, I have been building and shaping an army that I can spend a few hours on the weekend here and there playing against folks with. The goal has been to create a very aesthetically pleasing army that sometimes wins.

 

I emphasize sometimes because I like to have fun in gaming.  Part of having fun is displaying art.  About 20 years ago, I polished a 3,000 point Eldar Ulthwé army that was also fun, which I sold to a very happy kid on Craigslist for a good price.  Now I have decided to build the polar opposite of Eldar: CHAOS

 

With the newer plastic models, I've found that poses are easy to get right.  The models themselves are far easier to manipulate, which can create a personality to an army.  I've been able to do a lot of head tilting to models that I wasn't able to do with older metal models, creating a sort of sassy vibe and a sense of dynamics to the poses.  It's been important to me to make every model pose differently.  It feels like the army has more character when no two models have the same pose.  That drove me nuts with older metal models, since having a squad of 10 of something meant you almost always had to have two of the exact same model pose. 

 

I'll admit I still haven't played a single game since 4th Edition, and have only been cruising the internet for strategies.  I've painted a grand total of one half of a model since I started building, with the time I've had.  I was originally going to use a Changeling with a detachment of Horrors, but the new Chaos Daemons codex came out and he doesn't have the aura abilities he did when I bought him a year or so ago (first chaos model I bought).  So he is going to be my proxied Master of Possessions, since GW still has not released a model for that (:cuss:). I am thinking the whole army will be painted with techniques similar to what I used on the Changeling, without the aid of an airbrush.  Hopefully this won't be too time consuming.

 

I've included a 1,500 point list below to get me started again in the game.  I would appreciate any feedback on the list, tweaks you would make, etc.  How will I do in creating a balanced and fun game environment for opponents? I don't aim at being competitive, and I don't want to lose every game, somewhere in between.  Let me know what you think of the list...it seems VERY CP intensive...so a little worried about that.  Might not be the official format a list is supposed to be in, but you'll get the idea...honestly super excited to use the Warp Talons as a harassment unit, they are so damn cool.

(PS, I think I actually have about 20 points to spare since the points value of the MoP changed…where should this go?)

 

Alpha Legion Patrol Detachment -2cp

~HQ:~

 

Master of Possessions – 105 pts

Warp Marked, Mutated Invigoration

 

Daemon Prince (Warlord) – 185pts
-Hellforged Sword, Mark of Slaanesh, Wings, Thaa'ris and Rhi'ol the Rapacious, Delightful Agonies, Diabolic Strength, Master of Diversion

~Troops:~

5 Legionaries – 105pts

w/ Astartes Chainswords and bolt pistols, mark of Khorne
-Heavy Chainaxe, Plasma Pistol
Rhino – 80pts
-Havoc Launcher

~Fast Attack:~

9 Warp Talons – 252pts

Black Rune of Damnation

~Heavy Support:~

Defiler – 175pts
-Reaper Autocannon, Defiler cannon, Scourge

5 Havocs  - 135pts
-2 Autocannons, 2 Lascannons

 

Khorne Daemons Patrol Detachment -2cp

 

~HQ:~

 

Daemon Prince – 180pts

Mark of Khorne, Skullreaver, Wings

 

~Troops:~

 

10 Bloodletters – 130pts

 

10 Bloodletters – 130pts

 Banner of Blood

 

 

Edited May 8 by abaumann

[Ezekyle_Abaddon]

I love the theme of this by the way. Your defiler is an excellent example of using different poses to get more out of older kits.

 

For points, you could probably just use them to buy a mark for the MoP, Tzeench or Slaanesh would prob work best.

 

If you want some suggestions on what to get next the lord discordant is a very fun HQ choice with some interesting fun builds, as well as getting some more legionaries or a chosen squad.

 

P.s Great idea for the heavy chainaxe, pretty creative

[abaumann]

@Ezekyle_Abaddon thank you!

 

Yeah, I was hoping to breathe some life into the defiler in a way that didn’t just make it look like a crab machine, but more of a daemon with a face (similar to soulgrinders but with more attitude). The heavy chain axe was accomplished by gluing chainsword teeth to a normal axe, as you’ve probably guessed already.
 

I appreciate your response. I will post another update when I get deeper into painting. 

 

As far as fluff goes, does Khorne seem like a reasonable sidekick to an Alpha Legion detachment? AL are supposedly “tricksters” so it made some sense to try to drop a bloodletter bomb, but from a rules standpoint that will leave me with very little CP to play with. I will at least be able to re-deploy a few units with Master of Diversion…and maybe get some first-turn charges with the warp talons to lock things down for bloodletters to come snack on.

 

What will I have the most trouble fighting against with a list like this? Hoping this will dominate gun lines or similar builds, but I can see it struggling against faster mechanized lists (is Mech-dar still a thing?)

[Urauloth]

Ooh, the old daemon prince looks good with the parts from the new kit. I really want to try that too, now.

You have some very nice poses in your legionary squad. I particularly like the guy aiming the bolt pistol with his right hand.

[Xenith]

Great work so far, love that pose on the defiler! 

 

GW definitely make a Master of Possessions model, but weirdly I don't see it in the webstore. I'm sure you can find one one ebay? Otherwise any old sorcerer model can stand in. 

 

[Kaiju Soze]

The Master of Possessions mini was part of the previous Start Collecting box and hasn't been made available separately (though I believe it comes on its own sprue, so they could release it on its own).

Edited March 15, 2023 by Kaiju Soze

[abaumann]

True, what I meant to say was that it was released, but not separately. And…the price for it on Ebay is currently astronomical because the model wasn’t released separately. So, going with a proxie for now. 
 

Thank you folks for the comments, truly appreciated.
 

Any comments on the list build itself, and strategy associated with it, would be helpful as well :) 

[Maximus]

Totally agree with you on the aesthetic front. I like to mix and match models to create a unique, but coherent army. I'm currently looking at starting a Death Guard army, but I'll start with the DG boarding patrol box set, combined with a kill team of Chaos SM so I can amalgamate the bits to give a different look. I often look at other ranges (Necromunda, AoS, even Bloodbowl) for models as they have some really cool sculpts and can sometimes be cheaper too. Can't wait to see these painted up.

[abaumann]

Thanks! I haven’t thought to look at other ranges…that’s a good point. Thinking it would actually be pretty funny to have a chaos lord decked out in bloodbowl gear charging across the battlefield. Probably would be the last to get shot at, for the sake of humor.

Edited March 17, 2023 by abaumann

[TheWarmaster]

I really enjoyed this post! good luck with your new army! Looking forward to seeing your progress, please keep updating this blog! The models look great and the paint job on that changeling is awesome! 10/10.

[abaumann]

@TheWarmaster thank you for the kind words!!

 

I’m going to be isolated on a work trip for a couple months in a hotel, hoping to get some painting done then.
 

Off-topic, but has anyone ever transported models on a plane? I’m thinking a little metal lunch box for a couple squads (whatever I can get done during the work trip) could suffice, with some heavy-duty magnets. The model bases are all already magnetized for my larger carrying case. Do they get through carry-on security ok though? The bloodletters are indeed carrying sharp object, haha…

Ideas?

[Tallarn Commander]

Even in a post 9-11 world I have transported models on carry-on many times. TSA always gives them a thourough look over and then allows me to pass. About a dozen years ago one TSA person even said "cool." Hopefully your experience is similar.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I've transported minis on a plane - best method is simply carry them in a clamshell case with foam inserts for miniatures such as the ones GW sells. As TC experienced, the gate security normally wants to look at them, but I suspect that is more of a "this is weird, I don't know what these are" than "I think this may be dangerous" - though the times I have done so my minis were mostly metal, which may have added to that.  Never had a problem, though they don't like it if they catch you trying to take spray primer with you. 

[abaumann]

I did a work in progress trial run of what I think might look good on the rest of the models, and wondering what to do for color of the base. Thinking a grayish-brown textured sand of some sort but not sure which direction to go. Would be great to have bases that match the fluff of Alpha Legion if possible….and the color theme…halp?

 

I’ve been focusing on techniques for metallic armor and am happy with where this is going but could use your input, fellow painters and fluff geeks. For the gun colors, I actually asked my partner what she thinks and she started sending me examples of rusty/oxidized pipes and I thought it might look good to include the brown oxidization effect on portions of guns. Here are the results, feedback and advice is much appreciated, let me know what you’d do for the base designs! 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by abaumann

[Cpt.Danjou]

The painting is spot on, and very good.  For the bases, They could really look anyway for Alpha legion, just keep it simple if you want to keep it fluffy, as you might want to bring along lots of cultists, making them to elaborate can making it tedious to do if you will do many of them. 

 

The rust effect is very nice, but here is my thoughts, you can do as you want. I have the feeling that Alpha Legionaries are some of the most "professional" CSM, and would try to keep their equipment in pristine condition, so rust is not something that would not be commonly seen on their equipment. Death guard and Nurgle marines equipment will be rusty, dirty and spotty, but most other legions would try to to keep them clean, especially on a weapon that is so important as a lascannon. 

 

This is not a critic towards you, it is just something that irks me, I am not against battleworn equipment, but rust takes time, and I believe that most soldiers try to keep rust away from their weapons, and every time I see rust on Marine equipment, my heart beats a little faster.  :) Dulled down and matte metal is ok. Rust is not a problem on cultists weapons as they are less professional, and vehicles being in the field for a long time might get it on certain spots, because as soon as the metal is bared due to to shots chipping away the paint, or around turrets and doors where paint will wear and tear away the paint, rust might be seen. A legionaries will probably clean and polish their weapons as soon they have the time.

 

But then we have the cool effect, which rust can give. Making it looking like a weapon that have been used for millenium, and having the legioner being proud of how long it has been in service, keeping the rust, and spots. So it is not a critic towards your painting, just my ocd with weapon maintenance.  :)

 

Cpt. Danjou 

[abaumann]

Cpt. Danjou, thanks for the reply.  I appreciate where you are coming from in giving me some background in the fluff on the professionalism and cleanliness in weaponry...wondering if there is something somewhere deep in the AL fluff though that alludes to some lone detachment in the universe that just doesn't give a crap about their gear, lol.  Aren't there at least five Havocs out there who are a bit lazy after sniping Wraithlords all day?

 

All jokes aside, that is good advice and I might find other ways to incorporate the brownish color into the scheme and just do rust on some of the army...the rust effect IS a bit time consuming, but honestly pretty fun to paint.

Edited June 16, 2023 by abaumann

[abaumann]

Does anybody else have insight on rusty weaponry for Alpha Legion fluff?  Looking for some extra honest opinions like the one above...hoping to get some more models finished while I'm traveling for work. :)

[Cpt.Danjou]

When it comes to rust, I do believe, that daemons might be less picky, so the Warp talons, and  daemon princes. Plus I wouldn't go near a daemon possessed war-engine with huge crab claws with a rag and weapon oil, trying to explain to it, "Hi! May I polish your legs with this oily rag? What? No. I have not started to worship Slaanesh. Ok I am leaving...". Even the Rhino might have some few spots of rust. 

 

I do get you I have done some rust on my Iron warrior, and it was fun.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Cpt. Danjou

[abaumann]

12 hours ago, Cpt.Danjou said:

When it comes to rust, I do believe, that daemons might be less picky, so the Warp talons, and  daemon princes. Plus I wouldn't go near a daemon possessed war-engine with huge crab claws with a rag and weapon oil, trying to explain to it, "Hi! May I polish your legs with this oily rag? What? No. I have not started to worship Slaanesh. Ok I am leaving...". Even the Rhino might have some few spots of rust. 

 

I do get you I have done some rust on my Iron warrior, and it was fun.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

Cpt. Danjou

Haha, yes, I like it! Daemon rust it is…will probably make the rest of the Army not have rust. Fantastic job on that rust by the way Danjou. I’ll try to incorporate some more orange tones I think. 

[abaumann]

@Cpt.Danjou

Here is the path forward with the pristine weaponry. Saving rust techniques for vehicles and daemons as you suggested. Decided on some blood-stained rocky terrain as a base. What do you think?

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by abaumann

[abaumann]

Being snowed in at home has given me time to get some painting done.  I think I've improved on some key skills...but still have a lot of improvements I could make. I took @Cpt.Danjou's advice and kept them clean and shiny rather than adding rust effects.  However, they are a little bloody... Let me know what you think of this Havoc squad!  Any suggestions on painting techniques are welcome.  :)

[TheArtilleryman]

I’m not normally a huge CSM fan but these look mint. I especially like the lighter green tones on the armour. Lovely work.

Edited January 17 by TheArtilleryman

[abaumann]

@TheArtillerymanthanks! I will post more of them as I continue, hoping to get faster at painting. I’m a slowpoke.

[abaumann]

Update, finished a squad of Warp Talons! 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

They are gorgeous - love the contrast between the shades a green and blue-green.