Renewed Faith: WIP Sororitas (A Returning Player's Journal: Updated 3.21.25)

[Jhadzaan]

Greetings all!

 

I'm Jhadzaan, and welcome to the start of my journey back into 40k! For a bit of context, I haven't played or touched a GW model in over 10 years. While I still have my old army books and novels, my entire model range was either tithed to friends or in some extreme cases cast into the Warp. However I have kept an eye on the hobby, admiring from afar. With the start of a new year I've decided to stretch those old creative muscles.......even if my wallet gets stretched in the process. This thread is here to help give me a bit more motivation as well as share and get feedback and ideas from all you wonderful folks!

 

Now I will say that for now I'm more interested in the modeling and painting side. That means collecting/modelling what I want and less collecting with any intention of winning a game.  Thus I'm starting with the Sisters of Battle. I've always wanted a force of the faithful and while I do like almost all the factions to some degree, Sisters are by far my favorite.

 

So having ordered the combat patrol plus few extra boxes I have the following to assemble and paint to keep me busy for a bit:

 

Celestine

1x Palatine

1x Canoness

10x Battle Sisters

5x Celestian Sacresants

5x Seraphim/Zephyrim (haven't decided which ones yet)

10x Repentia

10x Novitiates

3x Paragon Warsuits

 

Yes I know I left out the Flagellants from the combat patrol, but I don't find them as interesting. I won't get any transports or tanks till I have some units completed. Plus I used to find them boring to paint.

 

Below are a few of the models I've started practicing with:

- Battle Sisters -  So far are standard. Might add some more purity seals and chains.

- Novitiate - I'm not fully keen on the coif and veils so I'm going to try for bare heads. 

- Repentia - I like the new plastic models but liked the loin cloths and rags of the old metal models. I'm thinking some more purity seals and maybe some hoods.

- Sacresants - I liked the spear and shield look for the Superior, but thought greatswords would look cool for the rest instead of halberds. Maces aren't really my thing either. Never going to a tournament so WYSIWYG doesn't matter.

 

I should finish sculpting and assembling these by the end of this week. That'll leave the weekend to start painting.

 

Looking forward to sharing more soon!

Edited Saturday at 03:24 AM by Jhadzaan

[Firedrake Cordova]

It looks like a reasonable amount to keep you busy for a while  

 

2 hours ago, Jhadzaan said:

Now I will say that for now I'm more interested in the modeling and painting side. That means collecting/modelling what I want and less collecting with any intention of winning a game

To be honest, this is the way I follow - GW changes the rules fairly frequently, and if you only buy models you like, then at least you have a collection of models you like  (as opposed to that model you didn't like but bought for the rules, which since got worse...)

Edited February 19 by Firedrake Cordova

[Jhadzaan]

Well started some trial runs. Nothing to make you feel old than trying to paint tiny details. Now I remember why I started Space Marines back in the day. Slightly easier to paint with their larger armor plates.

 

These still need touching up. Going for a dirtier, gritter look. Might try "slapchop" on the next ones, but again Sisters are smaller than marines. We'll see how it goes.

[Grotsmasha]

Looking great so far

 

If there's one thing I can recommend for those of us who's eyes are past their prime, it's non-prescription reading glasses, ~3x magnification or so.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Looks good to me - I like the weathering on the bottom of the cloak/cape.

 

I second @Grotsmasha's recommendation for using magnification ...

[Jhadzaan]

@Grotsmasha & @Firedrake Cordova lol yeah. I have a magnifier. Just one of those moments 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Those look great.

 

My only suggestion would be make sure to draw the black wash on the tabard up into the groves for some shading - in the models above, the folds on the back are largely unshaded which looks a bit off (this doesn't seem to be a problem on the front, perhaps because of the sharper folds retaining the pigment better and/or creating their own natural shadows).

Edited March 3 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Pearson73]

Those are some cool builds, nice posing! Tester minis look solid too, though I agree with @Dr_Ruminahui to pull the wash up a bit more into the folds of the cloth.

[Jhadzaan]

Well progress ground to a halt thanks to being ill for the past week. Thankfully that's done with and I've got the next 9 days off. The goal is to completely assemble/convert the models I do have (Sisters sprues are great but so fiddly) and hopefully basecoat most of them.

 

I had a few hours today to get my Canoness and Palatine put together. Had a small glue mishap with the Palatine that messed up some details on her belt which I might be able to re-sculpt. I have enough bits to make another version. Might just do that instead.

 

And yes that is a Black Templar lurking around. Pay him no mind. One thing at a time.....

 

Edited March 15 by Jhadzaan

[Jhadzaan]

Finished assembling the remainder of the Battle Sister Squad today. I'll work probably start on either the Dominions or Seraphim tomorrow.

[Jhadzaan]

Whew!

 

A whole day and another squad assembled. This time I tried some basing as well.

 

So first after some thought I changed out the Canoness' halberd. The previous one was kinda meh, big...but meh. This fits a bit better. (edit: Haven't decided on her base so it's blank for now).

 

Then it was on the the Zephyrim (backpacks left off for painting). I decided I had to go with more scenic bases for the start (not a fan of the clear sticks). Some candles, skulls, ruins, and tiled floors worked fine I think. Figure my sisters are cleansing temples and cities of heretics in their War of Faith.

 

Anyway. That's it for today. I'll probably work on the Dominions tomorrow. Gonna wait on the Paragon Warsuits as I'm still knocking a few ideas around before I start working on them.

Edited March 18 by Jhadzaan

[ThePenitentOne]

Great work so far. I look forward to seeing more.

[Jhadzaan]

Thanks!

 

The Dominions are now assembled. Still need some cleanup and have to drill the gun barrels, but I'll do that tomorrow. This box had an insane amount of flash/mold-lines that needed to be cleaned off and I'm sure I'll find some areas that still need attention.  But progress is progress, right?

 

 

 

Also what are everyone's take on the Paragon Warsuits?

 

I like them but the one part that I keep coming back to is the arms. I saw this conversion (again not mine!) and thought maybe I might do something similar. I like the idea of them being fully enclosed suits (give or take the head). Reminds me of the Dreadknights in Diablo 4 (game aside the aesthetics are great)

 

Thoughts? (AGAIN THE CONVERSION BELOW IS NOT MINE.)

Edited March 19 by Jhadzaan

[Jhadzaan]

Small update.

 

Added 3 Arco-flagellants and converted up a Hospitaller from spare parts (need to pick up some wire for cabling)

 

 

Remaining units to assemble to round out the army to 1000pts.

 

Celestine w/ bodyguards

3 Warsuits

Immolator

 

Going to table the Repentia, Novitiates, and Sacresants for now. I want to start painting by this weekend if I can and need to get onto basing. Also, I keep going back and forth between the doing 2h swords for the Sacresants or converting the halberds to spears or even going sword and board. All I know is I don't care for the standard halberds.

 

Thoughts?

[Firedrake Cordova]

Are you able to dry-fit the Sacresants (e.g. using Blu-Tack) so you can see how the various options would look, then pick based on that?

[Jhadzaan]

14 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Are you able to dry-fit the Sacresants (e.g. using Blu-Tack) so you can see how the various options would look, then pick based on that?

Ask and ye shall receive.

 

Here are some comparisons for the Sacresants.

 

So here we go(listed from easiest to hardest to convert)

1)Swords & Shields (just Zephyrim arms)

2) Spears & Shields (replace halberd head with spear head from Warcast Eternals kit)

3) Greatswords (Sisters of Silence swords w/ sculpted sleeves)

Edited March 20 by Jhadzaan

[Firedrake Cordova]

Sword and shield or great sword for me.  

[Jhadzaan]

16 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Sword and shield or great sword for me.  

Yeah, that's how I was leaning. I'm gonna noodle on it a bit more and come back to them.

 

Not much today, but still progress. Made 10 bases for the Battle Sister Squad (just now noticing I missed the cherub but oh well lol) and primed them with a Zenithal along with the Zephyrim.  Hopefully I'll get some painting in this weekend in between family obligations. Fingers crossed.