'nids part 142 - TO DONE! The Four Horsemen of the Ferron Apocalypse - 'FAMINE'

Famine is complete! 

As you can see the toxic green has made a huge difference, he's clearly gearing up to cast Catalyst [according to my psychic power markers]. Granted his little support stem looks a bit rubbish, although it does look like a little fountainsupporting him. The reflected glow on the bottom of his tail is quite effective too.

However, in some of these views the stem disappears so maybe it's not too bad.

The Vernidas clear varnish has had 24 hours to shrink down, I'll keep adding successive layers to eventually have the crater filled. I've also noticed that once it cures it does manage to mute the coulours a little bit [although these have had a little auto-enhance to bring out the contrast already ;) ]

It'll be fun to run two of these with the new Psychic rules, alhtough two single units give me 4 Warp Charge to add to the pool whereas a unit of two gives me only 2?

Here's the big blue tick for getting it done, even if it's not on my To Do List, the rest of the 'Horsemen' will be coming over the next three days :0

'nids part 141 - Yet more WiPs, of Venom/Zoan-thropes and Lictors

Famine gets it's highlights too. This will, by far, change the most once I start adding the SFX. I still need to paint up the tentacles in the reclamation pool though.

Looking forward to using this guy, I measured him and he will glide harmlessly underneath the Skyshiled, that's if I ever put it in a list. I'm enjoying the Bastion a bit more, for the benefits of the Quad Gun but now it has Hull Points it may well end up more of a liability being glanced to death...

Death starts to take shape too.

I'm looking to add a bit of 'spotting' on the shoulders eventually, as part of it's chameleon skin nature. Nothing crazy just to try and break up the shape a little.

I'm starting to dig this Lictor, I really want to try out that datalsate...

    

Pestilence moves on too. In truth it's probably my least favorite of the four. I'm convinced his tentacles will and I'm not sure how to transport him safely either.

Still, I'm looking forward to taking some mobile cover into battle. I may consider dropping a Fortification to do so.

    

'nids part 140 - Dakkafex goes to 'War'

Bone white highlights added to War

I always seem to think the hard work is done at this stage. The turquoise is a more controlled process, therefore takes more time. The Bonewhite is often less tidy because the lighter colours are more forgiving but they usually take up more surface area so probably take just as long. Although it's less precise there are usually far more fiddly areas, lumps and bumps and I think I leave far more washed areas for shadows than I used to do. Thus the lighting is pretty uniform throughout when I know I should have taken advantage of my shading

    

And I still have all the hard black claw bits and flesh bits and blood/glow bits so it's far from over, just the end is coming into sight.

Dark Angels - Land's Speeder Typhoon Pattern

Despite all the nid activity to the contrary my Typhoon Pattern of 'Land's Speeder' has been in progress [and progressing] for a while now. I've been working on the metals in much the same way as my Drop Pod [also very much 'in progress'] but needed to tone it down as I don't want shiny metallics. To get to this stage was quite a lot of Tin Bitz, then about four highlights followed by two lots of washes.

This may well be OTT for the end result, it looks much richer in the flesh metal, but I am going to add in the Verdigris too so who knows where it will end up and how much of all I've achieved so far will be obscured? So, I have to admit I'm putting off doing it, as I'm still not sure it will remain the 'dark' Ravenwing I'd hoped to capture.

Once I get my 'four horseman of the Hive Fleet' done - Dakkafex, Zoie, Venom and Lictor, I'll be back on this as a priority, I think?

Tactical Objective Cards - just so you know!

And we all thought the limited edition run of the Munitorum Edition of 2,000 was limited. This week I've been trying to get a couple of packs of the Tactical Objective Cards from a large GW store and it seems like they've sold out. Loads of packs of Psychic Power cards but no Tactical Objective ones. Having spoken to the manager it transpires there seems to be no sign of them until July at the earliest! He doesn't know why they're still available on the site, perhaps HQ is hoarding them for their own games.

It seems GW underestimated the appeal, or how much of an impulse buy a £5 item in GW can be, to totally change the way you play. Good luck finding some if you hadn't already made a pre-order.

'nids part 139 - Yet more WiPs, of Venom/Zoan-thropes and Lictors

I managed to break the back of the Chitin highlights and got all the spots done. 

Famine is ready for his Bonewhite now.

    

I also like the way he only has 4 dorsal vents, being shorter than my metal version means this looks like it's baby brother. I'm really looking forward to not using the metal one. It's so top heavy and prone to chipping, this should be much better to use.

Death is also coming along nicely. I went with bone coloured claws on it's Mantis talons. They stand out more than the black ones and echo the Capillary Tower scheme.

I've always had the belief that the high gloss black claws are super hard and the Bonewhite isn't as strong, which is why the Zoanthrope doesn't have any black claws - its so pathetic in combat. The Bonewhite is both flexible and hard utilising some internal fluid to alter it's properties.

Pestilence is on track too.

The problem doing these schemes is you can get to this stage and love it and there's still the intent to add glowy green FX all over those rather bruised and angry looking toxic sacks. Still, I'll have the memories ;)

    

'nids part 138 - Dakkafex goes to 'War'

'War' is getting his jam on. Second highlights done. Spots are next.

As my painting and the Hive Fleet Gorgon scheme has evolved over time the dark blue has got considerably darker, adding the dots will help break up that contrast.

Magentising this really makes a difference. I have so many options now for how he's used.

Spots go on and I pick out the detail on his Stinger Salvo spines.

All ready to start on the Bonewhite, and the hard claws and hooves have been 'blacked up'.

I really like Carnifexes now, even compared to the scale of Tervigons and Tyrgons, the embody so much of the Monstrous Creature spirit and are emminently more posable and dynamic.

Meanwhile his claws and Devourer arms have also progressed. There's actually still a lot to do but it does feel like he's been quick to paint, in fact all 'four Horsemen of the Ferron Apocalypse' have run smoothly since I started in earnest. Once the Bonehwite's in place it's just the special FX - blood, flesh bits and glow FX. They're fun to do and take the model to the next level, looking forward to it.