ebay sales I don't regret - Space Crusade plastics and a Dreadnought

Here's all the Space Crusade bits I sold on ebay a few years ago. Now I say I don't regret selling them and that's true, I was never impressed with the plastics. The new Space Marine helemts that had replace beakies were really cool but this fersion just made them stunted and tiny. The Space Marine Captain was cool in a cuddly sort of way but it's no great loss. Even the heavy weapons bounty wasn't up to much. You could remove some of the hands to convert to current figures but it's still a lot of faffing.

The only other note is the Dark Angel green undercoat I used on the yellow figures, as you can tell from the one lying down. It wasn't too glossy a finish but the car spray paint went on beautifully, even better than some of the usual undercoats and this was just the usual top coat layer. I'd love to be able to see what I could do with one now, if a Badab Black wash would just tone done the little bit of shine, I'm sure these would be perfect Angels!

Rogue Trader dreadnought, move on, not interested at all. I was probably going to go with a Deathwing effect in the painting but obviously never got past this. I was never a huge fan of the model, and I'm not much of a fan about the new Sarcophagus dreads, although the Venerable ones are cool and the new Forgeworld Contemptor pattern dreadnought doesn't strike any cords with me either. However I did like the old schematics showing how a Dreadnought works and Ron From the Warp has a picture of the very same plans I recall with such fondness.

Tactical squad update

Having just teased you with close-up shots of the tactical squads eyes I thought it would be appropriate to showcase my progress so far. For some reason I chose a new backdrop as these were photographed outside. Aside from the glossiness it puts these Space Marines truly in space, even if it is the packaging from an X-factor playset [but we won't tell anyone that...] 

There's not a huge amount to say really. The Orkhide shade has been put on and washed with Badab Black and Dark Angels Green 'dry-buffed' in place. Tin Bitz for all the metallics [washed with Badab Black] and Mechrite Red for the seals and terminator emblems.

My intention was to do a bit of the battered metal effect from my drop pod on all the metal elements but we'll see as I'm digging the darkness of the Tin Bitz.

I'm not sur ejust how much more highlighting I want to do. Part of me thinks if I do some line highlights they'll end up being 'Tron-esque' or a bit Dark Eldar. However I think once I've done all the detail bits, purity seals, metals etc. perhaps another Badab Black wash and a thin DA Green or DA Green and lighter green mix highlight might end up with the effect I'm after. As you can see still got plenty of highlights to go on all those details, particularly the Ferron Proxima Crux Terminatus.

Lastly the Space Marine Captain. Lots to do on this guy and he's going to be very different with the huge cloak. not sure if Deathwink colours will work on him as it wouldn't be very dark. Much the same as the robes on my Ravenwing, so many decisions and every one preventing me from moving forward. that's what happens when you don't have a plan, procrastination and delay. Must try harder.

ebay sales YOU won't regret! Yet more daemons! Maybe not safe for work... eek!

My mate Liam, he of the scratch built Warhound and Warlord fame, is still having a clear out of old figures on ebay NOW! He sent me pictures of this baby and I thought I better put them online before this thing sells...

So if you like Slaanesh and are kinky that way, well you would be if you like Slaanesh, then bid away

There's a couple of other things up for grabs, ha, ha I mean on his ebay auction not the couple of things below so check out all of his auctions.

The second most important rule of painting [perhaps] - The eyes have it!

Well I think it's as good a rule as any - get the eyes painted as soon as possible. Bearing in mind you don't want to be doing things like drybrushing after you've done the eyes, there's nothing like getting it just so only to smear paint onto the focal point of your miniature. As it stands I continue to plug away at my Tactical Squad and I finally took the plunge and thought I could do the eyes because any efforts on the Dark Angels green is purely highlighting. That isn't going to be achieved without careful effort and that control shouldn't result in any mishaps round the eyes, so I was pretty safe to continue.

I'm going old-skool Epic Space Marine with the lenses. Sure the red lense stands out and is awesome but that box is my original inspiration that I want to hark back to and I think it sets them apart from the rest of the Dark Angel crowd. Obviously it enters into Salamander territory, even more so when you take into account I will be painting all my bare-headed Marines with the white hair off the Epic box cover but the dark Native American Indian Deathwing skin tones of  my 3rd Generation Dark Angel I better get that green just right!

So there was obviously some yellow involved, Some Gryphonne Sepia Wash a few times and some Badab Black and Chaos Black to sharpen the outlines. Finally a dot of pure white in the corners, just like th ehow to paint Space Marine guides tell you to do. The end result may actually look better than those close-ups suggest. Certainly for my table top standards, you'll see in the next post anyway as you can see each of the figures painted thus far. To end with, the inpiration that started it all!

ebay sales YOU won't regret! Daemons, daemons, daemons!

My mate Liam, he of the scratch built Warhound and Warlord fame, is having another clear out of old figures on ebay NOW! Starting price 99p on everything. These things are really cool and well painted. I thin khe's looking to build a new Dark Eldar force so you'd be really helping him if you bought some of his chaos figures to feed his addiction. Remember the rumours say Chaos is going to feature BIG in the next 40k so why not get some cool gear early.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemon-Prince-lot-121-/250894453864?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798c68

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-3-x-Fiend-Slaanesh-lot-129-/250894454610?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798f52

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-9-x-Flesh-Hounds-lot-130-/250894455157?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a799175

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Bloodletters-lot-131-/250894454180?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798da4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Bloodletters-lot-132-/250894454283?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798e0b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Daemonettes-lot-133-/250894454403?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798e83

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-3-x-Flamer-Tzeentch-lot-134-/250894454732?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798fcc

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-Skulltaker-conversion-lot-135-/250894455386?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a79925a

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-Masque-Slaanesh-lot-136-/250894455534?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a7992ee

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-5-x-Pink-Horrors-lot-137-/250894454996?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a7990d4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Daemonettes-lot-138-/250894454487?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798ed7

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-5-x-Juggernaut-conv-OOP-lot139-/250894454875?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a79905b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemon-Prince-lot-140-/250894454028?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798d0c

Forgive the sales pitch but the figures are ally cool and even if you don't want to bid they're definitely worth looking at... I've a shot of his Dark Eldar Razorwing to add later on so you can see what he's working on for his upcoming Throne of Skulls competition but I think there's enough here to sate anyone's appetite, even the blood G.O.D.

To done...?

OK, so I just Purity Sealed 90% of my son's 'nids, which was on my To Do List. It's nearly enough to be ticked off in my book. The only things not varnished were the Gargoyles, the new Tyranid Prime, the Hive Tyrant and the Mycetic Spore. The can is nearly empty and as it's been sat for nearly a year I thought it was long overdue, but I was a bit concerned about 'frosting' which is why I'd left it. I can't say I got away with it. Some of the Mechrite Red on the bases got a bit 'chilly' but most of the other bits are on the Bonewhite so it doesn't show up so much

So a big tick for me... except now that they're protected I need to do the very last bit, gloss varnish all the claws and talons. So after giving myself a tick for completing a job I'm now going to add in a new one, typical! More ebay stuff coming up tomorrow!

Dark Angel odds and sods update

While I'm doing the AoBR tactical squad I'm also painting a couple of other figures. I'm deluding myself into thinking these are test pieces but as I'm doing them at the same time as a squad of 10 how am I supposed to implement what I learn from these on the on the full squad? We've got an original lead [pb] Rogue Trader Marine with his overly square bolter, tiny legs, cloven toed boots, Mad Max hair and an eye-patch. I used Milliput to creat a respirator mask [back in the day], it's not great but it's better than the sculpt on the face that was there. Sadly because of his tiny legs he looks a bit puny now despite something menacing about him, he looks 'bad-ass' but next to the AoBR figures he ends up a bit wimpy.

Advanced Space Crusade Scout. You know I've got loads of these, I don't think I'm ever going to have more than one squad and I've got a set of five that I've taken the Mohican off. Although it fits the Deathwing Native American motif I think it's a bit rubbish. Saying that having one to mix in may add a bit of spice to the otherwise dull pose of the Advanced Space Crusade Scout. Of course the lollipop stick bolt pistol cowling had to be done. It's now a bigger muzzle than your standard Marine issue bolter!

And here's one of the White Dwarf freebies, a flamer marine to go with the Missile Launcher Marine I also got free. Nothing much to say on this guy but as flamers have such a devestating effect on Termagants I'm happy I have him even if there's still no real pay-off during battle with this weapon yet. One day he may very well come into his own...