40k Objective Markers Complete, and the start of something big!

Finished off the objective markers this past weekend, and got a nice little package from shapeways containing the next batch of bits for the next project. It's Christmas in July (but only just)!

Nothing too crazily different from the last shot, other than some cleanup, the addition of the number markers (the 5 is on the backside of the stasis tank) and some quick color on the bases. Nothing too fancy but they'll stand out nicely on the table during a game! Overall I really enjoyed this set, and am looking forward to giving 'em a whirl.

Next up however is a nice big centerpiece model for the Zhao Arkkad force - A Knight Warden! I came across these poseable knight legs on ebay a while back and rather liked the look of 'em, but they've been sitting in a box waiting for some inspiration. They went together rather well, and allow for a nice range of motion - I was going for a 'striding forward' pose, but the way it ended up the weight of the hips actually settles on the rear leg so it may end up in a braced firing position in the end. We'll see how the upper torso and arms come along I suppose!

Speaking of arms, I intend to give it a gatling cannon and a missile pod, but wanted to do something a little more Egyptian for the close combat weapon - Found a massive chain khopesh on Shapeways that fits the bill nicely! I also picked up a rather neat Anubis/Jackal head but am saving the pic of that until I get it mounted on the torso. Suffice it to say there'll be no doubt that it's a Knight aligned to the Zhao Arkkad Mechanicum and the Thousand Sons! From a color theory standpoint I'm planning on going blue and yellow as a contrast to all the red and white of the rest of the force as well as a nod to the color scheme of the modern era Thousand Sons. Looking forward to getting some more build time in on it!

40k Objective Markers - With apologies to Mr. Henson...

Why are there so many songs about lasguns 

enforcing the Emperor's might?

Bolters smite chaos, and warp-borne delusions

and flamers set Xenos alight.

So we've been told to take fortifications

charging through battle debris

Someday we'll find them, the rainbow objectives

The Emperor, my sergeant and me...

(to the tune of 'Rainbow Connection')

Little more forward motion on the objective markers - turns out there a TON of detail on 'em, what I thought was going to be a quick job is actually turning out to be rather involved. ...And quite fun I might add! I'm really quite pleased with how they're coming along!

40k Objective Markers - The Rainbow Connection... Of DOOM!

Quick hit this morning - I was wrestling with whether to press on with the last of the Thousand Sons or work on some other project for a while, and settled on a bit of a compromise. I really want to get the last of the Sons off the plate but before I do so I thought I'd bash out a quick set of the new objective markers as a little palatte cleanser before making the final push.

Most games need somewhere between one and six objectives, and I thought it might be fun to do each one in a different primary color. So far I've just laid in the basic colors, going through the rainbow - Next up will be doing all the little detailing to finish them off! Having a lot of fun with 'em, they have a ton of character already!

It came from the Closet of Doom - Ambull and Damsel in Distress

I've been doing some much needed clean-up of the hobby loft recently, organizing the hundreds of miscellaneous models covering nearly every horizontal surface into their respective armies. Well, into loosely affiliated piles is probably a bit more accurate. Naturally, there are quite a few models that defy categorization that ended up in a "miscellaneous" pile. A pair of them caught my eye and I couldn't help but spend an hour or so painting them up. Beauty, and the Beast!

The "beauty" is a model I got from Ramshackle Games along with my order of motorbikes used for my Rough Riders. A bit of a rough sculpt, but perfect for an objective marker for the... less savory armies out there. I think I need to go in and touch up the face a bit - this particular model is somewhat lacking definition in the sculpt, so I'll need to do some false highlighting to give it a bit more zest. This model is one of the oldest in the series Curtis has done, and his newer sculpts are really well done. I heartily recommend Ramshackle games - he's always adding not only new models, but also has an extensive "bits and bobs" section chock full of cool conversion potential!

 

The beast is an old, out of print Ambull - a critter from the Rogue Trader days, that burrows around underground and is a general nuisance creature. Well, a nuisance that stands about 9 feet tall, weighs a quarter ton and has claws capable of digging through solid rock! A colony of Ambulls showed up in one of Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain novels more recently, which definitely got a smile out of me. I'm tempted to add this to my guard army as a "regimental pet" - perhaps as a proxy Nork Deddog... "Who's a good boy?"

Hold the line! Part 2

I completely forgot to post the pictures of the Defense Line turrets I'd painted last week. Pretty simple overall, but I like the models. I'm thinking about ordering another trio, they'll certainly come in handy for the upcoming Planetstrike expansion!

I've been working on some objective markers for the Mordian 7th as well, though I only have one of them painted up thus far, a command holo-tank for use as an objective set up in my deployment zone. It's a little hard to tell what it is from the pictures, but there's a little Eldar weapons platform and gunner from the epic range showing in the tank.

I have a couple more objectives in the build stage, one with an injured messenger carrying a set of orders, and a supply dump. All of them are built on 60mm bases which gives me some room to make up fun little vignettes.