Strange Bedfellows: Malburians and Tyranids/Necrons from Warhammer 40K - Painting Tray Update

In preparation for a replay of The Battle of Ramillies in January 2019 I am in the midst of preparing a unit of Spanish-Italian troops for the French Army in 28mm. Behind them lie my Tyranid and Necron foes strange bedfellows on the pairing table. It is a case of transfering the painting techniques in one period across to another (see below, Vallejo Paints and Wash greatly come to my aid):

Progress Update: The Malburians have their "shade" colours down, all that need to be done is lighten up the figures with a "light grey" base and follow with a "white highlight" on the tunics. The Malburian "fancy stuff" (laces, garters and stockings and cuffs) for this unit [Grimaldi] are mainly 'red'. I have instated the "factory production line" system getting little bits of the same thing done across the whole unit in one night!

Better Paint the "Big Ones" Then (Warhammer 40K Tyranids)

Well it looks after the little play test in the friendly Games Workshop environment I need to think about painting up some bigger models to frighten the local neighbourhood Space Marines Primaris. The first candidate is a mean up-close and personal Hive Tyrant that has HUGE crab like rending claws as well as hideous looking Scythed Talons. That's not mentioning the spiked thing on its tail and spear-like barbs emanating from his/her/its chest. I built it at random just to look nasty (see below, I am going with a Green/Brown colour scheme from a base of Airfix Primer Grey (01) washed in Vallejo Sepia Brown - The interior green was Vallejo Game Colour Dark Green dry brushed over with Vallejo Sick Green):

I like the Shade and Base colouring but it does need a highligt which I will draw back to using standard "wet" brushes rather than the flat "dry" brush ones. Vallejo Game Colour Scorpion Green and White will be mixed in fro the highlights (see below, the rear of the armoured carapace - also note the adrenal gland I couldn't help myself adding in):

Less advanced on the 'painting station' (a motorway petrol station in comparison to the deluxe holiday hotel from David Crook's blog) is a "friendly" [not] Carniflex looking absolutely vile and hideous in the best tradition of the Tyranids (see below, here the matt black spray [Humbrol Acrylic I think] can had come out to give a very solid undercoat - to highlight features [as everything was very black] I "dry" brushed a light white highlighter to help define its features [I was also experimenting with the new Citadel "gel" paints]):

This guy is bad - I was partly regretting not making him a "close combat specialist" as well, being lured into the large phallic long gun! In wargaming terms I know this just means I will have to buy another one [someday]. I was planning to adopt the same colour scheme Green/Black but "brown washing" seems inappropriate until he gets a little more colour on his pallet (see below, long range weapons always come in useful!):

I am going to take my time over the above and enjoy the journey ;)

Just Putting Plastic Things Together (40K Tyranids - Carniflex): Part IV

The Tyranid equivalent of an Imperial Tank, meet the Carniflex (see below):  

I copied he armament, but chose a different head and carapace (see below): 

One advantage of plastic over metal, apart from price (but at £30+ it is not cheap anyway) is that angled unbalanced poses can be secured by a small piece of blue tack Who knows when this chap will be painted, but the winter nights are closing in ;)