Badab War: Librarian and Melta Gun

More Badab War Mantis Warriors are flying off my workbench. The Librarian is a conversion of the current plastic Games Workshop model, but with Mk VI legs, chest, and helmet. The Force Sword was taken from a Grey Knight model. I really like the way the pose came out, though I'm not sure about the color or technique on the sword. Next up is a Melta Gun toting member of the HQ. I'm not up on the meta gaming aspects of Warhammer 40,000 these days (the last edition I played was 3rd). But I'm not going to be playing their rules anyway, so it won't matter much. Lastly is a Marines Errant assault sergeant I painted because I have so many Mk VII parts leftover from my collecting of Mk VI parts that I figured I might as well use them.

Here's the pics. Hope you enjoy.

Badab War: Mantis Warriors HQ WIP

Now that I've gotten some scenery off my workbench, it was time to get back to painting some Badab War stuff. I had already finished my Captain and Apothecary, so it was time to move on to the rest of the HQ.

The long time between work on these guys was partially because I was dreading painting the Company Banner. It had been a long long time since I free hand painted a banner for Warhammer 40,000. But, it wasn't going to paint itself and so I finally dove in. I wanted to keep my banner pretty generic for a company banner. Too many are over the top. I feel the Mantis Warriors would let their actions speak for themselves. This banner announces the chapter and company and pays homage to the many campaigns the company has fought and it shows the Endymion Cluster system on the back as the chapter's home system. There is the Maelstrom Warders badge in the center bottom to indicate the chapter's alliance with the other chapters defending the Badab Sector. Each of the campaign honors come from the Mantis Warriors source material.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out. This bit of painting got me on a roll so I finished a Marksman for the HQ as well. One more Marksman and a melta gun toting tankbuster left to go then it's on to the squads.

Hope you enjoy!

Adeptus Mechanicus Research Station

Hello folks. I just finished a small Admech research station for our Badab War campaign. This little outpost sports reinforced walls, environmentally sealed windows, and a Astropath communication relay. A small garrison of Skitarri is stationed here to protect the Admech team sent to Bellerophon's Fall to research the feasibility of reclaiming the dead world for Mars.

Like the previous few buildings, this conversion is based on the Armorcast stucco buildings. These really make great building foundations.

Here are the pics.  Hope you enjoy!

Sci Fi Generator

Howdy folks! Up next from the terrain project is a power generator I finished the other day. This piece was made from the barrel of one of my son's toy laser guns. He kindly donated it to me to use as a terrain piece (though I had to promise to replace it with a new Nerf gun). I had plans to make it light up. A quick trip to the craft store and I came away with a color changing LED light, which I thought looked pretty cool. Here's the result! The rest of the parts are made by me from plasticard and wire.

Imperial Guard Valkyrie

A little diversion from scenery here. A few months back I picked up one of the Valkyrie kits. I was kind of intimidated by it when I started on it, but once you break it down into mini projects it wasn't too bad. I also found out the hard way that some components shouldn't be put together before others. I painted the interior before I had finished putting the door gunners together. Once I glued the roof in place I found out how hard it is to get the Heavy Bolters and the swinging arm they are attached to lined up. I sorted it out, but I won't make that mistake on the next one. The trickiest part was the hatches on the cockpit. Gluing the structure to the clear hatches once painted tested my nerves and steady hand. Getting them glued without the Zap A Gap fogging up the glass was done by spraying it with instant set right away. It worked out well.

I'm really happy with the results. I was originally thinking of doing a camo pattern of dark gray over the brown, but now that it's done I kind of like it straight base color. I also magnetized the rocket pods and the missiles.

I'm really considering getting three more down the road to transport all of my Steel Legion platoon (mine are air mobile instead of armored infantry).

Now back to some scenery...

More Armorcast Stucco Buildings!

Hello folks. Back again with more Armorcast converted and painted stucco buildings. I love these models. Such a nice blank slate for making all kinds of sci fi buildings. I now have three completed and have three more to paint up. They should fill up the table nicely when they are done. I want to some day put in interior walls and details, but that will have to wait. I really need to get as much sci fi scenery up and running for our Badab War campaign. My friend Rob is painting up Badab forces for Epic and we are slowly assembling the fleets for games of Battlefeleet Gothic. More Mantis Warriors and Fire Hawks will be on the way once these buildings are done.

Here's the pics!