This month started off fast with six contestants submitting their entries a full week early! It’s a promising start to a month four bounce back from the month three doldrums!
“But what is this long face about…wilt thou not chase the white whale!”
So after some retrospection last month and fretting about not getting the slice finished… it turned out that after getting my head down and the painting done I still managed to make the first slice of the month. So there is a lesson there somewhere and I was keen to embrace the renewed motivation that I managed to finish last month with! So with that in mind , I dived straight into my project for this month, the mighty Space Marne Dreadnaught.
I spent some time before the challenge deciding which of the classic Dreadnoughts I wanted in my collection, with the RT era Inferno which featured in the 2nd edition rulebook fitting with some of the older elements of my force however its a small model compared to the Furioso Dreadnaught which was released pretty much at the very start of 2nd edition and for many people is the Blood Angel Dreadnaught of the era (scale creep has never stopped being an issue!). I was at the Salute gaming convention last year when I stumbled across this 3D print which captured the essence of the Inferno Dreadnaught, but with a little more heft and a similar size to Furioso which I felt was perfect and snapped it up!
I used the Inferno model as an inspiration, and so the jagged smile made a comeback! In terms of load out – the model comes with a Conversion Beam Projector, which is another cool nod to RT, along with an assault cannon and power fist. While there is the option in Dark Millennium to add weapons to vehicles, back then they seamed to consider this weapon a top tier piece of kit, seeing as its worth 50 points alone, but with a -4 to hit modifier against anything that moves at a top speed of 5”+ I cant say I’ve ever seen one on the table! With that in mind, I am going to cost him as having just the assault cannon and power claw for now. Next up for this month was a similar project to the scouts, with an attempt to upgrade the paint scheme of some older models to fit with this force.
These metal Terminators have been kicking around in my collection for a very long time, and have undergone various paint jobs over the years. The last time I painted them would probably have been 10 years ago or so, and it didn’t take that much time to get them ready to go again! A classic squad here with the assault cannon selected as the heavy weapon of choice. I also have a heavy flamer and cyclone missile launcher in my collection so I will look to paint them up as well later in the challenge to add versatility to the squad.
4th Month
Dreadnaught with assault cannon and power claw 175 points
Terminator Squad with assault cannon, 1 power sword, 2 power fists and 2 chain fists 356 points
Month 4 total – 6 models and 531 points
Challenge cumulative total – 30 models and 1585 points
As always, feel free to follow along with my progress and various other Oldhammer projects over on Instagram @ad80_herohammer. Thanks for reading!
Wachtmeister: Alex really did turn up the motivation this month with some excellent figures. I love how 3D printing allows us the chance to not only have models we couldn’t get as kids, but can get them modified to better represent figures without the limitations of producing things in metal. I really like this version of terminators. I have a decent amount of them, I need to find a project to use them on. I guess my Deathwing could use some backup….
The first couple of weeks of April was quite productive, so I managed to not only finish the third and last platoon of guardsmen, but also to do it in what can only be called a personal record. And just as much as I have enjoyed grinding my way through a sea of guardsmen (I still can’t believe that I actually pulled it off), I’m thrilled that I’ve reached the end of the production line with time to spare and with time to focus on some more exiting minis and projects for the last two months, but to talk about that we will have to wait for next month.
When I started this challenge, I pledged roughly one platoon and a single Heavy Weapons Squad. As I’ve mentioned before, I did this to ensure that I actually would be able to finish the challenge, no matter what reality would throw at me. But I also did it, because I was a few minis short of doing the complete army setup I was hoping for (and yes, I know exactly how stupid this sounds, as I’ve just painted 150+ Mordians in three months).
But luckily the internet came to the rescue. Thanks to a helpful dane (not in the challenge) and my international “brother from another mother” (in the challenge) I managed to pick up the few missing pieces, allowing me to complete the three platoon setup.
This also means that the final load-out of the army, wont entirely match that which I made in the original pledge, which really doesn’t matter much as I’m still painting all the minis pledged, and then some.
Three platoons comes with three Lieutenants. And as so often before I was very much in doubt when trying to decide how to paint the three. I knew I wouldn’t want to do them exactly the same, but they still need to fit the army and not be too far apart from each other. In the end I decided to do a bit of the same coloring as I’ve done with naming the three platoons Red, Blue and Green, giving each Lieutenant armor in their respective platoon color. And though it too some extent breaks a bit with the green color I’ve generally used for weapons and armor in the army, I still think that any good Imperial Guard army, needs a little bit of red.
I guess there really isn’t anything to say about the minis or the painting of them that I haven’t already said. So we’ll just leave it at that as I’m very much looking forward to painting single digit number of minis next month. Until then… For the Emperor and the Screaming Camels
Pledge – Slice 4
Heavy Weapons Squad – 150 pts.
6 Guardsmen
– 2 x Lascannon
– 1 x Missile Launcher
Bonus models
3rd. Platoon Command Squad – 80 pts.
Lieutenant (Chainsword, Bolt Pistol)
4 Guardsmen
– Autcannon
3rd. Platoon, Batteline – 631 pts.
4 x Sergeant (Chainsword, Auto Pistol)
1 x Sergeant (Power Sword, Las Pistol)
45 Guardsmen
3 x Meltagun
2 x Flamer
3 x Mortar
2 x Heavy Bolter
Wachtmeister: I have to admit I’m almost speechless with Mørk’s output this month. Not only did he paint 71 miniatures he managed to submit his entry within the first three weeks of the month. This kind of madness inspiring to say the least! I’m going to have to up my numbers next month to balance out his well deserved drop to single digits!
April showers,
They never showed up. My progress report for the month though may be my last. With this month’s totals I am over 2000 points, and needing to take care of other projects. I may submit a Rogue trader era Landspeeder, but we will see.
This month I painted 2 squads of scouts, one a 6 man rogue trader plastic version and a 2nd/3rd edition metal squad. I did enjoy painting the metal figures, they are a joy to paint. I also managed to paint up a 6 man squad of Terminators. the heavy weapon being a Cyclone missile launcher again from RT days. I have another 7-9 metal terminators (including 2 assault cannon heavies) but will do them on a leisurely schedule.
The core of this army came from a friend’s collection who passed away. He had lofty goals but life interfered with his plans and they were being disposed of. Since I started my gaming journey with Blood Angels, I knew I had to have them. They did sit for years in my possession, life getting in the way. I am so grateful this challenge came along to prod me and get me going. Painting in a pseudo 2nd style has been a pleasure. Working again with the old sculpts has hit me in the feels in a big way. I have a growing assortment of Chaos, and if I do not get around to painting them up before next year, I know what army I would like to try next. So here is to Jamie Peterson, you never got to paint or play with these figures, but I hope to do you proud on the field of battle with them.
2 x scouts ( 5 man squads) with Heavy bolters 115 points each 230 points total.
1 5 man terminator squad, with Cyclone missile launcher 374 points
Next month if I post, Land speeder, finish Corbulo ( my white whale), and maybe a 5 man assault squad.
Wachtmeister: I can think of no greater homage to a dearly departed friend than completing their army in their honor. Congratulations to Damien for getting his force across the finish line. I hope he manages to get a further bonus entry in one of the next two months!
The earth quaked as the cultists’ chant reached its zenith. A festering rift split the air, belching rancid fog and the drone of bloated flies. From it shambled a Great Unclean One, its form a grotesque mound of oozing sores and sagging green flesh, entrails trailing like garlands, its red eyes twinkling with jovial malice. The cultists knelt as the daemon spoke in a rasping voice. “Tremble mortals. Grul’gath has come.”
***
My fourth slice consists of a Great Unclean One, a greater daemon of Nurgle. This model was released during the later part of 2nd edition (March 1997), and was sculpted by Trish Morrison. There was another version released in the early 00’s with an alternative head lacking the horns and the monstrous tongue.
I used the same techniques as on my Plaguebearers from a previous Cowabunga challenge for the colour of the skin, namely a mix of Orc Brown and Bilious Green for a sickly green tone. Overall I’m very happy with how the paint job turned out!
The Great Unclean one will cost you 275 points in the game, making it the cheapest of the greater daemons (by 5 points). The Great Unclean One unsurprisingly causes terror, comes with a psychic mastery level of 4 and has the Stream of Corruption special attack. This uses the flamer template and inflicts S7 hits, and it can even be used in close combat! The Great Unclean One’s main drawback is its slow Movement of 4, but at the same time it is very resilient with T8 and 10 Wounds (and the standard 4+ Daemonic save).
***
Grul’gath the Foul
1x Great Unclean One (275)
Total: 275 points
***
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddgits.hut
/Ted
Wachtmeister: I absolutely love this version of the Great Unclean One, in fact I have him leading my Nurgle Daemons in The Old World a few times a month! I got mine off eBay which sadly didn’t have the giant tongue but he’s a great chunky boy nonetheless! I went with a much darker scheme than Ted, but I really like his version too. It fits nicely with the 2nd Edition aesthetic but still looks suitably gross! I wonder what weight more, a 2nd edition Space Marine Dreadnought or this big boy….
Don’t anyone dare jiggle the table. Don’t move. Don’t even breathe. Because here come the most precarious and delicately positioned models known to man: the original Necron Destroyers.
A solid 54g lump of metal (I weighed it), balanced upon a 4mm-long, 2mm-thick plastic pin (I measured it) doesn’t feel like the most thoroughly thought-out idea Games Workshop have come up with.
I think these will get demolished faster than a packet of biscuits at a Weight Watchers meeting. But here we are.
This month, I present you three Necron Destroyers, coming in at a healthy 225 points.
Again, I’ve tried to go for the classic Codex look for extra nostalgia points.
I’m getting heart palpitations at the idea of making a ‘pop up attack’ with them. Because the rules suggest you balance these perilously posed models on-top of an upturned plastic cup… And I love it! The utter madness of 2nd Edition.
Wachtmeister: For those who are wondering I cut and paste each entry one at a time as the entries come in, comment on them, and then go to the next entry. The amount of times where it appears I have some sort of plan in the order is insane to me. For example I commented on the weight of Ted’s entry and Brawlerguts provides the weight of his entry! Getting these Destroyers balances must have been a test of patience and as Brawlerguts points out I also wonder how long they’ll stay afloat. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to balance them on a cup though!
Salutations, fellow grognards!
For the third time in a row, this month’s slice is about Necron warriors, five this time. With them I have finished the Warrior core of the army and I must say I am glad I am done with them. Aside from the monotony of having to paint the two same sculpts over and over and having to come out with new painting schemes to make each one of them unique, I have faced several problems with those models, already foreshadowed in prior slices.
You see, I suspect I was scammed with at least some of my second-hand models. Why? Because some models lack details, like if not enough metal was poured into the models. Or too much. Most scandalous of those is a hand that lacks detail, as if it was swollen. On the other hand, some models lack pistons, wires or even finished guns. So I checked the rest of my collection (not in the challenge) and, indeed, the same maladies are present in other models, to an even more extreme degree.
On top of that, some models’ ankles were so flimsy that they simply broke. It happened to one of today’s models, so I replaced it with a healthy one for the challenge. And then I realized that for some reason I did not paint the guns’ lenses in most past models, so I had to paint those. And I decided to change the colour of the “necklace” while planning the lord’s colour scheme, so I had to repaint the nine already done.
Anyhow, I managed to finish the whole thing in the middle of moving to a new home and I am satisfied with the results so, mission accomplished!
Without further ado, here is this month’s slice:
Necron Warriors (x5) = 220 points.
See you next month!
Wachtmeister: Once again in unplanned serendipity we have two of our Necron painters submitting their entries one after the other! I think Viden’s new scheme for the “necklaces” on his Warriors looks really nice and were worth the effort of repainting. Not to say I didn’t like the original scheme but I think these look the part and provide a different color to the models. I look forward to seeing what non Warrior goodness he has for us next!
Welcome back, fellow chosen ones! How many acolytes have you collected this month? Remember that the more arms, the merrier!
With that in mind, I’ve gone for as many hybrids as I could get together this month as possible 🙂 Besides my slice of Acolyte hybrids with bolters and two missile launchers, I also managed to get the six neophyte hybrids done that were supposed to be the bonus last month XD
Also, thanks to fellow competitor and all-round top bloke Macrodutch I now have THREE mole mortars with crew as well 😀 As there was only one official model and it was for the Squats, it has been hard to get anything that matches any other armies. However, Macrodutch spotted these sentry turrets models from Puppetswar that can be angled to look like they lock into the ground and fire their deadly payloads through the earth. Thanks again mate, much appreciated!
Only one more month of official slices to get done and a spare month with some plans already made for some extra entries – till next time!
Tain
Slice 4:
6 Acolyte Hybrids: Two missile launchers and four bolters (150pts)
6 Neophyte Hybrids: Two flamers and four bolt pistols (80pts)
3 mole mortars with crew (165pts)
Total: 395pts
Wachtmeister: As always Martin has done a terrific job of using his paint to unify models from across different ranges, including some modern 3D prints for the mole mortars!
April is over!
Between work, kids, and my other hobbies, I added a few things to the project!
First, I completed the Tactical squad from last month with 5 more marines, including a heavy bolter.
The Speeder got done too, finally! I’m not sure if I find the assembly worse than the FW speeder, but it’s close. Also, every army that I do, there is always a dragging model; the Speeder got the prize!
I added some fire support with a Whirlwind. I had the kit assembled back in January as an option, now it has been painted and the decals were delivered in time to really get it completed.
Then I got a set of 3 characters:
A proper Captain! He comes with a boltgun, a power fist, a conversion field, purity seals, and combat drugs. I named him Jes McVey…
A Codicer-level Librarian, equipped with a jump pack, a force rod, and a bolt pistol.
Finally, a Standard Bearer with a boltgun and purity seals.
The total for the month is 8 models and 2 vehicles for 812 pts.
Captain: 152 pts
Librarian: 124 pts
Standard Bearer: 66 pts
Combat Squad: 165 pts
Whirlwind: 155 pts (auto-launcher added)
Land Speeder: 150 pts (supercharged engine added).
The full army after 4 months is now at 2044 pts. I think that outside of a lone bike, everything that was planned at the start of the challenge got painted. I got some options for the next 2 months: 2 Predators, an Assault Squad, more characters, Terminators, the pile of shame is resourceful.
In the meantime, keep painting
J.
Wachtmeister: I can’t tell if I’m strapped for content or if my brain is broken, but the first thing I thought when Julian submitted his entry was “that’s a lot of eights!” He is the 8th entry submitted for the month, he did 8 figures, and the total points is 812. Considering this is the last day of the month and I’ve been busy finishing my entry, writing Wave 1, finishing some Star Wars Legion models for blog content, and packing for a vacation you’ll have to forgive me if I get a little punchy on these last few comments! Anyway, back on track. Julian did an excellent job this month painting almost an entire challenge worth of figures in just one month. I really like his Captain and the blue on the Codicer is just terrific. I can’t wait to see what he does next month!
Smoke and acrid fumes thickened the air above the shattered span of what had once been a mighty Imperial bridge. Its adamantium supports were twisted by the overpressure of distant bombardments, so that the suspended ferrocrete deck buckled and cracked like dry vellum. Three Chaos Spawn lumbered forward, each a grotesque testament to the warp’s madness. No two were alike. One scuttled on a tangle of insectoid limbs, its carapace slick with rot, while another dragged itself forward on pulsing exposed viscera, its torso erupting with a dozen wailing mouths. The third was a shambling mound of vibrating flesh, its back bristling with eye-stalks that swayed and blinked independently, weeping pus. Their forms shifted, as if they were written in a language that reality could only barely translate.
Brother-Dreadnought Acastian of the Grey Knights stood resolute, his venerable chassis already bearing the scars of hard fighting. A massive force halberd hummed in his left arm, powered by the psychic force that he fed into the blade. Death had stripped him of many things, but his mastery of the warp had distilled into something singular and lethal. His storm bolter barked at the advancing spawn, each bolt a holy curse spat into the face of chaos.
But his twin-linked heavy bolter remained silent.
++You dare jam in the hour of vengeance.++ Acastian growled, the Machine Spirit of his arm weapon remaining stubbornly mute. ++Unacceptable.++
Behind him, half-sheltered behind the wreckage of a Rhino transport, Enginseer Kallix cursed as he prodded the ammo feed with a mechanised servo-tool, sparks leaping like angry insects.
“This design is from the pre-Crusade era!” Kallix barked over vox, jamming a cable into a cogitator node. “You Grey Knights and your antique ornamentation…”
++Do not insult the craftsmanship of the Emperor’s finest.++
“Then explain the jam, venerable one!”
Acastian cleaved a daemon in half with a sweeping arc of his halberd. The two remaining spawn reared back in frenzied peristalsis, beyond the range of the weapon.
++Perhaps if you spent less time sanctifying your tools and more time using them, this would be resolved.++
“I sanctify because your maintenance ports hiss at me when I touch them!” Kallix hacked the thermal sink’s logic gate with a blurt of binaric cant. “I think I have it… maybe… ”
Unnatural thunder peeled across the plaza.
The daemon spawn instinctively scattered as the silhouette of a Chaos Dreadnought emerged out of the gloom. An alpha predator; beloved by its patron. Its plasma cannon oozed bile as it charged. Its thunder hammer, etched with fly-runes, twitched with anti-Euclidean locomotion.
Acastian’s eyes flared blue within his sarcophagus. ++Hurry, little one.++
“Working on it!” Kallix shrieked, yanking a fiber-cable free and slamming it into another port. The heavy bolter spat twice, then jammed again. “I require… three more seconds and a miracle.”
++We have neither.++ Acastian stepped forward, halberd raised.
The Chaos dreadnought bellowed. Its plasma coils flared in preparation for catastrophic discharge.
Acastian stood firm, shielding Kallix with his armoured bulk.
A beam of impossible light tore across the battlefield from the distant bridgehead, a crackling lance of directed antimatter particles. It struck the Chaos Dreadnought square in the torso, and in that instant, the physical laws of the Universe stuttered in their eternal mantra. Matter met antimatter. The resulting explosion was blinding, vaporising corrupted ceramite and bloated flesh in a sphere of annihilation.
Kallix blinked. “Was that—”
++Yes. A miracle.++
They both turned as a distant Adeptus Mechanicus Predator sounded its warhorn. Its commander pumped an augmetic fist into the air in triumph before disappearing back through the open turret hatch.
Silence returned for exactly three minutes. Then, deep within the mechanism of the twin-linked heavy bolter, the primary diagnosticator chimed jauntily. Kallix slumped against the side of the dreadnought. “Heavy bolter maintenance complete. Construction of a shrine in my honour may begin on Titan. It is the least I deserve.”
++You deserve a re-alignment of your logic cores. But…” Acastian’s voice softened just slightly. “You have my thanks, Kallix of Mars.++
The Enginseer chuckled. “We make a fine pair. Man and machine.”
++No. Machine and machine. You are more cog than flesh.++
“Coming from a walking tomb, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Dreadnought (Twin heavy bolters, power fist with built in storm bolter, auto-launchers): 165 points
Model count: 1
Wachtmeister: I have to say this is one of the most fun times I’ve had reading flavor text throughout the challenge, and I hope it foreshadows some future entries! Even if it doesn’t M4cr0Dutch has done an amazing job with this Dreadnought using bits from multiple different models. His Grey Knight armor is just terrific and exactly how I picture it in my head!
Wachmeister-
This month, I present you with my war walker… Not much to say about the process! More yellow, more blue, more red guns (though, I’m never quite sure what to do with the ends of lascannon barrels… do you drill them? Paint a whole into the barrel? Leave it all red because 2nd edition…? I chose all red, but I’m not sure I like it. That might get revised.
This month has really reminded me how much I love these older miniatures! The new war walker is undeniably a cool miniature, but the older models have so much more character. Some of that character is in the actual design… I really appreciate how GW used the same torso for the war walker and the dreadnought along with the heavy weapon shields from the gun platforms… smart use of limited resources early in GW’s existence!
The details:
Eldar War Walker with Scatter Laser and Lascannon 150pts
Next month, we’re going to try to tackle the ‘door stop’ falcon… but my airbrush is in storage… so, we’re going to go for the paint brush just like I would have done 30 years ago! Let’s see if that breaks me and leads to me using my mulligan!
Wachtmeister: I was thinking the same thing as Deacon when I opened his picture before reading his text. I do love the repeated use of the gun shields and legs throughout the Eldar range. It adds a sense of belonging to the disparate models. As always Deacon is killing it with his color scheme, and I’m looking forward to his ultimate solution to “what to do with painting the ends of lascannons.” I have generally painted them metallic to go with the rest of the barrel, even though I normally paint the end piece a different color. I definitely don’t drill out the barrel, but that’s a later edition trick of the trade! Now about next months potential mulligan, if only he lived ten minutes from a friend who would loan him an airbrush for a good cause….
Phew, that’s it for Month 4 Wave 1! If it weren’t for the early submissions I would have been in trouble as it is currently April 30th and I need to pack up for a vacation for the next week. I never would have been able to get it all done so I’m glad this month went smoothly for at least a few of the contestants! I’ll see you all next week for Month 4 Wave 2!
-Wachtmeister
The Wachtmeister's Patrol 