2017 Review

Or why haven't you done this?
Quicker to start with these 2
HARLEQUINS
Still exactly where they were last year, nothing touched.
Plans for 2018
Get 8th ed Codex and then work on them a bit at a time when I can see a path for them.
EXODITES OF TELVIG
Again very little done on this in fact one of the few things I did do got sold onto a mate and in 8th are a murder squad with the Web way portal strategy .
Plans for 2018
Nothing planned might just sell these to fund some other stuff.

SHADOW 72ND HIGHLANDERS
Well they got some reinforcements with 3 lots of heavy weapon teams in need of painting
The General, her Naval conterpart, and a Primaris Psyker.
Plans for 2018
Got the Vanguard Detachment in mind to run these with as I'm already there with HQ, elites , and troops. From there it'll be just keeping an eye on what's cheap in Ebay.

THE KNIGHTS OF BLOOD
Well crap they're all dead now. . .
So I bought the easy build Redemptor Dreadnought for these
And after looking through the archive I found I finished the Optimus Class Librarian Dreadnought as well this year.
Plans for 2018
Buy Codex, work out a new name and/ or buy a couple of minis to use as Inquisitors and call one Deckard and the other will be named after his Sgt and have them turn up on turn 5 with a couple of squads of marines to catch them. . . Idea - as I made the Honour Guard Formation for Gathering Storm, I could use those as the marines chasing the Knights of Blood , need to get Index one out. . . But I do like that idea.

Lost my train of thought now .

THE LION'S BLADES
So yes 8th threw a bit of a spanner in the works and I didn't get the tanks I was looking at for this, or anything else for that matter.
I did find a Brother Bethor minus his other arm so after I had made the 2nd Ancient a Lieutenant (see later) I gave Bethor the new plastic banner
The Lion's Blades also got my second Redemptor Dreadnought, I can't say enough how much I love these kits and that was part of the reason I did what I did later.
They also got a Hellblaster Combat Squad.
Plans for 2018
Read the codex take it in and re cost what I have, (again), I am thinking of adding some of the drop troops and probably give them the plasma guns or leave it loose if the build option allows. Still thinking about adding another flyer but budget is going to be tight next year.

THE GATHERING STORM
I did buy book 2 and book 3 of these and my God Girlyman gets plot armour level 12.
So the Cypher Chosen Formation got filled out in a hugely not wysiwyg 3 squads of robed marines, mostly there's a couple of plastic mk2/3 in there as well, but no photo of these.
The other formation I did for this army was the Honour Guard, I went 3 Stern Guard, Howling Griffins, Mentors Chapter, Nemesis Chapter, and one Vanguard Veterans Squad with 10 Honour Guard from the various Imperial Fist Legion Successor Chapters.
The Grey Knight Grand Master is doing nothing and might get sold and I painted Girlyman black and re worked the sword to remove the flames and of course the hide and seek champion that's a nice mini to paint and does look much better in black than in white.
Plans for 2018
Buy a couple of minis to use as Inquisitors to command the Honour Guard Detachment run with the Vanguard Detachment rules.


THE EMPEROR’S LOYAL HOUNDS OF WAR.
Yes thank you 8th, like a lot of players I ended up with a new army this year, but not the one I had intended, I ended up with The Emperor’s Loyal Hounds Of War, or The Hounds for short.
I'm taking these to a tournament next weekend realistically I'm playing for the wooden spoon as I'm not a competitive player below is the army I'm taking
I also got to do a loyalist dreadnought family tree for this army as well

Plans for 2018
I plan to go through the Knights box and just use them as a Demi Company, so anything extra is getting bounced from them into The Hounds next year. No real plans to expand these beyond that, although if I can find cheap Predator tanks they'll get added to these guys.

The Björn project
This was a for a laugh project, get the various versions of Björn painted up and them try making him in a Redemptor Dreadnought kit, nearly there with that one, should have it finished for the 12th.

So I've mentioned a tight budget a couple of times , because I'll be helping out my oldest for when she comes home from China next year by putting a wedge aside each month , but should be able to get some stuff each month, hence cheap and minimal plans.

Finished

So in total this took a little less than 5 hours from clipping off the sprue, to a point where I am happy to say done.
With a touch of bear free hand, just not confident enough to try the last one.



Using this for a Redemptor badge

And this for their chapter markings

And this is what I'm not ready to paint.

27/12/17 Easy Build Redemptor

And in slightly less than 10 minutes

It goes together much better than the Reavors that's for sure, and the shoulders and waist joints are a much easier fit than the full version.




The seams are very tight and don't look that much different than the other version. The only glue I've used on this is on the body to hold the parts together a bit better.


And painting, Wazdakka red and a nuln oil wash before a dry brush of Evil Sunz Scarlet


Got a bit more work to do on this when I get back to work tonight.

The Upgrade To Timberwolf

I got some paint on Timberwolf over the last 2 nights.


I've painted this up for The Lion's Blades 1st Company.
Also have a major crunch on my budget for the next year, my last big plan is still a PS4 and the corrupted Dæmon Prince Marnius Calgar.
I think I'll get the old mastodon out and work on that at some point.

22nd /12 / 17 Update On The Enom Björn

Okay I took my days off literally and didn't touch this guy, it did let me sort Christmas out and meet my daughter off the plane, even the trains played their part and I got there in time.
So first day of 7






I do like how the Necron compound works.
This guy is going on hold till I get the cork sheet to add to the base, so will be getting the replacement Timberwolf painted up for now , and fingers crossed the easy build Redemptor Dreadnought lands on Saturday and I can make a start on that.

Getting Set For The ITC

If ever I needed a reminder about why I don't really do bases it was brought crashing home to me yesterday.

I got the army out for January to make sure it would fit on a tray.

I divided it up into batches to put coloured ring on bases so I can see what squads are what at a glance.
I then set about the joyous task of basing them with Astro granite and agrax earthshade wash.

I'm thinking of getting some of the Mars stuff to try out next on the Guard army I'm not doing.

Seasons Whatnot

Not the biggest fan of this time of year, stay well, stay safe.

18/12/17 Update; Enorm Björn

Wanting to make this look as good as I can so I'm taking my time this is night 2, it's had 2 coats of dawnstone dry brush paint and now I'm needing to buy some metallic paint, a gold and will try the Necron compound as well.

Mk1 Razorback With Heavy Bolter Turret

This mini is mostly so I don't get nit picked off the board by fielding a black tank with my majority Primaris Astartes army, I just need to dig out the assault cannon turret to mount on it.

I picked it up off ebay on the 12th and frankly wasn't expecting it before Monday, it landed on Thursday.

Kharak stone base and a nuln oil wash.
The turret had been glued but I was able to lever it off without too much effort, just a shame the only other gun set I have is the las cannon twin plasma gun which is no longer legal.



I gave it 3 thin coats of white last night.



And got the blue and red on it tonight, around working on the Enom Björn, but that's for another night when it's closer to being finished.

January Project

The past 2 nights I've been sequestered in hospital, and I have one more shift here before I gladly go back to my normal location. The reason for this aside and insight into my working life is I've had time on my hands and during a conversation on Facebook last night about which character(s) in 40k could do with being killed, Marneus Calgar's name got banded about more than once.
Now I'm not a fan of Poppa Smurf but I think a better end for him would be to have his jealously stoked to such a degree by the Primaris Astartes that he goes full Luther and takes several chapters worth of Ultramarines Successors with him to Chaos and becomes a Dæmon Prince.

I've picked this up dirt cheap on ebay and am looking at a fine cast version in power armour for the eagle head back pack to hack up for additional decoration on the prince, I'm not sure about a head though I don't want to go to dæmon looking so might see if I can finesse a Terminator helmet on there.
The reason I'm keeping the Ultramarines details on is a huge 2 fingers salute to Rowboat and the Primaris Astartes.
Will need a Dæmon Prince mini some blue paint and a new pot of gold for this. As I've said this is absolutely the first major project in 2018, will it lead to a Fallen Ultramarines Chaos Army? Not planned to as of yet.

Monthly Vow, 12th of December to the 12th of January 2018.

Last one for 2017.
To do list, paint Enorm Björn, Timberwolf, base The Hounds and get their razorback painted up, so 3 to paint and a few for basing.
Review time, oh it's mostly Timberwolf and Enorm Björn in my photos gallery. . .


The metal Wolf Scout





The 3 Plague marines from the First Strike box painted up as corrupted Consecraters.




Both Björn and Gregor got a dawnstone dry brush.



Made a start on the bases, as well as fitting in the las cannon dev squad.




Not a trace of the red is showing.


That back view does not look pretty, got a plan to cover the battery with some Cork board, cover with the textured paint and either a lamp post or a smoking explosion marker to hide the wires.