Blade Guard Veterans And A New Yearly Goal

 

I finally got around to starting the Blade Guard Veterans squad, I thought I had 6 of these but I found I only had 5, so I ordered parts for one from ebay. 

I spent a bit of time on this one, removing the arm and cleaning up under the shoulder so I could get that sword arm to fit.

Just waiting for number 6 to land before I can move forward with the squad, also ordered 5 bases for the squad to be mounted on, number 6 will be green stuffed and sculpted to match the cobble stone bases I've ordered. 

And onto the updated Yearly goal as this may have been mentioned in the Monthly Vow post but missed in the wall of text. As I was counting up the 1st Company with the 75 Terminators in various types of armour and 15 Blade Guard Veterans plus this squad takes me up to 96 Marines. I'm still hoping to secure a box of The Lion with Retinue, if I can't get that box,I'll be a little bit upset and just have to get The Lion on his own.

So the plan, I'm not expecting to get the limited edition box, annoyingly, so to round out my 1st Company I'm looking to buy a box of The Heresy era Indomitus pattern Terminators and a box of the 10th Edition starter set. Which will take me to 106 plus officers and finish my 1st Company. 

Monthly Vow 12th Of April To The 12th Of May

 

10 Terminators and 10 Intercessors and Azreal, I'm okay with that. I'm struggling to get my hands on The Lion, my usual store are only going to get 5 copies and better customers than I am have requested those. I'm going to try the website on Saturday and if, as I expect will happen, I miss it, I'm going to have to resort to travelling around the North West of England looking for a box, probably Wigan first, then Bolton, then Preston, mostly because the Wigan to Bolton bus stops at the same stop that's meters from the Wigan GW store, that I'd be using to get home.

So plans for next month...

Well while I had the Terminators box out to base line my collection I have 75 Terminators in various types of armour, 15 Blade Guard Veterans with 6 more to build here which will take me to 94, then if I'm lucky and get what I'm after on Saturday I'll have 3 more Blade Guard Veterans, taking me to 99,and with the revamped 10th ed Terminators that I want 5 to make the Knights with and 5 more to replace 5 scratch builds I'm using will take me to over a 100 strong First Company. I'm tacking that on to my yearly target. 

There's also the heavy Intercessors, the missile marines and the Brutalis dread to build, Warhammer Fest to attend and it's ever shifting shopping list, which I can start firming up this Saturday if I can get The Lion on pre-order. 

Okay firm to do list (subject to change) 

6 Blade Guard Veterans 

5 Heavy Intercessors 

10 Missile Marines

Brutalis Dreadnought, it's a coin toss if this will be the start of the Blood Angels Dreadnought army or going into the The Lion's Blades. 

Review Time. 

The first thing in the monthly challenge was a Facebook group challenge to paint a yellow miniature. I used a Phobos Lieutenant and got zero votes... 

Next up was this little guy, I used several washes of the crimson wash in an effort to get the look of the Watchers on The Lion's base.

Next up was a practice for Azrael and The Lion, I used various metallic paints as a base, then used black templar contrast, trying to get a look like the Lion's armour. This one failed.

Next up was another practice attempt for The Lion, this time I used a Dark Angels green base coat with 3 getting a a black templar contrast and 3 nuln oil washes. They were all given a Dark Angels green high light. This wasn't quite right either.

There isn't a plan for this squad, it'll be used to fill any gaps in squads that have been damaged in storage, when I can get the 5th Company box out for a proper check.

Having picked up my half of the Soul Forge King box I had a squad of Indomitus Terminators and 4 Tartarus Terminators got added to my 1st Company 

I touched up the Cataphractii bases, forgetting to get a photo of them, used one of the spare heads to fix the missing head on the Indomitus pattern here, the Tartarus with the sword is now a strike master, this will be worked on at a later point, I frankly need to absord the entry in the codex as when I got it, I just ignored this option.

This was the point I realised I am so close to having a full first Company. With the new Terminators I want to get 10, 5 to turn into Deathwing Knights and 5 to replace a scratch built squad. Unsure if I'll pick up the Horus Heresy pattern Indomitus Terminators unless it's new sculpts.

And last but by no means least we have Primaris Azrael. 

The robes had a Coelia Greenshade wash treatment as did the banner. 

So after I thought I'd finished it, I found the photo of the 2020 conversion and I definitely got the banner right on the old one, but it was easier to see the details on the metal version. 

Azreal, Actual.

Yes yesterday was the 12th but I spent so much time getting Azreal together and finished that it felt like a heavy load and I wanted it to be right. 

I hadn't realised I'd not done any WIP phpts until I glued the robes together.

The tilt plate was very awkward to get on as you need the arm behind it to add some extra support..

The Last thing left to do was touch ups and the hair, the actual last thing I need to is see how this stacks up next to the one I converted from the Indomitus Crusade box Chaplain side by side.

After finding the photo of Azreal I did in 2020 and collage it with the actual Azrael I definitely got the banner right on my conversion. 

I got the pack, the yellow paint and a stronger lense for the head set and did the flames. 

Calling Azreal finished. 

Yesterday's finished piece is the Intercessors squad from the Soul Forge King box. Plan for these is when I get the chance to go through the box with the 5th, Primaris Astartes, Company in it, the marines in this squad will replace any that have been too damaged in storage.

Currently on the table is the Cataphractii Terminators as I hadn't done their bases. There is also a strike master in Tartarus plate that I need to go and read the data entry for, now I have one I can make.

The heavy Intercessors, missile squad and Brutalis dread all got a black base coat spray and I'm planning to put the heavy Intercessors and the missile squad built tomorrow, and hopefully finished by Thursday. 

Tartarus And Indomitus Terminators

I had fished these out of the box they'd been in got an ushabati bone base coat on then as 4vout of the 5 had been in the Armies on Parade board with the Dreadnoughts, I do now have a plan for those dreads, check back in 10th.

Yesterday morning I also got the Indomitus Terminators from the Soul Forge King box out and everything was given a nuln oil wash 

Both squads where finished with evil suns scarlet detaols

As the Terminators box was out I rooted the one that was missing a head and a couple of the orginal resin Tartarus Terminators, the chain fist guy in the top photo was one, and I kind of trashed the apothecary thinking it was a chain fist because I hadn't put my glasses on.

Currently my plan is get a base line photo of the 1st Company today while everyone else is at work, this is both Terminators and Blade Guard Veterans to base line this box, Azreal and The Lion will probably end up in it as well as there's still plenty of space and I'm hoping that the body fronts from the old Deathwing Knights Terminators fit the new bodies as that's the one project I have firmly in place for 10th Ed.

I'm planning to trim a front of the sprue, putting it in a tub and putting it up for a comparison with the new Terminators. 

Practice For The Lion And Azreal

 After the first 4 marines I got the other 6 together and then gave them a base coat of dark angel green, 3 had a coat of black templar and the other 3 had 2 coats of nuln oil, they have all been given a high light of dark angel green. 

Only a couple of guns have been painted yet.. 

Plan A for Azrael will be trying the black templar contrast on the armour and then the Dark Angels green high light. 

Practice Pieces For The Lion And Azrael

Itried the robes with the crimson wash, which has come out well, waiting for the right process for the helmet. 

I made a start with some practice pieces for Azreal and The Lion with 4 Intercessors, I did these with a mix of Metallics, and gave them 2 coats of black templar contrast. 

I chose to give them a highlight of Metallics to try and give a look of lacquered metal. 

Wasn't to happy with how these look, so my next attempt will have a green base coat and a couple of coats of nuln oil.