Christmas 2021

It's  that time of year again, everyone else looks to be having a great time with their family and friends and I feel stuck working over the whole holiday. 

For the first time in 5 years I have Christmas day off, which took negotiations, picking up shifts and some pouting and foot stomping, as well as having my daughters at mine to celebrate for the full day. I know I should feel happy, but I'm feeling hollow right now. I want to enjoy but it's literally 36 hours off from work. And I'm spending a chunk of that cooking. 

Do what it takes to get yourself through this Christmas, and I'll be back in the new year doing a challenge set by a mate of mine for people to pull me apart on. 

2021 Yearly Review.

 After checking what I'd proposed for this year the only thing on the list of 3, Necrons, Armies on Parade board and The Lion, to get finished was The Lion, I did make a start on at least a test piece for the project Tomb World colours thought. The Armies on Parade idea got bounced, if I'm going to go ahead with that idea I'd need to build the wall and gate as well as stuff for the dreads to stand on behind the close combat weapon versions, which makes everything way more interesting and complicated. 

So plans for 2022 besides trying to get used to writing that in any format. 

Imperium Collection

To come up with a name for the Chapter that I've painting the Hounds of Morkai in and will be adding the infantry to it as well. The Sisters of Battle will be added, maybe as another alternative Björn using the Morvenn Nundamn as the Alternative Björn and watch the hate fly. Think I'll do them in the Space Wolf colours, the Mechanicus stuff is still undecided but I'm pretty certain I can't work that army into the Björn Meta Crisis team. The Necrons are planned to be painted for the as yet unnamed Tomb World, I do have a name for the Over Lord now, Pakal The Great, at least. 

The Lion's Blades will be getting the ATV and I do think I'll be buying 2 of that issue and I will getting 2 Ridge Runners to give me 2 squadrons of 3 of each. I do have a metal land speeder to replace the plastic Conquest one that fell apart at Warhammer World, which I'm stripping this month and putting back together with the tornado missile launchers mounted on it as the lead for that squadron. 

The Harlequins will be getting the Duela Dent mini replaced after I dropped it and broke the fingers holding the card off, as well as the special character that was released with Sister Stern that I bought of a mate 

The Fallen Björns need to be finished, to add to this the Imperium Sisters of Battle, and as mentioned above the Imperium Marines are going into this army. 

And hopefully some more of the Necrons can be done, or I'll sell them... 

January 1st to February the 12th

I started the year off with the challenge of converting a few of the remaining character minis from the Indomitus Crusade box, the first one was Pedro Kantor made using the Indomitus Captain. 

Next finished where 2 Crusaders for the Ordo Chronos Inquisitior that never did get painted... 

And the last thing done for that long month was the first Primaris Ezikael, while doing this someone in the Dark Angels Facebook group had said they would have used the Phobos Librarian for this conversion which lead me to ordering one of those to the order for the next month. 

I did manage to grab WarCry Khainite Shadow Stalkers box that sat untouched for about half the year. 

February the 12th to March the 12th

In February I started the Primaris High Marshal Halbrecht conversion using the Indomitus Primaris Chaplain. 

I finished off the last of the Indomitus box Blade Guard Veterans as well as ordered the Blade Guard Veterans box and Mounted Chaplain, I built the Veterans first before starting on the mounted Chaplain. 

I used one of the Veterans swords on the Action Ezikael. 

March The 12th to April the 14th, or so auto fill is telling me

I had a crack at Primaris Beliel, but as these are the only pictures you'll find of it in this year's, I never did get it looking like I wanted/hoped for. 

I got the Watcher In The Dark finished for the Primaris Azrael. 

Polished off the High Marshal Halbrecht 

I had ordered the Mandalorian box that got stuck in Covid limbo for ages, which when it arrived I painted one and left them, I might go back and do a Boba Fett this year. 

Then started the penultimate of the loyalist Björn the Fell Handed, with the Björn on Thunder Wolf. I loose the head of that wolf at some point, which only turned up again in November 

April the 14th to May the 12th. 

I carried on with the Björn for a little bit, before switching to two of the metal Ezikaels, one with dual blades and one built as is for a joke image, with Gwy Kon and Obi Wan facing off against another Librarian in a training mission. 

I'd managed to find a Forge World Mk4 dread for cheap on ebay when I was still looking to do the Battle of Gate 9. It was about this time I dropped the plan for Gate 9, and so painted it black. 

There has been a Dark Vengeance Company Master lolligagging around for a while, I tried something with that that I'd planned to use on The Lion later. 

I look like I'd ordered the Björn claws off ebay to spruce up the 3rd edition Venerable Dreadnought of Björn as well. I know i didn't order a full dread with this one. 

May the 12th to June the 12th 

Turns out one of the people I follow on Twitter leaves close ish to me and they were selling the Dark Vengeance limited Chaplain this year, so I bought that and again tried the Coelia Greenshade wash effect on the robes to gauge how it looks before I put it to the test. 

The claw arm in the classic Venerable dread Björn was finished along with the fur trim. 

I started on the Lion's cloak with the Coelia Greenshade wash, and I think it works... 

The mounted Björn was finished. 

I finally snagged a Dark Angels Venerable Mk4 Dreadnought, it is a beauty and by far the best looking dread in the collection. I had intended to strip and repaint it in my colours but once it was in my hands I understood the heresy in that choice. 

One of the things that had been pointed out to me with the alternative Björn Time Line Project was that infinite universes would include some Chaos versions so I picked up that challenge and planned somethings to do the work after checking what I needed to buy. I found a (still) new on sprue dark Vengeance helbrute and picked that up and quickly through something together. 

I also started a plastic Mortis Contemptor that had been untouched for ages. 

June the 12th to July the 12th 

I finished the Contemptor, the Dark Vengeance helbrute Björn the Fell Handed and found a dread with twin auto cannon arms for next to nothing on ebay. 

The rest of the month I was run ragged with work so it was mostly plans. 

One of the things that got me interested in the alternative Björns was the orginal metal version I'd painted in the Pre Magnus thousand sons colours for the Armies on Parade board, that got bounced for a mk4 thousand sons dread in red and gold, and I knew that now I could definitely paint it better than I had 2 years ago, so I stripped it, as well as the World Eaters Contemptor that I have, and base coated both with ushabati bone, before the Contemptor was boxed and the dread went forward, I went the wrong way, so stripped it again and started again with the painting, using stormhost silver, seraphim sepia wash and I had to have a run into Preston for some of the apothecary white contrast. 

I also painted up 2 Intercessors in the same way to test if the contrast or a thinned pallid wytch flesh would be better, so will make those up to a full squad at some point. 

July the 12th to August the 12th 

I moved forward with the Björn dread, working on the yellow and blue shoulders. 

Stepping sideways after seeing how the stormhost silver and seraphim sepia wash looked I dug out the Iron Warriors Contemptor, stripped it and got it painted with an ushabati bone base coat before giving it a stormhost silver base coat and seraphim sepia wash. If I ever do get into the Heresy I like to think I'd consider doing an Iron Warriors army using this method. 

I plucked up the courage to finally start The Lion, mostly using contrast paints. 

There was a a break with the X Wing and some star wars lego. 

I also had a trail of a paint scheme for the Necrons of Pakal The Great. 

August the 12th to September the 12th 

Didn't really get much done during the end of August, so it was pretty much September 1st to the 12th.

The end of August was, shall we say hectic?, yes, hectic and I barely got to see my cats, let alone daughters or hobby time. So when I did get some time in September I started on, what ended up being a big job, the boxed Helbrute version of Björn the Fell Handed. 

After seeing how the claws looked I ended up on ebay, not finding any claws on their own I admitted defeat and just bought another Björn dread, new on sprue. 

September the 12th to October the 12th. 

It took me a week longer than I had planned or intended to get it finished with the only option not painted being the multi melta, but that is me 100% happy with how it came out. 

Next up is the 5 Assault Intercessors that are the first company veteran Primaris Astartes, and I have done the 6th and put it in the box, I'm sure I mention it later... 

At long last the Heavy Intercessors were released and I was able to get a squad of 10 done with the ones from the Kill Team box bought earlier in the year. 

And at long, long last I started the Harlequins with a mini from We Print Minis, their Duela Dent, which I've bought another version of recently to replace this one because I dropped it and broke the fingers off, as well as breaking the seal on the War Cry shadow stalker box to replace some of the older metal war dancer minis. 

October the 12th to November the 12th 

Most of the month was spent doing the replacement Harlequins. 

I finished off the Death Jester for Grey Angel's, before doing another White Queen.

The Taken King was next, before I started on the replacements for the Wyld Ones. 

While I was happy with how the first one came out on the build side, I feel I didn't land the paint job, the second one was definitely a more pleasant result. The last 2 worked perfectly. While I was digging for bits I found a grenade launcher that I added to the spell singer/ shadow Seer. The Executioner was replaced as well. 

With a little bit of time left I finished the Assault cannon Dreadnought arm using the Kheres assault cannon as well as using a replacement knee pad for Assault Intercessors Number 6.

November the 12th to December the 12th.

And into the end of the year, The Hounds of Morkai squad had been sat for ages so I made a start, ushabati bone, stormhost silver and seraphim sepia wash, with the pallid wytch flesh wash over the top. I dithered over shoulder pads, eventually going with the molded ones from the upgrade sprue.

Next was another Phobos Librarian, this time using the orginal pose. 

And the last thing painted before I packed up for Christmas, and I have to pack up as my kids are here was the first batch of 5 Assault Intercessors. In a break from my normal style I didn't try free handing the wolf head on the shoulder and used the transfers. 

Monthly Vow Close Of 2021

The roll in to December is over today and I'm fairly sure I hit my targets.

On to January plans, there is a metal land speeder that needs stripping that I need to remember where I put it, 5 more Assault Intercessors from the Imperium series and maybe one of the unbuilt Dreadnoughts I've got knocking around.

Review Time

Was a good start with the Hounds of Morkai. 

I went with the wolf head shoulder pads on this squad, although going forward I'm painting them black. 

I went with the Martian Iron Crust on the bases for something different. 

Next up was the Phobos Librarian from the Imperium series. 

Used the agrax earthshade leather process on this one. 

The last bit of the year was from the Imperium series, with the first of the Assault Intercessors.

In a personal first I chose to go with the transfers on the shoulders over badly attempting free hand. 

And the squad and year is now finished 

Finished Assault Intercessors

 

Finished the Assault Intercessors from the Imperium series off today, had run over my initial projected time, but had some serious stress Friday and was ill Saturday, speaking of which I need to do my daily test... 

That's that unpleasantness done. 

Got the shoulder pads done one day. 

And finished the hair and faces on the unhelmeted heads. 

And in a change from my usual practices I've used the transfers on the shoulder pads rather than braisen it out and badly free hand a wolf head on 4 shoulders.

Last thing I did was to dry brush some Mephisto red on the heels and soles of the boots, to get an impression of dust. 

Assault Intercessors

 Ah, ignore the messy table.

Made a start on the Assault Intercessors from the Imperium series yesterday,

Minor kit bash with a couple of heads and the dagger drawing hand from the Space Wolf upgrade sprue. 

Primed before training yesterday, then stormhost silver, seraphim sepia wash got done before tea last night. The pallid wytch flesh wash was done while the kids eat and the dry brush got done with NCIS. 

This morning was the 2 faces with Cadian flesh, the belts got done with steel Legion drab and the base with Martian Iron Crust. Plan tonight is agrax earthshade on the belts and bases, reikland flesh wash on the faces and base coats and washes on the blue and yellow shoulder pads. 

The Phobos Librarian

 

The first weekend off in 20 something weeks and I actually achieved what I'd wanted to do!

I started the Librarian Saturday morning with a bone prime coat spray, the robe had an agrax earthshade leather process. 

I was tidy with the stormhost silver and seraphim sepia wash, even tidier with the pallid wytch flesh wash, and super defined with the palid wytch flesh dry brush. 

Finished The Hounds of Morkai

 In a week where my time at home and awake has been somewhere around 24 hours, managing to finish this squad counts as a success. My plan is to keep the paints out until the 12th, at the rate I'm working that'll mean I've got one, maybe 2 things finished before then.

Still need to come up with a name for these guys now there's going to be more of them. 

Base And Weapons

 Not a great deal of time this week, pretty much only thing I manged on Monday was the bases with the Martian Iron Crust and the weapons with the matt black, each one got a dry brush with stormhost silver and the bases when they were dry had an agrax earthshade wash. Hope to get a dry brush done on the bases tomorrow.

Plan to at least get the Phobos Librarian done in these colours, just not sure what colour to paint the robe, before I pack up the paints for December.

Colours On The Hounds of Morkai

 With only a limited amount of time off last week and no actual day off this coming week my aim is to do the bases with the astrogranite or possibly us the Martian Iron Crust to give these a stand out base, then plan to use the matt black on the weapons, high light that with iron warrior metallic and see how that goes. 

I thinned down some pallid wytch flesh. 

I'd forget the shoulder pads when I started the marines, and so ended up with this choice, the Space Wolf one or the plain, Reiver one. 

The knife scabbards got the agrax treatment and the helmets got the Stormhost silver, sepia wash treatment at the same time as the shoulder pads. 

The shoulder pads where started with a base coat of Averland Sunset and a Crimson wash, followed by a yeril yellow, then an orange wash, with a yeril yellow highlight and lastly a flash git yellow high light. 

I did the wolf head with a base coat of Iron Warriors metallic, a coat of leadbleacher and a final highlight of stormhost silver, and decided to go with the wolf pads, which required me to paint 4 more shoulders...

The blue shoulder had a Thousand Sons blue base coat with a drakenhelm blue wash, I gave it a highlight of thousand sons, then a 50/50 layer of thousand sons blue and temple guard blue. 

I also did both eyes on the helmets in a counter point to the shoulders, was also looking at the face plate, trying a sepia was on one with a screaming skull dry brush.. 

Plan for tomorrow after work is to find the Martian Iron Crust for the bases. 

Base Coat

 After a day that went a lot Pete Tonge on Monday, I got drunk yesterday and so got nothing else done, today after I finished at 1pm I bought tickets to go and watch Ghost busters next week withu kids and once home made a start on The Hounds of Morkai with a Stormhost Silver base coat, I plan to do all weapons black, I'm tempted to see if I can find a matt black acrylic paint for them...

I gave the pouches and belts an ushabati bone coat, before giving all the armour a seraphim sepia wash.

Once that was dry, I gave all the pouches and belts several coats of agrax earthshade for that leather look,will get the browns back out tomorrow for highlights and touch ups after the pallid wytch flesh wash I'll be applying tomorrow, then it's on to their  heads, and the 4 beers in my fridge. 

Hounds Of Morkai

 Had a little break today so used that hour to start the Hounds of Morkai, going to check the codex on Wednesday and check which option is better.

Monthly Vow 12th Of November To The End Of December

 Well not sure how I did with the Vow this month, just going to go and check... Wow, missed one thing with the Necromantic Horror team, but everything else got done. 

Plan for this month is mostly focus on The Hounds of Morkai in the Pre Magnus thousand sons colours, when that's finished the plan is pack the stuff away for the Christmas break, and use that break to get a plan in place for 2022, either Knights or Necrons around the Imperium stuff. 

Review Time

Tiny bit of wibbly wobbly, timey whimey as I started this on the 11th, this Doom Fire Warlock is a replacement for one of the Death Jesters. 

I then started on the Taken King, I kept getting the head and Cape wrong on this one... 

The head was in the wrong spot here, there's a cavity on the chest that the clasp covers. 

I used the hq mini from the War Cry box as another version for The Masque's affiliated Solitaire. 

I really think I got this one right. 

My mates Legion of The Damned from the trip down to Nottingham. 

The next few are the core reason of why I bought this box, and I wanted to give this a Troupe the weapons I say they have with Harlequins Kiss and Shuriken Pistols.

As you can see I wanted to replace the very old metal Wardancers with the War Cry shadow stalkers.

I know I got the look that I wanted with the build of this, but I feel I missed something with the paint. 

When it came to this one it was a second thought, I didn't really care how it would come out but the end product was something I was really happy with. 

The next 2 again really got to what I was aiming for. 

The Troupe together at long last with the metal Way Watchers, Spell Singer/ Shadow Seer and the War Cry minis. 

I'd found a grenade launcher in one of the Aeldari bits boxes and painted it for this one. 

The last one finished from that box was the Executioner from the Lords of Old Troupe, can't remember if this is the Star Player or Trouper.

There is a Death Jester and The Scarcrow to do, but I think I've gone the wrong way with the Scarcrow and need to recheck which Death Jester I want to replace, but I'll move this forward next year.

I have eventually got this blended assault cannon finished, just need to pack it away now.

Last one for last month was the 6th assault Intercessor, the one I'd lost the knee pad for, I got this one started with a trophy knee pad made from a skull I'd found while deep diving into the bits.