Painting a second Contemptor

While I have not posted in a while, the Heresy bug really got to me and I have finished a second Contemptor for the Blood Angles while also making some headway on main troops to get them playable sometime in the foreseeable future.

Pict 1199: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

Pict 1200: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

Pict 1201: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

Pict 1202: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

I had originally planned to build and paint this second plastic Contemptor for my Luna Wolves. But after the great results with the first one, I had to use him for the IX Legion as well. The main part comes from the Betrayal at Calth Contemptor with the new plastic head and close combat arm to allow for a bit mor poseability. I also twisted the torso to make the forward striding pose a bit more dynamic. The kit is alright, but it really pales in comparison to the new one!

Pict 1203: Blood Angels Tactical Squad (WIP)

Pict 1204: Blood Angels Tactical Squad (WIP)

The first Tactical Squad was the next thing on the painting table to get my collection to a playable state. For now, five of them have had the base colours and transfers done and the oilwash is just drying. Highlighting should not take to much time I hope. The other five are still awaiting some glazing on the red armour before the transfers.

Starting Heresy Blood Angels

These past two weeks were spent mainly on building parts of the Age of Darkness box as well as some additional models to get a Heresy Blood Angels army of the ground. I started with a Contemptor Dreadnought and built some more Marines. I also painted a Númenor Bannerbearer as a competition piece a few weeks ago, that I can now share.

Pict 1192: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

Pict 1193: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

Pict 1194: Blood Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

The new plastic Contemptor really is beatifully posable. This flavor mine with the Blood Angels in mind, I gave him the Kheres Assault Cannon from the first plastic Contemptor as well as a Forge World one. The Havoc Launcher and the head also come from Forge World – not complicated to retrofit the new plastic body, I only had to use a little ball of Green Stuff to get the head to the correct hight.
Painting wise, the Dreadnought was the proof of concept for the army: The large surfaces let me work with the reds as well as the weathering. To give myself a speed boost while painting, I started from a black primer with zenithal red spray. The complete recipe can be found as usual as a separate page.

Pict 1195: Blood Angels (WIP)

Now this is where I stand with the rest of the army so far. I'm aiming to have about 1000 points painted before building more. So far there is a second Contemptor (a Betrayal at Calth repose), half of a Tactical Squad, a Chaplain and Domnion Zephon to lead the merry band. They are primed and ready to recieve the base colours before a oilwash. I am, however, also waiting on some fitting decals as they go on before the wash. So it seems, I might get to build the rest of Tactical Sqaud one and a second one before that step – we will see!

Pict 1196: Númenor Banner Bearer (Conversion)

Pict 1197: Númenor Banner Bearer (Conversion)

Pict 1198: Númenor Banner Bearer (Conversion)

Last, but by no means least, is this Númenor Warrior, converted to be carrying a banner. I painted him to enter him into the Middle-earth Painting Competition on Instagram run by @1stBornPainting. And while he did not go very far in the competition, he was an amazing opportunity to push my painting techniques. Especially the freehand is something I don't have that much experience with and I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Now, there are a few areas where I could have pushed the highlights even more to get better definion such as the metals – all the more to keep getting inspired and push even further!

Converting Justaerin Terminators and Drepur's Wraithcreepers

Another few weeks of slow progress. But at least I built a few more miniatures and even managed to finish some Undead for my Age of Sigmar collection.

Pict 1190: Justaerin Terminators Kitbash

I have once again delved deep into the vaults and have returned with a sprue of Cataphractii, some MK IV heads and a few other assorted bits with the intention of building a retinue for Horus. You have to remove quite a bit of material to make the power armour heads fit but my trusty Dremel did most of the hard work. Once I get my preorder of the new big box, I might go back and add chain bayonets to them since the Forge World models have those.

Pict 1191: Drepur's Wraithcreepers

I also managed to finish highlighting these Glaivewraith Stalkers, that I had started a few months back. Always good to finish something and get it from the to do pile into the glass cabinet. I only recently realised that they are a team in Warhammer Underworlds (oh, the joys of getting your models second hand), but I will probably only use them in a modded version of Cursed City.

Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it?

Once again only three completed miniatures with the Witch-king and his second in command, Khamûl the Easterling. I also built a few more Heresy-era Space Marines; I really should get to painting them, shouldn't I?

Pict 1184: This is my hour!

Pict 1185: The Witch-king of Angmar

Pict 1186: The Witch-king of Angmar

First up is this Witch-king of Angmar. I really like this model that echoes the moment in the book, I used for the title – the Witch-king rinding into Minas Tirith through the broken gates. He's going to be a great leader for my Mordor army.

Pict 1187: Khamûl the Easterling

Pict 1188: Khamûl the Easterling

The other Nagûl I painted while at it is Khamûl the Easterling. Very fitting with the Defence of the North supplement finally released, even if I don't plan on painting any other Easterlings. I'm really happy with the way the highlights on the cloak came out, I managed to put in a bit of tattered texture.
For now, Khamûl will also be part of my Mordor army. To complete my collection of the named Ringwraiths, I'm now only missing two more: the Tainted and the Undying.

Pict 1189: Reaver Attack Squad (WIP)

Lastly, here is another Horus Heresy kitbash that I made in preparation for the new edition: a Luna Wolves Reaver Attack Squad with attached Apothecary. The latter is pretty much stock but with an added jump pack while the Reavers themselves are made from several different kits. The starting point was an Sons of Horus upgrade set. With some MK IV Marines, Sanguinary Guard jump packs and a few more bits and bobs, I'm pretty happy with the way they came out!

The plan is to go for a late stage of the Luna Wolves, about the time of the Ullanor Crusade, maybe a bit earlier. Certainly the Legion at it's prime, with the Cthonian gang culture limited to only a few squads. And pretty much only the Reavers and the Justaerin will be allowed to use the Eye of Horus. We'll see how that shakes out.

Defending Dwarven Doors

These past two weeks, I only managed to paint up a few bits and bobs. But at least I managed to finish up a set of ten dwarf warriors!

Pict 1180: Thráin's Guard defending the Erebor Gates

Pict 1181: Erebor Dwarf Warriors

Here then are the next ten Erebor dwarf warriors. I decided to keep the colours consistent even if the Dwarves all wear different variations of coats and chest armour. The predominant red cloth could mark them out as part of Thráin's personal retinue.

Pict 1182: Dwarven Gates (Mines of Moria)

This set of doors comes from a Mines of Moria set, that I bought used years ago. Sadly the doors are glued shut (certainly one way to keep a Balrog from escaping...), but they painted up nice enough and make for a good prop for the scenic photo of the Dwarves.

Pict 1183: Legion Seeker Squad (Kitbash)

Lastly I once againg cought the Heresy bug with the all the hype for a new edition of the game. To start of, I raided my bitbox and assebled this Legion Seeker squad using parts of MK III, MK IV and MK V armour, special issue bolters and a scratch built nuncio vox. I imagine the Seekers ranging far afield and thus being allowed some idiosyncrasies with their armour. I plan to paint them up as Luna Wolves once again, but I want to try and incorporate some weathering techniques I used with my most recent Howling Griffons.

Painting Dwarves for a Tournament

These past two weeks saw not to much progress, but I managed to finish the first two Erebor dwarf warriors to fit into an army concept for a tournament that I played yesterday.

Pict 1177: Azanulbizar Tournament Army

For this tournamet, I wanted to go with an Azanulbizar theme - partly to spur myself on and paint some Erebor warriors, partly so I could use Thrór as my army's leader and thus free up Dáin to go on a rampage unpunished.

Pict 1178: Erebor Dwarf Warriors (Banner Conversion)

I bought these Erebor dwarves used and one of them was missing his axe – a great opportunity to give him a banner made from plastic card. While I added strips to give the banner some structure, there was still plenty of space for a freehand of the ornament that holds the Arkenstone in Thrór's throne. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out, even if it could be a little bigger to fill up the space some more.

Pict 1179: Erebor Dwarf Warriors (WIP)

I really enjoyed the colourscheme and went along with the next ten dwarves. They are, once again alomst all basecoated and ready to be washed. I really have to do a few week where all I do is highlight miniatures. At this stage, there are quite a few of them now!

Two more Dwarven Royals and a bunch of Spooky Scary Skeletons

Only a little update today – I only managed to finish painting two miniatures, the missing Dwaves from my last post and then put on the base colours on some more Age of Sigmar miniatures.

Pict 1172: The Battle of Azanulbizar

Pict 1173: Thrór and Thráin II

Pict 1174: Thrór and Thráin II

Thrór and Thráin II will be the leaders of my Erebor dwarves. I have already experimented with allying Thrór with the younger Dáin and his Iron Hills dwarves for a hard-hitting Azanulbizar army and I'm looking forward to using Thráin as well.
Next up will have to be some more Dwarf Warriors!

Pict 1175: Sepulchral Guard and Wight King (WIP)

I also started once again on some more Undead miniatures, this time the rest of the Sepulchral Guard as well as the Wight King that was released at the tail end of Warhammer Fantasy. Again, they use the same colours as the Ulfenwatch, but the Wight King recieved a black cloak to set him apart from the normal warriors.

Pict 1176: Glaivewraith Stalkers (WIP)

At the same time, I also put the base colours and washes on these Glaivewraith Stalkers here. They might technically be from a different faction within the Death army, but I thought they should also fit in with my colour scheme. The spectral tendrils I found somewhat difficult, but for now the plan is to keep them mainly black and maybe even give them a coat of gloss varnish. We will see, how that turns out!