Give_me_a_d, Give_me_an_Aemons (Daemons of Chaos Project)

[bob_the_small]

Great nurgle and slaanesh stuff too!
O
OO

[give_me_a_d]

Ok you asked for it! Prompted by StefDa here is a rundown on how I am doing the Nurgle Flies -

Stage 1 – Destruction
I started by cutting the back legs apart and away from the abdomen. It doesn't matter if the back pair of legs are unusable afterwards as you only need 6 legs for a fly so these are spare.

I then cut the legs off close to the body. If possible I would suggest keeping track of which leg went where as they are different. I cut off the stumps of the front pair of legs from the body.

Then the really destructive bit. Cut the body into 3 parts. The angle I think is important but not critical as any gaps can be filled. The first cut is between the abdomen and the thorax and then the second is to cut the 'face' and pincers from the thorax. This second cut goes through where the front leg stumps were.

I then decided that the abdomen would be too thick if it was left as is so I carefully decided how much to cut off and using a saw hacked a wedge about 6mm thick at the thickest part from the bottom of the abdomen. Finally with some care and a sharp knife I cut back the sides so the bottom was smooth. It doesn't have to be perfect as you will be filling the whole at some point anyway so any fine adjustment can be done then. That's about it for this stage, but if the spider you are hacking up has skulls on the back decide now what you're going to do with them. I plan to turn them into boils in some cases and others will just get cut and filled. They could be used to identify Unholy Might if you intend to give them that.

Stage 2 – Leg Work
Now comes the hard work. For the way I'll be doing the body I need to straighten the legs (see the clever bit in stage 3). To do this I cut through the leg just below a joint at an angle. A photo would be useful here but I don't have one right now. The cut should go from high on the front of the leg to low on the back. Next, keeping the leg straight cut again so you cut a wedge shaped piece off with the sharp end on the inside of the leg. Dry fit the two pieces of leg and if it looks OK move on to the next joint and do the same thing. The leg needs a bit of a curve but nowhere near as much as it had originally. When your happy glue it together and move on to the next leg and repeat the process. I think they should be OK without being pinned but if your models could get rough handling it may be wise to invest the time now, It will be a bit tricky as we are talking about very small bits. I would suggest having a big lump of blu-tac or similar rolled out into a sausage so you can rack them up to dry as you go.

Stage 3 – The Body
This is as far as I've got so from here on in its just what I'm planning to do. Line up the 3 body pieces and decide how much of a curve you want the fly to have. This will probably depend how you want to base them. If you want to go with a cavalry/bike base and a flying stand pole or similar then you can go fairly flat. If however you are like me and intend to use 40mm bases (either square or round) and connect the fly to the base at the end of the abdomen (basically with the point of the abdomen at about 90 degrees to the base) then you will want a fairly pronounced curve.

Now this I think is the clever bit (even if I do say so myself). Turn the mid section upside down. The leg stumps are now pointing down and slightly outward which is exactly what I think is needed. It also means that the whole in the bottom is now on top and as some green stuff will be needed to ensure a convincing wing to body join it can be covered later when the wings are attached. Then with a bit of trial and error perhaps using some sprue shavings stick the abdomen to the upside down mid section. You could pin it and fill any gaps but I find a plastic to plastic join is just as strong. As everyone has spare sprue it makes sense to use it I think.

The next bit will need some greenstuff or similar as the back of the head needs to be bulked up a bit and rounded off. As I haven't done this bit yet I don't know what is best but I would imagine at least as thick as the face itself and rounded off but with a bit of a flat section to connect to the rest of the body. At this point you can do the eyes as well. I've got a load of insect pictures as reference but any sort of domed shape should look good. I'll be using the fly headed nurgling as reference as well. I'd suggest nothing to intricate as you will have to repeat it on the others (at least 2 more for a minimum sized unit). The head once dry can be attached.

I'm undecided whether the abdomen needs any resculpting. The answer is probably, if so I'd do it at this point. Even if you don't make any changes I think it would be wise to at least fill the whole in the underside at this point as the legs will get in the way later. The pictures of flies will come in useful if you decide to go for a rework. I'm thinking about segmented like a maggot, as in the picture from Codex: CSM, but fury or even something else would be OK as these aren't actual flies. I'd also decide how to connect to the base at this point and sort that now. I plan to drill a whole in the tip of the abdomen and one in the base and use a short bit of wire to join the two. Although I'd leave the base off for now.

Stage 4 – 'He's totally legless'
Yes, and wingless as well. I'd suggest doing the legs first as I think it will be important to get them looking right before moving on to the wings. I'd start with the back legs and get them right first. Then move forward. I would pin the legs as although I said I'm a fan of plastic to plastic joins, I think the legs will be too delicate to be sure of a robust join. If you pinned the legs before then this will be quite easy but if you decided not to pin them take care not to brake the glued joins.

The last critical bit is the wings. This is the bit I am really quite unsure about and was depending on the prototype to figure it out. I am planning to use clear plastic from blister packs but it may need to be thicker. I was going to cut out a wing, then using it as a template for the second, leaving a good sized tab at the body end on both. I also plan to use a needle or some other sharp point and scratch a vein design onto the wings. This should mean that I can use washes on the wing and get a convincing wing without having to paint the veins on freehand. Again the reference pictures will help here and again I'd use the first as a template for the second. If I'm having to use thicker plastic that isn't clear this won't work as I won't be able to copy the design through from one to the other. If that is the case then I'll keep the vein design simple.

It should be fairly easy to add a lump of greenstuff to the back of the fly and shove the wing tabs into it. The tabs may need trimming. Then model the back of the fly how you want and yet again the pictures will help.

Stage 5 – Base and Paint
The easy bit.

I will hopefully get around at some point to taking some pics when I get back to the flies, until then I hope you can follow the instructions. Finally I'd just like to say that I hope you have success if you try this. If you do please give credit where its due. If I find your passing these off as your own idea I'll send the (Nurgle) boys round!

[StefDa]

give_me_a_d, I love you!

I think I may use a dremel for much of the work, actually.

I will totally try this out later tonight, and I will totally give you credit! When I get around to it, I will PM you with my experience.

I am really nervous about doing the wings, actually. I don't think GW blister plastic will be thick enough. Maybe Privateer Press' will?

[give_me_a_d]

StefDa - I hope it goes well and please do tell me how you get on.

[StefDa]

I am going to compile your how-to's now along with the picture of the ply, then I'll go downstairs and start chopping!

[MAD MAN-A-TRON]

This is great work, keep it up!

[StefDa]

I have been doing some on-off work on the first prototype, and I have had to adapt it quite a lot through the process. It looks good though, I think. I am not totally satisfied with the legs, they aren't all straight :/ I would have preferred the big, fat, lazy fly look which the straight legs would have greatly contributed to, but we'll see how it turns out. I only need to attach the wings.

[StefDa]

By the way, I finished the first little bastard an hour ago or so. Pics soon.

[StefDa]

Pictures to come later today or tomorrow!

[give_me_a_d]

I'll be very interested to see how you got on StefDa.

[StefDa]

Sorry, been caught up in emergency shifts at work (damn being the most reliable export assistant in FedEx DK) and exam stuff coming up. I dunno when I actually have time to sit by my computer and fiddle with my cam again, but I haven't forgotten this thread.

[give_me_a_d]

Well a few days ago I posted my entry int the TO40KP for April. As I was then away for a few days I didn't get around to up dating here.

So here we have the unit of 12 Daemonettes, which fully loaded gives me 203pts. The colour scheme was (evenyually) Astro Grey followed by a white drybrush. The leather bits were black with Adeptus Battle Grey highlight. The cloth bits were done with Warlock Purple and a Tentacle Pink highlight, which I took the edge off with a Warlock Purple glaze. Hair was done black with a purple highlight and some extra fine lines. The metal bits were done with Mithril Silver and a purple wash (as per a previous post). Finally I did the eyes in black with white dots and the edges of claws and the deepest recessess of the skin, earholes, open mouths etc were done with a Badab Black wash for a bit more contrast. And I actually did something to the bases! Only painting them Calthan Brown but its a start.

So this is what they look like -



Edit - The skull in the icon was done with Vomit Brown, then Dneb Stone and then white, finished off with a Devlan Mud wash.

[Crube]

Loving those Daemonettes.

How did you do the actual symbol on the icon. It looks almost glowing?

[give_me_a_d]

Hi there Crube. Glad you like them.

The Icon was fairly basic really. From a black base I painted in the Warlock Purple inside bit. This took a couple of coats. I then did the outside in Mithril Silver which was followed by a purple wash. I tried to vary the wash so there is a sort of lighter area down the middle of the front and the spikes got a varied coat as well. As I said nothing special but it does seem to have come out rather well.

[give_me_a_d]

Hi Everyone,

Before this thread falls off the bottom of the 1st page of my subbed threads I thought I better give you an update.

The good news is that although I haven't really done any painting for about 10 days I have more or less finished the first of 2 fiends and depending on feedback I should be finishing this months painting quite soon.

Photos -



Let me know what you think.

[Crube]

Hmmm not sure...

Compared to the rest of your stuff this looks a little... bland is too string a word but yuo get the idea...

It seems to be just too much of one colour. Potentially change the carapace on the back, or maybe add a couple of washes of purple over it...?

Be interesting to see them in the army as a whole... keep it up

[give_me_a_d]

Coming back to the thread I can see what you mean. So I've done something about it! It's not there yet but I think you'll agree its an improvement -



It needs a bit more, as I can see I have missed bits and probably another highlight or something. I'll also have to do some or all of the teeth again.

[Crube]

Starting to look a lot better even now - nice one

[give_me_a_d]

OK folks, as I hinted at in the TO40KP thread I've been thinking about options for next year's Tale. As the end of the current year is rapidly drawing to a close my mind (Like young Skywalker) is always on the horizon, looking to the future. I've really enjoyed the Tale this year and I want to go again next year. So the question is 'What army?' and this is where your help would be very useful. The way I see it I have 6 distinct options (with a 7th being a combination (It must be a nurgle daemon possessing me))-

1 - Apocalyptic Daemons
I'm sure I have enough daemons (or bits) knocking around to add at least another 1k pts to my Daemons force and as the models would mostly take quite a long time to either convert (the Nurgle Flies, the Furies etc) or paint (Soulgrinder) I think a modest target of 1k pts could be OK. I don't think I'd want to do much more than this unless/until more plastics come out (Whatever happened to that plastic Daemon Prince?).

2 - Back to the Future Death Guard
As you will be aware if you've read my log from the beginning I was possessed by Chaos years ago when I started a Death Guard army. Currently I could probably put together a small legal force of about 500pts of painted models. I've painted none of them since the advent of the super new washes from GW, and my nurgle style has come on since so I think they would benefit from updating. I haven't checked but I reckon I have at least 2000pts not including a half converted Plague Reaper/Baneblade/Insert Super Heavy name here.

3 - Other Spiky Marines
When I started my Death Guard I didn't know they were going to be Death Guard. Consequently I have quite a selection of other Chaos Marines. This is mostly Zerkers but there are also Noise Marines, Night Lords and 1K Sons. Again I reckon I have about 2k pts. This could be good as I have the bits for an 8 strong unit of Khorne bikers and also a Slaughterfiend, which I'm sure could be joined by 2 more for an apocalypse formation.

4 - And now for something completely different – Orks
Yes, strange as it may seem I have recently collected the models for a substantial Ork army, sorry I should say Waaagh. I'm really fired up about them at the moment, fuelled by the likes of Warflag in this years Tale. I easily have 2k pts (including 2 maxed units of Deffkoptas – bits services be praised). The problem I think I will have is getting a horde army painted as I have struggled at times with the Daemons and they aren't exactly a horde. I have however been doing some research and have come up with a couple of possible quick painting methods.

5 - 'The stars themselves once lived and died at our command' – Eldar
I am really tempted by the option of returning to the army that got me into 40K in the first place (in Epic as it happens) and has always been in the back of my mind. I easily have over 3k pts, including all the aspects and quite a number of RT era guardians and harlequins. I have possibly about 800pts painted but they would all need updating as I haven't touched them in years. I'm also tempted by this option because, I think I'm right in saying, there are no longer have any Eldar armies in the Tale and there weren't many to start with.

6 - And now for something completely different (I really mean it this time) – Fantasy
I have the basis of a Wood Elf army dating from when there was just Elves and Dark Elves (Anyone else remember/have models from the Fantasy Regiments box?). So I could go all nostalgic with a circa 1990 Wood Elf force, not that I have the army book so have no idea what kind of points I have. This currently looks like an outside choice at best. The alternative would be a Vampire Counts army of which I have the basics (ancient skeletons, some wolves and zombies) and the army book so a more realistic option.

7 - (sort of) Some combination of the above
This is my current front runner but don't let that sway your choice. I'm thinking of doing 'Angels and Daemons' (Can you see what I've done there?) which would be a combo of 1 and 5. Doing about 2500pts in total, getting the Daemons up to apocalypse size (so another 1k pts) with a bit of an anti-eldar theme, particularly for the Slaanesh guys. For the Eldar I go with an anti chaos theme, including a large unit of Harlequins, revising what I have and taking them up to about 1500pts.

Clearly I can't do all of these and as I said the Warhammer options are outside choices at best. Let me know what you think.

Hopefully I'll have some more painting updates for you soon.

[give_me_a_d]

So as promised a quick update - The fiend has had a highlight and other than some neatening up I think its finished.



C&C welcome as always