My DIY Chapter; a thread on "Classic" true-scaling

[Guilliman]

Over the last few years (since the NE Chapter Master competition) I've been working on my Doom Bringers chapter's fluff on and off. After we just learned InDesign in school I've spent hours on the layout of my Index Astartes article on the chapter. This in turn has turned my head towards my old half-finished true-scale conversions for the chapter.

This is my first try on true-scaling made several years ago:



Ever since I made that I've wondered what repositioning the legs would do to the height of the marine. So on Sunday I sat down and came up with this:




I hope to post updates soon as I've not yet decided which techniques to use to achive their colour scheme.

[Intrepid Adventurer]

So if I'm getting this right, you used plasticard to broaden the model's chest and add some length to his legs?

I am seriously considering doing this with my Angels Sanguine, even though my poor Rhino's will feel even more off scale. The price for reading the Horus Heresy novels I suppose. Is there any way you would consider doing a step-by-step as to instruct this novice into the ways of the truescale?

[Guilliman]

I forgot to post pictures of my the finished models I have. This is the colour scheme of the chapter (with some exceptions, more on that later). But these were painted using layering, which was painfully time consuming. I'm now considering a white basecoat instead and washes. Not yet sure though..






These are the original models from the Chapter Master competition. I have however decided that if I ever paint a Doom Bringers army it's going to be 100% true-scale.

[Guilliman]

So if I'm getting this right, you used plasticard to broaden the model's chest and add some length to his legs?

Yes, that's exactly what I've done. I've also added some height to the torso by cutting below the chest and resculpted the belly. It was actually the first technique I ever heard of several years ago, but the "art-scale" technique with the use of terminator parts seems to have gotten all the attention lately.

I'll see if I can make a guide from the next model.

[Hadriel Caine]

paint them like that. take the time. they are superb!

[Intrepid Adventurer]

Yes, that's exactly what I've done. I've also added some height to the torso by cutting below the chest and resculpted the belly. It was actually the first technique I ever heard of several years ago, but the "art-scale" technique with the use of terminator parts seems to have gotten all the attention lately.

I'll see if I can make a guide from the next model.

Appreciate it a lot! I just want to wknow here to cut, you know...

Your models do look superb, but I think a white coat with washing will estimate this look very closely. Sure, you'll have to clean up your white... but my experience is that the washes save loads of time AND look just as good.

[Monsterzonk]

Great work on the truescaling, looking very convincing there... I also like the colour scheme a lot!
Keep it up!

Cheers,
Monsterzonk

[D3V!L]

Those Guys look really good.

I have to say I like this way of truescaling much more than the use fo Teminator-legs and greenstuffing over them.
Your way is much better.

[icecream boy]

This looks like a promising start on the Marines, I really do like true-scaling.

[Guilliman]

I took some time to dig out my chapter master "Tigrit" and take some updated pics of him. I've had this guy on my desk for over four years and done some tweaking over periods of time. Still he's far from finished.





Also here's some fluff for you. I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload the entire Index Astartes article beacause of Copyright issues (I've scanned and modified elements of the GW ones), also it's not completely finished.


Origins
The oldest documented record mentioning the chapter of the Doom Bringers reaches all the way back to the early centuries after the Horus Heresy; “…the new “Doomed Chapter”, founded some time after the great invasion of the dark eldar fleet Azfaloth upon the feral world of Andeluvian was the force responsible of the great massacres of the ork Warlord Grumd Steelbiter, and thus purging over a hundred of alien infested imperial ships…” The tale of this “dark eldar invasion on the Feral World Andeluvian” is told only in texts written centuries after the event and some consider the facts only as legends. What is known for sure is that a squad of marines, all their names but one long lost in time, was stranded upon the Feral World Andeluvian after a disaster when their whole fleet was sucked into a warpstorm and apart from the squad completely destroyed. Decades later when a fleet of Ultramarines pursuing the dark eldar fleet Azfaloth, Andeluvian was found completely overrun by the aliens and without any survivors. Weeks into the fighting a small group of survivors was stumbled upon by a small squad of scouts inside the remains of an old temple dating back to the Dark Age of Technology. The group was led by no other than Ortiux himself, the last remains of the stranded space marines, the future founder of the Doom Bringers and the chapter’s first chapter master. Into the last he had fought the alien invasion among his old battle brothers and the planet’s inhabitants.

It exists hundreds, perhaps even thousands theories of what had happened during the long years of the marines presence on Andeluvian. Some legends tell of wars fought between the tribes of the planet, others say the marines were worshipped as gods by the people of the planet while some tell of great heroic deeds performed when the humans on Andeluvian was united during the long lasting eldar invasion.

After the destruction of Andeluvian, the few survivors began to rebuild their planet’s population, this time with the help of the Imperium. As a mighty hero of the planet’s history, Ortiux was crowned king of the planet and a culture almost as grand and magnificent as the one of Ultramar grew into strength. An entirely new army of space marines was cloned from the gene-seed of Ortiux and many wars of the Imperium were victorious thanks to the participation of this new chapter named “The Doomed Chapter” after its sad and tragic history. But good times grew worse and once again Andeluvian was invaded by aliens, but this time by orks. As the only survivors the space marines formed a retreat and fled to a nearby volcanic planet. They once again build up their strength to seek revenge upon the slaughterers of their once glorious home and in only a matter of years the ork fleet of the Warlord Grumd Steelbiter was destroyed. The relief of Ortiux was so great that he changed the chapter’s name to the name it bears to this day – The Doom Bringers.

The Days of Misery
Even centuries after the Horus Heresy and their founding the chapter still cloned their new recruits. With an advanced technology the new marines were altered to more easily learn new skills to make them more individual and more easily trained for special tasks and specialities. This technology was discovered on nearby systems and unique to the chapter. It had been passed down through the generations of apothecaries; changed, developed and improved during the years. It was considered the sacred lore of the chapter’s apothecaries and every caution was considered to make sure that nobody outside the chapter could steal this technology.

But every time the cloning technology evolved new risks were taken. Under the command of the chief apothecary Srikar, a recently discovered technology was just to be added into the chapter’s gene-seed. A disaster occurred and the Inquisition forced the chapter to stop cloning their marines and start recruiting instead. What kind of disaster this was has been lost in time and only speculations can be made to imagine what it might have been. The chapter’s dark history repeated itself and the horrible scars on its heart, which had never completely healed, were once again torn open. The current chapter master at that time and second in order was Tamius, and he was forced to give the message to the Inquisition that the whole chapter was to be executed after it had received new recruits or the entire chapter would be hunted down and shattered. Almost a third was killed, but Tamius managed to spare his most experienced warriors and from those days and forward this period of betrayal and suffering would be known as “The Days of Misery” in memory of the warriors killed by their own kin. How Tamius managed to outsmart such a powerful organisation as the Inquisition was never revealed and when Tamius died, so did the secret die with him.

However after the “Days of Misery” Tamuis decided that every armour of the chapter would be painted in a slightly darker tone and the original colour would only be restored every time an armour was lost and replaced. In this way the memory of the chapters lost warriors would not be lost until the day every armour was replaced and the chapter had outgrown its dark past. To this day, close to every one of the chapter’s power armours and one of the dreadnaughts are replaced but not any of the tactical dreadnaught armours. This is one outermost excellent example of the bravery of the Doom Bringer marines when they fight to regain the honour of their once unrightfully slaughtered brothers. Of all the veterans that weren’t murdered during the “Days of Misery” a few kept alive in the ancient machineries of the dreadnoughts remain to this day.

The name of the marine honoured to wield Ortiux’s power scythe, bolter and black laurel today is Tigrit. He is the current chapter master of the Doom Bringers and the oldest marine in the chapter. With a leadership unmatched by almost every chapter master before him has lead the Doom Bringers to countless victories through the Galaxy for over three hundred years.

[bp.]

I myself am a huge fan of "classical" truescaling as you call it. I have done the same for my still on going DIY chapter the Star Lords.

I am glad to see you are cracking on with these models again as they are very good, and i absolutely love Tigrit, he looks absolutely fantastic. The leg guards are a great inspiration and the GS work to make the laurel is just brilliant. I think you have his overall size perfectly! Looking forward to more!

[PrimeMinisterSinister]

Looking good.
I'd say base white or grey and use washes. Otherwise, it's too irritating.
Just make sure to paint the soft armour black or whatever colour you wish.
Also, that terminator is sexy fine.

[Skozo]

These are looking great. Nice paint scheme. I never was really fond of truescale due to most people creating thundercalf marines but yours truely look epic. This is how truescale should be done.

[icecream boy]

Oh I forgot to ask, what head is that in the first pic of your second post?

[Guilliman]

Oh I forgot to ask, what head is that in the first pic of your second post?

It's a head from the WFB Chaos Warrior box. I was going to sculpt space marine helmet details to it but I ended up actually taking the parts from a helmet.

bp. I'd be great to see pics of your chapter! I've always wondered how entire units of true-scaled marines would look like. I can't wait to play against a normal marine army and then see how long it takes for my opponent to notice my marines are over a head taller than his.

[R3DM0H4WK]

though i'm a fan of artscaling personally, i will have to admit i am an enthusiast for all forms or true/art-scaling and these are some mighty fine models you have here friend, the colour scheme is amazing trust me i'd take the time with them and get em all looking like that instead of taking shortcuts, also the terminator dude is Amazing i really like him especially his shin guards , cannot wait to see some paint on these guys! subbed and keenly watching!

[tcraigen]

Beautiful work!

[sic]

What I like about this sort of true scaling is that I dont need to cut up Termis to do it! In fact it looks like you could almost retro fit it to assembled marines, nice work!

[Intrepid Adventurer]

In fact, that's exactly what I'm going to do, once Guilliman posts his tutorial. Having seen this I want my Angels Sanguine truescaled... because it freaking rocks.

[Guilliman]

I just sprayed the two marines white, but I've got some school work to catch up with this weekend. I didn't want to leave you with nothing so I took an hour to make a quick guide on how to true-scale the legs (I've run out of torsos, so I can't show you that part anyway).

Materials needed:
- 1 pair of space marine legs
- plastic card, 1 mm and 0.5 mm thick
- (green stuff)

Step one
As any dedicated modeller should do, start by cleaning the legs from mould lines.


Step two
Cut along the top egde of the thigh. Make small cuts all the way around the leg and work yourself deeper and deeper. This will eliminate any risks of misstakes that can happen if you just cut from one side to the other.


Step three
Cut out a bit of 1 mm plastic card. File down the cut surface on the leg to make sure it's completely flat.


Step four
Glue the plastic card to the leg. I use super glue. Do this


Step five
This is the trickty part. Cut the plastic card all the way aroud the leg in the same angle as the armour. As you can see in the picture I keep the knife parallel along the leg the entire time to get this right.


You should end up with this:


Continued in next post..