Souleater's A Xeno File

[xedric]

Is there some sort of therapy for gamers like us? "Oh, new shiny! I start new project yet again..." lol

Im liking the new colors for the crons. Real nice. Now go back and do more DE. Or more Necrons. Dont look at the new VC...

[Souleater]

Oh, I'm not looking at VC. The battalion box is safely tucked away in the cupboard.

This week I've been umming and ahhing about restarting Tau but I've got be remain focused and get my Dark Eldar finished.

[HereticHammer01]

love that dark eldar colour scheme in particular, very original.

[Souleater]

In my defence I have been doing stuff since the last update. Not particularly productive, I admit. Some of it was course work, more of it was browsing the internet. I even painted a couple of test models.


Just a couple.




I would also like it taken into consideration that as well as those models I also test painted enough termagant bodies tomake a squad that I'm converting to DevilGaunts.






Bodhi the cat wasn't actually much help. He certainly didn't spawn that lot despite what he claims because we've both had the snip.


the poor Kabalite's above have seen any love.


So, have I actually done anything useful? I part painted a Sister of Battle and a Chaos marine in white schemes with black trimming. Which to be honest wasn't all that useful. The CSM guy does look pretty cool and different to most other Chaos marines I've seen but I really don't think I should get back into CSM given my woeful lack of progress on my Dark Eldar or Tyranids.

Oh...and I started a small Malifaux crew. But that's another thread.


I did work out that I need to use the white spray paint slightly differently to get a smooth, even coat on models.

I did manage to ink a couple of Tyranids using Lahmia Medium and Game Colour Violet Ink. This came out much closer to my current nid colours. In fact these colours really make my brain smile (I can think of no other way of describing it. I look at that combination of colours and my brain feels happy). Unfortunately, I don't think it shows off the detail of the model. My attempts to add detail to it are part of what makes up the Test Box.








A couple of test models were done using Seraphim Sepia. This seemed to give a very natural looking tone and it reminded me of the good old days when I couldn't afford to play Tyranids and looked enviously upon my mate's hunter-Slayers and Zoat. I decided that I should stop farting around and use the good old Kraken Scheme.



Three of these guys were done with two coats of Seraphim Sepia. The one on the left was Reikland, then Seraphim Sepia and a light dry brush of something pale and dwarfy. I forget the name. Too many figures. /rocks.

The carapaces are a bit rough as I'm still working out how to do them. I would like to get a good colour gradient on them - since I should be using quick techniques on the skin I don't mind spending a bit longer doing the carapace properly. I am going to pick up a couple of the new dark Red base paints this weekend.


Kraken's scheme is good except for the red claws and hooves. Not too keen on that, to be honest. Don't mean to hurt the Hivefleet in questions feelings but let's try to be constructive rather than throw a massive wobbler and devour the planet in a fit of pique. For the things like guns and swords I wonder if either black or a dark, leathery brown would be the way to go. Not sure that black would fit the model so well as brown.

For Hooves and Claws I definitely want to use a pale bone/white.

Sooo.....the devilgaunt unit is currently soaking in the FP Tub.



I'm now engaged with myself in a massive internal dialogue about keeping with the purple...which I like but doesnt' really work on the table top....or going Kraken Splinter Fleet. Either way my existing models need stripping as the old paint jobs are rather rough.

[Souleater]

So...this plog has been open for over two years...and I have yet to paint a single model to completion.

My local games club is doing a Tale of Wargamers. I'm going to use this as an incentive to get my Nids finished off! I don't have any choice thanks to the format as we have to blog everything, paint at least one unit per month, etc.

This month we have to paint one unit and a character. I'm painting a brood of Ymgarl 'stealers, a small brood of Hormies and building an Alpha Warrior.

I've been proxying Tervigons, hive guard, etc since the new codex came out. So the first thing I did was was order the actual models. Two weeks before the ToWG was due to begin. Unfortunately, the Post office lost them and I had to re-jig my army. But, I have all those test models to strip and re-paint so things worked out okay. (The company sent me out replacement models.)

The reinforcements:




I already have magnetized Foot and Flyrants but wanted a Swarm Lord.

Things were going well as a stripped and re-built. Pinned four Hormies with paperclips after breaking them off of their bases during scrubbing. I was however, pleasantly surprised to find that Fairy Power Spray has changed its formula again - and is once again great for stripping plastic minis!

I started with the Ymgarls trying to work out which combination of paint, washes and whatever I wanted to go with. . I figured I would continue with my original purple and dark blue scheme. It's my scheme and while I did paint a brood of Devourer Gaunts up in Kraken colors...they just didn't feel like my Hive Fleet. And with the nature of Ymgarls a slight variation in colours isn't surprising But then I then did something really, really stupid.

Yeah, I tried a couple of other schemes because while I love the purple and blue...I'm never quite satisfied with how it comes out.








So...now stuck wondering which to go with.

The Leviathan scheme isn't one I've seen used around here. I've never painted a lightly coloured army....my armies are generally in dark colours. It keeps a touch of purple. I can actually see some of the detail. I do like it, and in a blind test, Mrs Souleater clearly preferred it.

The purple and blue scheme is quick, and no worse than when I used to spend hours paintstakingly trying to shade and highlight every single model. Plus I have a lot of models already in this scheme.

So while I crack on with building my Alpha Warrior here's a bit of back ground on both him and my Hivefleet....

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Hivefleet lunchtime’s peculiar name stems from the interruption of an Imperial Governor’s lunch. Governor Augustus Winrush was very insistent that he not be interrupted during this time.

At any other time of the day he was tireless in his duty to the God Emperor but he simply could not abide any interruption to his noon day meal.

So incandescent was his rage that he would regularly fire his las-pistol at whoever interrupted, or his desktop vox-box. Even the commanders of the PDF were loathe to disturb him.

When the hive fleet first appeared in its new form it had not been given a designation by the Imperium. At the time many splinterfleets were misidentified as separate entities, causing all manner of paperwork and crossings out, much to the chagrin of the Administratum. A general order was put out across the sector (and quickly rescinded after the poor wording became obvious) that any Tyranid contact could only be given a designation by the highest ranking member of the Imperium in the system.

Unfortunately, combined with another order that all xenos ships must be codified before engagement (also intended to cut down on the number of false reports) it meant the Hivefleet surging toward Nimby’s world could not be engaged until either the governor named it or it got within range of its own guns – which would rob the Imperial forces of a significant advantage.

Despite his trepidation, the Governor'a long-suffering assistant boldly interrupted the meal.

“By the god-emperor, I need a name for this thing if we are not to be overwhelmed!”
“Dammit, man don’t you know it’s lunchtime?”
The very wise assistant considered this for but a moment, turned to the Imperial Commanders and said “You heard the man, its designated as Hivefleet…Lunchtime. Charge the void screens and open fire – all weapons!”


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"Oddly, Scar pre-dates Hivefleet Lunchtime. He was spawned as part of the Kraken Splinterfeet that would later be absorbed to form Hivefleet Lunchtime.

While his original broodlings were killed, reabsorbed and replaced many times over, Scar has inexplicabily survived. Often Scar was the only survivor, with a fresh compliment of Tyranid Warriors being birthed to fight alongside him.

During the lean and desperate times that the Kraken Splinterfleet endured he would often be the last remaining synapse node on the battlefield. These were some of the splinterfleet's most desperate battles. Perhaps these times account for the strong connection to the Hivemind – in channeling the commands of the Hive Mind so forcibly the Warrior’s own abilities have been strengthened, allowing him to draw upon it to direct entire swarms by himself.

During these conflicts he was badly wounded on numerous occasions. Always low on resources the splinterfleet was unable to simply reabsorb the injured Warrior, instead leaving him to slowly heal between battles. Several times he fought while seeping from multiple wounds from previous engagements.
He even survived the short but bloody conflict the Kraken Splinterfleet and Hivefleet Khaemelon.

It was shortly after the two fleets merged to become Hivefleet Lunchtime that Scar transitioned from ordinary yet plucky Warrior to Alpha.

The new Hivefleet made planet fall at Nimby’s World, where Scar was deployed as part of the assault on the capital city. A small force of Space Wolves had come to the aid of the stricken planet.
Lacking Thunderhawk transport the Space Wolves attempted to break through the Tyranid flank in an armoured column. Holed up in one of the city spires with his trusty venom cannon Scar and his brood stalled the Space Marine Advance, pinning them down for several hours. Scar fought until he was the last warrior standing. He fought on despite several terrible wounds. However, he was struck down by a Plasma Cannon discharge that incinerated his Venom Cannon and part of his arm.

His injuries were too severe for even the will of the Hivemind to keep him fighting and he collapsed. The battle raged on although the Tyranids were pushed back as Scar had been last node once again. Eager to press forward the Space Wolves swept onwards, leaving a gaping hole in the Tyranid lines as the smaller creatures scattered.

A little later the fallen Warrior stirred. Its once lacerated and burnt flesh was flawlessly renewed. More incredibly the shattered limb had been completely restored. Although its carapace bore obvious signs of previous damage those wounds that had cut to the flesh below were plugged with fresh growths of tissue. Indeed, his armour had become denser as it re-knitted itself.
As he gathered weapons from the nearby Tyranid dead Scar found the once leaderless broods flocking to him for he had become a beacon of the Hive Mind’s will. For the first time he would lead his own strike force.

Since then his regenerative abilities have become ever stronger. While his skin has taken on the purple colouration of Lunchtime there are still hints of Kraken’s colours on its carapace for while the new material grows with the dark blue of the new Hivefleet parts of the old remains. Hence, the warrior being nicknamed ‘Scar’ by the local IG.