Nomrana Est's Imperial Escapade

[Nomrana Est]

Hello all! This is going to be my project log, detailing some of the projects which I have on the go, mainly centred around my Marine army and a few side-projects which I have planned, namely a House of Knights and a Grey Knights force. First off, a bit of fluff for my main Marine army.

The Omega Marines, Crusaders of the Eastern Fringe
The Omega Marines were established in the 35th Millenium, and are an unusal exception to descendents of the Ultramarines by being a crusading ship-borne chapter. Over the course of their history, they have fought against many foes of the Imperium, and, most recently, have crusaded against the emergent threat of the Tau Empire's Third Phase expansion.

Chapter Organisation
The Omega Marines are a standard Codex chapter, but also rely heavily on armoured assaults and spearheads, and have a larger number of amoured vehicles than most other Chapters due to this ideal. The First Company also has a higher number of Terminator armour available, second only to the Dark Angel's Deathwing and the Grey Knights, and all members are trained in its use. In fact, it is not uncommon for full squads of Veterans equipped in Terminator armour from the First Company to accompany small combat patrols, and to sometimes form the patrol itself.

Current State
The Omega Marines are currently engaged with numerous Tau expansion fleets, and have also come into contact with numerous Hive Fleet incursions. The Chapter Master of the Omega Marines, Decias Serverus, also has at his command half a House of Battle Knights from the Forgeworld of Armenia and the 42nd Cadian Armoured Regiment. This sizable fleet has campaigned against the Tau expansion for nearly a decade. However, the martial prowess that can be called upon in the fleet has led to many investigations by the Inquisition, all of which have, thus far, shown the Omega Marines free of any taint.

I leave you with the most recent complete army shot that I have, including WIP and undercoated models. The only thing that is MIA is the Banblade, which requires a few more finishing touches. Other than that, C&C will always be appreciated.

[Nomrana Est]

First off is some very WIP photo's of the Knight's torso. I should also point out that I'm not the best photographer around, nor am I the best painter, so apologies in advance if everything kinda goes wrong. Here goes!



This is the most of the main torso, with one of my paint testers alongside for a scale comparison. It was built mainly last night, over the course of a few hours, and still requires some minor detailing and hole filling.



This is the main torso standing upright, with the same Marine for scale comparison.



Side on view. Note that the shoadows on the side of the torso are structural reinforcement bars made out of sprue. I aim to make some resin casts of my Knight after it's finished, so I can build up a fair few more.

C&C is welcome!

[Brother Alexos]

I think that if you want to make a knight that can be re-cast in resin, then you should probably look into using something other than plasticard to make the first model in. The reason being that if there are any gaps where the plasticard joins, as I can see clearly in your pictures, then the mould material will seep into the model.

I would suggest getting a kind of foam that some others have used, I don't know the name of it, and use that to make the basic shape of the body, head, legs, etc. Then you can use Plasticard over that to put on the details.

[Photographer]

It's a good start. Make sure you don't have bubbles on the resin.

[Nomrana Est]

@Brother Alexos, I see what you mean, and I plan on filling all the holes in the seams with some GS after I've made up the whole torso, then covering over again with some very thin plasticard and some rivets. I would build it out of foam, but I can't find any in my area, no matter where I look.

Still, the torso is nearing main completion. I'll get some photos up when I can.

[Nomrana Est]

Right, quick update before I go and celebrate Christmas. Here's the torso, with GS over all the joins between the plasticard



And this is the engine mount, also made of plasticard. I used some Milliput instead of the Green Stuff this time around, as I found it easier to work with. To its left is the powerplant, a Land Raider engine which I had lying around and modified. It won't be attatched until I've made a resin cast of it.



Best regards to all this holiday season!

[Brother Alexos]

Before you cast that, you might want to sand down the greenstuff, because otherwise you'll have the shape of the greenstuff left on. I would suggest using miliput alot more, as it is easier to sand when its dry.

[Nomrana Est]

@Brother Alexos:
I have, since taking that picture, filed all of the GS down. For the exterior detail, I'll be using some 5thou plasticard, and some plastic rod cut to size to make rivest along the seams. I feel that it should have at least some rivest on it.

[Brother Alexos]

Rivets fix everything! I suggest that you try and plan out what you are going to put on this beast, it can be very trying to do so as you go along. I would suggest trying to figure out what would make it seem more life-like. For instance, there should probably be a hatch of some form on the beast's torso for an escape if the titan is immobilised. Things like that make the model.

[Nomrana Est]

Right, sorry about the lack of updates so far. Christmas and New Years got in the way. Unfortuneately, I have no photos to show progress either, as the camera did a dissappearing trick on me.

Still, I have made some progress. I've sanded and filed all the putty down, and am now moving on to the "banding" of the seams, basically going over all the joins with some 5thou plasticard, and will soon be moving onto the legs and arms in the next few weeks. Hopefully, funding dependent, I can get some casts done up as well.

Will have photos up as soon as possible.

[Nomrana Est]

Progress on the Knight has stalled, unfortuneately. I've begun to burn out on it, so I've decided to give it a bit of a break for a while and come back to it at a later point. I have no idea how some people can build a Titan, when I can't even get a Knight done.

Still, I do have some progress pics of the Knight up until now, so, here they are:



I've started work on the feet, and finished off the majority of the banding on the torso. I'm still working on how the arms and legs are going to attach, so any advice on that area would be most appreciated.

And I've decided to show some photos of what I've already put together, namely some of the (many) characters I have in my collection so far. We begin with Chapter Master Decius Severin, Master of the Omega Marines and the Crusading Fleet of the Eastern Fringe, equipped in Terminator Armour and armed with the Claws of Obsidian. Some background for him:

Decius Severus has been the Chapter Master of the Omega Marines for nearly three centuries, and a Space Marine for over five. When he first joined the ranks of the Omega Marines as a Neophyte, many of his instructors and fellow initiates remarked on his uncanny tactical precision and command potential.
This was well demonstrated on his first deployment as a Scout Sergeant, where he and his squad held against an Ork infestation on a drifting Space Hulk for two days, often moving unseen for hours, before finally fighting their way to the optimum teleportation point for reinforcements from the 1st Company. Such tactical skill and dedication to the mission meant that, a few scant months later, he donned his first suit of power armour.
He quickly ascended the ranks of the Omega Marines, becoming a Veteran Sergeant after another century of service, and, eventually, leading the Omega Marines 5th Company to battle. He served with distinction during his tenure as Fifth Captain, and, when Chapter Master Skvar Tellis died, he was proclaimed Master of the Chapter. He served for another century, before tragedy struck him down.
During the Battle for Scellis Hive, again against an Ork infestation, Decius Severin was shot and nearly killed by an exploding Ork missile. Such was the unusual strength of the missile, it tore away the entirety of his left leg and the shin of his right, and he lost his left arm. Left for dead by the Ork ambush, he held on grimly to life, eventually being recovered and treated by the Chapter's apothecaries. Numerous times, he was offered the Emperor's peace, or internment within a Dreadnought, and each time he refused. Such was his strength of will, and, in no small part, the effort's of the Apothecarian, he survived and began to lead the Chapter from the front.
It has even been rumoured that the Master of Ultramar himself, Marneus Calgar, has a deep and profound respect for Decius Severin because of his recovery from such grievious injury.



In all honesty, he's my favourite model in my entire collection, not least because I spent about 15 to 20 hours putting him together, and many hours deciding whether he should have a pair of Thunder Hammers or Lightning Claws. I settled on the claws in the end.

Next we have Eliath Jesdon, Master of the Watch and Captain of the Second Company, also in Terminator Armour and equipped with a Storm Shield and an Axe, which is a "count as" Thunder Hammmer. More fluff:

Out of all ten Captains of the Omega Marines, Eliath Jesdon has had the least experience of leading troops into battle, although his stubborness and sheer aggression in the face of opposition have more than made up for it. It is often remarked that Eliath Jesdon gained this tactical preference after being seconded to the Imperial Fists before he became a full Captain, although he still holds dearly to the ideals for which he fights.
This ideology and tactical ability marked him out as the most preferred for the position of Master of The Watch, and he very rarely, if ever, fights without his armament of axe and storm-shield.



We also have Cryus Acius, Master of the Armoury and Captain of the Third Company, in the standard Terminator Armour set-up. I gave him the DA Deathwing sword because I had it going spare, and it looked cool, and then wrote some background to legitimise it.

Cryus Acius is one of the very few Space Marines that the Dark Angels trust, although, as it is with the Dark Angels, he is still oblivious to the Dark Angels' true mission. It was on the Dark Planet of Delva where he earned their respect and gratitude. Responding to a call for aid from the Plantary Governer, Cryus was given leave of the Omega Marines main crusade to go to the aid of Delva, and re-institute Imperial rule. Unbeknownst to him, the Dark Angels had also received the distress signal, and, deducing that the rebellion on Delva was the work of one of the Fallen, moved to engage. When the Dark Angels arrived in-system, the Strike Cruiser Wrath of the Righteous, was already deploying members of the Omega Marines 3rd Company. An improptu alliance was formed between the two Chapters, and Imperial rule was quickly restored.
It was during the final battle for Delva that Cryus earned his sword. During an assault on the Fallen's stronghold, led by the Deathwing and Captain Azaziel of the Dark Angels Third Company, Cryus correctly predicted that, without reinforcement, they would never take the stronghold, such was it's formidable defence. Convincing Azaziel that reinforcement was necessary, and gaining teleportation co-ordinates from Azaziel's teleport homer, he led his command squad and two score Terminators into the fray. The battle was long and bloody, and several of Cryus' Terminators would never fight again, but, with his assistance, the traitorous army was forced back.
During the battle, Cryus and Azaziel fought side by side as necessity demanded, trading no words of encouragement or praise, silently leading their brothers forward. Whilst brawling through a platoon of Renegade Guardsmen, Azaziel was distracted for a moment, almost in recognition at something or someone in the far distance. With the slight distraction, one of the Renegade Guardsmen aimed and fired at Azaziel with a meltagun, hoping to kill the Dark Angel. However, Cryus had seen the threat, and, seeing he was unable to neutralize it in time, threw himself in front of the shot. Because of that, Cryus lost his right leg and quickly succumbed to unconsiousness. Such heroism must surely have won the day, as Azaziel then went on to fight and apprehend the Fallen, but none of the Omega Marines witnessed the duel, as they surrounded their Captain and held until a Thunderhawk could be dispatched to retrieve the fallen Captain.
He would awaken from his coma two months later, with a note written in Azaziel's own hand and wrapped around a new blade, untouched since being left by a Chapter serf a day after Delva was delivered from the Fallen. None save Crysus know what is written, although many speculate it to be a formal acknowledgement of the bond of brotherhood between the two, and permission from the Azreal himself for Crysus to honour the campaign by painting his left shoulderpad in the colours of the Deathwing.



If you hadn't guessed yet, I've got some more of these guys to show you. I present to you Gendel Blake, Master of the Fleet and Captain of the Fourth Company. I decided to give him the standard equipment for a Master of the fleet, a Thunder Hammer and Terminator Armour, and sent him on his way.

Gendel Blake has served in the Omega Marine's fleet for longer than any other, and as Master of the Fleet for longer than Decius Severus has been in the Chapter. With over five hundred years of ship-to-ship combat experience, and vastly uncomprehensible knowledge of every ship under his command, he can quickly and cleanly surround and destroy an enemy fleet three times the size of his own. His greatest achievement to date is the destruction of the Chaos Cruiser Death's Ascension in M39.983 when in command of the Strike Cruiser Truthful Vengeance, with minimal loss of life.
After that feat, he quickly gained his Captaincy of the Fourth Company and Mastery of The Fleet. Such is his shipborne acumen and insight, it is rare for him to leave the bridge of the Truthful Vengeance and participate in warfare on the ground, but he still does so if it is required of him.



Finally, we have Cestus Corinth, Master of Recruits and Captain of the Tenth Company, ready to roll in a suit of Terminator Arrmour and a special Storm-bolter. I felt that he could do with some big guns, just to make him a bit different.

Cestus Corinth is known throughout the Chapter for his uncanny accuracy, whether it be with Bolt-pistol, Stormbolter or Assault Cannon, and it is unknown for him to miss. It was he that ended many conflicts with one shot during his tenure as Scout, and, consequently, has honed his marksmanship to near-perfection.
It is well known that he learned to shoot in such a way from Scout Sergeant Telion from the Ultramarines, when Telion was seconded to the Omega Marines for a time. He has since passed on this experience to young Neophytes under his command, training and honing them into some of the most accurate and deadly long-range elimination experts on the Eastern Fringe. Such are his teaching methods, that each and every Scout under his command can hit a small, moving target from over two kilometres away, and are also capable of such feats of escape and evasion that is unknown to those outside of the Omega Marines.



C&C is always welcome guys!

[Nomrana Est]

I must first apologise for the lack of updates thus far. Due to family and school commitments, and lack of suitable materials, I've been unable to do much work on my Knight. It's been put on the back-burner for the moment whilst I do some other things.

In the mean time, I haven't been lazy. I present, for your viewing pleasure, some of the most recent addistions to my army. To begin with, the FW MkII Land Raider, designated "Primus", and personal mount of the Chapter Master.



This was a major pain in the bottom to assemble, due to the shrinkage problems that some FW models come with. Still, I believe that it came out rather well.

Next we have a standard Vindicator, designated "Judgement", the second of which I have assembled over the years, and the first tank I went all out on the weathering front. Quite frankly, my favourite tank which I've built so far, and I belive that the weathering came out very well.



And now I leave you with a WIP pic of my current project - a Pre-Heresy Land Speeder, inspired by the Land Speeders on the cover of Fulgrim. Enjoy!




C&C is always welcomed!

[Cerebralerebus]

These marines are really nice. The guy with the lightning claws is awesome, but I also like the pose of the one with the storm shield and axe(?).

Just wondering what the tech-heresy will be (unless I've completely missed something).

[Nomrana Est]

@Cerebralerebus: Thanks for the kind words, and yes, the guy with a SS does have an axe, but I run him with a TH instead. When I first saw the components on the CC Termie sprue, I knew that a pose like that would be awesome.

I may have been a bit presumptuous with the Tech-Heresy thing. It's in reference to the Knight I'm currently building, because it's so different, and, to avoid being proclaimed a Tech-Heretic, I decided to jump the gun a bit.

Keep the C&C coming guys!

[Nomrana Est]

Update time! With pics!

First off, I haven't been doing much hobby work, as real life keeps on getting in the way, and I've been studying hard for exams. As such, I have still been quietly working away on what I have been working on, and these are the results.

First off, a WIP of a Chaplain with a jump pack. I was originally intending to use the original jump pack which came with him, but, after laying eyes on the Sanguinary Guard, I felt it fitted onto him very well. It still needs to be primed, but I thought I'd share him anyway.



Next up is the use of said Sanguinary Guard as the standard Honour Guard to my Chapter Master, seen earlier, with the BA iconography scraped and filed off. As they are standard Honour Guard, they don't have their jump packs, as I used one on the above Chaplain. This has to be one of my favourite kits to work with so far, and I've equipped all of them with Relic Blades, because I could.



And finally, we have some of the new shinies, in the form of a Grey Knight Grand Master, and a Grey Knight Librarian. In all honesty, I think the new GK plastics are awesome, but theere is one thing I would have changed about them, and that is keep the thigh and knee plates seperate. I believe that this would have allowed them to stay in line with the "chunkiness" of the SM Termies, and allowed for more detail on each of the plates mentioned. Still, gripes aside, it is an awesome kit.



C&C appreciated!

[superdupermatt]

The Grand Master, is that the iron halo from the venerable dreadnought I see?

[Nomrana Est]

Update time! With actual painted stuff!

The Grand Master, is that the iron halo from the venerable dreadnought I see?

Correct sir, it is. I had it lying around after building my Ven Dread, and I feel that it suits the GM quite well.

First up is the Jump Pack Chaplain shown earlier, using the Sanguinary Guard jump pack. Quite frankly, one of my favourite sculpts to paint, and, with the SG JP, looks pretty damn cool. Fluff:

Reclusiarch Jarven Egyss is a young, hot-headed and fervent servant of the Emperor. He is often found leading both the Seventh and Eighth Assault Squads of the Fifth Company in both quiet prayer and into battle.
This attitude towards his duties as a Chaplain in maintaining the fighting spirit of the Marines in the Fifth in both peace and war have led him to be taken under the wing of the Master of Sanctity, Demetri Oltarion.
Oltarion believes that Egyss has a huge amount of potential, and could possibly be the new Master of Sanctity should he die. How the other Chaplains feel about one as young a Egyss becoming the next in line for the title of Master of Sanctity, none will say.



Next up is another Chaplain, this one in Terminator armour. Another of my favourite sculpts, I just left him as-is and painted him up. Fluff:

The Master of Sanctity, Demetri Oltarion, is a bear of a man, quite well suited and well versed in the use of Terminator armour.
Such is the respect he has earned throughout the Chapter, he is given free reign to do as much as he wishes when not on campaign, whether it be stopping a fist fight between two or more fellow Battle-Brothers with a hard stare, or honing his skills in the training areas.
Recently, he has lain the ground work down for his replacement, as he feels his already immense age weighing him down.



Another model I wish to show you all is my Captain of the First Company, Janos Devroth, equipped with Terminator Armour, and two Thunder Hammers. Why? Because he looks cool. Simple as. Fluff:

Janos Devroth has served as a Captain for 200 years, and Captain of the First for just under 150. A quiet, tense man whilst not on campaign, he holds all authority over the Chapter should Decius Severin fall in battle, something which he has already done so in the past whilst Severin was recovering from his grievious wounds.
Devroth has the ability to decide which strike force his men will accompany, and it is no small task, for the Veterans of the First Company are few and far between, and none can be spared. Yet, he rises himself above and beyond the challenge, for he knows that sometimes it takes a keen eye and accurate bolter, or a strong arm with chainsword to win a battle.
Should such occasion warrant the entirety of the First Company fight in one force, Devroth will surely be in the vanguard, surrounded by his escort of Terminators. He may be a quiet man in peace, but in war, his ferociousness knows no bounds, yet he still maintains the necessary will to command the First Company in battle.



And finally, after three years of working on the thing, my Banblade, designation 421768. A complete PITA to finish, but I finished eventually, and I'm quite proud of it.



C&C always appreciated!

[logan054]

Yeah the Ironhalo works rather well on the GM, some very interesting conversion, I think the knight could be very cool when its done!

[Nomrana Est]

Yeah the Ironhalo works rather well on the GM, some very interesting conversion, I think the knight could be very cool when its done!

Thanks! The Knight has been put onto the back-burner at the moment. I think I'll get a Dreadknight and use some pieces from that to build up the limbs.

Well, I've got a rather Techy-looking update now, so, without further ado, I'll begin with my thrid and final Vindicator, giving me a fully painted and weathered Line-Breaker squadron for Apocalypse, which is what I usually build for. So, here it is, "Vengeance".



And a detail shot of the Techmarine waving his chainsword out of the hatch.



The Techmarine on the Vindicator inspired me to paint the Techmarine I've had lying around for a while now (about two years, ish...). So, I broke him out of my carry-case, slapped some paint on him, and here he is!






I finished him today, and all he really needs now is the application of a transfer on his left shoulder pad, hence its glossiness. Some parts of hime were a complete pain to do, but, I'm proud of him, and I want to show him off a bit.

C&C is appreciated!

[logan054]

Well thats a shame about the knight, I was really looking forward to seeing that! The techmarine is looking pretty go so far however I think you might want to water your paints down abit, its looks a little thick around the skulls, you could also try a watered down purple wash over the red.