Knights of Baal: A Blood Angel Log

[Animatronica]

Great work! Loving the army so far, looking forward to seeing that Captain painted!

[S_A_T_S]

So... Been a while.

@Animatronica: Thanks, man. I have so many things to paint, it's gonna be a while before I get to all the really cool stuff...

It's hard to motivate myself in the winter, and it doesn't help I was pretty ill for 3 weeks. Anyway, our previous D&D campaign came to a close and I got all excited about the new Pathfinder campaign (new DM, highly rated Adventure Path, finally getting to use mounted combat). However, I realised that meant I had only a short time to get my miniature painted up, so I pulled my thumb out and managed to get him finished:


Jackrum Medvyed, Cavalier
I went with a collage as 4 big picture would be pretty massive. I'll stick the bigger images on my Photobucket in case anyone wants to get a closer look. I was careful with my highlights on this one, mixing pretty much every layer. I'm especially pleased with the careful brushstrokes on the hat and shield, and the fish. For the fish, I cut down one of my ancient brushes and stippled camo and catachan green over the top of a bleached bone/catachan green mix, then a layer of gloss on the top. It came out exactly as I hoped (which doesn't normally happen when I try new things) and I think it looks great.


After the cavalier, I started adding some colour to the remains of my Devastators. Hopefully in a couple of weeks (I have few illusions about my painting speed) I'll have them finished and ready to photograph. I'd like to put up a army shot soon, which I might treat as a reward to myself for finishing the Devastators then either my 3rd Rhino or the captain. I'm expecting to have to wait for the summer to get to that point tho

[S_A_T_S]

Well. I still live. Well, well, well...

I still haven't played 40k since I moved back to my home county (going on 10 years now), and this project was completely and utterly derailed by the arrival of Guild Ball, possibly the best tabletop game ever made (Blood Bowl LRB5/6 is fighting for that top spot). Unfortunately, Guild Ball has been killed off thanks to Covid and its own players, and absolutely not incompetent business management (according to the cancellation announcement by Steam Forged Games. Let's not get into it, it makes me angry). I'm now playing in the local Blood Bowl league and building teams when I can fit it in around my 1 year old (ploging this in my Blood Bowl Bonanza thread), and playing some Rangers of Shadow Deep, an amazing solo skirmish RPG wargame.

In between teams, I've been painting some bits and bobs, and found my Blood Angel captain mixed in with my paint pots. He seemed like either a bit or a bob, so I've painted my first Space Marine in ~9 years:



Some head-on charge action a la Space Marine (the PC game).

Made me a bit excited about Blood Angels again, so hoping I can find some time over the holidays to get out all my painted stuff, take some army shots and recalculate what I still need to do to complete my company (have no idea what I have, except for both Dev squads, 2 jump assault squads and some tacticals...). Let's hope it doesn't take another 9 years for me to actually pull my thumb out and take the next step...

[Codsticker]

Great to see you are back S_A_T_S; I look forward to more pix of your BA.

[S_A_T_S]

Cheers. My BA are going to be a very long term project, as lack of playing means no motivation beyond the childhood dream of owning a full company of marines, whereas in Blood Bowl, I have the league, the associated ladder/knockout cup and friendlies with someone I know who just started playing again for the first time in many years, not to mention 7s. But I do get that warmth spreading though me when I think of all those marines in red arrayed in squads on a table... Looking forward to getting that army shot!

[Ragsta]

He looks great. I enjoyed Blood Bowl during the extremely short time I played it too - it’s great that you have a game to be passionate about. I haven’t played for years either, I’m cool with it! :P

One of my hobby regrets is selling my old Marine and Eldar forces when I thought I was done with the hobby. I’ve now bought all the infantry Eldar at double the price and slowly plotting what form the Marines will take…

[S_A_T_S]

At last! A day to myself, no wife to ask me to change nappies or take turns holding an increasingly heavy wriggle-monster, no tiny grasping hands or mouth trying to grab or eat my models, quiet and space! And I end up spending all my spare time setting up, taking and then reviewing photos to stick on Warseer... Ah well, I've been waiting to take an in-progress army shot for many years!



All my Blood Angels so far. Weird thing I found was, although I knew I had a spare special weapon trooper and sergeant, I didn't account for the 2 bodies so one of my Tactical Squads is only 8 models! Think I saw a primed marine in a box with my bikers, so at least one is around. I'm sure I'll find another in one of the Blood Angel parts crates when I dig around, so no big issue, just an extra job to add to the list of painting jobs I have on the go at the moment.


Assault section. Some of the Death Company haven't been edged, which is a little annoying although not that noticeable. Also realised I'd never painted the warheads on my Tornado missile launcher, so got that on the painting table now as it should be a quick job to sort.


Support section. Missing a sniper scout too - only 9 in that squad...

So, looking at what I have, looks like all I need is 2 more Tactical Squads and 1 more Assault Squad (that I count as a Tactical Squad, as 5th ed. Blood Angels could take assaults as Troops, and I have more use for a 2nd on-foot assault squad than I do a 5th Tactical Squad...). I've got some Death Company sprues (not sure how complete), so I think I'm gonna need a Mk IV armour Tactical Squad, another DC box and maybe see if I can find some random marine bodies for the last squad, as I already have the Sergeant, special weapon guy and heavy weapons left over from the Devastators. Then I can mix the bits from all the boxes to get a decent spread of poses and interesting armour. Then it would a case of finishing off support stuff I have (Stormraven, Rhino/Razorback, bikers) and hopefully, on day, putting together that dream Deathwatch/Sternguard squad I've always wanted...

One of my hobby regrets is selling my old Marine and Eldar forces when I thought I was done with the hobby. I’ve now bought all the infantry Eldar at double the price and slowly plotting what form the Marines will take…

I keep wondering if I should sell off my Tau (really only want the Kroot) but I've seen a lot of people say you should never sell off an army as you will always end up regretting it...

[The Pounder]

Loving the army progress shot! Nothing like a fully painted force to get the hobby juices flowing!

As for selling models, at the end of the day it’s up to you.

Personally I sell my armies once I don’t have storage space for them (I only have a wardrobe to keep them)

I find it keeps me motivated and up to date.

[Colonel Jacka]

Great looking Army well done mate.

[S_A_T_S]

Found the buggers!



Might try and get them painted once I've finally got my Chaos Blood Bowl team built (2 marines in a pre-set scheme is easy win).

@Colonel Jacka @The Pounder: Thanks guys, motivates me to get on with the army!

[nitromors]

Fantastic to see a fully painted army, great paint jobs too

[S_A_T_S]

Fantastic to see a fully painted army, great paint jobs too

Thanks, it got me a bit excited too! Since getting those last 2 marines finished (forgot to photograph them before putting them back in the box), I've hit a wall with how to paint my Chaos Blood Bowl team, so my brain has instead spent all its idle time planning how to get those last 29 marines together. Received about 5 parcels of bits from various places over the last week to the point where I think I just need a single box of Mark 4 marines from GW to mix in with them and what I already had to make them. Might be short on backpacks tho... One of the things I spotted while trawling eBay was a metal Typhoon assault cannon. As I have a 3rd metal land speeder in a box somewhere, I thought better get it so I don't have too many multi-meltas!



Both cannons, old and new. VERY simple silver + wash - who needs more for an underslung weapon option? Nearly ripped the new one in half when trying to drill out the hole for the magnet - was holding both ends, instead of just the part I was drilling, so got twisted badly. Carefully bent back in place and added some greenstuff in the hopes of reinforcing. Also realised at least one of my land speeders is in need of a touch up, as I painted it before properly working out how I was going to do everything, so the blood drops are very poor, the saltires are the wrong colour and it needs edging. Maybe I'm just trying to avoid those beastmen...

[S_A_T_S]

Took some time between some other stuff to paint the final sniper scout (thanks eBay). Here's an old and new side by side. Can you tell which is which?



The right one is the latest paint job. 10 years between them - am I good at replicating, or just haven't improved in a decade? You decide
I added some edges and highlights to the old one, and might have to get the rest out and quickly do them too at some point. You can really see the difference between the old and new sepia washes on their cloaks. The old one almost looks like a Contrast paint...