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Author Topic: Calamity's Astra Militarum Army Blog  (Read 28161 times)

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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #40 on: July 25, 2015, 01:44:39 PM »
I ear you on that one :D unfortunatly can't do that in my army >< when you say jackals, you mean these jackals?

'Fraid not friend.  ;D

But I'm back, with another Valkyrie almost done:



I'm leaving the canopy and the door gunners off at the moment of course.  And I've cleverly assembled it in sections which will make it easier to paint and transport:



It's funny.  Now that I'm working again, my time is precious, which makes me strive harder to get important things done.  This might be a good thing.  :)

Offline Cavalier

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #41 on: July 26, 2015, 08:00:56 AM »
Hell yeah. Love the Valkyrie/Vendetta kit. These are gonna look so killer in black. My brother is still going back and forth on whether or not to paint his Vulture black (I'm in favor of it). I'm really looking forward to see where this project goes. Having painted a ton of Guard to help my brother along I've really fallen in love with the models and love all the character IG armies can have. Big fan of Storm Troopers as well and deepstriking out of Vendetta's/Valkries is such an awesome late game tactic that it makes them super fast. Anyway looking forward to more... keep it coming Tangi!
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #42 on: July 26, 2015, 10:56:03 AM »
@ Cavalier

Yes, it's one of the finest models GW have ever made, the Valkyrie kit.  I was hesitant to go black on it because I've only ever seen it painted in an olive green or sky grey like real life military helicopters.  But then I came across this pic of someone who's gone with a similar scheme and it helped me make up my mind to go with it:



The IG are an easy army to love for sure, and the models are a big part of that.  The models and the fluff that is. 

I've only got one more Valkyrie to go before all models I have are suitably assembled and I can think towards painting.  I'll have to get a few sacrificial models to practice painting on though.  It's been a very long time since I did any painting and I'm bound to be rusty.  Two volunteers stepping up for that are the two Tempestors I made, because I screwed up and gave them the medic arm, thinking that it could pass as a laspistol with a chainsword.  It can't.  :P

So, that means that the purchase list will be three more boxes of Scions (to build one last squad and to be test models) and to get two more Tauroxes.  That'll be the Militarum Tempestus wing of the army sorted out.  Then it'll be figuring out what direction to go in after that.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2015, 02:20:58 PM by Skitarii Tangi »

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #43 on: July 27, 2015, 07:16:57 AM »
Hell yeah. GW's blacks are so nice it makes for a very forgiving process when you're a bit rusty. Personally I think you can get away with just doing Eshin Grey edge highlighting with a bit of Dawnstone at the corners and extreme edges and call it a day.

Wow so how many Valkyries do you have? Thats an expensive army, but impressive as hell. A real dream build. Way to go for theme Tangi. Can't wait to see what this is gonna look like.

BTW I think Sentinels for Urban combat would be such a sick addition to a Storm Trooper army. Might not be totally fitting the fluff but it'd be neat.
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #44 on: July 27, 2015, 04:22:43 PM »
Hell yeah. GW's blacks are so nice it makes for a very forgiving process when you're a bit rusty. Personally I think you can get away with just doing Eshin Grey edge highlighting with a bit of Dawnstone at the corners and extreme edges and call it a day.

Thank you very much for the suggestion!  I wasn't sure how to do a black vehicle (as odd as that sounds) because they've changed all the names of the paints.  So cheers for that.  :)

Wow so how many Valkyries do you have? Thats an expensive army, but impressive as hell. A real dream build. Way to go for theme Tangi. Can't wait to see what this is gonna look like.

I have four of them!  Jackal Squadron (maybe)!  It's gonna be sweeet! 8)

BTW I think Sentinels for Urban combat would be such a sick addition to a Storm Trooper army. Might not be totally fitting the fluff but it'd be neat.


As recon vehicles I think they would totally fit the fluff!  Armored Sentinels are so cool looking, I just had to get some.  So I did!  Actually, I got these over six years ago but never really got around to finishing them:



I assembled one in a running pose:



and the other more normally:



I don't know what weapons to give them but I'll work it out.  I've got a few more lying around but I can't find them at the moment because the house is being decorated and everything is everywhere.  These might be painted differently to the other units since they're from a separate corps.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2015, 05:29:00 PM by Skitarii Tangi »

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #45 on: July 28, 2015, 05:43:12 PM »
Yes, I love sentinels. They're such beautiful models, and I wish I had some way to use them myself.
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #46 on: August 1, 2015, 12:08:31 PM »
Yes, I love sentinels. They're such beautiful models, and I wish I had some way to use them myself.

Agreed.  One of the finest kits GW make.  :)

So despite the terrible state my room (or indeed, the whole house) is in on account of major renovation work (which is dragging on for too freaking long), I've still been moving ahead with this project.  It's tough having to work on the floor whist your room is being used as storage space but it can't be helped.

To recap, this is how the force looks in it's current state:



There's still one Valkyrie and a couple of Sentinels to make.  And I still have one more squad of Scions and two Tauroxes to get before this 'section' is gathered and assembled.  One Valkyrie (the painted one I bought on eBay) is missing a wing mounted landing pad and I can't remember where I put the damn thing.  However, it'll either turn up or I can replace it so there's no stress there.

There is however, another problem that is stressing me out and unlike the one above it can't be fixed.  Let me show you all what it is.  Here's the front end of one Valkyrie:



And here's the front end of the other:



Anyone see the glaring mistake I made with the first one?  That's right.  I forgot that middle thing, whatever the hell it is.  And it's too far gone to go back now.  Not without severely damaging the parts beyond repair.  So that's one Valkyrie with a missing landing pad, one with a glued up rear ramp, and one with an incorrectly assembled front end.  Things could be going a lot better if I'm honest. :(

This is what happens when I don't have a desk to work on and have to lay around on the floor like an animal.  Mistakes get made.  Maybe I should save all this for the new year. :P
« Last Edit: August 1, 2015, 12:17:43 PM by Skitarii Tangi »

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #47 on: August 2, 2015, 07:21:21 AM »
Bummer Tangi but who the hell even knows what those weird things are in the front? I wouldn't worry about it, nor the backdoor opening. Some of my Wave Serpents can open and close, others dont and I don't think I've ever opened the hatch in a game. The missing landing pad does stink though I bet you could bits order it on ebay though.

The Valkyrie is a pain from start to finish. I remember my brother assembling his and it was really difficult. The Vendetta conversion kit isn't very intuitive either. Trying to get the lascannons on the wings is enormous pain.

I did get a laugh out of "lying on the floor like an animal" your frustration was absolutely palpable and I felt your pain! Keep with it man I'm sure it'll all come out great in the end!
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #48 on: August 2, 2015, 08:09:51 AM »
Yeah, hell if I know what they are.  :P

You're right though.  As beautiful as the kit is when it's done, it's a pain to put together.  And I figured that the Vendetta kit would be a pain too.  Forgeworld are like that. :P

I also just realized that the Valkyrie with the missing do da at the front is also the one with the sealed shut door.  Now...this might be expensive and silly, but I'm actually about ready to 'write off' that Valkyrie.  This would mean shelving it, swapping it's wings with the other one so that it's also the one with the missing landing pad, and using it for target painting practice.  And only taking it out to game with in the biggest of games.  I still have three others, and I can always acquire another one in future if I do want four (which I do).  But still...it seems really wasteful. 

What would you guys recommend?  I guess I'm not so much as getting rid of it as I'm just putting it on the back burner...it'll be in a box rather than the display case.  Oh yeah, I have a display case.  Can't wait to put the finished army on display in it.  ;D

I have to do that to some of the Scions too.  Does anyone else waste as much models as I do?  :P

Offline Cavalier

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #49 on: August 3, 2015, 06:57:21 AM »
If it really bothers you I'd just swap it out. I've done the same thing a bunch of times. Its a visual game and if there something irking you the whole time it puts a damper on the experience. I bought the Forgeworld Nightwing, painted the whole thing, shelved it and kitbashed another one immediatley afterwards because I felt it just looked dated next to my other models and I couldn't be happier. My kitbashed Nightwing is one of my favorite all time models now, and earned ace pilot distinction (and battle honor bades on the model) since. I say go for it, especially if you have an extra ready to be swapped in, or will in the future.
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #50 on: August 3, 2015, 01:47:32 PM »
You're right.  Why let this minor detail spoil a near perfectly good model?  I've ordered some replacement parts off ebay and as soon as they arrive I'll swap them over.  Apart from this there's only a glued up ramp and that's nothing really.  My only worry now is getting the original do das off the front without damaging the model.

Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #51 on: August 25, 2015, 08:57:02 PM »
Two small updates!  I managed to remove the messed up do das on the front of that Valkyrie and put the replacement parts on, and without any hassle:



Whilst the ramp is still glued shut, at least it now looks the way it's supposed to look.

I also finished another Sentinel:





They might be awesome models but those legs are tricky.  :P

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #52 on: August 26, 2015, 07:50:45 AM »
Awesome! So glad you were able to fix-up that Valkyrie. Can't wait to see that Sentinel as well. My brother is working on some IG flyers right now too, specifically the dreaded Vulture!
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Offline vonny

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #53 on: August 26, 2015, 11:49:52 AM »
Good news on the flyer, and great posing on the sentinel. Can't wait to see it painted.
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #54 on: August 26, 2015, 02:20:21 PM »
Awesome! So glad you were able to fix-up that Valkyrie. Can't wait to see that Sentinel as well. My brother is working on some IG flyers right now too, specifically the dreaded Vulture!

Ah the Vulture!  An insanely awesome model with equally awesome rules.  I'd kill to have one, and I wish it would be included into the Codex.  Please tell your brother good choice and good luck!  :)

And thanks!  I'm so happy the Valkyrie came through OK.  Now I just need a landing pad for the other one and they'll all be OK.

Good news on the flyer, and great posing on the sentinel. Can't wait to see it painted.

Thanks!  :)  I think the sentinels will probably be painted far differently than the scions or the flyers.

By the way, a long awaited moment for me.  All four fliers together at last:



They'll hopefully look even better painted.

And there's the Sentinels.  I took a chance with the posing but ultimately I think that it was worth it:



I also found another Sentinel kit dirt cheap, so I'll have four of those as well once it's finished.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2015, 02:24:39 PM by Skitarii Tangi »

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #55 on: August 26, 2015, 06:56:17 PM »
Hey man this looks nice! If i were to play guard some day i would havd tons of flyers as well, that will look super cool before a game when you lay your army down! Keel at it dude!
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Offline vonny

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #56 on: August 28, 2015, 04:43:15 PM »
yes, this'll look awesome... Paint quicker!

... like I'm one to talk...
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #57 on: August 30, 2015, 05:56:36 AM »
Ah yes, painting them.  Unfortunately, with the way my house and work life is at the moment, that part of the project might not start until the new year.  So no way am I earning any points in the painting competition. :P

However, the buying and building side of the project can still continue unabashed.  There's still another Sentinel to go, along with two Tauroxes and another scion squad to purchase and build.  Then from there, who knows?  I'm building this army from as much of an aesthetic view point as a gaming one.

Right now I'm wondering if it's worth my time and money buying that How To Paint Citadel Miniatures: Astra Militarum book for guidance.  If it tells me exactly what colours to use for Jakals and how to apply them then I think it would be worth it.  What do you guys think?   

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #58 on: August 30, 2015, 07:56:57 AM »
As much as people knock GW for selling material like "Hot to Paint" the Paint Splatter articles in WD are gold as far as I'm concerned. Ever since I started commission painting I've been shocked by how many times I've gone through my White Dwarfs for tutorials on certain techniques. Its something I'd never really done before because I've painted only 3 different types of models, but seriously they include stuff in their painting tutorials you never would have thought of, especially super easy wash/drybrush that makes a dramatic difference. To me the benefit is it reduces time spent painting, and money saved on buying "experimental" paint choices. With their guides it lets you know exactly what you need and you can even simplify it if you don't want every choice.

Not sure if its included but if gives you a guide to heraldry, squad markings all that its totally worth it in my book.
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Offline Calamity

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Re: Tangi's Storm Troopers
« Reply #59 on: September 4, 2015, 02:17:29 PM »
I've tried to do some research on what's in that book, especially to see if it has a guide for painting Jakals.  But no luck.  I get paid soon however, and I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and buy it.

In other news, I'm having a situation with my Sentinels.

First, the glue on the legs of the newest one has come undone, resulting in it flip flopping around:




Then there's the poses on the other two.  I made these years ago (when the model was rereleased) and whilst I thought making them run was a good idea at the time, now I'm not so sure:






Apologies for the bare mattress and vacuum cleaner in view.  Oh and the searchlight broke off one too.  Dang it.  :P
« Last Edit: September 4, 2015, 03:55:47 PM by Skitarii Tangi »

 


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