Challenge of the End of the world: who made it?

  We are on December 31, 2011 and I can draw up the assessment of the Challenge launched on January 8 of the same year. I started it, and I'll be the only one to finish this Challenge…. Bloodytiti disappeared in the warp and Tunio couldn't finish its 3000 points Nécron. A late codex literally exploded the number of figurines to paint...

Almost...

  I didn't leave this Challenge unscathed either. I had to supress the captain's command section. Instead, I painted a table and some decorations. Despite everything, I' succeeded in carrying my Dark Angels army at 3000 points. \o/

Click to enlarge, it's a BIG picture

  The 3000 points are reached without the Titan knight, which is a creation (exhausted since) from the founder of Blight Wheels. For 2012, I'd like to ppaint a second knight and a Fellblade, but that will depend on the real life and its risks…

[Transport] Land Raider Crusader

  FINALLY! After two months of presence on the bench, the Land Raider Crusader is finally finished.

  As you can see, I spended much time to work the battle damages. They were carried out with a blister foam and some Boltgun Metal, Vermin Brown and Scorched Brown. The fatty run-outs were produced with a Smoke juce (ref. 939) from Prince August. You can try the same with some Tamiya smoke.

  While having worked the wings as well as the freehands, that didn't prevent from damaging them with many impacts and run-outs of rust.

  The multimelta turret from Forge World is a must-have, as well as the shining varnish on the aiming optics. By the way, I replaced the front turret by a Razorback turret, with integrated optics. It seemed essential to to have optics on each turret to allow the Spirit of the Machine to aim.

[Transport] Land Raider Crusader WiP (5)

  I continue to advance on the Land Raider Crusader. Initially envisaged for the end of November, I had to delay the painting work to paint a table which made its games at the FWD XXIII.

  As you can see it on these pictures, the painting work is very advanced. However, it is still necessary for me to inflict many battle damage to it and add shades. Delivery planned for the end December, in order to make a success of the Challenge of the End of the world…

FWD XXIII

  My apologies, there wasn't any post last week due to the 23rd French Waaagh Day. Those who already lived one of these will understant why. So, why not explaining what a "FWD" is?

  It's a bi-annual French Waaagh members meeting. Principal obligation: you have to come with an army painted from your own hands. 

  The goal is to make it possible to the members of this community meet around beautiful tables, with beautiful armies to be played, the whole time in good humor.

  The participants, all French Waaagh members, come from all the areas of France. Some don't hesitate to come from the other end of Earth to play their armies with us!

  The great proportion of orks players present in the French Waaagh gives us the occasion to discover and admire a large variety of WAAAGHs.

  The painting and conversion talents deployed regulary leaves me breathless…

When one comes with the FWD, surprises are never far away…

  Some don't hesitate to heavily modify their Forge World minis to create new ones.

  Here, it's a Plague Hulk customed in a Great Unclean to be included in a Dark Mecanicus army, based on a Nurgle Chaos demons army. This army was beautiful and very effective.

  I completely forgot to take a picture of the Games Workshop table I prepared for this event.  Fortunately, l tested it the sunday the FWD and putted it on the French Waaagh's Weapons Choice blog.

French Waaagh Day: D-5

  No more than a few days before the French Waaagh's bi-annual meeting .
As usual, painture is late. But this time, the army's ready! It's the table's decorations that aren't...
But no panic, all will be ready for the French Waaagh Day.
While I'm working on the FWD table preparations, my army's wainting…

Table time! (WiP)

  After having resold all my Warhammer Fantastic Battles armies and stocks, I had big money I could only spend for the Hobby.

  Finally! I bought and painted a Games Workshop table. Add some GF9 product (ruins and a river) and an Imperial Sector and it'll make a beautiful table. 

[Transport] Land Raider Crusader WiP (4)

  Seems I'm condemned to post the same thing all along... The Crusader Land Raider advances slowly but surely. I finished the Forge World multi-fusor, and the first turret is quite advanced.
Emperor's golden throne, what a work!

[Transport] Land Raider Crusader WiP (3)

  Riiiiiight! I'm happy to show you an -almost- completed WiP from the Land Raider Crusader. I just have some details (lights, a skull) to paint and it'll be finished.

  Don't worry, this vehicule will be as dusted and rusted than the others. Till, you can see the details.

[HQ] Captain Tavern

  Because the Land Raider painting work doesn't advance sufficiently to be presented, I'll show you an old mini: the Captain Tarvern.

  Based on the Black Reach mini, I had some difficulties with it. I had to paint it in one block, and I really don't like that. But it was a gift so I had to do my best.

  A terminator version is panted, but I consider it as a work in progress: the banner isn't made.

[Transport] Land Raider Crusader WiP (2)

  Once again I'm late, but I was sick to the point I had to stop painting during one week… And that didn't arrange the Land Raider  painting.

However, I'm already working on the highlights.

Terminators ready to go!

Wooot! I succeeded in founding the camera's USB cable. It's snapshot time!

 

  These are 10 terminators ready to fight at the winter French Waaagh Day. The Challenge of the End of The World's pressing me, I can only protest against the "old" and "new" color diagram mix. But, for those who saw the last terminators IRL, progress are notable.

Epic fail

  My PC crashed down and I can't get pictures anymore... because the card reader is inside the PC. Damned! This helped me to have a break with Fakelook, mails and other PC only activities.

  I finally had enough time to think about the Hobby and the place it takes in our life... and the money we spend on it. Do we really need to buy all the new stuff that Games Workshop produces? And are we sure that we'll mount, paint and play with all the minis we bought?

So?

  So I made a clean un in my Hobby room and decided to sell all my Warhammer Fantastic Battles stuff. The game disapointed me to the point that I know I'll never ever play it again. Exit all the Battle army boxes, selled the three armies I kept in stock! I have enough 40k minis to paint.

  Selling my Ork, Ogre and Chaos armies allowed me to buy a big Games Workshop table, an imperial sector and some Pegasus hobby stuff.

  And not loosing time on the PC makes the hobby happy. I'm working and painting minis about 4 hours a day now!

Next week, if my PC's back, I'll have cool pictures to show you.

Great moments

  I discovered this site by chance and since, I didn't stop to be amazed by the poetry which emerges from all the mini stories of this blog.

  No text in these mini-stories, background reduced to the minimum but maximum effect. Read it and read it again without moderation, they are Great moments.

Challenge of the End of the world: back 2 work

  You believed that the Challenge was over, for lack of combatants? No way! I continue to prepare the 3000 pts necessary for January 1st and the Apocalypse game envisaged with WaterGun.

   All I have to paint to be ready is 2 terminators, a Crusader and the command squad.

Dark Angels on an Hexagon

  To create a campaign at the WaterGun association, we used the box Planetary Empires, quite practical to create a clean and readable chart.

   And here a close view of my Dark Angels base, worked from a great number of bitz, it seems to be conquered of brave fight on Eldars…

Base Dark Angels

[Transport] Land Raider Crusader WiP

I know, I'm late. But I wanted to present you a finished WiP of my Land Raider Crusader.

  I took my inspiration from [damn! lost the www adress]. It gave me the idee for Forge World the multi-melta turret. Lot of work to make it fit but it has such an awesome look...

  Can't wait to paint it!

All is in the details

  Since 198*, I wanted to create an army of Space Marines Dark Angels or one of the successors chapters. Meanwhile, I started in 1989 a comic strips collection, collection which still continues today and largely exceeds 2500 albums.

  When I started to paint figurines, it was with Warhammer Battle orks. Then Chaos Space Marines, Nécron, Tau and finally Ogres Kingdoms followed one another on my bench.

  Dark Angels hadn't the honors of the bench before 2008. Some small material difficulties delayed the creation of this army. To start with famous Games Workshop's Dark Angel Green, a horror to be worked (put three layers at least to have a good color). Moreover, I wasn't satisfied with this color: I needed a more khaki green.

  Fortunately, Games Workshop created the Fondation paintings collection. The painter's Graal: a covering paint, with particular colours, including the famous Orkhide Shade. A yellower green than the Dark Angel Green? I finally can begin my Space Marines army!

  And since 2008, my Doom Angels army grows, and grows, and grows… because it's  the only army I'm working on today. I ceased painting other armies and playing with other games than Warhammer 40,000. Add to that one hour of painting per day minimum and you'll understand that it advances quickly.

  But as my army advanced, I realized that something didn't do it. I missed with this army the small detail which makes "tilt" in the eye of someone which looks at it (and incidentally judge it). One calls that "the WOW! effect"… and my army didn't have it.

  The catch came this week, when I was painting a new scout sergeant.

On the left, the old color scheme - On the right, the new one

  

The differences aren't obvious, but here they are:

• The armour highlights aren't in Knarloc Green any more but in Rotting Flesh. This change gives the same effect as on the DeathWatch Terminator armour painted in May 2010.
• Weapons and shoulder pads receive an additional highlight in Blazing Orange, which allows me to reinforce the relief.
• Base edges are now painted in Khemri Brown.
• The faces are more worked. Thanks to the Tours painting class carried out under the direction of Mohand who I will never thank enough for his councils.

 All I have to do now is working on the weathring with pigments and my Dark Angels army will be fine.

[HQ] Forge Master

  It took me a very long time to get the Doom Angels' Forge Master ready.

The mini preparation was long. In 2009, Finecast minis didn't exist and particular models where made in white metal, not plastic. And when you had it all shiny and ready, it was time to take the drill and prepare the four backpack arms to stay in place. Gluing ins't enough when you want to have a good and strong result.

  Then after having my Forge Master full painted, I stopped. I wasn't satisfied with the base. It was empty and too classic.

  After one complete month, I fouded the solution. I completly destroyed a square base from a Cities of Death set, cutted it in three parts. After that, I painted servo-skulls and an Empire General's chérubin.

I setted them on black painted wires to make them "fly"... et voilà:

 

Red's Corps

  Today, I'd like to intriduce the blog from somebody who completely changed my perception of mini's weathring process.

Red's Vindicator

  Maybe did you already have seen his Red Scorpions army, on Games Workshop or World Forging websites. 

  But did you know that before presenting figurines with such an impact, those weren't so amazing?

The proof in this post.

  I recommend the Red Corps blog, first blog on Red Scorpions, with photographs which abound of ideas and of provided articles.

Raven Guard - Rhino-Razorback

Raven Guard Rhino

  When a friend of mine told me he was planning to paint a rhino/razorback for his Raven Guard army, I immediatly asked him if I could paint it for free... just for the pleasure to have the Forge World parts he bought under my brush.

  I started with the rhino version, equiped with a hunter-killer missile and a dozer blade. I had to make some minor modifications to the Raven Guard rhino doors but, all in all, this kit fitted well.

  I decided to paint it in a "by the book" codex version, with white doors and the rest in Chaos Black.

Raven Guard Razorback

   After the rhino, the razorback with twin lascans. I just had to remove the rhino roof and change it with the razorback one. the missile swapped with an optic device.

  All the highlights were made in Space Wolf Grey. This gives a better result than the Skull White or Codex Grey solution.

  The weathering and the battle damage had to be lighter than on my own vehicules. (damned!) This is why instead of the drill and the file, I used blister foam to add some weathring...

Raven Guard - Rhino-Razorback WiP

 

  I'm having a break in the Doom Angels painting work with a Raven Guard vehicule.

This vehicule is prepared to be a rhino (command vehicule) and a razorback with lascans.

PS: I modified the post on Neron with better pictures

[Heavy Support] Whirlwind

  The first heavy support vehicule I made wasn't the predator presented here but a whirlwind. It must be because I really like to have the artillery template in hand and put it on as many minis as possible. (hur hur hur)

  I placed white wings on both sides of the missiles ramps. The sword was placed in front of the vehicule, as a Heavy Support symbol.

  A you can see on this picture, the missil ramp is (almost) fonctionnal.

  There are rust traces on the roof because mecanic servitors must reload the missiles. I made many damages because the whirlwind is supposed to move in cover and get into the ruins. (my Doom Angels army is based on a city fight)

Two details on this picture: 

• first, I replaced the radar by a small Dark Angel icon
• second, I added an aiming device on the roof.

[War Machines] Knight Paladin (Part 3)

  Now that the Titan is ready, all the parts were pre-painted with an airbrush.

  This alloxed me to have a perfect black and white base for painting.

  After many, many peinting hours, I can erect the Titan for the first time. \o/

And now, weathring.

   Guitar strings can be usefull!

 I finally added two banners and a poor cultist...

(You can see on this picture all the work I done on the shoulder).

  300 hours of work, but it was worth it.

[Elite] Ironclad

  I'm proud to present my first "real" Ironclad dreadnought: Neron. Based on the Games Workshop Ironclad dreanought kit which can be described as "squary, ugly and... essential".

  Because I wasn't satisfied with the GW arms, I bought another one from Forge World. And it rocks.

  But I had a little problem: the Forge arm doesn't have a heavy flammer on it. This is why I modified the left front down side to integrate a heavy flammer.

  I added a Dark Angel light and purification seals on the front side, and an imperial eagle on the top.

The bolters aren't modified.

   Even if the snapshot isn't good enough, I can tell you that I worked hard on this mini and it may one of the best Doom Angel I ever painted. ^^

  As you can see on the rear view, I made weathering on all sides. Even the Forge World arm was damaged!

  And if you have good eyes, you can see a reference to the Great Provider...

[War Machines] Knight Paladin (Part 2)

 

Now that the Titan is ready to go, I have to paint it ^^

[War Machines] Knight Paladin (Part 1)

Apocalypse games need epic war machines. Like... TITANS!

  In 2009, I bought a Knight Paladin; scratch-bouilded by a friend of mine.

  And I had a lot of work before I could place it on a table for a game...

It was epic even before I started a game!

   I added some modifications to the original kit, like the bucklar fixation.

  I wasn't satisfied with the original parts. I created mine and it wasn't bad.

  I modified the chainsaw tooth too ^^

And the Helmet.
I wanted to make it seem more medieval.

[Elite] Ironclad (WiP)

 As usual, I'm late in painting for the End of the World Challenge...

 This is why I present you a work in progress picture from my first "real" Ironclad Dreadnought. It won't have a Games Workshop left arm, but one from Forge World.

[Heavy Support] Predator

   When I knew I was going to play in Saumur at a "Heavy support museum", I needed to ad a predator to my Dark Angels army.

   As a heavy support, the predator as a big red sword in front side, the wings are in the botz box. The sided heavy bolters are removable and can be changed for laser canon... which aren't painted right now.

   I didn't make as much damage on this vehicule than I used to. (I didn't have enought time) Anyway, I think i'll keep t like this. To much battle damage kills it.