Firestrike Servo-turret

Some heavy support for my Imperial Fist Primaris Marines. Most of it was completed using Contrast colours but the metallics as ever are standard acrylics; a little of the yellow highlighting is acrylic also.

Imperial Fist Infiltrators

These well camouflaged (if deployed in custard) chaps are from the GW Shadowspear box set released in 2019. They finally had a date with a brush at the start of the year along with a Lieutenant from the same set.

Group Shot

Think this is a great sculpt, looks as if he's just dropping a grenade into a bunker

The lieutenant and a marine using his bolt pistol

The two sergeants

All of these were done with a contrast paint base coat over a cream coloured undercoat, which gives a real warmth to the yellow. Edge trim and metallics were completed with standard acrylic paints and the shoulder badges came from GW's Imperial Fists conversion kit.

Indomitus Box Set

What's in the box? 

Every time GW release a new version of Warhammer 40K I immediately pledge not to get sucked in again. I have books that go back to the original Rogue Trader tome from 1987 and given I've only played the game a couple of times in the last decade (solo at that) it should be easy. But... then GW publish another new box set with another collection of fine sculpts and there goes this months spend.

There is no doubt, like countless others, I am addicted to the plastic crack that GW are pushing.

The latest box set proved no exception. It sold out in minutes on release in July and GW nearly had a customer relations disaster having promised that anybody who wanted one would get one. But GW are not the company they were ten years ago and within 48 hours announced that they would take orders for a few weeks and then do a second run.

Mine arrived last week and as is usual with GW the standards are very high.

The back reveals the potential for a moulded plastic Nirvana.

The GW Trolls like to tease with gorgeous cardboard sleeves before you reach the actual riches beneath!

Finally the heavenly sprues are revealed in all their intricate glory.

These are push fir models which GW have gradually been getting better at over the years. It does cut down the pose options but in general GW's figures are pretty much unique this doesn't matter. Hopefully a combination of quick assembly and the Contrast paints I drone on about incessantly will mean getting them to a table top won't take long. There are two armies Primaris Space Marines (as always) and Necrons.

In addition there is a scenario book:

 And a limited edition version of the new rules:

Guess I'm off to the Grim Dark Future, again.

Imperial Fists Scouts and Psyker

Seems to be a theme this month and that theme is Warhammer 40K. Not deliberate, just got on a roll with the Contrast paints which make churning out fantasy troops very easy.

These guys are from the Shadowspear box set released in the middle of 2019. I'd always wanted yellow marines but had avoided them due to the difficulty I always had with yellow. In these guys it simply a base coat of Wraithbone followed by a coat of Iyanden Yellow taking care to avoid pooling.

The only non-contrast colours are the red trim which is traditional acrylics.

Roboute Guilliman

The ying to Abaddon's yang. I'd had this model since it came out but hadn't quite got round to finishing it. With the completion of Abaddon, however, I felt that I needed to balance out the forces of Chaos with something Imperium just in case anything got anywhere near a real game.

Because this model was started before the advent of Contrast paints I had to go back to the old tried methods of three step shading coupled with inks and glazes.

Contrast Paints - First Try

In June, the day after the Great Game finished I wandered into Games Workshop (I can't quite train my brain to think Warhammer) in Glasgow and picked up a few of the new Contrast paints to give them a go.

I've always liked the idea of Imperial Fists as a legion except for the unfortunate fact that they are yellow. Yellow and I don't get on, it has a habit of going green at the merest hint of brush contamination and even when it works it's either so dull as to be anonymous or so effervescent it dominates the pallet.

So here was a chance, not shading, no highlights just slap it on is what GW said. The result is below.

The yellows and browns are Contrast paints, the metals and red traditional acrylics and washes.

I'll have more thoughts on Contrast in a later post.

Nottingham Loot

Recent trip to Nottingham led me to the HQ store of Warlord Games. Had some interesting chat with the staff there and of course succumbed to a slight spend:

• Celtic cavalry
• Celtic archers blister
• Celtic chieftains blister
• Roman general (who in now way looks like Russell Crowe in Gladiator - honest)
• Roman generals
• Roman auxiliary command
• Blood Red Skies - an impulse buy backed up by some interesting reviews I'd read on the internet. I have an idea for this, more when I actually get round to it!
• Wargames Illustrated - don't always buy this these days but noticed a BLB article!

I was also given a  miniature of a crusader for visiting the store.
I allowed my credit card an evening to recover and then wandered over to Warhammer World (those of a historical disposition may want to look away now).

• Forgebane - self contained WH40K set with loads of cool Mechanicum models
• Some Primaris Reavers... no can't explain that one other than I like the skull motif helmets
• Aeldari web gate - it's scenery, you can't have too much scenery!
• A selection of paint - this is actually for my Romans and Celts!

Now all I have to do is explain this to the better half, on reflection perhaps I should have brought her back more than a mug...

...or maybe not blogged about it publicly!

Sergeant Telion

This is one of my favourite GW miniatures mainly as it is one of the few that show a bit of age. I guess in the Dark Millennium few have the opportunity to become veterans.

Ultramarine Gallery

The inevitable blue marines known and reviled throughout WH40K. Next project is Green Marines (you know who!).
All models are Games Workshop/Citadel except the cobbles which are Battlefront.
The whole army… blue, blue electric blue that’s the colour of my marines…


The command team…



Dreadnoughts



Tactical


Drop Pod



Terminators


Predator


Vindicator

What I’m Working on Now…

It is an unwritten truth that anybody who dabbles in Warhammer 40K eventually ends up with the ‘blue’ marines…

Ultramarines – 3rd Company.
All miniatures by Games Workshop

What I’m Working on Now…

Games Workshop drop pod for my Ultramarines. Nearly done.