Lunchbreak Oi!

Today, army list, and a few before/after pictures of the flying saucers (FLYING SAUCERS! I could say those words for ever...).

Army list (Space Marines codex):

Master of the Forge
Scouts (5) 4 snipers 1 heavy bolter Camo Cloaks
Telion

Dreadnoughts MultiMelta/Heavy Flamer (3)

Tactical squad (10 marines) MeltaG/Missile Launcher
Rhino strom Bolter Search Light

Tactical squad (idem)

Land Speeder Heavy Flamer/Multimelta (3)

Predator AutoCannon/Heavy Bolter sponsons (3)

for 1500 points

Confession time: it is not my list. I found it on the website of M. Stelek, and I just ripped it off. This is the worst case scenario: you find a list you like, you use it for a turnament without the slightest idea about its playing style, etc. Not gonna work...

Anyway, the list allows me to make a lot of funny things (preds, dreads, etc), so I took it. It also seems fairly intelligent, based on vehicles (that are harder to bring down in 5th edition, or so they say), with a nice core holding your objective and a lot of threats for your opponent to consider. Land speeders are quick and good tank hunters, or heavy flamer toting anti-cover saves monsters. The predators make me wonder a bit, because of cover saves. But they unleash such a massive firepower for such a small cost... I have a second list for later, a dread/drop pod list.

Now with all these vehicles, I have been busy turning construction materials into ... hum... FLYING SAUCERS!

Ok, so what is this?















Indeed, the cap from an exhaust vent, with an "inside metallic spring closing system". No less. Bought from a DIY shop. A few euros.

But the truth is that, under this mild-mannered shell hides the alien menace, cunningly disguised:

"Rhinos":




























And a "Predator":














See? Just close the cap with cardboard, add a round bit of plasticard (or in my case the plastic covers for some electric components), and stick some guns. For the Rhinos, the guns are a bit of plastic rod and the upper half of a New Year's Eve round explosive charge, the kind you detonate in the street to please your drunken friends and annoy your neighbors. The cycle of life being what it is, I used to be a drunken friend, I am now an annoyed neighbor ;-) Those I found on the sidewalk on January 1st. Remember, modelist: on the first day of the year, always look on the floor. The opening ramp for the second Rhino was a bit of work. I just cut a piece of the cap I had used and added a flight of stairs with mesh and plastic rods from the trusty bits box. After that, I inserted a strong metallic wire through the flight of stairs, and had it coming out at the lower extremity of the ramp. So now the ramp touches the base of the mini and also acts as a support for the all vehicle. It wil be clearer on the finished pictures, I swear.

The predators used the same technique. The sponsons metallic guns are from Hydra, nice alien-looking stuff:














So we have the vehicles. The dreadnoughts? Stock minis from monsieur Beauchamp:



















I just added a Heavy Flamer hose and the flames sculpted with green stuff.

As for the scouts, again, stock Hydra and a few components added to represent heavy weapons:

















I have also simplified the color scheme in order to save time:



All Valejo:

Charred Brown (a great color, excellent covering and good base)
Desert yellow
Bonewhite
White for the edges

I try to go for a style where the large, flat surfaces are treated not so much through blending than through a mix of blending and weathering. I "create" chips, lines, and movements on the surface that are not sculpted. For example, in the test mini, I added lines from his eyes in order to give him a sort of threatening gaze. It is difficult to explain. Check Steve Dean's website for good examples of that technique. It makes the figurines very lively, and is quite significantly quicker than smooth blending. Another thing in my case is that smooth blending is way out of my league.

The technique needs to be clean, though, and well-thought. I still struggle with basically any aspects, but I might be slowly getting there... I also need to find a nice touch for the energy rod thing of their guns.

For the bases, I decided to go for a Red Planet Mars type of sand-gravel. I also found in a construction site these large, shunky pieces of slate that I will use as a repetitive motive in the army's bases. For the basic robots, everything is very straight: PVC glue, then sand. Do not buy sand in a modelling shop, this is ridiculous. Get some somewhere, it is free and will be less even, with the odd pebble or bigger chunck. This is good, it makes it more lively.
The sand is primed black, then given a coat of Charred Brown+Terracota, then drybrushed Terracotta, then drybrushed quite heavily bonewhite, terracotta+white or light grey, whatever is at hand at the moment. The question is whether to put the sand before or after painting the mini. In that case, when there is a clear division between the mini's feet and the base, I base after painting the mini.

Ok, and the shape of things to come. Heavy weapons:



More electric components behind... Land speeders, just so you know...










Ok. Next time, maybe a little story and ... the Boss, mister alien robot menace himself.