That's right, I didn't waste my entire holiday break playing Need for Speed, I also completed six of the most intricate and beautiful Space Marines... ever.
Right off the bat let me tell you these models are gorgeous - they are dripping in style, and covered in all sorts of little details and knick-knacks. There's belts, buckles, loin cloth trinkets, pouches - you name it, they've got it.
In the process of completing these models, I was presented with a few challenges.
Like Azrael, these models were primarily robed - which meant using an airbrush basecoat of Slate Grey, instead of Green. This was fine, but I did note that a second coat was needed as the first was almost imperceptibly too dark. Similar to my encounter with Azrael (and the Lion.)
The second was that these models, even more than the Deathwing Knights I turned into Firedrakes, were covered in Dark Angel iconography.
A Dark Angel unit with Dark Angel icons - who would've thought.
Now scraping the chapter logo off the shoulder pads and replacing them with Salamander icons is straightforward, I have done it loads of times. Where things got more complicated was the Inner Circle Companion kit has one model with a banner.
In a strange twist, the model's banner has no in-game function, so it is certainly within the realm of possibility to just assemble the sixth inner circle companion as a duplicate sculpt. But this irked me for two reasons.
Firstly, if the banner turned out to be beneficial to the unit, I would be stuck. Secondly, Games Workshop have taken great care to have all six Inner Circle companions be unique sculpts - so it would look weird.
I was determined to make it work and stumbled onto an .STL by Red Warden miniatures. I bought a copy, and had it printed to demand by Proxy Wargaming.
But I wasn't out of the woods yet. Unfortunately, the hand on the back of the banner did not line up fantastically with the arm, so it was always going to look crooked (something I have long since made peace with) but the point of contact on the arm was particularly small, weak, and vulnerable to being knocked.
Enter Dad with his miraculous pinning kit.
With tiny drill, a can-do attitude, and some titanium wire, Dad got the contact point perfect - and I got a banner for my Dragon Companions which suited their role as the elite bodyguard of DefinitelyNotAzrael.
Now I just had to paint the rest of the unit. It did take a long time, as I expected - with so many tiny details to block in, it's always a bit of a slog. But the way to deal with that is just to get into your process. Headphones on, brainrot playing, letting the process of hobby soothe, rather than frustrate.
Indeed, getting to spend an hour each night blocking, then recess shading, and then highlighting, is actually starting to give me the good chemicals. It's a great way to wind down.
Unless you're listening to the Daily Show, in which case you're gritting your teeth. Rough stuff.
It may have taken me a month and a half, but I have finally gotten on the board - and this unit takes me very close to having a fully painted 2000 point army.
To the point where I could probably move some deckchairs and have a fully painted army now - but as per usual, I always want options.
And options are what's up next in the paint queue.
Catch you next time,
Vulkan
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